Bring the ZENN to Manitoba

After knocking Science, Technology & Energy Minister Jim Rondeau in my last post, I’ll - tentatively - give him some credit for speaking in encouraging terms about the ZENN Car.
For those who haven’t seen it, the ZENN is a Canadian-built 100% electric vehicle. Selling for around $12,000, it has a range of 55-80 kilometres [...]

Manitoba’s green vehicle plan makes me blue

I’ve said it before: the province’s rebate program for hybrid vehicle purchases is just dumb.
The problem is that the program is based on technology, not fuel efficiency. Someone who buys a $41,000 Toyota Highlander hybrid (27 mpg city/25 mpg highway), or a $35,000 Ford Escape Hybrid (29/27) get a $2,000 rebate, while the poor sap [...]

A better way to reduce plastic bag use

The City of Winnipeg doesn’t think it’s equipped to deal with a ban on plastic bags. Fair enough, this is still an emerging issue around the world, and the plastic alternatives — like cornstarch-based bags — still need further development (apparently they fall apart under humid conditions).
For now, the threat of a possible future ban [...]