KATHERINE BROWN: The massive flood seen in Manitoba this past spring has caused concern for the future of the “prairie ocean” known as Lake Manitoba. The flood waters that emptied from Red River into the lake carried with them heavy loads of phosphorous and nitrogen—these nutrients are used on farmer’s fields for fertilizers. These flood waters caused phosphorus and nitrogen levels to spike to 20 percent higher than normal in the lake. The repercussions will likely be seen this year as toxic algal blooms will result from the high levels of nutrient. Already, massive blooms of algae are visible around the north end of the lake in satellite images. This is worrisome because the blue-green algae come with a whole number of toxins that are very harmful to the health of the ecosystem. Manitoba has responded by placing restrictions on hog farmers, and seriously limiting the use of pesticides near waterways. In the next year, dishwasher detergents containing phosphorus will also be banned. But even given these efforts, the near-record flood seen in Manitoba this spring will have long-lasting consequences. Reversing the harm already done to Lake Manitoba is expected to be very challenging. [ index ]

TYLER IRVING: This week, tens of thousands of people lined up for the grand opening of Vancouver’s newest public transit rail line. The Canada Line connects downtown Vancouver with the suburb of Richmond, and includes a spur line to Vancouver International Airport on Sea Island. Although it is part of the TransLink system, it is operated by a private company, InTransitBC. It has taken the better part of 6 years to build the system, which cost more than $2 billion dollars. Trains traverse the 19-kilometre route, in about 25 minutes, stopping along the way at 16 stations. A normal fare for the Canada Line is $3.75. On Monday, a bevy of dignitaries, including federal Trade Minister Stockwell Day and BC Premier Gordon Campbell, were on hand at the airport to cut a ribbon at 1:00 PM. The opening day came three months ahead of schedule, and was accompanied by an offer of free rides until 9 PM. Over 80,000 people showed up to ride the train, waiting in lines up to 2 hours long. Riders were generally enthusiastic to be part of the historic event. The line is touted as the equivalent of a 10-lane highway, and is expected to take approximately 200,000 one-way automobile trips off the road. [ index ]

KATHERINE BROWN: Ontario has announced plans to launch a centralized wind forecasting service for next year. Ontario has been seeking sources of clean energy while it tries to phase out its remaining coal-fired power stations- it’s been looking to wind energy for the solution. Paul Murphy is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator, known as IESO. He says that accurate wind forecasting is essential to the operation of an efficient and reliable power system. It will support the expansion of wind generation within distribution areas and it also will reduce the administrative burden on wind generators. Harvesting wind for electricity is notoriously tricky because of the variable nature of wind energy supply. The forecasting system will hopefully allow us overcome this issue and better allow us to manage our wind resources by revealing the periods of time where the province can expect greater amounts of wind. The IESO has also introduced a web-based wind tracker that will graphically display hourly wind output from Ontario’s large-scale wind farms. [ index ]

TYLER IRVING: Last week we reported on the closure of the commercial sockeye salmon fishery in the Fraser River due to the disappearance of millions of adult fish. This week, tensions began to rise between the two groups that are still allowed to fish the river; sport anglers and first nations groups. On Sunday, Willie Charlie, chief of the Chehalis First Nation, was using a wide large-mesh drift net to fish for chinook salmon, which have returned in stronger numbers than the sockeye. The net became entangled in with the boat of a sports fisherman. In the angry exchange that followed, Charlie was shot in the face with an air gun, receiving minor injuries. Eventually, the sports boat broke free and sped downriver. RCMP patrols dispatched after the incident were unable to locate the 19-foot craft or its occupants, who are said of have spoken with thick English or Scottish accents. The incident has prompted some native leaders, such as Ernie Crey of the Sto:lo (Stauhlo) Tribal Council, to call for a total ban on salmon sport fishing on the Fraser. However, the president Fraser Valley Angling Guides Association, Vic Carraro, says such a ban would be an overreaction, and emphasises that sport fishers are also committed to a sustainable fishery. The next meeting of the Pacific Salmon Commission, the international body that regulates the fisheries, is scheduled for today. [ index ]

KATHERINE BROWN: Scientists have found- for the first time in more than a century- wild-born Atlantic salmon in Lake Ontario. This is fantastic news as it suggests that the native species is recovering after years of reproductive failure. Atlantic salmon used to be abundant in Lake Ontario. But overfishing, deforestation, dams and pollution had wiped out the population of Atlantic salmon by the early 1900s. Natural resource agencies from both the United States and Canada have been trying to re-introduce the Atlantic salmon to Lake Ontario for many years, but have had little success. The recent success for Atlantic salmon is thought to come from increasing numbers of native prey fish, as well as recent declines in some harmful invasive species. Alewife is an invasive species that was introduced more than 50 years ago. It’s been cited as a major cause for the decline of wild salmon. Alewives are small fish that contain thiaminase, which is an enzyme that destroys the critical vitamin thiamine in salmon. When the salmon reproduce, their hatchlings die of thiamine deficiency. This presented a huge barrier to Altantic salmon re-establishing themselves in the lake—the fact that they’ve successfully managed to reproduce came as a great surprise, and also gives hope for the future. [ index ]

TYLER IRVING: Two first nations groups in the Northwest Territories are trying to stop a mineral exploration project on land they claim is sacred to them. The Lutsel’Ke Dene First Nation and the Yellowknives Dene First Nation filed a notice of application seeing to overturn a permit granted by the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water board last July. The permit allows Northern Arrow Minerals Inc. to drill test holes in an area it calls the Phoenix site, near Aylmer lake. The company is prospecting for minerals bearing lithium, which is used in high-performance batteries such as those that power electric vehicles. The first nations say that although they were contacted by Northern Arrow, the company refused to pay for formal consultations or to negotiate an exploration agreement with the affected communities. The dispute comes as Prime Minister Harper is touring the North to promote his government’s Northern development strategy. Such incidents serve to underline the regulatory issues that still hinder economic growth in the north. The Northwest Territories has many unresolved land claims, and several mining companies have opted to pull out rather than enter into lengthy negotiations. In a news release on its website, Northern Arrow has refused to comment on the current action, but continues to assert its ownership of the land and the validity of the permit. [ index ]

KATHERINE BROWN: The municipal election campaign in Montreal will be run with the environment in mind this upcoming fall. Campaign posters will be kept to a minimum to save trees. Both of Montreal’s leading municipal parties, being Union Montreal and Vision Montreal, say they won’t post signs on public property for their campaign. This could do quite a lot of good for the earth—in 2005, Union Montreal put up 30,000 signs alone. Vision Vancouver is a municipal party in B.C which has already adopted a similar policy with regards to signs. Their poster campaign is kept to a few hundred private lawn signs. Vision Vancouver feels that these few posters do more than enough to get their message out there. But others question the movement to minimize campaigning signs, fearing that it will harm the effectiveness of the election campaign. The spokesman for the federal Liberal party argues that signs are “an important show of momentum.” So although Montreal may be free of signs for the upcoming municipal election, there will be no shortage of federal signs if an election is triggered in the fall. [ index ]

TYLER IRVING:  The latest developments in the continuing protests over the North Simcoe Landfill Site, also known as Site 41, include national political attention and new arrests. Protesters from Tiny Township and many first nations across Ontario continue to occupy a camp in a farmer’s field across the street from the proposed landfill site. On Saturday, water taken from taps on the farm suddenly turned cloudy, prompting calls for answers from Simcoe County and the project’s lead proponent, warden Tony Guergis. On Monday, protesters performed a traditional ceremony outside the site and impeded workers trying to gain access. As a result, OPP officers arrested 6 people for public mischief. It is alleged that eagle feathers used in the ceremony were confiscated as they were considered weapons. The total number of arrests in the protests now stands at 16, including at least three senior citizens. On Wednesday, Willowdale MP Martha Hall Findlay visited the site and was shown the cloudy water from the taps. She emphasized her concern over clean water and stated that she would personally speak to the federal and provincial environment ministers. Findlay is the second federal MP to visit the site, although Simcoe North MP Bruce Stanton has since opted to stay out of the issue as he perceives it to be a provincial matter. The site has also received attention from Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath, federal Green Party leader Elizabeth May, and former U.S. presidential candidate Ralph Nader, who visited the site last week and yesterday sent a passionate letter to the premier asking him to reconsider the development. Activity is expected to come to a head next Tuesday as Simcoe Council holds its monthly meeting at 11:00 AM. It is expected that council will debate a motion to put a one-year moratorium on the project to allow for public consultation and an independent review of the safety study. We’ll continue to bring you regular updates on this story until its resolution. [ index ]

KATHERINE BROWN: In Central China, more than 1,300 children have been poisoned. In the children living near a manganese factory, 60-70% of those tested had unhealthy levels of lead in their blood. High levels of lead in the bloodstream are very dangerous as they cause a number of serious health problems—For one, lead harms neurodevelopment and lowers the average IQ of children exposed. The harmful plant apparently opened in May of 2008 and was closed by authorities just last week. It was never approved by the local environmental protection bureau. Within 500 metres of the plant were a primary school, a middle school and a kindergarten- explaining the huge number of children harmed by it. The plant was located in the Weniping township, in the province of Hunan. Hunan is notorious for its heavy metal industry, which brings economic opportunity to the very poor region. Hunan is the second case in just two weeks of serious environmental contamination from industry being documented. 680 children were found to have lead poisoning in a region further north. These cases have prompted accusations that the authorities have failed to adequately regulate toxins in the environment. [ index ]

KATHERINE BROWN: A union struggle in France may bring harm to one of the most picturesque rivers in the country—the Seine River. French workers facing layoffs have threatened to dump toxic waste in the river if their demands for extra compensation are not met. The employees belong to a struggling trucking company. They are threatening to dump 8,000 litres of a hazardous liquid into a sewer that runs directly into the Seine. This ‘demonstration’ will be timed to coincide with a court hearing that could result in the company being sold or closed down. A union representative has said that the workers do not wish to carry out their threat—but they mainly want to draw media attention to their issue. Such extreme tactics have had mixed results getting settlements in the past. [ index ]

KATHERINE BROWN: Mexico is experiencing its driest year since 1941. Crops and cattle are dying in the countryside, forcing the government to slow the flow of water to the capital. Around 80 of Mexico’s 175 largest reservoirs are less than half full—and more that 1,000 cattle have been lost to drought. Up to 20 million tonnes of crops have also been lost. The northwest and central regions of Mexico have been hit the hardest. The drought seen in Mexico is likely caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon. But although the water situation is dire, it hasn’t yet been defined as an emergency. But in Guatemala- a neighboring country-, the government has distributed emergency food to 56,000 families whose crops have been damaged. Until the drought lets up, the Mexican government is urging water conservation by any means possible. [ index ]

KATHERINE BROWN: Conservationists are alarmed as Kenya’s lions could disappear in as little as 10 years. For the past seven years, Kenya has lost 100 lions each year. Now, as few as 2000 of the large felines remain. The disappearance of Kenya’s lions has been caused primarily by the growth in human populations. The 10 year prediction has been made by Laurence Frank, a wildlife biologist at the cat conservation group, Panthera. He feels that lions and people cannot live in harmony together as humans destroy lion’s habitat and use water and grazing resources for their livestock. According to the environmental charity Earthwatch Institute, people even go so far as to intentionally poison entire prides of lions by lacing up cattle corpses covered with insecticides. To make matters worse, those who kill lions illegally are rarely punished. Frank suggests that only through drastic action will the lions stand a chance at survival. Policy changes, effective law enforcement, and providing and economic incentive to protect lions will be necessary to prevent the loss of this spectacular species in Kenya. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: Simcoe County Warden Tony Guergis might be in trouble withholding report data from the province concerning the proposed site 41 garbage dump. The site 41 issue which has been going on for years has continued to produce controversy over its lifespan. Most recently, it has taken the form of an official letter of warning from the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario to Simcoe County Warden Tony Guergis concerning withheld input data and calibration settings of a computer model that was used in the production of a 2007 report on the site. The report concluded that the natural containment features of the site having to do with upward pressure created by underground waterbeds would create a natural barrier to pollution escaping the site, or polluting the groundwater; one of the premier features of the site. The groundwater under proposed site 41 was confirmed as one of the purest water on earth by scientific studies, and is also the aquifer that feed other townships. The letter to Mr. Guergis concerns the apparent non-compliance of a provincial order to release the data, which appears to have not been supplied. The input data and calibration information for the computer models does not necessarily, but could potentially have huge impacts on the conclusion of the computer simulations. In the letter the provincial office reminds Mr. Guergis of the potential legal implications of non-compliance with the order and requests that he take an official position on his decision among other orders. Site 41 has continued to galvanize the opposition to the project including increasing protests despite an injunction to have them moved across the street and stop protesters from blocking pre-construction. The most recent effect of this was a dairy farmer who was arrested by the Ontario Provincial Police on mischief charges for allegedly blocking the gates to the site, and preferred to be arrested than agree to stay away from the site. [ index ]

TYLER IRVING: This summer’s traditional sockeye salmon run on the Fraser River has turned into a crisis. According to a Globe and Mail report, over 90% of the expected run of between 10 and 13 million salmon has failed to materialize. Sockeye salmon are born and mature in freshwater lakes and rivers, but as adults they migrate to the open ocean, returning only to breed and die, in a cycle that lasts about 4 years. Fraser River salmon runs have been low for the last two years running, prompting Department of Fisheries and Oceans officials to close the river to commercial fishermen. The DFO had hoped that this year would see a return to historic levels. That’s because the 2005 runs were higher than usual, with 9 million spawning salmon giving rise to millions more juvenile fish, called smolts. This bumper crop of young fish was due to return this summer, but at this point in the season, all the indications suggest that they won’t be coming. Nobody knows what happened to the stocks. Environmentalists have suggested warmer ocean and river temperatures may be the cause, while others blame sea lice, a marine parasite known to breed profusely in fish farms in the Strait of Georgia. Regardless of the cause, local fishers and first nations groups that depend on the salmon for food are devastated by the loss, and commercial salmon fishing on the Fraser will be banned for the third year in a row. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: A new poll seems to show that Canadian interest in the Alberta Tar Sands is dropping. The poll was performed by Angus Reid on behalf of Environmental Defence of a little more than a thousand Canadians across the country. The poll shows that 52% of Canadians in the study want to slow down tar sands development and instead invest in clean-energy related job creation. The poll also found that 29% of respondents believe tar sands production should be increased, and 19% are undecided. The issue, along with the upcoming Copenhagen meeting on climate change and other environmental issues that are increasingly in the public consciousness were expected to be featured in the recent Premiers meeting, however these issues were conspicuously absent from most reports of the meeting. The absence of the environment as an issue at the meeting was also unexpected because several of the Premiers, such as Alberta and Quebec have been petitioning the federal government to allow them to send personal provincial representatives rather than leave Copenhagen strictly to the federal government. The Angus Reid poll also showed that 46% of respondents want the provinces to be individually involved in the Copenhagen meeting compared to 41% who wants to leave the issue to the federal government. Released with the study, Environmental Defence commented that the concern over the tar sands was not just one of the direct pollution and environmental degradation, but that they predict that the tar sands would crowd out other industries and innovations. Despite the federal governments unknown Copenhagen positions on issues such as Cap and Trade, policies currently being discussed in other counties such as the US, could impose limits on Canadian emissions through trade restrictions that may require resources and carbon credits that might otherwise go to new innovations. [ index ]

TYLER IRVING: Yesterday, the Saskatchewan Environmental Society (SES) called for a time-out on oil sands development in the north of the province. The call came in a new report co-authored by the SES, the Pembina Institute and the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, entitled “Carbon Copy: Preventing Oil Sands Fever in Saskatchewan.” According to the publication, a three-year pause is needed in order to properly consult Saskatchewan residents about the potential benefits and risks of oil sands development. Such a pause would also give the government time to identify parcels of land underground water sources worthy of protection. Oil deposits in northern Saskatchewan cover about 5% of the province’s land area and could contain up to 2.3 billion barrels of bitumen. Although they are currently untapped, the society cautions against taking the no-holds-barred approach that has been seen in Alberta. That approach is already having consequences for Saskatchewan. Earlier this week, the society drew attention to data from Saskatchewan’s oil ministry that shows acid rain from Alberta’s oil sands projects is lowering the pH of pristine lakes in northern Saskatchewan. The average pH of the lakes is 4.93, about the same as a cup of black coffee. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: Toronto’s Green Bin Program may be in worse shape than previously understood. A Toronto Star report identified some potential major problems with the program during coverage of Toronto’s city garbage collector strike. While the City has played down the issue and claims it isn’t true, The Star reports that city garbage workers admitted to routinely dumping green bin waste in with regular waste. The green bin waste which is supposed to be collected and disposed of separately and turned into composted, is apparently routinely mixed in with trash at trash collection and transfer stations where all trash is first brought after collection from the streets. The mixed green bin and regular trash is then trucked off to a Michigan landfill, according to some city employees. One of the interviewed city employees was a former manager of a transfer station, and confirmed that he had witnessed this mixing of waste happen, and that some managers permit the practice to dispose of the vast amount of green waste the city produces. The report were collected from current employees of the public works, and a former manager of a transfer station, however Geoff Rathbone, the city’s general manager vehemently denies the charge. While none of these accusations have been verified on record, and cannot be conclusively confirmed, this would not be the first hint of trouble from Toronto’s green bin program which has experienced several problems since its inception. In addition to similar accusations in the past, there have also been problems with the excess waste produced from the practice of allowing plastic bags to be used by citizens to package the green waste. There have also been accusations that much compost was of very low quality or value, as well as accusations that tonnes of the post-composted material were being disposed of in gravel pits and garbage dumps. The news may signal pubic doubts over the completion of Mayor Miller’s promise to divert 70% of Toronto’s waste from landfill by 2010. [ index ]

TYLER IRVING: On Monday, three young men appeared in a Saskatchewan courtroom and pleaded guilty to several violations of the provincial Wildlife Act as well as the federal Migratory Birds act. The men were arrested after they posted a video on YouTube that depicted them shooting rifles at a pond full of ducks and grebes from inside a vehicle. Laugher can clearly be heard over the gunshots. The men were charged with hunting migratory birds out of season, using a rifle to hunt migratory birds, careless discharge of a firearm and allowing edible game to be wasted. 30-year-old David Fraser and his 23-year-old brother James, both of whom recently moved to Saskatchewan from Toronto, each received a fine of $5000. Jeremy Rowlands, who owned the rifles, was fined $6000. The guns used in the video have been confiscated, and all three men are banned from acquiring hunting licences for the next three years. The men expressed regret, stating that say that they didn’t realize they were breaking any laws. All three are unemployed and will try to work the money off with community service through a provincial fine option program. The YouTube video had been viewed 60,000 times before it was removed Tuesday evening. Police and provincial officials credit an unprecedented number of calls to poaching tip lines with the arrests. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: Further delays at Chalk River hold-up medical isotope production even further. The Chalk River nuclear facility that was responsible for the majority of the worlds medical isotopes will now stay shut until at least the spring of 2010 at the very least. This marks the third time the Atomic Energy of Canada crown corporation has pushed back its back online date since it was shut down in May due to a potentially dangerous heavy water leak inside the reactor core. The international response to the delays has become quite critical as Canada is seen to be failing on what some call an implied contract with the rest of the world to provide the scarce and important isotopes. So far the government has compiled an expert panel and a special advisor on isotopes along with $6 million dollars to find an alternative to production at the Chalk River facility. The international impression at this point seems to be that the reactor will not be coming back online and that they will have to wait for a new facility to be constructed, not necessarily in Canada with a long and painful wait until a new facility is operational without isotopes. International nuclear-medicine associations have also called for Ottawa to allow independent panels to look into the Chalk River facility and its plans for other options, but so far Ottawa has refused. International experts say that the tragedy and their frustration don’t stem from the fact that the 52 year old reactor ran down, but that the situation was totally predictable and avoidable but that the federal government seems to not have taken any precautions against this eventuality. The next available options for picking up production should Chalk River not be able to come back online are proposed facilities in Saskatchewan and in the US, both of which would be several years away at least. [ index ]

TYLER IRVING: Since May, Montreal residents have been enjoying the BIXI bike system, which allows users to cheaply rent bicycles for short trips around the city. On Wednesday, BIXI announced that it will be going international. BIXI (a portmanteau of the words “bicycle” and “taxi”) is North America’s largest public bike system, operating 3000 bicycles out of 300 docking stations across the city. For a daily, monthly, or yearly subscription fee, users can take an unlimited number of half-hour trips. Longer trips are charged an additional hourly rate. Unlike similar programs in cities like Paris, BIXI’s docking stations are complete portable, using solar energy and wireless technology to keep in touch with each other. Thus, the system can be expanded or re-configured in short order, with no construction costs. Last April, BIXI won a Gold Edison Award and in 2008 it placed 19th on Time Magazine’s Top 50 inventions of the year. Wednesday’s announcement heralded the start of two new BIXI programs, one in London, and the other in Boston. The London contract, which will be carried out in association with Serco group, will comprise 6000 bicycles and 400 docking stations, to be introduced by 2010. The Boston contract will see 2500 bicycles, with the option to expand into neighbouring municipalities in the coming months. [ index ]

KATHERINE BROWN: Egypt is rejecting genetically modified foods- any agricultural product imported to Egypt must now have a certificate from the country of origin saying that the product has not been genetically modified. The rule will also apply to Egyptian exports. This new policy has come in response to a heated political climate around food quality—as some Russian wheat had recently been rejected over food quality concerns. Since then, members of parliament have been calling for greater agricultural self-sufficiency and stricter regulations. The new policy came at the surprise of many, especially since many Egyptian exports are genetically modified crops themselves. Egypt is one of the world’s largest wheat importers and also imports other products such as corn, edible oils and sugar. It exports products such as vegetables and fruit, much of which is sent to Europe. So given its place in the global food market, this new policy is expected to have many implications for trade. [ index ]

KATHERINE BROWN:  India plans to generate 20GW of solar power by the year 2020. The global capacity, as estimated by the International Energy Agency, is expected to be around 27GW by then. This means that India hopes to be producing 75% of solar energy within just 10 years. This is quite the leap, as India produces pretty much no solar power as is. There’s one catch though, and that’s that India hopes that developed countries will provide financial and technological support for its solar mission. Initially the solar plan was going to be carried through with a large subsidy from the Indian government. But this was criticized because it apparently goes against India’s position on developing nations addressing climate change. That is, since developed nations have become wealthy from polluting the environment, India feels that developing nations should not be the ones to pay for it. This move to demand support could perhaps be used as a bargaining piece at the upcoming climate change summit in Copenhagen. And if rich nations do fund the solar plan the aim of both sides could be met: developing countries could continue to grow economically, but with minimal harm done to the environment.. [ index ]

KATHERINE BROWN: Birds of the Galapagos Islands are thought to be threatened by stowaway mosquitoes. Experts fear that many of the island’s indigenous birds could be wiped out with the spread of the Southern house mosquito. These mosquitoes are coming in increasing numbers, hiding away in aircrafts and tourist boats. They’ve been introduced quite frequently by stowing away, and genetic tests confirm that they are able to breed and survive upon arriving on the island. The mosquitoes are particularly threatening because they bring with them a whole slew of diseases—avian malaria, avian pox and West Nile fever to name a few. In Hawaii, many species were wiped out by the insects, and the publishing scientists fear the same thing may happen in the Galapagos. Mosquitoes are the latest in a number of invading species: rats, wild pigs, flies and invasive plants that have already colonized the Pacific islands, which may threaten indigenous species. [ index ]

KATHERINE BROWN: Scientists from NASA have thought up a radical new way to deal with global warming. By hurtling a few comets at Earth, it can be sent spinning into a cooler part of the solar system, just a bit farther away from the sun. Their answer is apparently quite simple—just basic rocket science. The plan was originally devised to ‘save planet earth’ from when the sun is expected to heat up in around 1 billion years time. The researchers expect that moving Earth could add another six billion years to the useful lifetime of our planet. It involves the same techniques that are suggested to deflect asteroids coming too close to Earth. An asteroid is carefully directed so that it sweeps close past Earth—and transfers some of its gravitational energy over to our planet as it does so. This whole process would be repeated to inch Earth further along, away from the sun. The scientists note that there are a couple of worrying aspects—for one, any miscalculation on how the asteroid is fired at Earth could have catastrophic consequences. There’s also the question of the Moon: it might be stripped away from Earth, which could radically alter our planet’s climate. These criticisms are all acknowledged by the scientists. But don’t be too alarmed because there are no immediate plans to move Earth. But the hypothetical ‘what if’ still remains. [ index ]