Estate Planning

When It's This Cold Out - To What Lengths Will We Go To Generate Heat?

By Hull and Hull LLP

I can't remember a time in my life when being conscious of society's impact on the environment hasn't been at the forefront of the media. Each generation considers the legacy they leave behind in a different way, and certainly, we can look back through history and dissect the choices of generations past and the impact those decisions have had on our environment.   With hindsight being what it is, criticism generally flows naturally.   A recent article I read made me contemplate the environmental impact of certain modern day choices.

The Toronto Star recently reported on a town in England that has decided to put to use wasted energy for the purpose of heating a community sports complex.   The town council voted to implement the strategy of using this wasted heat, currently released with no benefit to the town, to heat the complex and potentially save the town $26,000 a year.    It sounds like a great plan right? The only catch (which seems to be entirely dependant on your subjective view) is that the wasted heat being redirected for this purpose is generated by a nearby crematorium.

The councillor for the British town of Redditch, Carole Grandy, has noted that such efforts have been used in Scandinavia with success.   Ms. Grandy has indicated that by redirecting the wasted heat, the town will likely be able to maintain programs that otherwise would have been cut. The social benefits seem clear.

Whatever your opinion on whether the use of the wasted heat from the crematorium is appropriate, it doesn't appear that this will be implemented on this side of the pond anytime soon. In order to do so, Daniel Reid, director of sales and marketing for Park Lawn Limited in Toronto, believes that public opinion would need to change to support this particular use of the wasted heat.   Based on a quick survey of my peers, I doubt that the public dissent for this choice is likely to change anytime soon. I suppose at some point, the cost savings and environmental benefit may win out, and any criticism will be left to future generations.  Only time will tell.

Until Tomorrow,

Nadia Harasymowycz

Full post as published by Toronto Estate Law Blog on January 31, 2011 (boomark / email).