Since January 1st, 2007, Bayshore Shopping Centre (along with 12 other shopping centres in Ontario) has been purchasing 30% of the electricity used in its “common areas” from Bullfrog Power, Ontario’s green electricity retailer. Bullfrog Power sources all of its electricity from wind power and low-impact hydro-electric power. Both of these sources are renewable and clean (ie. do not produce greenhouse gases, smog, or particulate air pollution). Bullfrog Power calculates that over one year these 13 malls will reduce their CO2 emissions by 8,000 tonnes.
Other Ottawa area businesses that have switched to Bullfrog include Arbour Enviromental Shoppe, Domus Café, Rainbow Foods, Carleton Place Nursery, Open Concept, The Otesha Project, and The Royal Bank of Canada Innes and Lanthier (Orleans) branch. Cotton Ginny has signed up three of its Ontario stores to Bullfrog Power, but I was unable to find out which ones.
Incidentally, we switched our household over to green power last August so the computer on which this blog is typed is also Bullfrog Powered ; )
I’m glad to hear hopeful news like this. I’ve got a blog where I’m trying to keep up with bits of good news regarding the environment, sustainability and so on — http://www.dailyray.com . I’ll check back for more from Ottawa!