So apparently Toronto has a program that was put into place way back in 1996 called the Better Buildings Partnership, and it is a fantastically good idea. At the core of it, there’s a fund that was put together for a few million dollars, and with this money the program retrofits public and private buildings for improved energy efficiency. But it’s not a charity - the building owners continue to pay their current energy bills until the cost of the retrofits is paid back. And that’s it. Afterwards, the owners get to enjoy the spoils of cheaper utility bills, while we all benefit from improved efficiency.

Now tell me, is that not one of the most fucking brilliant, elegant, simple solutions to the energy-conservation problem you’ve ever heard?

The potential is so staggeringly enormous, and it’s limited only by the size of the fund. The idea has since been adopted by the Clinton Foundation, at the C40 Summit in New York. 15 of the biggest cities in the world (including Toronto) with a total population of more than 120 million people have been included in the initial round of financing, to the tune of $5 billion.

That’s progress.