The government of British Columbia will be setting a part of its target of reducing greenhouse gas emission a part of a new law to be unveiled on Wednesday. The premier Gordon Campbell’s plan to fight global warming includes B.C. Hydro to hire 20 energy police to help the provincial government cut power use in all government buildings, including schools, hospitals and even the smallest service posts.
To meet its target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the years 2020 and 2050, the B.C government has taken its first step by changing the 3,300 light bulbs of Victoria with cutting-edge cold cathode fluorescent technology. The new bulbs are long lasting and more energy efficient but are not publicly available.
The $200-million Power Smart initiative is part of the provincial government’s initiative to make B.C.’s public sectors carbon-neutral by 2010. 6,500 government buildings will be fitted with low wattage light bulbs and more efficient heating and cooling systems. The energy program will save 342 gigawatt hours of energy annually, which amounts to 756,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases reduction by 2020. The province will need to cut more than 40 million tones of emissions to meet its 2020 target.
The proposed legislature will set long-term targets; however, the details will not be included. The details will be worked out by the Climate Action Team, whose members will be named today. The team will set specific targets and the government will draft regulations to make them effective by the end of 2008.
Source:the globe and mail
Image:epa