My Sustainable Canada’s E-Bulletin

 See summarized information and up-to-date news on sustainable consumption in Canada and around the world in our E-Bulletins.

Tracking a Ski Resort Fleet's Fuel Consumption

Through the facilitation efforts of My Sustainable Canada, the Centre for Sustainable Transportation, along with Persentech are helping Blue Mountain Resort discover how much fuel their vehicle fleet uses and how they can save money and help the environment through eco-driving and maintenance practices.  In August, 2009, the Centre for Sustainable Transportation installed Manitoba-made, GPS-based OttoView systems in 10 of the resort's light and medium duty vehicles.  These devices measure trip-time, distance, average speed, fuel use and idling time and calculate greenhouse gas emissions throughout the six month study.  This research project will serve as a complimentary component to the Ontario Snow Resorts Association's Engine Idling Reduction Program.

Diesel Retrofit Pilot Program for School Buses in Peel and Halton Regions

My Sustainable Canada assisted Environment Canada on a pilot project that oversaw diesel retrofits for school buses in Halton and Peel Regions.  Through this pilot, two school bus companies servicing school boards in Halton and Peel Regions had up to eight school buses retrofitted with one or both types of EPA-verifed retrofit technologies: Diesel Oxidation Catalysts; and Closed Crankcase Ventilation units.  Only older school buses with a significant remaining service life were selected for the retrofit pilot.  Throughout the course of this retrofit, Environment Canada has gained a better understanding of both the benefits and barriers to implemenitng large scale school bus diesel retofits across the province and the country.

Evaluating Technologies that Promote Fuel Efficient Driving Practices

The City of London, Ontario, Fleet Management Centre partnered with Environment Canada, Natural Resources Canada and a number of private sector organizations to test the efficacy and suitability of remote vehicle sensing technologies which can track and monitor vehicle emission control performance. My Sustainable Canada evaluated the results from the five year pilot and identified scenarios where these technologies could serve to support the greening of fleet and contribute to the promotion of fuel efficient driving practices.

Created a National Research Study on Consumer Behaviour and Sustainable Consumption

Participated on a multidisciplinary research team with researchers from the University of Guelph and California State University along with Decima, to study the  sustainable consumption and consumer behaviour. With the support of Industry Canada's Office of Consumer Affairs, the Consumer Behaviour and Sustainable Consumption Research Project involved investigating Canadian specific purchasing behaviour patterns, in order to obtain a better understanding of how to encourage consumers to incorporate sustainable consumption into their purchasing decisions.

The findings from this research will serve to assist policy makers in addressing specific goals to reduce toxins, air emissions and energy related emissions associated with consumer activities and will lay the foundation for sustainable consumption policies, strategies and interventions.

Co-Edited a Special Edition of Journal of Cleaner Production on Sustainable Production and Consumption

This special edition of the Journal of Cleaner Production (Volume 15, Issue 6), is focused on the linkages between sustainable production and sustainable consumption. The collection of papers that comprise this special issue examine what the strategies of sustainable production and sustainable consumption have in common and how the production and consumption of goods and services are inextricably interwoven as a single integrated system.