The 21 member Climate Action Team made a few recommendations which include raising the carbon tax in 2012 if necessary from it's planned figure. (The carbon tax rate is expected to triple from 2.3 cents per litre of gasoline by 2012).

They believe that higher rates must be imposed to achieve the province's greenhouse gas reduction targets. With the current plan, BC hopes to cut 1/3 in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 but according to the Climate Action Team, the current planned rate will take BC only 73% of the way to achieving its goal.

They say that the tax needs to be expanded to include other untaxed industrial emissions or those emissions be taken into account via a cap-and-trade system. They ask for greater efficiency in transportation and use of rail when moving freight; the need to move away from dumping garbage in landfills which generates methane gas.

They also outlined interim targets to ensure the 2020 goals are met:

• By 2012 emissions should decline to 5% below 2007 levels. And houses and buildings should have a energy efficiency rating when they're sold.
• By 2016 emissions should decline to 15-18% below 2007 levels. And publicly funded buildings should have net-zero greenhouse gas emissions (and by 2020 that should be expanded to include all new houses).

The report is available until October 6th for public viewing at LiveSmartBC.ca

Source: Article by Jeff Nagel titled "BC advised to hike carbon tax"

"The number one cause of global warming gases worldwide is animal agriculture" - Dave Way, EarthSave President.

EarthSave Canada is a non-profit organization that outlines to people the environmental, health and ethical consequences of what people eat.

Dave Way is touring the Okanagan discussing the facts brought up in the 2006 report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations called Livestock's Long Shadow. Basically, the main issue is that raising animals for food affects climate change more than people think.

There are lots of concerns about using food grains as biofuels but not much for using those grains as animal feed. Last year, 100 million tonnes of grain were used to make biofuels but 760 million tonnes were fed to animals. The raising of animals for food contributes significantly to the release of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.

For instance, 18% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to the raising of livestock, compared to 13% for transportation. Fossil fuels burned to raise animals range from running tractors to supplying electricity for their operations. Also, the 1.5 billion cows and tens of billions of pigs, chickens and goats release methane gas which is 20 to 25% stronger than carbon dioxide.

Providing grains for the livestock requires clearing out forests to plant feed, then fertilized with petroleum based chemicals that contain nitrous oxide which is 300 times stronger than CO2.

Diets heavy in protein are also causes of many diseases. Thus, we should limit the amount of meat we eat and take part in programs such as Meatless Mondays etc. Even if we reduce our meat intake by 20%, there would be a significant impact on climate change.

Source: Article by Adrian Nieocyzm titled "Food activist says we need to cut down on animal protein"

"A green roof is a roof of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and soil, or a growing medium, planted over a waterproofing membrane." 

The following are some of the environmental benefits of a green roof:

• A green roof releases oxygen and absorbs carbon dioxide which helps in reducing global warming.
• The soil and drainage mat in a green roof retain water when it rains.
  
• The collected water passes through the green roof more slowly so it avoids flooding during a storm.
• The water going through the green roof has been biofiltered which cleans the water.

Listed below are the cost benefits of a green roof:

• A green roof can absorb sound better so it reduces noise within the building.
• It cools the house and can reduce electricity costs when cooling down a building.
• Green roofs last 2X to 3X longer than standard asphalt roofs.

The design and construction of a green roof involves putting on many layers:

• A waterproof membrane is placed directly on the roof to prevent water leakage.
• Next, there's a drainage mat made of polystyrene sheets which has little cups which retains water for plants to absorb.
• Then, there's a soil filter fabric which allows water and air to flow through but holds on to the soil. And a mesh layer that will decompose to help control erosion.
• Edging is put on the perimeter to create a retaining wall for the soil and garden.
• Finally, good soil; preferably something mineral oriented that is lightweight and retains heat.
• You can also put on an erosion control blanket to keep soil in place until plants get established.
  

Other things to keep in mind when thinking about creating a green roof: 

• You may need to add additional bracing so the roof can support the weight of the soil and other materials that will go on it. For instance, a 4 inch deep green roof could way 25 pounds per square foot.
• Also, you'll need some sort of hoist to lift the bags of soil to the roof.

Source: Article by Debbie Cafazzo titled "From sloping garage roof to elevated landscape"