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REGIONAL WRAP-UP volunteers go to seniors' homes with dogs and cats and the number of smiles that break out is amaz- ing. They get engaged with the animal, stroke it, and pet it. It's like you threw a switch when you put a puppy or kitten in their lap," he says. McDonald says the WHS received 5,640 cats in 2007, most of which were surrendered by people mov- ing into apartment buildings that didn't allow animals. "One elderly gentleman moved into an apart- ment after his wife passed away and couldn't take his dog with him. His lawyer turned the dog over to us because [the elderly gentleman] couldn't do it. The lawyer was cry- ing," he says. McDonald says if the WHS is successful fewer dogs and cats will end up on its doorstep and that means fewer will be euthanized. — GK Report says legal aid rates should jump to $110 an hour had been recommended in the previous Holden-Kaufman task force report in 2007, which was an equivalent of $120- $160 per hour, but it's a good start. Ontario Attorney General Chris Bent- CENTRAL CANADA raise the rate it pays lawyers who take on legal aid cases to $110 an hour. Anything less than that, said Trebilcock, "seriously risks further attenuating the commit- ment of the private bar to the legal aid system and will exacerbate the unfair- nesses and inefficiencies in the exist- ing tariff structure." It's not as much as U Strategies for Corporate Sustainable Development Green Volume 1 Issue 4 July/August 2008 Dawn fuel The of a new Recent reports paint an ugly picture of ethanol as a viable fuel. New feedstock prospects should change the landscape. GREEN BUILDING – EN Clearing the on trading America. Make sure you understand how best to method for offsetting emissions in North Carbon trading is becoming a popular niversity of Toronto law professor Michael Trebilcock has recom- mended the province of Ontario ley said he's determined to improve legal aid and the report will aid that ef- fort. "It's very helpful having that advice and having that review. Prof. Trebilcock makes the point, about 12 years before we became the government were very lean years, and often saw cutbacks. We're determined to get to a better place. It's not going to happen overnight." Bentley wouldn't say if the govern- ment is actually considering an increase to the legal aid tariff. "What I want to do is get to a better place on legal aid," he said when the report was released. "What that looks like, what form that takes, we haven't come to those conclusions." Trebilcock noted there is no silver bul- Business A special offer to readers K from the publishers of Canadian Lawyer and Green Business magazines eep on top of the most pressing sustainability issues facing businesses today! EN BUILDING – THE COMING ST CLEAN TECH IN CHINA carbon take advantage of the opportunities. By Christine Schuh air 28 www.green-business.ca March 2008 Get Your FREE Subscription at www.green-business.ca 10 SEPTEMBER 2008 www. C ANADIAN Law ye rmag.com Untitled-5 1 THE COMING STANDARD ARD 7/22/08 10:36:17 AM ally benefit the environment or is it a cash cow? When a business participates in these systems there are great benefits to the earth and the bottom line if it's done properly. However, there are tricks and traps that busi- nesses should be wary of when considering the option. C arbon trading is one of the most talked about business and eco- nomic issues discussed today. The Europeans have it, the U.S. is do- ing it and Canada is talking about a national system. But how does carbon trading work? Does it re- The earth's atmosphere is like a large bank account where pollutants can enter, exit, accumulate, and dis- seminate. Where most of us strive to save our personal money and build up our bank accounts, when it comes to the atmosphere and the health of our eco-system, we try to reduce the account balance by either removing or preventing pollutants from entering the atmosphere. Emission trading is a market-based mechanism used How carbon trading works Sign up for your free subscription to Green Business and get the latest information, expert opinion and commentary on topics including: legal and regulatory affairs carbon trading and emissions management to reduce the amount of pollutants in the atmosphere and is based on the exchange of emissions (e.g. carbon) credits for money or technology that enables best envi- ronmental practices. An emissions credit is created when human activity prevents an emission or has removed pollutants from the atmosphere. For instance, the credit can be as simple as changing to the use of compact fluorescent light bulbs, to replanting forest lands covered by species with low carbon sequestration abilities with species that sequester higher amounts of carbon. The value of the credit is determined by establishing a environmental best practices reporting and measurement standards target for emitters; these are voluntary or regulated de- pending on the country and system in which an entity operates. Emitters can then purchase credits in lieu of re- ducing emissions if they are unable to meet their targets. This transaction assumes that the environment sees the same benefit no matter who creates the credit or where it is created. It also relies on regulators, NGOs, companies and various other entities to set targets that reduce the balance in the ecological bank account to a sustainable level without significantly hindering their financial viability. Many prefer this type of mar- ket based mechanism because it strives to efficiently allocate costs. greening the supply chain environmentally friendly purchasing www.green-business.ca March 2008 29 Join more than 60,000 senior executives and managers who are already reaping the benefits of Green Business. Available in print or digital format, the magazine is yours absolutely free when you visit us online and fill out the free subscription form. For a preview of the high quality information you can expect six times a year from Green Business, check out the latest digital edition at www.green-business.ca. Green The Magazine for Corporate Sustainable Development Business 8/19/08 10:55:35 AM PM# 40063602