Prominent Canadians Weigh In: Peter Love
Peter Love is a Professor at Yorkville University and where he teaches courses on energy efficiency and sustainability and has written a free on-line text book on energy efficiency policy and programs. He provides strategic and policy advice and serves on several corporate and non-profit boards including Efficiency Capital, International Solar Solutions, Lightspark, Toronto 2030 District (Chair, Advisory Committee) and the Royal Canadian Institute for Science (past Chair). Previous roles have included Chief Energy Conservation Officer of Ontario and member of the team at Pollution Probe in the 70’s that developed the 3 R’s: reduce, reuse, recycle. He also plays old timer hockey.
What early life experiences triggered your interest in climate issues?
Growing up in the country on a dead-end road surrounded by nature.
What worries you most about where we are at with the climate emergency?
Politicians with their 4 year time horizon, especially populists who claim that climate change is either not a problem or will be solved by the private sector alone with no leadership from government
What green lifestyle change have you and your family started because of the pandemic?
Less air travel to conferences, board meetings, teaching classes and presentations - doing by Zoom instead
What green lifestyle change are you finding most difficult to take on?
Air travel to see daughter and grand kids in UK as well as projects/boards I serve on in Alberta and BC
Do you have a song, musician or other artist that inspires you and gives you hope as you grapple with the pandemic and climate change?
Good Lovelies "I See Gold"
If a young relative were to ask you in five years' time "what did you do when the climate was tanking," what will you say?
I developed and taught university courses on energy efficiency policy and programs
and served on a number of boards focused on finding solutions to climate change. I also talked to as many as I can about the problem and the solutions
What gives you hope about the future of the climate and life on this planet?
Young people, corporate commitments to net zero announced at COP26 and the increasing carbon price in Canada and other countries