Wind Turbines
– By Peter Corbyn of Earthinstitute.ca
Last summer, a call went out through the media
for members of the public to present Al Gore’s critically acclaimed
film, An Inconvenient Truth to live audiences.
Over 1000 Canadians applied for this chance of a lifetime, which included
meeting Al Gore himself. Only eighteen were chosen. Peter Corbyn was one
of them.
Peter founded the Earthinstitute.ca
in 2005, which offers web-based programs to help Canadian homeowners, small
business owners and large enterprises save energy and reduce greenhouse
gas emissions. He volunteers his time to deliver An Inconvenient
Truth presentations to audiences in Atlantic Canada. Over
the past two months, he has made nineteen presentations to 4000 people.
The presentations are free but attendees are recommended to make donations
to charities such as Habitat for Humanity, Go For Green and local food banks.
How did Peter get the inspiration to create Earthinstitute.ca?
About fifteen years ago, Peter was working for a manufacturing plant when
he looked at the energy bill and realized that the company was spending
$1 million inefficiently. In 1992, he decided to launch the first employee
energy awareness program in Ontario. He trained 300 employees for 3 hours
on energy awareness 101 so they could see first hand how much energy they
were wasting.
From 1996 to 2000, Peter was the Environmental Director with the Canadian
Automotives Parts Association, which represents the producers of parts,
equipment, tools, supplies and services for the worldwide automotive industry.
In 1998 and 1999, Peter was part of the National Industry Issue Table on
Climate Change, which was the organization that went to Kyoto in 1997 to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Canada. The federal government asked
the industry to review it. It was here that Peter learned the complexity
of the issues surrounding the energy sector.
When Peter became a father five years ago, he wanted to do everything in
his power to ensure his daughter has a good life including a sustainable
environment down the road. He decided to create the Earthinstitute.ca
and hasn’t looked back since.
Peter’s Extraordinary Insights.
What does Peter do in his daily life to reduce his environmental
impact?
“I use compact fluorescent light bulbs, I insulated my house, I
use a programmable thermostat, low flow shower heads, turn the water temperature
down, I carpool and drive a 4 cylinder vehicle among other things.”
What can homeowners do to save energy in their homes?
There are many things that homeowners can do to save energy in their homes.
When asked what single thing can be done that will have the biggest impact,
Peter suggested replacing regular incandescent light bulbs with compact
fluorescent ones. “They are a visual reminder of the other things
you can do to save energy.” The only caveat is that most people
are unlikely to purchase these light bulbs. They are slightly more expensive
than regular bulbs but they are coming down in price substantially. By
replacing 100 Watt incandescent light bulbs with 30 Watt compact fluorescent
ones, you will save $20-$30 per year on energy costs. These light bulbs
only need to be replaced every five to seven years. The actual operating
cost then is substantially lower with fluorescent bulbs.
What does Peter think about the new federal budget that has a
stronger focus on the environment?
He thinks the budget is progress for Canadians. “I think the incentive
for fuel efficient vehicles and the tax on gas guzzlers is a positive
step. I’m encouraged by their commitment to use renewable fuels
and energy efficiency.” In quoting David Suzuki: “Quite frankly
I don’t care which party is in office because they’re all
trying to out green each other so bring it on.”
