SHAK HAQ: Fish in the Great Lakes pose risk to consumers due to rising toxin levels. According to a new study conducted by activist group Environmental Defence, these fish contain high levels of mercury, PCBs and dioxins. The study reviewed the rising trend in consumption advisory reports put forth by the Ontario Ministry of Environment since 2005, which examine various species of fish across 13 different regions in the Great Lakes. The results of the study state that despite modest improvements in the last two years, one fifth of the fish examined were marked as unsafe. The study further states that with consumption advisory reports on the rise, pollution must be entering the food chain at what it refers to as ‘disturbing levels’. With approximately 395,000 anglers fishing each year in Canada, Environmental Defence feels they need to be aware of toxin levels in their catch. The three major toxins in question (PCBs, mercury, and dioxins) are problematic because these chemicals do not break down readily and remain in the environment for long periods of time. According to the study the area most affected by rising toxin levels is Lake Ontario where 40% of the species are listed as “no consumption”. Lake Superior and Erie had pollution problem areas as well whereas Lake Huron and Georgian Bay showed signs of improvement. The Ministry of the Environment, however, claims the situation is not as bleak as Environmental Defence has portrayed by its study. The Ministry has been tracking contaminant levels since the mid-1970s and has consistently warned against the consumption of top predator fish such as salmon and trout, which accumulate high levels of toxicity due to their position in the food chain. Satyendra Bhavsar, research scientist at the Ministry, clarifies that pesticides such as DDT have now reached levels so low they are no longer viewed as a hazard. He also claims that levels of other contaminants are as he puts it “declining or stable”. Despite the disparity between the attitudes of Environmental Defence and the ministry to this problem, they are both committed to ensuring high-risk species are identified to the anglers. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: Electric cars are beginning to make headway in Canadian public policy. Over the past week both Ontario and Vancouver have made major policy announcements which will hopefully incentivise consumers to consider a plug in hybrid or full electric vehicle in the next couple of years. In Ontario, Premier Dalton McGuinty announced that it will be offering significant rebates to consumers for so-called “extended range” or full electric vehicles by subsidising the retail cost by as much as $10,000 per unit. The Ontario government has also said that it will replace at least 20% of its own fleet with the vehicles by 2020. Mr. McGuinty also said that it is likely to pass special regulations that will allow the vehicles to have access to special high-occupancy lanes on expressways, and special parking spaces at GO Transit and government lots along with green license plates. Ontario also took another important step by initiating consultations with California technology company Better Place, which is working with partners to build battery recharging stations to begin to work out the logistics of initiating a similar project in Toronto in the next few years. Vancouver also became the first city in North-America to require developers to put electric-car plug-in station in a percentage of its parking spaces for new condominiums and apartments. Vancouver already passed a bylaw requiring developers to build the special outlets in new homes. Under that changes for city developers, they must now put the link ups in at least 20% of the new parking stalls in all new construction buildings, and the next step is likely to be to require a similar proportion in city-operated parking lots. The original proposal in Vancouver was to require that only 10% of the spaces had the hook-ups, but city council later doubled the amount. With several car companies gearing up for various forms of electric vehicles in the near future, such as the much championed Chevy Volt in 2010, consumers in Ontario and BC can expect to start seeing the vehicles on the road in the near future. [ index ]

SHAK HAQ: The Federal Court declares the Canadian government to be misapplying the Species at Risk Act in a lawsuit filed by a group of environmentalists last Thursday in Vancouver. The suit centres on a North American bird species, the Greater Sage Grouse commonly found in Alberta and Saskatchewan. The grouse once had 100,000 square kilometres of habitat across the Southern Prairies, but agriculture, oil and gas development, road building and pipeline construction have fragmented their habitat. Their current habitat is approximately 6,000 square kilometres close to the US border. The grouse population in the US is estimated to be in the thousands whereas the Canadian grouse population has plummeted to a few dozen in the past twenty years. Last year, the government proposed a recovery strategy but did not identify the grouse’s habitat to be protected, which environmentalists say renders the recovery plan meaningless. Justice Russel Zinn found the government to have ignored its own scientific evidence, which clearly outlined the importance of the bird’s habitat. The ruling gives both the group of environmentalists and the government thirty days to create a plan that will revise the grouse’s recovery strategy to include the protection of its habitat. Environment Minister Jim Prentice was at the G8 summit in Italy last week when the ruling was issued, but according to his representative, he is reviewing the case. If this ruling is successful and not appealed by the government it could positively affect recovery plans for other species at risk. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: The city of Toronto has teamed up with industry to provide residential customers with substantial incentives to promote the use of solar thermal systems. The initiative is being spearheaded by Enbridge Gas Distribution along with Bullfrog Power, EnerWorks and the City of Toronto. Enbridge is helping to promote the panels to its customers, along with Bullfrog power. EnerWorks will be supplying the panels, and the City of Toronto has streamlined the application process for the necessary paperwork and permits to allow for the installation of the panels, which were previously seen as a major roadblock to solar-thermal instillations. The plan is intended to compliment Ontario’s standard offer program which guarantee’s minimum prices for alternative energy generation. Under the new plan homeowners are expected to save approximately $260 dollars a year with the systems or as much as 60% of the average hot water heating costs for residential users. Systems typically cost from $7000 to $10,000 dollars each, and will be reduced by federal and provincial rebates which will cover about half of the up-front costs. Further incentives are being offered by Enbridge and other private interests of up to $400,000 city wide for some users. With the average reductions, most homeowners will recoup their costs within six to ten years. The plan came to fruition partially from expectations that proposed cap and trade systems in Canada and the US will start making energy suppliers financially responsible for their end users carbon footprints, and Enbridge has hinted that this first plan will likely not be the last in a currently unspecified series of similar alternative energy programs. The average carbon savings are expected to reduce total carbon output for a typical residential user by about half a ton a year, or 5% of total emissions. The initial targets for takers on the rebated systems are modest at around 1300 in the first year, but Toronto Mayor David Miller expects that the partnership with Bullfrog Power and other businesses that cater to eco friendly consumers will help to drive this initiative and others like it in the future. [ index ]

SHAK HAQ: A train that will link Calgary to Edmonton is on the slow road to approval. However, this isn’t the first mention of the railway. Proposals for the 300-kilometre long railway line first surfaced in the early 1970s, when the Tories first came to power. The idea was revisited again on Monday after the Alberta Progressive Conservatives released a government commissioned study to see whether a high-speed passenger train would attract riders and make economic and financial sense. Majority of those polled stated they would be more likely to ride the train the faster it was. Another government report claims that about 10 million people travelled between Calgary and Edmonton in 2006, about 90% of whom travelled in cars, trucks and SUVs. Alberta Premier, Ed Stelmach, and his party welcome the idea as a way to potentially reduce carbon emissions by getting cars and trucks off the highway that connects the two major cities. Alberta Liberal Leader, David Swann, is also in favour of the project as he feels it would create thousands of jobs and up to $33 billion in economic benefits. The estimated costs for the project range from $3 billion to $20 billion. The price will vary depending on which kind of train is used. Four models were tested including one that travels at 483 kilometres per hour, which would make travel time between the two cities about an hour. Alberta Transportation Minister, Luke Ouellette, said the province had no plans to use public funding for this project, but rather is turning to private companies and investors. The province will contribute by purchasing the right of ways for the necessary land. But it is not only the Albertan parties hoping for this project’s success. The provincial governments in Quebec and Ontario as well as the federal government are keeping a close watch on the development of this project as they may use it as a model for a high-speed railway line that would connect Quebec City to Windsor. They hope to have a comprehensive report on its feasibility by early 2010. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: Major protest is continuing to grow over the proposed dump on top of the world’s cleanest drinking water in Ontario. Tiny Township, in Simcoe County is the home of a proposed dump referred to as site 41, and was featured in a previous special piece on this show earlier in the year, however the battle is still brewing. The dump in slated to open this fall, and the site sits over a massive underground aquifer that runs from Georgian Bay to the Oak Ridge’s Moraine, and contains what is said to be some of the purest water on earth. The water was tested almost 3 years ago at the University of Heidelberg in Germany, and found to be as clean as the purest water taken from glaciers in the Canadian Arctic. Water samples from the aquifer are also used as a benchmark for scientific tests of the purity of water sources, such as several studies on the comparative purity of bottled water. For the past weeks protesters have been blocking the entrance to the construction area of the partially constructed dump preventing workings so far from completing the work. The protests have also been attracting the support of larger groups such as the David Suzuki Foundation and various church and Native groups. Several Native women are largely responsible for starting this round of civil disobedience in opposition to the dump, with one telling reporters that the dump would be completed (quote) “over her dead body”. Last week Premier Dalton McGuinty was approached by several protesters to a talk at Georgian College, but the Premier refused to speak with the group, and they were eventually removed by police. Site 41 has already cost the county and the province $10 million dollars, and is slated to hold 1.6 million cubic meters of trash over its expected 40-50 year lifespan. The site was originally chosen in 1985 to service the local area and despite growing opposition over the last 25 years has always been defended as the only available choice for a necessary evil. We will keep you updated as the details on site 41 and its protestors as they develop. [ index ]

SHAK HAQ: Ontario’s decision to postpone purchasing a large, new nuclear generating plant will not cause a blackout in the province, at least not at the moment. The current five existing plants are reaching the ends of their service lives. In 2007, the Ontario Power Authority said these existing reactors, which provide half of Ontario’s electricity, were projected to reach their end between 2016 and 2021 and would either need replacing or refurbishing. But last week, Energy Minister George Smitherman rejected offers from three companies to build a nuclear power plant as a result of their high costs. The proposed new plant would have met 10% of the province’s power needs on a typical day. The delay in finalizing the plans has many concerned, however according to Amir Shalaby, VP of power system planning for the Ontario Power Authority, if there was a shortage of electricity it would happen after 2015. He feels this is unlikely though with an emerging energy-conscious population vying for energy efficient products. In addition to this, the OPA feels they are well-equipped to cope with the delay as they are looking into creating more renewable energy projects and importing additional electricity from Quebec, if needed. Another proposed solution is running older reactors seasonally, for example in summer to meet air-conditioner needs. This would stretch the lifespan of the older reactors. Shalaby cites the current economic conditions as the main factor behind the population consuming less power. The Independent Electricity System Operator, the provincial entity that tracks power demand, states that overall power demand is projected to fall 4 % this year – the sharpest drop in the past decade. Environmentalists are supportive of the delays in the construction. It presents an opportunity to consider more energy-efficient, lower cost, and more reliable options such as energy-sipping appliances. A high-efficiency fridge, for example, uses 70% less power than one made in 1984 or earlier. Jack Gibbons, chair of environmental advocacy group the Ontario Clean Air Alliance, issued a report last month that suggested the province to retire its nuclear fleet and replace it with high-efficiency, natural gas-fired generating stations as well as import hydroelectric power from Quebec. He further states that Ontario residents use approximately 50 % more electricity per person than residents in New York State. The disparity is partly due to the heating needs of Ontarians, but also to economic differences. Another reason for the disparity is New York’s businesses are primarily knowledge-based, such as banking and high technology, whereas Ontario businesses are more power-guzzling, smokestack-type companies. However, he says the province’s economy is slowly evolving to match New York and feels this will help the current energy consumption. Gibbons also suggests that with the 1.4 million apartments and condos in Ontario, each residence should have its own electricity meter. He predicts this could cut costs by 30%. The introduction of what he calls “smart electricity meters” would encourage people to cut electricity consumption during high-demand periods, which will reduce the number of power stations needed to handle peak consumption. Ultimately though, there does not appear to be a pending blackout and the uncertainty is acting as an advocate for more efficient and renewable resources. [ index ]

KATHERINE BROWN: With sea-surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific at least 1C above average, it looks like El Niño is back. El Nino is a cyclic weather system that normally happens once every two to seven years—it last happened in 2007. In general, the trend comes with increased rainfall across the east-central and eastern Pacific, and it brings drier conditions over northern Australia, the Philippines, and Indonesia. Forecasters expect this El Nino to continue strengthening over the next few months and to last through this upcoming winter. El Nino will have many serious implications– for Africa, they are quite unpredictable—the continent faces the grim prospect of severe drought in central regions, or of being deluged by rain in the east and south. Either way, there are many consequences for health—drought brings with it famine, while heavy rains increase the risk of malaria, Rift Valley fever and outbreaks of cholera. [ index ]

KATHERINE BROWN: In Iraq, the Euphrates River is drying up. Along the river, fishing boats sit on dry land, as canals have shrunk down to shallow streams and rice and wheat fields have been transformed into barren deserts. Partly to blame, is the drought that has lasted for the past two years. The date palm and citrus orchards of the east have been seriously harmed by reduced rainfall. But more often cited as the reason behind the water shortage are the water policies of the Syrian and Turkish governments, Iraq’s neighbouring countries. Although Iraq has always had plenty of water, it is a downstream country. On the Euphrates river there are at least seven dams in Turkey and Syria. For now, there are no treaties or agreements controlling the flow of water. This has left Iraq with just a trickle. The consequences have been enormous, especially for the country’s poor, whose livelihoods depend on now dried-up crop lands. But officials put forward a third reason behind the water shortage—saying that nothing will improve if Iraq does not serisously address its own water policy and history of flawed water management. [ index ]

KATHERINE BROWN: New studies have revealed how invisible particles in the air we breathe damage our hearts, lungs, and even genetic programming. Fine particles pose the greatest health risks. These are tiny specks floating in the air—not visible, and measuring around 2.5 micrometers in diameter or smaller. Recent studies indicate that such tiny specks contribute to, or aggravate, a whole number of host conditions. These health risks range form asthma and stroke, to heart disease and premature aging of chromosomes. Researchers from Oregon state university found that an estimated 1 million people die prematurely each year in China alone from pollutants in the air. And although we often think of industrial smokestacks as being the main polluters, a number of studies have found that traffic probably has the greatest health impact. Despite this collection of results, there are still too many holes in the picture to help policy makers know how to best improve regulations. One of the reporting scientists argues that in order to do so, many more studies related to particulate matter will have to be conducted. [ index ]

KATHERINE BROWN: New research has heightened fears about bisphenol A. Bisphenol A is commonly known as BPA. It is an organic compound used in making plastics- It’s gathered lots of attention because it is an endocrine-disrupter, meaning that it mimics hormones in the body. But recent studies have proven the chemical to be even worse than previously thought—it’s also been linked with causing heart arrhythmias (or heartbeat irregularities), and permanent damage to a gene essential for reproduction in women. Studies have indicated that food is the dominant source for most people— and these studies suggest that exposure to bisphenol A at any age has the potential to do significant harm. Perhaps even more alarming is other recent research suggesting that human exposure to BPA is much higher than previously thought. There are also growing suspicions that previous studies have underestimated how long BPA lingers in the body. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: The number of federal infrastructure projects estimated to be exempted from environmental assessments has jumped from 2,000 up to 14,000. The exemptions are taking place as part of the federal government’s legislation passed in March to help expedite economic stimulus plan projects. The new rules have been contested widely by Canadian environmental groups; including EcoJustice and the Sierra Club of Canada whom are currently in federal court trying to fight the policy. The Sierra Club and EcoJustice have asserted that the exemptions are illegal since the plan was announced. The original estimates of 2,000 projects that would fall under the exceptions policy was originally announced in the Canada Gazette and cover a wide range of projects such as road widening, bridges and sewage treatment plants. Few environmental projects such as bike trails and social housing projects have been announced or given exceptions. Ecojustice which is handling the legal case for the Sierra Club said that the vast expansion; of up to 7 times the originally applicable projects will provide further pressure from its case, and also said that it is clear in their opinion that the federal government is trying to get out of the environmental assessment business overall. The federal government has insisted that the duplication of environmental assessments between federal and other provincial and municipal authorities has not provided any benefits or improvements to environmental impacts of projects in the past and has frequently on resulted only in increased delays. Environment Minister Jim Prentice said that the number of projects that will ultimately be exempted (quote) “isn’t clear, it won’t be clear until we complete the economic action plan” seeming to keep open the possibility of further increases in exempted projects. [ index ]

TYLER IRVING: As of Tuesday, June 30, Canadian products labelled as “organic” must now comply with specific federal regulations under the Canada Agricultural Products Act. Previously, organic growers could voluntarily certify their products at their own expense, but they were under no legal obligation to do so. The new mandatory rules are welcomed as a way of levelling the playing field in the industry. In order to have their product stamped with the new “Canada Organic” logo, producers must demonstrate that their product does not contain pesticides, synthetic growth regulators, or genetic engineering. If a product contains multiple ingredients, the organic content must be 95% or higher; lower percentages must be labelled as such. The new rules will be enforced by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which will work closely with industry associations such as Canada Organic Growers and the Organic Trade Association. The regulations will supersede those already in effect at the provincial level in British Colombia and Quebec. In addition, an equivalency agreement has been signed with the US Department of Agriculture, meaning that Canadian-certified products will be recognized as such in the US, and vice versa. Currently, 80% of Canada’s organic food is imported, much of it from the US. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: Biotech wheat is pushing back into the conversation for Canadian farmers. A renewed effort to convince Canadian farmers to take up the genetically modified crops has come from a tri-national group of various interests including biotech giant Monsanto and a variety of grain organizations from Canada, the US and Australia. A campaign to convince Canadian farmers to take up the GMO crops in 2005 was met with a resounding no at the time and some farmers are surprised to see it back in the news. At the time both farmers and consumers were generally wary of GMO safety and farmers were worried about closing off potential trading partners overseas such as the UE and Japan which at the time had very strict no-GMO policies. However many of these import rules have relaxed in the last few years, allowing limited forms or GMO canola, corn and soya beans. Monsanto also asserts that public opinion has changed and consumers are more comfortable of the idea these days. Currently there are no GMO strains of wheat in Canada, but it is Canada’s biggest crop and critics say it was only a matter of time until big biotech companies such as Monsanto tried again. Despite the recent efforts, 2 recent polls show that Canadian farmers are still resoundingly against the idea, with one showing that less that 9% of Canadian wheat growers would like to see GMO wheat available as soon as possible, and another showing that 83% of farmers are against planting the crops entirely. A variety of Canadian groups have also sprung up as rivals to the tri-national campaign to oppose the crops. The GMO wheat opposition groups accuse proponents of trying to manipulate the issue and strong arm its way into the profitable market also saying that the move would potentially ruin Canadian market share. Many farmers say they think there would be an international backlash if GMO wheat was introduced in Canada, and believe that a total block out is necessary to prevent contamination of wheat strains by the wind and water drift of seeds within Canada from even a limited introduction of the crop. [ index ]

TYLER IRVING: In a surprise announcement Monday June 29, Ontario’s Energy Minister George Smitherman said that plans to build two new nuclear power plants at the Darlington station have been indefinitely put on hold. The contract to build the replacement reactors received three bids, from France’s Areva SA, US-owned Westinghouse Electric Co., and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited. Of the three, AECL had the lowest bid, but Smitherman stated that it was still billions too high. He also noted that uncertainty over the future of AECL clouded the issue significantly, referring to the federal government’s plans to privatize AECL’s reactor construction wing. His decision not to accept the bid puts pressure on the federal government to step in and lower the price, as loss of the contract would be devastating for the struggling crown corporation. According to the Independent Electricity System Operator, nuclear power currently makes up a third of Ontario’s total generating capacity, although its share of baseload power generation is closer to 50% due to the fact that it cannot be easily cycled on and off. The province has been given some breathing room by the economic recession, which the IESO estimates will reduce power consumption by 4% this year. Still, the existing reactors are aging, and Ontario’s peak demand is expected to increase by 2700 MW by 2015. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: In a related story, A Greenpeace inquiry has revealed a fundamental safety flaw with Canadian designed Candu nuclear reactors. The report outlining the safety issue was revealed due to a Greenpeace access to information request for an undated “internal memo” at the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission that is estimated to be from 2007. The problem stems from a design flaw that leads to a state in nuclear reactors called “positive reactivity feedback”. The PRF issue involves a state where the reactor rapidly increases in core temperature when there is a critical loss of coolant in the reactors core. This issue is almost unique to the Canadian Candu design, which is unlike 80% of the rest of the worlds reactors which use negative reactivity to rapidly cool the core during a critical coolant loss. Regulators admitted that they have “always known” about the PRF flaw, but had (quote) “greatly underestimated” the danger during a critical failure that could lead to dangerous power pulses during a major accident. This underestimation came in the form in one case of undershooting the number used to measure the PRF effect by 50%, resulting in drastically lower safety allowances. The discovery at the time prompted regulators to warn that they might have to order Canadian nuclear plants to operate at less than full capacity for the foreseeable future to compensate for these safety issues according to the document. While the danger of PRF events was estimated to be acceptably low when plants were constructed, the possibility significantly increases over time as the plant and its parts age with use. It is so far unconfirmed is the public release of this report had any impact on the cancellation of the proposed new Ontario reactors, or how any of the recommendation’s have been implemented at currently operating Candu reactors in Canada. [ index ]

TYLER IRVING: This week saw two more explosions take place near the small communities of Pouce Coupe and Dawson Creek in northern B.C. The first was discovered on Canada Day when workers found evidence of a blast while searching for the source of a pressure drop in the line. The following Saturday, as the workers tried to repair the line, a second bomb was detonated less than a kilometre away. No-one was injured in either bombing, and in both cases the pipeline’s emergency shutoff system quickly isolated the leaks. These latest incidents bring the total number of bombings of the pipeline to 6. They started last October, when a letter was sent to EnCana demanding that the company cease operations in the area. Since then, most attacks have taken place on or near civic holidays, such as Thanksgiving, Hallowe’en, and New Year’s Day. Local residents had been divided over EnCana’s operations in the area, with some welcoming the economic development and others worrying about declining property values and the danger of gas leaks. Since the explosions began, tensions in the community have been heightened by suspicion and the fear that sooner or later, someone will get hurt. The R.C.M.P. has described the bombings as “nothing short of domestic terrorism” and has launched a probe into the affair. EnCana is offering a $500,000 reward for information leading to the capture of the bomber. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: Toronto has secured its $1.2 billion streetcar deal despite losing federal funding support. The massive project has been the centre of controversy in Toronto especially at city council where many councillors said they felt they were held hostage by the way the deal transpired. The plan was to split the cost of the project 3 ways between the city, the province and the federal government however the federal funding fell through when the federal transportation minister, John Baird decided the plan didn’t fall under the requirements for the federal stimulus funding plan. Toronto Mayor David Miller said if he had the chance he would have done everything again the same way and city council approved the doubled funding request 36-6. However many councillors said that they felt unfairly pressured to approve the funding due to the situation. If the plan had not gone through by the deadline, the price of the project would have increased by $500 million dollars and the city would have lost the provincial part of the funding. City councillors were also upset that they were not involved or consulted during the negotiations with the federal government. However Mayor Miller was beamingly proud of the success of the deal for 204 new streetcars saying that it was his proudest moment as Mayor, and that he felt he had secured the Toronto transit future for a generation. The deal also has the added bonus of potentially creating thousands of jobs in Thunder Bay and around 905 area parts suppliers. While the Mayors many critics are hailing the new deal as dooming policy for the future of the already troubled city finances, representatives from the Mayor’s office are assuring Toronto citizens that the increased municipal spending will not affect city public services or safety. The new vehicles are expected to begin full production in 2012. [ index ]

TYLER IRVING: A Toronto Star investigation has revealed that Toronto’s Green Bin program is not operating as advertised. The newspaper states that the program doesn’t divert as much waste as the city claims it does, and that the compost it produces may not be all that valuable. The program, which began in 2002, collects organic waste from over 500,000 dwellings in the city. Unlike similar programs in Durham and Peel regions, Toronto’s program accepts diapers and allows the use of plastic bags to contain the waste. Neither of these items can be composted or recycled, so they must be separated using costly technology. Nevertheless, large chunks of plastic still end up in the organic waste, and the processors subcontracted by the city send thousands of truckloads of plastic to landfills or incinerators every year. The city’s claims to divert 30% of its waste through the program, and the mayor promised to increase that to 70% in the 2006 election campaign. The new revelations are causing those figures to be seriously questioned. The Star also paid for an agricultural laboratory to test the compost produced by the city’s processors. They found that the compost was rushed through the process, leading to material that was not completely digested, as well as extremely high in sodium. The lab reported that levels that high would be toxic to plants. The mayor has maintained silence on the issue, citing the ongoing municipal workers strike. However, Ontario Environment Minister John Gerretsen has vowed to fix the problem by changing provincial regulations for organic recycling programs. [ index ]

KATHERINE BROWN: The world’s wealthiest eight countries, known as the G8, have agreed to limit the world’s temperature increase to two-degree-Celsius. To reach this target, the leaders of the eight countries agreed that the world’s 32 industrialized nations should cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050. This newest commitment has been viewed by some to be an absolutely incredible commitment— to try to limit the world’s temperature increase to 2 degrees will call for drastic measures. But this newest commitment has also been criticized by many as being simply unattainable. Also, the G8’s ambitious targets have been seen a lot of resistance from the leaders of India and China—who demand more financial support from richer countries before agreeing to the emissions goal. But although the G8 still have to win developing countries over, this newest bill is a break-through agreement. It sets the stage for climate talks to come this December in Copenhagen– and it also sets the foundation for a unified global effort to address climate change. [ index ]

KATHERINE BROWN: Many of the world’s poorest countries have found their food security to be in a precarious situation. According to a recent report from the UN, the acquisition of farmland from the world’s poor countries has been accelerating at an alarming rate. This farmland is being bought up by both wealthier countries, and by international corporations. This trend is often referred to as ‘neo-colonialism’, or ‘land-grabbing’—and it’s worrisome because the countries having their land bought up usually are already unable to produce enough food for their growing populations. Studies have found that nearly 50 million acres of farmland have been sold or negotiated for lease during the past 6 months. But why has there been a recent increase in so-called ‘land grabbing’? Wealthy countries are thought to be acting in response to concerns around food security. And interestingly, around one fifth of the acquired land was expected to be used for bio-fuel crops. But the list of investors varies– some of the world’s largest food, financial and even car companies have invested in land.  [ index ]

KATHERINE BROWN:  The hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica has been found to limit the polar water’s capacity to absorb carbon dioxide. A computer simulation found that the ozone hole has caused wind-speeds over the high-latitude southern oceans to increase. In some areas, it’s predicted that wind speeds could have been up to 60 percent higher in 2004 than they were in 1975. These increased winds are thought to have triggered a whole number of effects. For one, the winds stir the surface waters more effectively—meaning that they boost the upwelling of waters. But the trick is that this water coming up to the surface already holds large amounts of dissolved CO2—since it holds the decomposing materials which sank to the bottom of the ocean. So, this means that the surface water can absorb less CO2 because it’s already pretty much saturated. The simulation suggests that between 1987 and 2004 the southern oceans absorbed around 9 billion metric tonnes less CO2 than they would have had there not been a hole in the ozone. These types of changes may very well exacerbate and even speed up the effects of climate change globally. For more details, the report is available on-line in Geophysical Research Letters. [ index ]

KATHERINE BROWN: A plane named the ‘Solar Impulse’ may soon be the first solar-powered airplane to make a trip around the world. The solar-powered airplane hasn’t quite made it off the ground yet, but it’s expected to make its first trip by the end of 2009. Once the first test is completed, its developers hope that it will complete a full circle around the globe. The airplane itself is made from carbon fibre concentrate. It looks like a glider, and it has a wingspan of around 60 metres. These wings are where the energy for flight comes from—they’re covered in nearly 12,000 solar cells. These cells power four ten horsepower electric motors, which are strong enough to propel the plane into flight. Given that aircrafts are thought to be responsible for around 3.5 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, this type of design definitely has huge potential to literally ‘take-off’. [ index ]