CHRIS BERUBE: A couple of big announcements this week about Canada’s attempts to lower emissions. First, federal environment minister Jim Prentice announced that Canada will not be requiring industrial pollutants to reduce emissions until 2012, so as to harmonize the American plans, which are not going to call for major cuts to be fully implemented for another six years. The American plan, announced in the Waxman-Markey Act, will be discussed later in the program. However, one of the major tenets of the plan is that the most substantial cuts to GHG emissions won’t take place until the end of 2015. Prentice announced that Canada will follow suit to keep harmonized with the US. Originally, the Conservative government had announced that a bold new plan for emission cuts was scheduled to take effect in early 2010. This new announcement ensures that nothing will be done on that front for two more years. Prentice said that the government plans to spend the extra two years planning on a post-Kyoto framework to reduce emissions. While the federal government announced that it would be delaying major new actions this week, the provinces announced their own plans to become more proactive than ever before. The the Ontario government announced this week that they plan to implement a new cap-and-trade system to address emission reductions. It will join Quebec and BC in a new trading system that the provinces are describing as a “bandaid” solution until a full North American trading system can be put into place. Said McGuinty, “we can’t wait until Washington or Ottawa take action any longer – we have to move ahead”. Quebec introduced legislation that would create a cap-and-trade system on industrial polluters by 2012, while BC has been discussing the option extensively before the provincial election. The Ontario proposal suggests that the province try and fall in line with this same timeline. While McGuinty insisted that Ontario would fall into line with new standards, he refused to say whether old coal-fired power plants, the provinces worst polluters, would face bigger penalty. As it stands, coal fire plants are not expected to be closed until 2014. We’ll have more on Ontario’s plans for a cap-and-trade pollution system as the story develops. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: A progressive new green roof policy has been approved in Toronto by an overwhelming majority. The proposed green roof policy for the city was voted in this week by a vote of 36-2, with only councillors Doug Holyday and Rob Ford voting against the new rules. The plan will become the most comprehensive in North America to date by increasing the amount of rooftop greenery required on Toronto buildings as well as increasing the number of buildings that will fall under the regulations. Green Roofs for Healthy cities, an independent policy advocate group are reporting that while the new rules put Toronto on top as far as policy, in 2008 Toronto didn’t even place in the top 10 in North America as far as actual green space. The group also emphasized that while the rules are a good start that its importance will be measured by its implementation which has yet to be seen. New residential buildings constructed after January 31 2010 with at least 2000 square meters will be subject with the new policy, which is much tougher than the original 5000 square meter minimum to fall under the policy that was proposed by city staff. Industrial buildings will also be given until January 31 2011 to comply by having 10%, or 2000 square meters, whichever is less set aside for green space. While some environmental critics, including some of the city councillors were hoping for even tougher rules, Deputy mayor Joe Pantalone noted during the voting that roof’s make up about 21% of Toronto’s surface area making the case for potentially significant impacts from any green roof policy. The new green space should help reduce the energy load required to cool buildings during the summer and also conserve rainfall in addition to the aesthetic improvements from the gardens. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: Canada’s Governor-General Michaelle Jean added to the seal hunt controversy by eating raw seal meat. Michaelle Jean was in Nunavut this week to take part in a traditional Inuit feast in part to continue to show her support for Inuit traditions and culture. The Canadian press published photos of Ms. Jean assisting the mayor of Rankin Inlet skin a seal as part of the Inuit celebration before eating the seal’s raw heart. Mr. Hickes, the mayor of Rankin Inlet described to the press that she had brought a message of hope with her support to the young people of the community by participating in the celebration. Aside from the graphic descriptions of the ritual the Canadian press has published, the move also helped to further enflaming opponents of the annual seal hunt such as animal rights activists and international media from the European Union where the seal hunt has been a sore issue for some time. The Governor-General, has demonstrated however that she is unafraid of controversy, and with her likely in her final year in the position she seems as determined as ever to stand up for what she sees as fundamental aboriginal rights to their traditions. When asked if her actions were directed at making a statement towards Europe and the recently proposed ban on seal products she responded simply for people to quote “Take from that what you will”. [ index ]

CHRIS BERUBE: Last week on the program we quickly discussed the emergency shuttering of one of the reactors at the Chalk River nuclear facility in Ontario due to safety concerns. This week, the extent of the damage was revealed – it turns out that Chalk River needs to be closed for three months according to a new report by the Atomic Energy Agency of Canada. The Chalk River reactor was decomissioned after it was revealed that it had been leaking heavy water two weeks ago. Some officials in the Agency said the media earlier this week that it was within the realm of possibility that reactor could remain shuttered as long as eight months if they can’t find a safe way to stop the leaks, though those statements have since been withdrawn. The announcement came in a week where much happened regarding the future of Canada’s nuclear energy supply – earlier in the week, the Harper government had announced plans to privatize the nucelar energy wing of Atomic Energy Agency of Canada Ltd. The government said that is specifically wants to find a private owner for the crown corporation, responsible for the country’s nuclear safety and much of its nuclear production, because it thinks that private owners would be better for dealing with the complicated reactors like those at Chalk River. Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt said that the move was intended to strengthen the company, and that the government will probably end up having to hold onto the shut down NRU reactor at Chalk River, at least until they can assure that it is safe to use again. In her announcement, minister Raitt emphasized that the government was going to be trying to comply with G8 plans to safely expand to use of nuclear power to move away from other emissions producing sources. Environmentalists roundly criticized the government, warning that private owner would do nothing to ensure that nuclear reactors were more safe. Some groups, including Greenpeace Canada, came out warning that such a sale might even lead to more accidents like that seen at Chalk River. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: City Hall in Toronto announced the approval of the first major dedicated bike lane. The Jarvis St. bike lane will remove the reversible direction centre lane to make way for a series of street improvements along the street including the bike lane. The lanes are estimated to cost about $50,000 to $100,000 of the total estimated $6.3 million for the project. The new revamped Jarvis St. was passed with a 28-16 vote by city council after a full day debate including many members of the public who showed up to city hall to observe the meeting wearing bike helmets. Bike lanes have increasingly become a city wide issue, described by Toronto media as a war between cyclists and motorists as the city pushes ahead with a highly controversial trans-city bike corridor across Bloor St. and Danforth Avenue. The main battle over the bike lanes comes from cyclists group’s who insist that bike use is restricted in the city as a main mode of transportation by the lack of safe routes. Meanwhile various businesses and business improvement groups fear the new lanes will reduce parking and business for all the affected streets by removing valuable street parking that is already considered inadequate. Toronto Mayor David Miller started off the debate this week by calling on motorists to accept minimal transit time increases which is estimated to be only a couple minutes in most areas for the sake of providing safety to the cities many bike commuters. Plans to begin the adjustments for the Jarvis section are to start construction immediately, which there is still no date set for a vote on the various other bike lane plans, some of which require some level of provincial approval. [ index ]

CHRIS BERUBE: With more disturbing statistical evidence about the damage wrought by the oil extraction in Alberta, communities in the Northwest Territories are banding together to fight the tar sands. The NWT Associate of Communities, which represents 33 townships in the territory, voted unanimously to wage an attack against the Alberta tar sands due to the damage done to the Athabasca River that caused deformities in fish. The Association justified their formal fight against the tar sands by saying that the tar sands no longer forms a risk to only Alberta, but to everyone along the Alberta basin. The resolution passed calls for a moratorium on new tar sands development until it can be promised that all water coming downstream to the territories is clean. Most Northwest Territories rivers are downstream from the tar sands development. Kevin Kennedy, who is a Yellowknife city councillor justified the unanimous vote by saying that “Everyone is concerned because we are hearing all kinds of stories from Fort Chipewyan about human health problems and are concerned with the health of the Northwest Territories as a whole.” Fort Chipewyan has perhaps faced the worst consequences from the tar sands byproduct, as a recent study found that residents there have cancer rates several times higher than the national average. The government of Alberta, for its part, has thus far rejected entreties from the territories to build a filtration system for water coming from the tar sands, saying they are not responsible for transboundary issues. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: A new American study confirms that a large portion of the world’s remaining oil and gas reserves are under the Arctic. The US Geological Survey report said that 13% of the world’s remaining undiscovered oil reserves, and as much as 30% of the remaining natural gas deposits are under the increasingly disputed Arctic territory. The new figures raise the amount of estimated undiscovered reserves in the north just as territory disputes between Canada, Russia, France and other countries continue to escalate. The report, which was published in the journal “Science”, says that as much as 80 million barrels of oil is hidden under the Arctic shelf. The report estimated that the discovery would not be large enough to make any significant increase in availability to what is already a rapidly declining resource in many parts of the world. The new estimates for natural gas deposits are also expected to increase the push for natural gas pipelines from the Mackenzie Delta and north shore of Alaska and Canada to the US. The report identified that while substantial deposits exist on Canadian and US territory the undiscovered natural gas deposits are concentrated within Russian territory. This is likely to increase tensions between Canada and Russia after Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon issued a warning to Russia that Canada would not be intimidated into ceding sovereignty in the North following revelations that Russia had dedicated a unique military force to defend its Arctic claims. Despite motions by the US since president Obama took office to move towards more green energy and the first signs of compliance coming from Canada in recent weeks, this issue is likely to continue to fuel international tensions over resources as the world economy continues to decline. [ index ]

CHRIS BERUBE: And in brief this week, Canadian National Railway has finally settled over two derailments in 2005 that devestated small communities in western Canada. CN has agreed to pay $1.8 million to claimants over the derailments that fouled Alberta’s lake Wabamum and killed the once flourishing fish population Cheakamus River in British Columbia. About $1.65-million of the settlement payment will go to environmental and emergency response programs in Alberta and British Columbia, with the remainder going to fines levied under federal and provincial environmental regulations. CN has also committed to putting $2 million towards a cleanup fund for future spills. This is the second largest settlement CN has paid in the last ten years for such a spill. [ index ]

TYLER IRVING: Last week, the American Clean Energy and Security Act was passed by the US House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee. Also know as Waxman-Markey after its Democratic drafters, the 932-page bill sets out a cap-and-trade system for regulating carbon emissions. It aims to cut emissions to 17% below 2005 levels by 2020.

The bill has elicited mixed reaction among environmentalists, world leaders, and lawmakers. Some (including UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon) feel that the 17% target does not go far enough, especially compared to more ambitious targets being offered by members of the European Union. Others criticise the complexity of the bill and the fact that most of the tradable permits will initially be given away for free, rather than auctioned off to the highest bidder. On the other side, supporters point out that a stronger bill might not have passed the committee, and that it is crucial for the US to set an example ahead of the UN Summit on Climate Change in Copenhagen this December.

The bill must still face votes in front of the full House of Representative and the Senate. It is unclear whether it will become law by the end of the year. [ index ]

TYLER IRVING: According to an Agence France-Presse report, China is planning to invest the equivalent of $440 billion US dollars in its renewable energy sector. The report quoted a State Energy Administration official who said that the plan will be submitted to the State Council and will take advantage of funds earmarked to stimulate the Chinese economy.

China rivals the US for top place among the world’s largest emitters of greenhouse gases; taken together, the two countries account for about 40% of global emissions. One major culprit is coal plants: 70% of China’s energy comes from coal and new plants are being built at the rate of one every month. According to a May 10 New York Times article, China now uses more coal than the United States, Europe and Japan combined. Renewables (not including hydroelectricity) make up only 1.5% of China’s energy mix.

China’s Energy Administration would like to see that number expand to 6% by 2020. Part of that goal could be realized by the new massive investment, which is expected to centre largely on wind and solar energy. China is currently the world’s largest producer of solar panels, although most of these are exported. With a drop in profits caused by the global recession, these companies are clamouring for government support. The new stimulus may be just what they need.  [ index ]

TYLER IRVING: A new study by the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder Colorado predicts the consequences melting ice sheets in Greenland could be worse for cities like New York and Boston than other places around the world.

The research was published this week in the journal Geophysical Letters, and was based on runoff data from Greenland and an analysis of ocean circulation patterns. Currently, the melt rate from Greenland’s ice sheet is increasing at a rate of 7% each year. If that trend continues, the resulting addition of fresh water could disrupt ocean currents, sending extra water toward northeastern US states and maritime Canada. That scenario could result in a sea level rise of anywhere from 1 to 1.5 feet by 2100. This would be on top of the overall sea level rise of 1-2 feet predicted by the International Panel on Climate Change. The IPCC’s model largely ignored the effects of melting glaciers.

Although oceanic and atmospheric modelling is notoriously difficult, the predictions underline the fact that the effects of climate change will not be evenly distributed.  [ index ]

TYLER IRVING: This year, researchers monitoring North Atlantic Right whales in their birthing grounds off the coast of Georgia and Florida recorded 39 new calves. This tops the previous record of 31, set in 2001. As well, a separate group of researchers from Oregon State University and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration detected whale vocalizations off Cape Farewell Sound in Greenland, an area where the whales were previously thought to be extinct.

North Atlantic Right whales once numbered in the thousands, but were favourite targets of hunters since whaling began. This was due to their slow swimming speed and the fact that they contained so much blubber they often continued to float after being killed. By the time hunting was banned in the late 1930s, only a few hundred animals were left in the wild. Today that number is still thought to be less than 400, underscoring the importance of the each new animal detected.

It remains to be seen whether the whales detected off Greenland are a new population or strays from further south, and the new whales born this year won’t reach sexual maturity until at least 2016. Still, scientists are encouraged by the findings, and hope that through conservation this critically endangered species can survive into the future.  [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: Ottawa announced its intentions to comply with new tougher American fuel standards. Barack Obama’s new fuel standard policy will add about $600 US dollars to the cost of producing a US car and would improve fuel efficiency to an average of 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016. A similar plan was already put in place by former American president George W. Bush, however the major change was the timeline which bums up the dead line by 4 years. The Canadian announcement to comply with this policy came from environment minister Jim Prentice while speaking to reporters in Calgary this week saying that Canada’s plan’s would closely mimic the American rules, and that competing regulations didn’t help either country. While the big car companies have generally protested the new standards as unrealistic, survey data shows that Canadian consumers will be less affected than American consumers due to existing preferences for smaller cars with less horsepower. Despite Mr. Prentice’s comments on Canada-US consistency Quebec, Manitoba and British Colombia have indicated in prior announcements that they will be moving ahead with their own, likely more stringent fuel standards. Those three provinces proposed standards are more in line with California’s proposed tough new rules. So far the White House has predicted the new rules will reduce green-house gas emissions in the US by 900 million metric tonnes over the duration of the implementation through to 2016, while Canada has so far not released any official impact predictions. [ index ]

CHRIS BERUBE: One of Canada’s largest nuclear reactors has been shut down over imminent safety concerns. The Chalk River nuclear facility was shut down by federal regulators this week over concern that it was at peril of having an accident. The NRU reactor at Chalk River is going to be shut down at least one month for safety repairs, though the federal government said it will try to speed up this process. The expediency is apparently required since the Chalk River facility produced 40% of the necessary medical isotopes for cancer testing. Luckily, the South African government has agreed to step in and begin diverting more of their used nuclear isotopes to begin making up the gap, though world stock of medically necessary isotopes will still likely be as much as 20% lower than necessary until the Chalk River reactor is fixed. One person claiming vindication this week was Linda Keen, the former head of the Atomic Energy Agency of Canada. Keen warned 18 months ago that the Chalk River facility needed to be shut down for repairs and that the government was in deep trouble without a contingency plan in case the reactor had to shut down. Keen was promptly dismissed for her comments by then Natural Resources minister Gary Lunn. Lunn claimed around the time of Keen’s dismissal that she was being removed for causing unnecessary panic about the chalk river reactor, which he cited as having caused the shut down of the reactor for the first time in December of 2007. The reactor did not get the necessary upgrades then, and has since leaked twice, including a leak of heavy water last week that prompted the closure. While government officials say they managed to get the leak under control, there is still concern that some of the toxin evaporated into the atmosphere. No word from current natural resources minister Lisa Raitt if Ms Keen would be issued a formal apology. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: Alberta is pushing for a Canada wide ban on the use of plastic bags. It’s a position that some Alberta cities have been calling for, for a few years. However, Rob Renner the Provinces environment minister believes that the plan has a better chance of sticking this time due to the changing political climate and similar bans and restrictions on plastic bags elsewhere in Canada and the rest of the world. Renner has also said that if the federal government doesn’t make the move this time round that he would not rule out an Alberta only ban on plastic bags, which he said would be preferable for cities than several localized bans within Alberta. Renner said that the council of provincial environment ministers have talked about reducing plastic bag use for the past three years and that he thinks their next meeting this fall may be more productive on the issue. He also said that a Canada wide plan in any form would be a much more productive way to deal with the problem also seeming to imply that he would accept something less than a full ban if it were to enable a national plan. The bag issue has largely been part of a multi-province discussion on overall waste reduction policies to reduce or eliminate many forms of packaging from being used. Calgary city officials have so far matched the message of Mr. Renner by approving a city staff proposal to engage retailers and industry groups on reducing plastic bag usage in the city by 50% over the next five years regardless of the fate of larger national plans. It is estimated that the city of Calgary alone uses about 100 million plastic bags a year. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: As Calgary moves ahead with waste policy, it’s city officials are also using the opportunity of federal stimulus money to improve their public transit service. The city of Calgary, along with the province and the federal government have contributed $90 million dollars each to retrofit Calgary’s public transit infrastructure. The “shovel ready” project will be started over the next two years and include major renovations to much of the system in the form of technology upgrades such as new CCTV security systems and digital fare collection and information systems. Some of the money will also be used to upgrade or add service, however much of the money will go to improving the condition or technology of existing services as well as parking lot and “track work”. As well much of the upgrade work will be started immediately, while the service and station expansions will largely not start until 2010. Mayor Dave Bronconnier talked about the upgrades this week as an important way for the city to attract more riders and create jobs in Calgary, while reducing congestion and improving the environment and quality of life for Calgary citizens. [ index ]

CHRIS BERUBE: Last week, we here at the Green Majority declared an end to our BC election coverage. And guess what? In our flurry of BC election coverage, we neglected to mention that the government in Nova Scotia fell on a confidence motion May 5th, meaning we are back in horse race mode. Yes, Nova Scotians are going to the polls June 9th, and this past week saw a flurry of policy announcements certain to peak the interests of any environmentalist. All four major parties in the province released their platforms this week, and each has quite a bit to discuss from an environmental perspective. Among the promises, the incumbent Progressive Conservatives are promising a minimum of 20% renewable energy for the province by 2016, while the second place NDP has committed itself to 25% renewables by that time, and the third place Liberals have made no guarantee on renewables, but is promising to break up Nova Scotia’s monopoly that currently provides energy to the province, to allow private renewable energy companies . The Liberals are also promising to ban plastic bags and non-recyclable plastics in consumer products sold at restaurants if elected. During the televised leader’s debate this past week, the environment barely came up, though the issue of power generation was fairly central, with the Liberals and NDP supporting the right of independant producers to be allowed to sell directly to consumers, which the Tories oppose. The Liberals are also promising to scrap a gas tax in the province implemented by the Conservatives, which has raised the ire of many, particularly in rural parts of the province. many observers have noted that the incumbent Tories have been running a fairly backward looking campaign on the environment, running on their record, rather than promising new initiatives for their next term. The PCs big selling point has been their diversion of sewage waste, which once flowed directly into the ocean, but is now being diverted to proper facilities at a much higher rate. Recent polls show that the New Democrats have a strong lead coming up to the election, with the most recent Angus Reid poll putting them at around 38%. The liberals are currently polling second at 31%, while the Conservaties are behind at 28%. The provincial Green Party is polling at around 3%, despite Nova scotia being the home ot federal green leader Elizabeth May. We will have more on the Nova Scotian election later on in the program. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: Toronto is implementing new graded rates for electricity in an attempt to reduce power demand. The new rules will reflect peak consumption cycles by adding increased prices for peak hours, and reduced pricing for overnight and weekends. The new most expensive times will be from 11am to 5pm during the summer to attempt to reduce peak demand. The new rates are such that the 10pm to 7am period will bill for 4.2 cents per kWh, 7.6 cents from 7am to 11am and 5pm to 10pm, and 9.1 cents from 11am to 5pm. The plan is also being accompanied by the transition to so-called “smart meters” which would allow consumers to monitor in more detail their own energy usage. The new rates will only affect homes that have these new digital meters, which for the time being exempts buildings and condo’s from the new rates. Smart meters have already been rolled out in some areas in Canada, and the US along with web monitoring in some first few test area’s which allow consumers to monitor precise usage and history statistics in real time even when they aren’t home. Plans are also in the works to allow web-access to power control and system function as well sometime in the future. One of the issues for power consumption is the capacity needed for peak demands that impacts the construction of new power capacity including controversial plans to expand nuclear power in Ontario. While most of the time large cities retain a power surplus, capacity must be expanded to cover peak usage. The new rules will attempt to reduce the need for new power options by spreading out usage over the full day, however the impact of this strategy will be entirely subject to consumer reactions to the new strategy which some critics say are too small to create any meaningful change in consumer habits. 10,000 randomly selected homes in Etobicoke, Scarborough and North York will be transitioned to the new system as of June 1st, and it should become province wide by the end 2010. [ index ]

CHRIS BERUBE: The city of Toronto is trying to make good on its promise to become a world leader in infrastructure for cyclists. This week, city officials unvileved the beginnings of a plan that would create a bicycle lane that would encompass the entire city from Etobicoke to Scarborough. The new lane will be presented formally before a city planning committee June 3, and will propose a large swath of road across the city be dedicated to cyclists, and that much new road be built. Such a corridor has been in demand for years from cyclists in the city who complain that there are too few safe east-west routes across the city. The plan will also propose reducing the amount of on-street parking and an decrease in the number of lanes used for rush hour traffic to help clear room for cyclists. While it is unclear how quickly this plan will be implemented, city councillor Adrian Heaps, chair of the city council cycling committee, says he expects the first stretch of bike lanes should hopefully be in place by next year. However, the attempt to create a cross-city bike lane is already facing stiff opposition. Many businesses across the city are complaining that they have not yet been consulted about the possibility of a city bike lane, and that the reduction in on-street parking could hurt their clinetele. Complaints have been especially prevelent from the Greektown Business Board, which represents the popular Greek restaurants that run across Danforth Avenue in Toronto and would take part of the new lane. Many restauranters across the eastern part of the city have complained of a shortage of parking and are planning to oppose the plan. Chairman Heaps said that he was unconcerned with the opposition, say that public opinion was clearly on the side of more bike lanes throughout Toronto. [ index ]

CHRIS BERUBE: And in brief this week, salvage crews have finally recovered a tanker truck that fell off of a barge in 2007 near Vancouver Island. The tanker was pulled out using a crane and net system to try and minimize oil spillage – the tanker held over 10,000 litres of crude oil, though only about 200 litres of it has spilled out, according to government estimates. The tanker fell out to over 350 metres underwater in Robson Bright, a prominent whale habitat off the Island. While the company responsible for the original drop was ruled criminally responsible, government efforts to gain compensation in the matter have not worked so far, as the company declared bankruptcy last year. [ index ]

TYLER IRVING: Last Tuesday, US president Barack Obama announced a new national standard for automotive fuel efficiency. Under the plan, American-produced vehicles will be required to travel on average 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016, an increase of about 30% from today’s standard of 27.5 miles per gallon. The move effectively ends a legal battle between the US Environmental Protection Agency and a league of 13 states, led by California. Previously, the EPA had been slow to grant the states permission to enact fuel efficiency limits more strict than its own. This followed complaints by automakers of “patchwork legislation” that would hinder the industry’s ability to adapt. The new national standard contains the same tough targets proposed by California, but those targets will be reached more slowly, allowing time for the automakers to develop the high-efficiency vehicles. The plan has been praised for its ability to bring together the interests of national, state, and industry players. Obama stated that the new standards are expected to save the equivalent of 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the lifetime of the new vehicles. [ index ]

TYLER IRVING: A climate simulation team based at MIT warns that unless strong emissions reductions policies get into place, the global temperature rise could be worse that previously predicted. Their latest results predict a median probability of surface warming of 5.2 degrees Celsius by the year 2100 if no policies are put into place. This compares to a mere 2.4 degrees in a similar study conducted in 2003. The simulation was carried out using the MIT Integrated Global Systems Model, developed by the Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change. The model was originally developed in the 1990s and has been continually refined since. It is the only climate model that couples the effects of economic activity with those of atmospheric, oceanic, and biological systems. Although the rise in temperatures under the “no-policy” scenario are dramatic, there is less change in the scenario that takes into account potential greenhouse gas regulation by world governments. Study co-author Ronald Prinn says: “This increases the urgency for significant policy action.” [ index ]

TYLER IRVING: In a ceremony last Wednesday, Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond officially connected the Whitelee Wind Farm to the UK energy grid. Situated just south of Glasgow, the power station consists of 140 turbines with a rated capacity of 322 MW annually, enough to satisfy the electricity needs of Scotland’s largest city. Although it is already Europe’s largest onshore wind farm, Salmond announced plans to expand the station by a further 36 turbines, bringing its rated capacity to 452 MW. This comes on the heels of an announcement by Viking Energy of plans to construct an even larger facility in the Shetland islands. If realised, that project would generate a further 540 MW of power, representing 20% of Scotland’s energy demand. Both projects provide a boost to the Scottish government’s goal of having half of its electrical energy generated from renewable sources by 2020. Officials say that an interim target of 31% by 2011 has already been surpassed. [ index ]

TYLER IRVING: Rising global temperatures have been threatening coral reefs all over the world. According to a report by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, above average temperatures in 2005 contributed to coral cover loss of over 50% across much of the Caribbean. However, Stanford University biologist Stephen Palumbi has recently uncovered evidence that some corals may be able to adapt to the warmer temperatures. Corals get much of their food from a symbiotic relationship with algae that live within the bodies of the coral polyps. When stressed by high temperatures, the algae stop producing food and are ejected by the coral polyps in a process called “coral bleaching.” From research conducted in American Samoa, Dr. Palumbi and his colleagues have found that certain corals are able to replace their algae partners with more heat-tolerant species. His data suggest that corals that grow in above-average temperatures tend to have higher levels of heat-tolerant algae. The ability of coral to find ways of adapting to climate change was not entirely unexpected. As Dr. Palumbi states: “Although we are doing things to the planet we have never done before, it’s hard to imagine that these corals, which have existed for a quarter of a billion years, only have 50 years left”. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: Ottawa has announced its plans to push ahead with dramatic increases in the production of grain based ethanol production in Canada, despite growing international controversy over the un-measured land use issues surrounding the practice. Environment Minister Jim Prentice received cabinet approval this week to proceed with new regulations requiring refiners to include at least 5% ethanol in their gasoline, similar to current Ontario regulations, by 2010 nationwide. The main issue that is being debated is the frequently un-calculated loss of carbon dioxide absorption abilities of un-farmed natural land that is lost due to the expansion of farmland to produce the fuel as well as other secondary carbon effects. Ottawa currently claims that the program of grain-based biofuels would reduce emissions in Canada by 40%, however these calculations do not include many secondary impact considerations such as those caused by land-use issues. Recently, the US federal government, and the California State government have said that full impact assessments have shown emissions from ethanol programs can be just as dirty as unmixed gasoline depending on the methodologies and practices used by producers, the fuel sources used, and the time periods which are used in measurements. When questioned by Canadian media on the issues of ethanol regulations this week this week, a spokesman from Mr. Prentices office said the minister had “nothing to announce”. Also weighing in on the issue in response to the announcement this week was the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association, which said that the new mandate will help drive investment and innovation in Canada that would help to improve both capacity and the efficiency of the biofuel production cycle. Various studies done on the impact of grain based fuel additive programs in Canada and the US have shown vast ranges of impacts across both net positive and net negative results depending on methodology, and the issue is still up for debate. Only certain at this point is the fact that due to the new decision the Canadian biofuels is set to receive a significant boost due to the ruling and may increase production in Canada by 50% in the near future according to federal estimates. [ index ]

CHRIS BERUBE: The BC election took place on Tuesday, ensuring that this will be our last major story on that issue. The BC Liberals won easily in the seat count, picking up 49 seats compared to the BC NDP’s 36. The Liberals picked up 46% of the popular vote, compared the NDP’s 42%. The BC Green Party failed to win a seat, but did pick up 8% of the popular vote. The Greens did not even finish second place in any ridings, and a distant third in Esquimalat Royal Road, where party leader Jane Sterk had been hoping to pick up a seat of her own. Following the vote, the BC NDP has vowed to go through a full scale policy review to see where they can gain a greater connection to voters. Among the policies up for review is certainly their opposition to the provincial carbon tax, which made the party deeply unpopular among environmentalists in the province, many of when worked together as part of a Anbody But James campaign to stop the NDP leader from becoming Premier over her opposition to the tax. However, for all of the discussion on the environment throughout the campaign, in the end, exit polls show that most voters were much more concerned with the state of the provincial economy than the carbon tax or other environmental policies. In the end, over 70% responded that the economy was their number one issue in most post election polling. This may explain the collapse of the Green Party who polled lower this election than during the federal campaign in the province. In her defeat, Sterk also made reference to another vote that took place during the BC election that could have even great consequences for small parties in the province. BC overwhelmingly voted down a proposal to introduce proporational representation in the province. Only 7 of 58 ridings, and 38% of British Columbians voted in favour of the proposal, which would have added additional seats to the BC legislature for smaller parties who did not win an appropriate number of seats compared to their popular vote. The proposal gained far less approval than when it was first introduced in 2004, and garnered over 50% of the popular vote, but not enough to reach the 60% threshold set by the province. [ index ]

CHRIS BERUBE: As for the much discussed carbon tax, many were wondering after the election is Gordon Campebell’s reelection will give the policy new life on the national stage. However, a poll of Canadians performed this week by Harris Decema reveals that while 49% of Canadians are in favour of a carbon tax, only 42% would be in favour of a proposal like that of BC’s, where the tax also applies to oil, gas, and home heating prices. Oddly, support for the tax was lowest in BC, where less than 40% of respondants said they had an favourable opinion of the tax – this is lower than Alberta, who are at roughly 40% support. Quebec showed the highest level of support for the concept, at nearly 60%. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: Canada may be drawn into another UN battle over territorial rights, this time from France. The primary source of the dispute is over sub-ocean oil and gas mining rights off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. France filled a letter of intent with the United Nations to lay claim over a huge part of the Atlantic Ocean seabed, in what could become another bitter territorial dispute with foreign nation at is continues to fend of similar claims from countries such as Russia along is western and northern borders. Canada’s immediate response was one of dismissal as it pointed to an earlier 1992 ruling by the International Court of Arbitration with France over the same issue. At the time France did not push up much of a fight over the issues as it was currently primarily concerned with cod fishing rights in the North Atlantic Ocean, however due to massive fishing industry decline, and the collapse of many primary fish stocks the issues of the valuable mining opportunities have re-opened the issue in Frances eyes. Frances new claims would see its nautical boundary rights expanded a further 150 nautical miles past the current 200 mile boundary. While Canada maintains the previous ruling closes discussion of the matter, the International Court of Arbitration ruling is largely devoid of authority as the court itself is a voluntary court for settling disputes and does not necessarily mean that the two countries would not continue to dispute the matter even after a re-opening of the dispute in court which Canada has made clear it is not interested in revisiting. [ index ]

CHRIS BERUBE: Renowned ape researcher Jane Goodall has joined in the increasing chorus of voices opposing BC’s trophy hunt of grizzly and black bears. Says Goodall, “To learn now that the government continues to allow the sport hunt of grizzly bears and even the rare coastal black bear that carries the recessive gene that allows the spirit bear to exist is shocking.” Goodall made her address in a YouTube video posted on a channel dedicated to fighting for the abolition of the bear hunt, which takes place each year in the somewhat ironically named Great Bear Rainforest, which stretches from just north of Vancouver to just below Alaska. While the population of grizzlies in BC is fairly stable, conservation groups claim that of the 430 grizzlies killed in 2007, over 80% were for trophy hunting. This is particularly controversial given that the many of the bears in the area are the kermode bear, a white bear known to the Haida Nation aboriginal population as a ‘spirit bear’, who for them carries deep ancestral importance as the possessors of historical tribal knowledge. The Haida Nation aboriginals have actually been in trouble with the BC government in the past year for harassing hunters seeking out the great kermode bear specifically due to its rarity. Environment Minister Barry Penner had recently announced that he would set up a protected area for bears in the province, including 470,000 additional hectares in the next ten years. However, Penner’s hectares are largely within the area around the Greater Vancouver Area, and does not protect the island to which the Spirit Bears are indigenous. Hunting groups such as the BC Wildlife Federation say they will continue to fight the restrictions to hunting in court, saying it is part of their lifestyle, and should not be tampered with by the government. They filed an injunction to get the restiction zone in place on hunting last year that has been so far unsuccessful. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: Ecojustice and the Pembina Institute presented evidence this week against the federal government at the House of Commons Standing committee on Environment and Sustainable Development Hearing’s. The hearing’s which have been called the Oil and Water hearing’s feature the two Canadian environmental lobby and law groups attempting to make the case that the federal government has neglected Canadian laws by failing to protect the environment by controlling in part, the production and expansions of the Alberta tar sands. Simon Dyer, the Tar Sands Program Director at the Pembina Institute said quote “Their failure to act has created severe risks, ranging from contamination by leaking tailings lakes to the collapse of fisheries. Ironically, this unchecked development even threatens the future of the oil sands mining industry itself.” The specific accusations against the federal government are that they have failed to protect the water flows of the Athabasca River, and that they failed to address the issues of toxic leaks from the massive tailings ponds which now rival the size of the city of Vancouver. They also accuse the government of failing to provide adequate oversight and involvement in environmental monitoring and management for tar sands development by deferring to the Alberta government which stands to gain from tar sands profits. Part of the presentation by Ecojustice and the Pembina Institute will include the results from studies they and other Canadian environmental groups have done showing a variety of detrimental effects from the tar sands projects. These studies concluded in part that over 529 million cubic meters of water per year is expected to be drawn from the Athabasca River, of which less than 10% is returned to the river. Other studies show that it takes about 2 to 4.5 barrels of fresh water to produce 1 barrel of bitumen, and that the process produces about 1.5 barrels of toxic tailings for each barrel of unprocessed bitumen. While Ecojustice and the Pembina Institute have said that they remain optimistic for the trial to produce a positive outcome for Canadian environmental policy, the case is far from over and we will continue to keep you updated as events unfold in the case. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: Greenpeace and the European Renewable Energy Council released a new report in Ottawa, tailored to show Canadian policy makers that energy sustainability and security are not mutually exclusive. The report, entitled “Energy [R]evolution: A Sustainable Canada Energy Outlook”, concludes that the imidiate implementation of currently available green technologies could reduce the carbon dioxide emissions by the Canadian energy sector by 45% below 1990 levels by 2020, and by 82% by 2050. The report was modeled by the German Aerospace Agency, and was researched and prepared by Greenpeace sought to take an in depth look at current Canadian-specific solutions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, while maintaining economic growth for the next century without coal or nuclear power. Sven Teske, the Greenpeace International’s Director of Renewable Energy spoke at a press conference in Ottawa for the presentation of the document, saying quote “We have the technology and we have the blueprint, now Canada needs the political leadership”. Some of the notable calculations from the report include a $5.9 billion dollar projected annual reduction in Canadian’s energy bills by 2020, and a minimum load of 25% of renewable energy mix by 2020 and a 50% mix by 2050 up from a current country total of about 15%. In addition to a country wide audit of power production, the report concludes that a national aggressive energy efficiency campaign could theoretically reduce primary energy demand by 50% by 2050. While many other outlooks for future greenhouse gas emissions have been produced, this report is significant as one of the first major energy policy analyses that has been produced an in-depth Canada specific policy briefing which includes such a thorough consideration for the Canadian economy. However the report and the methodology have not yet been independently verified by outside sources due to its recent release. [ index ]

CHRIS BERUBE: In brief this week, Canada has denounced the American Environmental Protection Agency’s plan to impose tarrifs on countries that produce unclean forms of energy. A bill, which originated from a recommendation by EPA director Lisa Jackson, will give the US power to use tariffs on all consumer goods to help combat countries exacerbating global warming through thier energy production – a move many Canadian energy leaders see as a blatant move to target the Albertan tar sands. Environment Minister Jim Prentice went before Congress to testify on the matter, saying that Canada would not work with the United States on greenhouse gas emissions reduction initiatives if they initiated a “hostile tax” such as this on Canada’s energy. This announcement comes only one week after it was leaked that Canada would oppose the plans put forward by the European Union for addressing worldwide emissions. Through his entire testimony on the matter, Environment Minister Prentice failed the mention anything about Canada’s own plan for reducing GHG emissions, or curbing emissions from the tar sands. [ index ]

CHRIS BERUBE: And also in brief, the city of Toronto has begun sucumbing to overtures from environmentalists to offer free parking for hybrid vehicles in an effort to encourage consumers to purchase more of them. The city has issued over four hundred parking passes for hyrbid vehicle owners in the city, and is encouraging others in the city to register for free parking service. Officials in the city say that it is unlikley that hybrids will get blanket free parking privileges throughout the city, as Toronto relies heavily on the $102 million collected annually from parking fees from drivers. The idea originates from Kelowna BC, which became the first municipality to offer free parking for hybrids in 2005. [ index ]

KATHERINE BROWN: The Chinese capital of Beijing will raise water prices within the next two months. Chinese officials say that the increase in price is absolutely necessary to conserve scarce freshwater supplies. The large population in China along with increased demands for industrial purposes has put huge pressure on China’s water resources. Wasteful irrigation projects and the pollution of underground water tables have also worsened the situation. In the last fifteen years, Beijing citizens have seen the price of water hiked up 10 times. As a result, there is increasing concern that the rising costs may limit the some of poorest in the city from accessing water—something that is essential for life. [ index ]

KATHERINE BROWN: The UN has agreed to phase out nine more persistent chemicals, after a meeting last week in Geneva. The nine pesticides and industrial chemicals join 12 substances that were targeted to be eliminated under the 2001 Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. The newly banned chemicals include agricultural pesticides, pharmaceuticals, a flame retardant, and a chemical used in electric parts, firefighting foams, and stain removers. These chemicals have been associated with dysfunctions of the human endocrine, reproductive, and immune systems. They’ve also been known to cause various cancers and neuro-behavioural disorders. Once released, they can travel globally to contaminate the local environment as well as more remote regions. By adding 9 new chemicals to the list of hazardous pollutants, it’s hoped that the substances will eventually be eliminated from the global economy. For now, five of the nine chemicals are no longer being produced, and are fully banned from future use. The remaining 5 are to be phased out with a few exceptions in the years to come. [ index ]

KATHERINE BROWN: Many of the world’s most treasured fruits first came from the forests of Central Asia. Walnuts, apples, plums, and cherries, are among some of the fruits thought to have first come from the region. These forests have been described as a “biological Eden”—as they gave way to the very first apple tree. But these forests are threatened. In the past 50 years, an estimated 90 percent of these forests have been destroyed. In Central Asia, 44 tree species are close to extinction. The threats come from over-exploitation, human development, pests and diseases, overgrazing, desertification and fires. There is great concern for the rapidly disappearing forests—as they serve to be a vital storehouse of biodiversity. If we lose these forests, scientists fears that future food security may be jeopardized. Since the region provided the world with so many of our staple fruits, it’s where the original, wild species still grow. With a rapidly changing climate, we may need to look back to the source to find varieties of fruit that are better suited for new conditions. [ index ]

KATHERINE BROWN: Kenya is planning to set in place thousands of miles of electric fencing around its key national parks. It also plans to double the number of armed guards protecting the wildlife. This will be done to protect water resources and to stop deforestation. A drought has left more than five million people without food this year—putting increased pressure on existing freshwater supplies. Much of the water that’s in high demand– is found in Kenya’s national parks. For this reason, around 15,000 people live illegally in just one of the national reserves, Mau Park. In the past fifteen years, these illegal residents have been responsible for the destruction of just over a quarter of the forest in the park. This of course, has seriously harmed the ecosystem. So Kenya can only expect the conflict between humans and wildlife to escalate—climate change is set to increase the number of droughts. This will force more and more people to enter protected parks in search of food for animals and water. To avoid the harm to the environment that will come with new settlement, the Kenyan government is taking action to safeguard its biological resources through upping security around the parks. [ index ]