Mid-North Island

From Sightline Institute

Green-collar jobs present a 3-for-1 opportunity for the Northwest: economic stability, reductions in climate-warming pollution, and an escape from dependence on fossil fuels. In short, investing in clean energy creates local jobs at home and ensures our money stays in our communities.

Sightline's research aims to bring clarity and guidance for Northwest decision makers with innovative and comprehensive solutions for growing a green-collar workforce in our region. On this page you'll find Sightline's latest green jobs analyses and resources. Have questions? Contact Nate Kommers at Sightline Institute.

From December 7th - 18th, the world’s leaders gather in Copenhagen, Denmark, for the most important conference our world has ever known.

To understand why, you have to lay aside the muttering of those believe global warming to be a massive hoax perpetrated by all the world’s climate scientists over 20 years, and pay serious attention to the facts.

The physics of climate science has been solid for over 100 years. Carbon dioxide and related molecules such as methane trap heat in Earth’s atmosphere, and their rapidly increasing presence is causing global temperatures to rise. All other contributing factors - such as the changing nature of the Sun - have been examined, and none has been found able to explain the steady although variable rise in temperature.

From December 7th - 18th, the world’s leaders gather in Copenhagen, Denmark, for the most important conference our world has ever known.

To understand why, you have to lay aside the muttering of those believe global warming to be a massive hoax perpetrated by all the world’s climate scientists over 20 years, and pay serious attention to the facts.

The physics of climate science has been solid for over 100 years. Carbon dioxide and related molecules such as methane trap heat in Earth’s atmosphere, and their rapidly increasing presence is causing global temperatures to rise. All other contributing factors - such as the changing nature of the Sun - have been examined, and none has been found able to explain the steady although variable rise in temperature.

We know how to tackle the climate crisis.

The technologies, the policies, the lifestyle changes - most are already being implemented somewhere on our planet. All that we lack is the political will, so that they might be implemented everywhere, and much more rapidly.

I say this with some confidence, having just spent two years researching and writing The Climate Challenge: 101 Solutions to Global Warming, which will be in bookshops by mid to late November. (New Society Publishers)

The warnings were grim nine years ago, when I wrote my first book - Stormy Weather - on the topic. They are even grimmer today.

A vigorous post-screening discussion at the recent Victoria screening of The Age of Stupid culminated with the sharing of action ideas around how we can all be “Not Stupid”. Here are the top nine actions to share with your friends and family.

Four of these are political actions, which are very important in the present situation. We have to move our provincial and federal governments to move more quickly and with much more vigor to address this supremely important problem.

Five of the actions are personal or household actions which are always necessary for any real change to take place. Now is the time to make these changes.

BCSEA has created an online petition to call for the restoration of funding for LiveSmart BC in the next provincial budget.

LiveSmart BC's Efficiency Incentive Program met its three-year target of 40,000 households in just 15 months, and its $60-million budget has been fully allocated. As a result the program was declared complete in mid-August and to date, no further commitment of funding has been made.

BCSEA strongly believes that a renewed and extended LiveSmart-style engagement program is required to encourage homeowners to undertake the energy efficiency upgrades and renewable energy retrofits necessary for BC meet its greenhouse gas reduction goals.