TYLER IRVING: Last Friday, Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq announced that Canada will put into place new regulations banning six types of phthalates in products for children. Phthalates are chemicals commonly used as softening agents in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics. The products that fall under the ban will include inflatable toys, dolls, animal figures, school supplies and vinyl bibs. The concern is that small children can become exposed to the chemicals by sucking or chewing on the products. Recent studies have suggested that early exposure to certain phthalates may be linked to liver or kidney damage. In response, the American Chemistry Council issued a statement saying that the move has no scientific basis. Unlike bisphenol-A, which is commonly used in hard plastics, phthalates do not accumulate in the body and quickly break down once they are ingested. Nevertheless, the chemicals in question have already been banned in products for children in the US and the European Union. There will be a period of public consultation before the new Canadian regulations will come into effect. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: The Premier of Saskatchewan announced the provinces intentions to pursue producing medical isotopes. While a plan has not yet been worked out, Premier Brad Wall is eager to let Saskatchewan fill the void that is left by the shutdown of the Chalk River reactor. The old Chalk River facility was shut down due to failing safety systems and was previously responsible for the production of the majority of the world’s medical isotopes. With this facility shut down, Mr. Wall is hoping that Saskatchewan will be able to step in and fill the gap within three years if it can get money from the federal government and the private sector to help finance the project. The three year timeline would also rely on expedited federal regulatory approval that would reduce the lengthy consultation and review process that is normally in place nuclear projects. Another key part of Mr. Wall’s plan would be for his reactor, and potentially several more would be for the facility to be much smaller than the previous Chalk River facility, so as to be able to diversify the production of such isotopes to avoid future stoppages such as this one. One such proposed other plan has been to provide another such facility near the tar sands in Alberta to help generate the massive amounts of power and steam that the bitumen extraction process requires. Saskatchewan provides more than a quarter of the world’s uranium supplies, but has so far not done anything but mine the ore. Mr. Wall says this fact helps to encourage voters to be more accepting of nuclear technology. The premier has apparently already had several meetings with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who has yet to comment on the government’s position on funding part of the project. A decision from Mr. Wall to formally pursue the facility is due in August after a public comment period, adding that public reaction to the proposal would be taken into strong consideration when making his decision. The ultimate goal says Mr. Wall is to shift Saskatchewan from a mining, to a knowledge industry based province with respect to nuclear technology. [ index ]

TYLER IRVING: On Tuesday, the Nature Conservancy of Canada announced that it had obtained 60 hectares of shoreline at Johnson’s Mills, near Dorchester, New Brunswick. The new land joins 128 hectares already protected by the non-profit organization. 66 percent of the shoreline near Johnson’s Mills is now protected. The purchase is part of the NCC’s eighth annual “Gifts to Canada” campaign, which this year resulted in 10 new purchases across the country, with a total land area slightly bigger than the island of Montreal. Johnson’s Mills is located along the Bay of Fundy, and is a crucial resting place for thousands of migratory shorebirds on their way from their summer breeding grounds in the Arctic to their wintering grounds in South America. During their two-week stay, the mostly sparrow-sized birds must double their weight in order to survive a trip over the open ocean, which will amount to two or three days of non-stop flying. The Conservancy began buying land in the area in 1994 and now runs the Johnson’s Mills Shorebird Interpretation Centre during the peak migration season. The new land was purchased with funds from the federal and provincial governments, as well as local corporations and many individual donors. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: Federal funding for Toronto’s $1.2 billion dollar transit plan has likely fallen through. The federal government says that the request for funding was inappropriate in this case after last week’s infamous expletive from Transportation Minister John Baird, partially because the project would not be completed within the desired 2 years to apply for federal stimulus money. However, Toronto Mayor David Miller called an emergency meeting to give the Toronto Transit Commission permission to sign the contract anyways. The failure of the federal stimulus funding proposal for the project means that the city of Toronto will have to pay for two thirds or about $834 million dollars to go ahead with the project. Premier Dalton McGuinty announced that the province would be putting up the rest of the costs earlier this week. The special meeting that was called by Mr. Miller was necessary because Toronto city councillors have suspended council meetings while Toronto municipal workers are on strike, and will be held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre instead. While the new location is far from secret, the Mayor did not want to ask councillors to cross the picket line, and it seems unlikely that the unions will protest this meeting as the successful completion of the deal would bring an additional $1.2 billion worth of contracts to the unionized workers at the Bombardier plant in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Bombardier gave city hall and the TTC until June 27th to sign the deal that is currently on the table or, they say that the price tag will increase for the project and that they may experience deployment delays from the current project proposals. While there is still a vague possibility that the federal government will reverse their position before the deadline, it seems unlikely at this point despite the amount of publicity that the story received, and a project the mayor referred to as to important to fail. The $1.2 billion would be part of a larger long-term plan for Toronto called Transit City that is considered to be the largest public transit infrastructure project in North America. [ index ]

TYLER IRVING: Much has been made this week of an invasive species of fire ant that is starting to become a real problem for homeowners in Nova Scotia. The species (Myrmica rubra) is native to central Europe, but has been found in North America since 1908. Although it has been relatively slow to spread, it vigorously defends the areas it has colonized. The fire ant delivers a bite that is compared to a hornet sting and afterward causes an itching similar to poison ivy. Localized infestations can render back yards almost unusable and lower property values. Such infestations have recently undergone a dramatic increase in places like Halifax. Last Monday night, over 100 people turned up to a local meeting to discuss the problem. Getting rid of the ants is more difficult than one might expect. Non-cosmetic pesticides are still allowed under the city’s bylaws, but the ants seem to be savvy enough to avoid them. Residents have fallen back to more traditional cures such as boric acid and diatomaceous earth, although it remains to be seen if these are effective. At the meeting, residents were asked to bring in captured ants in labelled vials so that biologists can track the spread of the species. Myrmica rubra has been identified in New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario. It is a different species than the Red Imported Fire Ant, which is native to South America and is currently causing problems in the southern American States. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: Vancouver city is almost ready for a new series of bicycle lane tests. Starting on July 13th, one of the lanes of the six lane Burrard Bridge will be temporarily converted into bike lanes for three months to test the viability of leaving the separation permanently. The lanes will be separated from car traffic by a protective barrier and pedestrian traffic is to use the other side of the bridge. Unsurprisingly there has been quite a controversy in Vancouver over the loss of busy driving space for cars on clogged downtown streets and downtown access. Toronto has been experiencing a much similar response to its proposed cross city bike lanes. One of the reasons for the project was a report issued by the University of British Colombia showing that the number of cycling/traffic accidents was at an unacceptable level. Between Toronto, and Vancouver there were more than 1,100 adult’s hospitalizations due to cyclist and car collisions. Since 1996, bike daily ridership in Vancouver has tripled to 60,000. A similar proposal was tabled in 1996 in Vancouver, but at the time it was met with huge public resistance and resulted in the project being cancelled after one week. Councilor Heather Deal said the 96’ plan had many flaws inherent in its execution, and that this time they were prepared for the project, and some amount of public resistance to the idea. The city will closely monitor the number of cars, bikes and pedestrians using the bridge and measure trip distances to get some idea of average ridership. The city has also said that it will have an online forum dedicated to public comments about the bike lane which it will compile with the collected data to decide the fate of the dedicated lanes. [ index ]

TYLER IRVING: As the city of Halifax gears up for its Tall Ships festival in July, citizens are raising concerns about the smelly state of the harbour. Due to a treatment plant malfunction last January, about 80 million litres of raw sewage have been pouring into the harbour daily. This week, the municipal water commission installed carbon filters and deodorant blocks in an effort to mitigate the smell. The stench of sewage in the harbour is not unfamiliar to Haligonians. In fact, for most of its history the city has dumped its waste directly into the ocean, relying on strong currents and deep water to take it away. It wasn’t until February 2008 that wastewater treatment plants funded by the $333 million dollar Halifax Harbour Solutions Project came online and citizens finally began to breathe easy. However, last winter, after slightly less than a year of operation, a series of power failures triggered a malfunction that caused severe flooding and damage to Halifax’s main wastewater treatment plant. A $400,000 forensic investigation was completed, but the results have not been made public, much to the chagrin of taxpayers. Officials estimate that it will take until the spring of 2010 to get the plant back online. In the meantime, the harbour is still served by a treatment plant in Dartmouth, and another is meant to come online in Herring Cove later this year. Organizers of the Tall Ships festival point out that the situation in the harbour is no worse than it was during previous festivals, which have taken place at regular intervals since 1984. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: A new study predicts that proposed waste to energy projects in Vancouver will waste taxpayer money. The study was performed by an American firm Sound Resource Management Group on the impacts of waste to energy options in Cache Creek, Vancouver. The study found that overall, the waste to energy options would largely cost far more than spending funds on reduction and recycling programs. The report was an independent follow up to a review hired by Cache Creek from AECOM Canada outlining the pro’s and con’s of various waste to energy technologies including biological treatment systems, incendiary heat recovery and gas recovery landfills. AECOM told Vancouver that their best options would cost in and around $470 million dollars based on a 500,000 tonne per year facility. However part of the report from Sound Resource Management Group predicts that not only will composting, recycling and waste reduction plans produce greater benefit at a lower cost, but that the waste to energy facilities operators would have to receive volume guarantees as part of a standard contract. This means that if the amount of waste were to steadily reduce, the operators would be able to collect increasing fees from the city for the lost productivity increasing long-term cost. It would also incentivize the continued level of waste being sent to the facility thereby conflicting with other initiatives for waste reduction. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: Leaked chemicals from an unconfirmed facility kill 1000 salmon n Hyde Creek, BC. Hyde Creek which is in Port Coquitlam east of Vancouver is currently investigating the cause but has yet to confirm a sure source of the toxic waste. A city spokesman said that the spill may have originated from a development side near Burke Mountain, and that the toxins may have come from a concrete-aggregate washing facility and may have been washed there by storm sewer systems. The provincial Environment Ministry and the federal Fisheries Department are involved in the investigation, and the city has said it may press charges is the source of the spill can be confirmed. [ index ]

KATHERINE BROWN:  A new study has unearthed two very interesting findings. The report was released by Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (NEAA)—it found that the growth of CO2 emissions was reduced by half in 2008. The slowdown in emissions growth was caused mainly by the first decline in global demand for oil since 1992– a 0.6% reduction in consumption of oil. This has been directly linked with the economic slowdown because it has meant less demand for new products—and less demand for oil to make them. So this first finding confirms that the economic recession has indeed been something of a blessing for the environment. But the second finding of the report will likely have serious implications for policymakers. In 2008, for the first time ever, developing nations accounted for 50.3% of carbon dioxide emissions. This means that their emissions exceeded those of developed nations and international travel combined. This particular finding becomes especially significant considering the nearing talks on climate change to take place in Copenhagen this December—the newest data will hopefully provide some useful leverage for those arguing for binding emission targets for all nations. [ index ]

KATHERINE BROWN: So we all know that trees are fantastic at absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. But apparently we can make a tree that’s even better at doing the job? A prototype for a synthetic tree has been developed, and is now being tested—and the perk of this newly engineered tree is that it absorbs carbon dioxide 1,000 times faster than a real tree. The tree uses plastic leaves that capture carbon dioxide in a chamber where it’s then compressed into liquid form. The trapped carbon apparently has potential to be quite useful as well— it can be used in agriculture or even as fuel for jet planes and cars. Each synthetic tree has the capacity to collect around 90,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide per year. There is however a trade off—in that collecting carbon dioxide does require energy, which in turn emits some carbon. But this is a relatively small amount— around 200 kilograms of carbon is released back into the atmosphere for every 1000 kilograms collected. [ index ]

KATHERINE BROWN: A recent study has found that 98% of supposedly ‘environmentally friendly’ products found in American supermarkets make misleading or false claims. In a study of around 4,000 consumer products, “green washing” was found in just about every product category. One problem pinpointed by the study was the sheer quantity of new products claiming to be green, along with the growing number of new and competing certification programs. But the real problem arises because both the product and the certification programs are not regulated by any government agency. This has led to serious ambiguity in the labeling of products—making deciphering how ‘eco-friendly’ a product actually is extremely difficult. Especially when words like “natural”, “non-toxic”, and even “fragrance free” do not correspond with any set standard. So on the one hand- it’s promising to see that there is growing support for environmentally-friendly products. But without regulation, consumer support. [ index ]

KATHERINE BROWN: Microsoft has released a new tool for managing energy use—a program called ‘Hohm’. It will allow customers to monitor and manage their own energy consumption online. The program is relatively simple—customers can log into the Hohm website, and enter their zip code. By providing their location, the program begins to estimate home energy consumption. It then asks more detailed questions about house size, specific appliances in the house, and so on, to produce are a more accurate summary of home energy use. Microsoft has also partnered with utilities around America— it connects the systems to look back on historical energy use data for the specific home. For now, the service is only available to Americans—but Microsoft plans to extend the program to residents in Germany, France, the U.K. and Canada in the near future. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: The final Draft for a recovery strategy of the “Right” Whales designated critical protected habitat in Canadian waters. The protected areas are just off the Bay of Fundy and the Roseway basin, both off the south-eastern coast of Nova Scotia. Not only does the designation of critical habitat by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans for the whales protect vital feeding grounds but also opens up the possibility for other legal protections of the whales there. The whales where named “right” whales because of their slow speed and tendency to float after being killed and were named so as being the “right” whales to hunt. There are currently estimated to number less than 400 and hunting them has been banned since 1935. Since hunting of the animals has stopped the population of whales has been slow to increase, however the last couple years have shown a definite strengthening of their numbers. Many premature deaths for the animals after hunting was banned was due to ship collisions and commercial fishing equipment accidents, but recently both industries have agreed to voluntary adopted measure, including shipping route changes and equipment being moved which has apparently helped mortality. Scientific analysis has shown that as much as 75% of living animals have scarring from ship collisions or fishing gear. Because no data is available for pre-hunting population, and the birth rate of these animals is so slow, it is difficult to estimate what a stable population of right whales is, but so far some conservation specialists have estimated that a good number to consider de-listing the animal would be a population of about 1000 whales.  [ index ]

TYLER IRVING: As the spring melt continues in Canada’s Arctic, shipping lanes are becoming increasingly crowded. Just a few years ago, most of the ships in the area were research vessels or from the Canadian Coast Guard. Now, with the passage expected to be ice-free for the third year in a row, commercial ships vastly outnumber all other forms of traffic. A lot of the increase in traffic comes from the growing Inuit population in the Arctic. Since the creation of Nunavut 10 years ago, Canada has greatly increased its spending on Northern infrastructure, relying on the newly ice-free lanes to carry goods from further south. However, European shipping companies are beginning to eye the passage as a way to shave several thousand kilometres off the journey to ports in Asia. Canada considers the North-West passage to be part of Canadian international waters, and as recently as last fall Stephen Harper declared that all ships entering the waterway would be required to report to the coast guard. However, this declaration has yet to be enforced by legislation. More tellingly, last week the Canadian Press reported that a plan to purchase six ice-capable vessels for the Canadian Navy to patrol northern regions has been delayed. In the current economic environment, it’s likely that the high cost of purchasing and maintaining the vessels is causing the Harper administration to re-think its plans. The effects of the additional human presence in the north have yet to be measured, but with Russia and the U.S. also claiming arctic waters and with sea ice decreasing at a rate of 34,000 square kilometres per year on average, the pressure is only likely to increase. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: The plastics industry has raised questions over the legality of the 5 cent plastic bag levee in Toronto. As of June 1st Toronto shopkeepers have been required to charge customers 5 cents for each plastic bag they used. While overall consumer response seems to be accepting overall on the issue, representatives of the industry that produces the taxed product have said that they are evaluating the possibility of legal action over the fee. Their argument centres on an alleged grey area within the City of Toronto Act surrounding the ability for Toronto to impose product specific taxes or price regulations, and they have apparently cited a city staff report from last year saying that the city couldn’t do that. However over the last several years courts have greatly expanded the ability of municipalities to enact policy with the public good in mind, particularly concerning economic, social and environmental issues. City officials, particularly Toronto City Councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker, Chairman of the public works committee outright dismissed the claims saying “We already dictate a lot of things to protect the public”. Mr. De Baeremaeker insinuated that the claims were only part of a threatened industry trying to protect its product, comparing the issue to tobacco companies when health officials started banning smoking 30 years ago. So far no official challenges to the policy have been issued, but plastics industry representatives have confirmed they are exploring their options with their lawyers. [ index ]

TYLER IRVING: On Wednesday, Natural Resources minister Lisa Raitt announced plans to give Canadian pulp mills a $1-billion subsidy. The aid package was welcomed by industry officials, who had warned that the industry would collapse without immediate assistance.The cause of the trouble is a substance called “black liquor,” a carbon-rich mix of wood fibres and chemicals produced as a by-product of the pulping process. Rather than discharge it to the environment, virtually all mills recover their black liquor and use it as fuel to power their internal processes. However, in late 2008, US companies discovered that by adding a small amount of diesel to the black liquor, they could qualify for a federal subsidy designed to encourage the use of renewable biofuels. At 50 cents per gallon, the subsidy amounted to an $8-billlion windfall for US pulp producers, who quickly began to lower prices and undercut Canadian firms. The Canadian aid package is designed to level the playing field by offering Canadian producers 16 cents per litre of black liquor recycled. However, the money comes with strings attached; it must be used to invest in capital upgrades that improve energy efficiency, such as co-generation plants that produce both heat and electricity. The subsidy is a one-time investment, as the loophole that enabled the American windfall will likely be closed by the end of the year. [ index ]

TYLER IRVING: Last Friday, US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Lawrence Cannon commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Boundary Waters Treaty, one of the oldest pieces of environmental legislation in North America. The ceremony took place on the Rainbow Bridge connecting Niagara Falls, Ontario to Niagara Falls, New York, and was Clinton’s first visit to Canada since being appointed Secretary of State. The Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 states that waters shared by the two countries “shall not be polluted on either side to the injury of health or property on the other.” However, the details of what this means were not spelled out until 1972, when the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement was signed by both countries. The WQA, as it is known, identified specific pollutants and called for the development of remedial action plans to clean up the worst areas of the Great Lakes. While there have been some successes, such as international bans on pollutants like polychlorinated biphenyls and high-phosphate detergents, many of the worst areas have not improved in over 30 years. As well, the lakes are under threat from new emerging contaminants, invasive species, and the effects of climate change. During their meeting Saturday, both Cannon and Clinton pledged to renew the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, which was last amended in 1987. Environmental groups will be watching closely to ensure that the process results in a stronger and more effective agreement. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: Ontario wines may not be as local as they seem according to the Ontario Greenbelt Alliance. The group, which includes Dr. Rick Smith the Executive Director of Environmental Defence, are warning Ontarian’s that under current Ontario law Ontario wines can contain up to 70% foreign grapes. The group has been highlighting the issue because it feels that there is a quote “tremendous” increase in support for local farmers and food, as well as the popularization of local diet programs such as the popular 100 mile diet book. Under the Wine content and Labelling Act, Ontario wineries can purchase off-shore product to mix in with only 30% Canadian grapes to acquire a “Cellared in Canada” sticker. The minimum Canadian content for this designation was initially set at 85%, but has been lowered several times before arriving at its current 30% level. Other than public awareness the group is also concerned with Ontario grape growers that had to contend with 30,000 tonnes of imported grapes last year, while some Ontario farmers offering the same varieties were left with rotting fields and eventually required $4 million dollars in bailout. The Ontario Greenbelt Alliance reports that a bottle of 100% Ontario VQA grape wine creates economic spin-off for Ontario equal to $11.50, compared to $7.72 for “Cellared in Canada” wines and only $0.67 for foreign wines. [ index ]

TYLER IRVING: Amid the excitement over Raitt-gate last week, we nearly overlooked an important announcement by finance minister Jim Prentice regarding the eventual establishment of a Canada-wide carbon market. In a luncheon speech on Wednesday June 10, Prentice announced the release of two draft documents outlining some of the rules for Canada’s carbon offset system. The offset system works by issuing credits to companies and individuals that undertake projects to reduce their carbon footprint, and by allowing these credits to be sold to other emitters. The documents released last week describe the type of projects that would qualify for the program, and how carbon reductions would be measured. Examples include the creation of wind farms or the case of farmers using reduced soil tilling methods, which stores carbon in the soil. Critics accuse the federal government of being far behind on this file. Many Canadian provinces and US states have already announced or implemented their own carbon-trading markets, and the new federal plan will have to be harmonized with these systems. Environmentalists also point out that the rules will not encourage innovation, as many companies will earn credits for actions that they are already taking. Lastly, the documents released last week do not specify size of the eventual cap that will be placed on carbon emissions. During previous election campaigns, the Conservative government has promised to lower carbon emissions to 20% below 2006 levels by 2020, and to work with Mexico and the US to have a continent-wide trading scheme in place by 2012 to 2015. The public has 60 days to comment on the proposed rules. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and Toronto Mayor David Miller are about to announce the fate of Toronto’s $1.2 billion streetcar bid. The deal has seemed to have been back and forth since some questionable comments by federal Transport Minister John Baird about giving Toronto the third of the $1.2 billion they had been asking for, however government sources indicate that the deal is likely to proceed. The Toronto streetcar fleet is mostly more than 30 years old and the Toronto Transit Commission is predicting that as early as this summer it may need to start replacing some of its routes with buses. While the news will likely be a relief too many at city hall, there has been some controversy about only asking or receiving federal stimulus money for only this one project for Toronto with so much federal money being spent. We will update the details of the announcement next week. [ index ]

KATHERINE BROWN: A new study has found that wind seems to be dying down across the United States. And surprise, surprise, climate change is thought to be the main culprit. The idea that winds are slowing is still largely speculative within the scientific community, but this newest study has found a very large effect—making it the first study to confirm the idea. Alarmingly, the report found around a 10 percent drop or more in the strength of winds over the past decade. But there are many questions left unanswered– so even the authors of the study say it’s too early to know if it is a real trend or not. If it is real though, the findings will be problematic for many reasons. One, which is especially concerning investors, is that as we feel more of the impacts of climate change, wind power will become less of a feasible alternative energy source. A ten percent decline in peak winds could translate into a 30 percent loss in the amount of energy which may be harvested. Given the uncertainty of the findings however, the authors of the study say that it’s far too early to modify wind energy development plans. But regardless, this study opens the door to a variable of climate change which has largely been left unexplored. [ index ]

KATHERINE BROWN: This summer, water off the coast of Louisiana and Texas in the Gulf of Mexico may become one of the largest “dead zones” ever recorded. A “dead zone” is an area in water where oxygen levels drop so low that species that used to thrive can no longer survive. Regions of ‘dead’ water are mainly caused by nutrient runoff from agricultural activity. The new prediction for the Gulf of Mexico’s alarmingly large dead zone came from research released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Scientists are predicting that the area could grow to be as large as anywhere from 7,450 to 8,456 square miles this summer. But additional flooding of the Mississippi River since May might result in an even larger dead zone. This dead zone is of serious economic concern because it destroys critical habitat, and therefore threatens valuable commercial and recreational Gulf fisheries. [ index ]

KATHERINE BROWN: What’s being called a “people-powered” store opened in Europe this past Wednesday. The design for the store relies on a form of technology based around kinetic energy. When vehicles pass over ‘kinetic road plates’ located outside the store, the plates move to create enough kinetic energy to power a generator. These plates are expected to produce 30 kWh of green energy. This energy will be used to power the store’s checkouts, with some energy left to spare. The system does not affect the cars passing by, and drivers feel no difference as they pass over the plates. The store, called Sainsbury’s, also includes other energy-saving measures. For one, it harvests rainwater to flush the store’s toilets. It also uses thermal panels to heat the water, and sun pipes designed to increase the use of natural light. It also has set in place energy management systems to ensure that energy efficiency is constantly at its best. The store spokeswoman has said that if this model does prove to be effective, the design will be set in place in chain stores across Europe in years to come. [ index ]

KATHERINE BROWN: America is already feeling the detrimental effects of climate change and a new federal report has suggested that these effects are only going to get worse. The report is titled “Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States”. It was released this past Tuesday by thy U.S. Global Change Research Program. The report includes the most up to date findings. For one, the nation’s average temperature has already risen about 0.83 degrees Celsius over the past 50 years. The report also makes predictions about future impacts of climate change. It expects that transportation infrastructure will be compromised in low lying coastal areas of the U.S. Along the Gulf Coast alone, more than 3,860 kilometres of major roadways may be submerged under water as sea levels rise. The report stresses that every part of America will feel the consequences of climate change. Water scarcity will become a huge issue in some regions, while others will see ecosystems collapse, and episodes of violent weather. The federal report speaks to the urgency of the situation at hand. As one author of the report noted “[Climate change] isn’t just happening in the Arctic regions, but it’s beginning to show up in our own backyards.”. [ index ]