Ontario extends PST break for ‘green’ appliances
As first announced in the spring budget, the Ontario government is extending the provincial sales tax exemption on energy-efficient appliances and most bicycles.
Energy Star-rated refrigerators, freezers, washers, dehumidifiers and room air conditioners qualify, along with high-efficiency light bulbs and bicycles costing less than $1,000, Premier Dalton McGuinty said. The 8 per cent PST exemption on appliances and light bulbs will continue until Aug. 31, 2009, and is expected to cost the treasury about $52 million.
The tax break on bikes, helmets and other cycling safety gear will continue until Dec. 31, 2010, at a cost to provincial coffers of about $16 million.
McGuinty acknowledged his government was examining other ways to encourage consumers to choose more environmentally friendly products.
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Britain Goes Full Week Without Coal Power
LONDON - For the first time in a century, Britain weaned itself off of coal consumption for an entire week.
Reuters reported that Britain went seven days without relying on any power generated by coal-powered stations.
The accomplishment is symbolic of a shift to more clean energy sources; Britain was home to the first coal-powered plant back in the 1880s.
Today, Britain has some aggressive plans in place to completely eliminate its coal power generation permanently by 2025. In addition, Britain aims to cut its total greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent from 1990 levels within the next 30 years.
Natural gas was the…
