WIDEN: On Green Energy
Wednesday, January 26, 4:00-6:00 pm
Gradroom at Grad House, 66 Harbord St.
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All are welcome. No advance registration is required.
Presentations:
A Pragmatic Look at Some Sources of Green Energy
Deepak Chandan and Andre Erler, Atmospheric Physics
Green sources of energy will be essential and vital to our energy portfolio as we continue our socio-economic development in the 21st century. While there is widespread consensus on that, there remains serious disagreement on what constitutes the best combination of the various forms of green energy sources. In the passionate disc…ussion on climate change and effective ways of mitigation, often reason and quantitative assessment take a backseat to ideology, misinformation and special economic interests. We will try to provide a balanced analysis of some of the most prominent forms of green energy, highlighting their advantages, drawbacks and the contribution they can realistically have in our energy portfolio.
Environmental Justice and Community Development: How Does Green Energy Fit In?
Janan Dean, Social Work
Communities around the world are attempting to create resiliency strategies in response to peak oil and energy overconsumption claims. Utilizing green energy sources can be one part of these strategies, as well as increasing sustainable practices such as community gardening for local food production. However, the negative impacts of resource and energy consumption do not affect all groups or geographic areas equally. This presentation will introduce the fundamental concepts of environmental justice and provide a critical analysis of the effects of green energy on diverse geographic and identity-based communities.
Understanding the New Renewable Energy Approval Process under the Green Energy Act
Yi Luo, Planning
In May 2009, the Ontario legislature passed the Green Energy and Green Economy Act. The Act is designed to stoke the development of renewable energy in Ontario, and help create a culture of resource conservation. To achieve this, the Act systematically removed the economic, cultural and administrative barriers to the speedy implementation of renewable energy agenda. Of particular interest is the introduction of the feed-in-tariff, and major amendments aimed to curtail municipal authorities under the Planning Act. This presentation will discuss key elements of the legislation, stakeholder reaction, and implications to land use planning in Ontario.
Directions: To get to Grad Room in Grad House, enter through the coffee shop on the North-East corner of Spadina and Harbord and then go down the stairs at the back. An elevator to the room is accessible through the main entrance of the Grad House Residence.