NorthVan GreenTours is an environmentally-conscious company operated on the North Shore by North Vancouver resident Eric Williamson. All tour vehicles use vegetable oil for fuel, which is recycled from local restaurants, such as Lynn Canyon Café and Cate’s Park Café. Visitors to the North Shore can explore the natural beauty of Deep Cove, Squamish and Whistler from the comfort of an environmentally friendly van.

“Everyone can make a difference,” said Williamson.

Williamson exemplifies this statement with his commitment to using renewable, recyclable fuel. Restaurants generally have to pay to dispose of used vegetable oil and are happy to give it to Williamson. NorthVan GreenTours vehicles run on a combination of diesel and vegetable oil. Diesel is used to fuel the vehicle while the engine is warming up. Once the vegetable oil is hot, the vehicle switches over to the recycled oil.

The Throne Speech delivered in the Legislature yesterday offered a long-term vision for environmental policy in B.C. Several initiatives aimed at tackling global warming were identified, including the following:

• The Province will aim to reduce green house gas emissions by at least 33 per cent by 2020.
• All electricity produced in B.C. will be required to have net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2016.
• A new $25 million Innovative Clean Energy Fund will be established to encourage the commercialization of alternative energy solutions.
• Effective immediately, B.C. will become the first jurisdiction in North America to require 100 per cent carbon sequestration for any coal-fired electricity project.
• The $2,000 sales tax exemption on new hybrid vehicles will be extended
• A federal-provincial partnership will invest $89 million for hydrogen fueling stations and the world’s first fleet of 20 fuel cell buses.

“We can all do our part at home to ensure future generations will be able to enjoy the natural beauty of British Columbia,” said Jarvis, MLA for North Vancouver-Seymour. “Recycling, composting, carpooling and using energy-saving light bulbs are just a few ways we can help to reduce green house gas emissions.”