Author: Camellia Moors ‘22
Welcome back to Good News Friday, and happy Earth Month! Today we are covering positive news from the Canadian Supreme Court, President Biden’s offshore wind energy plans, and a plan to use coffee waste in low-income housing construction.
Canada moves closer to a universal carbon tax: Last week, Canada’s Supreme Court ruled that the federal government has the authority to impose a carbon tax in provinces that oppose it. Canada initially passed the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act in 2018 and was set to begin enforcement of the tax in 2019, but the federal government faced pushback from some provinces, in particular oil-producing provinces like Alberta. Due to the opposition, an uneven carbon tax has been implemented, with some provinces paying into the revenue-neutral program and others refusing to implement it. The Supreme Court’s decision changes all of that, however, paving the way for a universal realization of one of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s key campaign pledges.
The Biden administration plans offshore wind expansion: This week, the Biden administration ahead of its announcement of a major infrastructure plan signaled its support for a significant expansion of offshore wind power generation along the East Coast. As part of the expansion, the administration aims to install an additional 30,000 megawatts of offshore turbines by 2030, which it says would create jobs, power millions of homes, and reduce carbon emissions. It has already moved to prioritize an area of water between Long Island and New Jersey for offshore electricity-generating capacity. Currently, the United States has an offshore wind generating capacity of approximately 28,500 megawatts, meaning Biden’s plan would effectively double existing offshore generation capabilities.
Colombian startup aims for sustainable construction: The company Woodpecker SAS is attempting to change the face of affordable and sustainable building. Using a mixture of coffee husks and recycled plastics, Woodpecker manufactures prefabricated buildings that can be easily assembled and made cheaply. This has made the company an excellent supplier of low-income housing and has attracted attention from the Colombian government, which has previously partnered with Woodpecker to quickly provide shelter for displaced citizens after natural disasters.
That’s all for this first week of Earth Month! As always, we welcome you to check out our previous editions of Good News Friday and to contact us if you have any positive environmental news to share!