In the interest of transparency, below is a list of speaking engagements and non-media writing/research gigs I have been paid to do since 2010, when I left my comfy, union-backed staff reporting position with the Toronto Star. Between 2000 and 2010, when I worked full time at the Star, I spoke at events without pay, or participated in the Toronto Star's own speaker's bureau, which paid $100 per speaking engagement. There may have been the odd event where I was asked to moderate or speak and received a small honorarium for my preparation time. The list below is a best effort at being comprehensive. It covers a time when I was a freelance journalist and, beginning in fall 2011, on contract as editor-in-chief of Corporate Knights. Note that I will also make a best effort to disclose any conflicts directly in the stories I write for Corporate Knights. Also note that, unlike some of my holier-than-thou colleagues, I do occasionally accept a coffee or beer on condition that I return the favour next time around (which I do).
2010
Wrote research report and moderated a panel for the Canadian Environmental Grantmakers Network, a group representing eco-minded philanthropists in Canada.
Received honorarium for being a panelists at a conference for George Brown College in Toronto.
Received payment to speak at staff party for GreenSaver, a not-for-profit energy efficiency organization in Toronto.
Received a share of advertising revenues from Green Living Enterprises, which ran advertisements on my blog www.cleanbreak.com.
Received payment for speaking at a conference held by the Ontario's Electricity Distributors Association.
Received payment for writing Ontario Smart Grid Forum report for the province's Independent Electricity System Operator. The contract to write this report was won through a standard RFP process.
Received payment to edit two newsletters for Emerald Technology Ventures, a venture capital firm with offices in Zurich and Toronto (NOTE: A third newsletter was edited in 2012).
2011
Received honorarium to moderate panel at CANNORD conference, hosted by Denmark's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Received honorarium to moderate panel at OFIT Supply Chain Forum, held by Canadian Clean Energy Conferences.
Received payment for keynote speech at Centennial College sustainability leadership conference.
Paid to write profile of inventor of geothermal heat pump systems for Canadian GeoExchange Coalition newsletter.
Received consulting fees from Green Living Enterprises for organizing/curating clean technology exhibition for the 2012 Green Living Show.
2012
Received consulting fees from Green Living Enterprises for organizing/curating clean technology exhibition for the 2012 Green Living Show (contract ended in April).
No other non-media payments were received in 2012.
2013
Honorarium received for keynote speech at Sustainable Energy Symposium hosted by St. Lawrence College.
Received payment for researching/writing White Paper on smart grid trends for Ontario's Independent Electricity System Operator.
Paid to speak and moderate panel at Canadian Wind Energy Association annual conference.
2014
Received honorarium to moderate renewable energy seminar held by the Royal Norwegian Embassy.
Received small payment from Tides Canada/Clean Energy Canada to contribute content to organization report.
Received honorarium to speak about business and sustainability trends w/environmental lawyers at Gowlings.
2015
Asked to speak to department directors at Hydro One about sustainability performance reporting trends and why this is important to the utility sector. In exchange, received donation totalling $500 from Hydro One for my Ride to Conquer fundraising campaign. Money raised goes to Princess Margaret Hospital for cancer research.