TYLER IRVING: This week, for the second time in less than a month, Greenpeace protesters broke into an oil sands operation in Alberta. This time it was an open-pit mine operated by Suncor, one of the biggest players in the oil sands industry. The latest protest began in the early hours of Wednesday morning, and involved about two dozen individuals from Canada, France, Brazil, and Germany. The activists entered the site by canoeing and kayaking down the Athabasca River. They blocked conveyor belts that carry bitumen from the mine to an upgrading plant where it is refined into oil. They also unfurled banners in the river that read “dying for climate change.” Images from the protest were live-streamed on the internet. Suncor immediately shut down the conveyor belts, but continued to operate the facility. At first workers at the site were very friendly, offering goggles and coveralls to the protesters. However, by 6:00 PM, the RCMP moved in and arrested 21 people for trespassing. Bail hearings were scheduled to begin on Thursday. The ending of the Suncor blockade is in sharp contrast to a similar protest two weeks ago at Shell’s Albion Sands operation. That protest ended peacefully after a day-long blockade of a major access road. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER:&nbspThe EnCana spinoff company, Cenovus announced it will uncover its new tar sands recovery technology with its first project later next year. The technology is called a “Solvent Aided Process” or SAP method for short, and involves infusing the hot water steam used to loosen up the sticky bitumen from the surrounding sand and shale with a dissolved hydrocarbon solvent. The technology has been in the theoretical and experimental stages for a few years, but this is the first time the technology will be implemented in a full scale commercial setting. The technique theoretically will have the effect of diluting the bitumen in the tar sands to reduce its thickness and aid in recovery. The process is promising to lower the overall water needed to recover the bitumen, as well as be able to recover the solvent and re-use it, however this has not been tested yet in a commercial application. Narrows Lake will be the new company’s first project and will showcase the technology sometime after it submits its applications in mid 2010, which Cenovus forecasts will be producing 80,000 – 120,000 barrels of unrefined bitumen a day by 2018. The new site was originally put on hold due to low oil prices from the global economic slowdown, and the new date 2 years behind the original target for the Narrows Lake proposal. Narrows Lake is just north of Christina Lake, which along with Foster Creek are EnCana’s big tar sands projects, which currently produce more than 100,000 barrels a day along with its partner ConocoPhillips. Narrows Lake brings the shared projects by these two companies in Alberta potentially over 220,000 barrels a day within the next 10 years. [ index ]

TYLER IRVING: On Wednesday, the City of Toronto terminated its contract with one of the companies that process the waste from the citie’s iconic Green Bin program, after it was discovered that the company was sending material to a landfill in Michigan. The firing was a result of a Toronto Star investigation. An undercover reporter filmed a truck as it filled up on compost at the depot of Halton Recycling, which at the time was responsible for processing approximately 5-7 percent of Toronto’s Green Bin waste. The reporter then followed the truck all the way to the Brent Run Landfill, near Flint, Michigan, where the load was dumped. The newspaper notified Geoff Rathbone, the city’s manager of solid waste. Mr. Rathbone then called Halton Recycling, who told him that they could not have handled the waste, which was left over from the garbage strike earlier in the summer. The material had been around for so long that it had liquefied. However, the failure of Halton Recycling to notify the city about the change was enough to result in the termination of its contract. The city has been sensitive to criticism about its Green Bin diversion program since this summer, when the Toronto Star printed several articles on the program. Among other things, the paper claimed that the city’s often-quoted figure of 30% waste diversion through the program was inflated, and that the actual figure is closer to 16%. The claims are currently the subject of a libel suit filed against the paper by Mr. Rathbone in late August. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: Ontario announced it is finalizing a major renewable energy manufacturing agreement with Samsung Group. The massive South Korean industrial and electronics manufacturer is said to be prepared to bring large scale investment, with the provincial governments help to produce wind turbines, solar panels and other renewable energy infrastructure to the province. The multi-billion dollar investment, which has been in progress for at least a year was confirmed to be at a serious stage by Energy Minister George Smitherman, negotiations which he said could mark a potentially “historic framework agreement”. The deal, if it goes through is expected to generate hundreds of direct jobs to the province, and potentially thousands indirectly. Ontario has long had a strong manufacturing sector, one that has been hit upon hard times during the recent global financial collapse, particularly in the auto sector. The Premier also touted the deal as evidence that his new “Green Energy and Economy Act”, which was designed to stimulate investment in Ontario of renewable energy projects, was attracting foreign investment and jobs as promised. So far, all the information has been from the provincial side, with little being released from Samsung, and little is known about any negotiations the company may be having with US states which are certainly competing for the investment dollars. Samsung has said that it plans to produce 500 wind turbines a year, and also plans to be the world’s largest solar power provider by 2015. Samsung officials visited Ontario just north of Toronto earlier this summer to discuss a plan to build a 55 wind turbine farm, using aboriginal workers to help manufacture and erect the turbine. Mr. Smitherman also said that the company could be eligible for a boost to the already generous 13.5 cent per kilowatt hour feed in tariff price for renewable energy if it commits to produce the equipment in the province, but would not comment on how much more they would qualify for. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: In Vancouver, not to be outdone, Mayor Gregor Robertson announced his new vision of Vancouver as the new green capital of the world this week. Mr Robertson said that it was time for Vancouver to move up its image as a relaxed getaway city to take its place as the greenest city in the world by 2020. The ambitious plan features the creation of “low carbon economic development zones” that would cater to high technology related companies and jobs. The somewhat opaque proposal was given at the Vancouver Board of Trade which was heavy on ambitions, but light on details, cost estimates, or regulatory indicators. The business focused presentation focused heavily on promoting home grown business opportunities and economic growth. With the announcement of this new initiative, Vancouver joins the ranks of major world cities scrambling to attract an incoming wave of new technology and businesses that are predicted to follow in the wake of increasingly tightening global environmental regulations and international agreements on climate change. Mr. Robertson also recognized in his speech the billions of dollars that the US was investing into clean-energy programs and identified the need to act quickly to end up in front on the global stage. Also without much detail Mr. Robertson mentioned that he had been in contact with several western states and cities in the US about the creation of a Pacific Northwest business community oriented around new green economy initiatives. Time will tell if the new Mayor’s grandiose proposal comes to fruition, or if Vancouver’s current $60 million dollar budget shortfall stifles his ambitious plans. [ index ]

TYLER IRVING: On Tuesday, the Nunavut Wildlife Management Review Board held a special public hearing in Iqaluit to discuss a possible cut to polar bear hunting quotas. But hunters in the area say that the bear population is actually on the rise, and there is no reason for the cuts. The Baffin Bay region is shared between Greenland and Nunavut. Currently, hunters in Greenland are limited to 68 bears per season, while those from Nunavut are capped at 105. Nunavut’s Environment Minister, Daniel Shewchuk, sent a letter to the review board last June, asking that they consider cutting the quota to 64 or even putting a moratorium on the hunt altogether. He cited scientific estimates that the bear population has dropped from over 2000 to less than 1500 over the last 10 years. Hunters who came to the meeting from Pond Inlet, Clyde River, and Qikiqtarjuaq said that they have seen more bears in the area, not fewer. They point to the fact that the latest actual survey of bears was done more than 10 years ago, and that the current numbers are based on computer models which do not take into account all factors. They say that the pressure to drop the quotas is coming from further south, where polar bears are seen as symbols of climate change. Last December, the European Union voted to restrict imports on bear products until management practices were changed. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: Ecojustice Canada released a statement congratulating Environment Canada on its actions to protect endangered species. Ecojustice, which has on several occasions been quite critical of the Canadian regulatory and advisory body, celebrated its decision this week to protect endangered species in BC. Environment Canada denied an application by Burnaby Lake in British Colombia to dredge its shores. The timing of the project would have coincided with the hibernation of the endangered Western Painted Turtle that would see the turtles destroyed by the dredging as they seek overwinter habitat in the lakes shallow mud. Ecojustice had been concerned that Environment Canada was not going to block the application, despite the know threat to the species. While the turtles are listed under the Species at Risk Act, due to a previous trend in their decisions Ecojustice wanted to make sure that they reinforced what they see as positive behaviour from Environment Canada, and not just tried to criticize the bad. Several reports have been issued over the last few years about the lack of protections that have been enacted to protect species under the Species at Risk Act in Canada, and Ecojustice said that they hoped that the Ministry of Environment was “turning over a new leaf and showing a stronger commitment to protect our province’s incredible natural wealth.” In August this year, the BC government also announced plans to create a so-called Species-at-Risk Task Force aimed at improving enforcement of endangered species legislation. BC is Canada’s most dense biological zone, but already 43% of its more than 3800 unique species are either threatened or at risk right now, a percentage that continues to increase over time. Wilderness Committee’s policy director Gwen Barlee said this week that she hopes that BC builds on its recent successes and enacts its own endangered species policies laws. British Colombia along with Alberta are currently the only provinces without its own stand alone endangered species legislation. [ index ]

TYLER IRVING: On Wednesday, the London-based Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) officially bestowed sustainable certification on the BC halibut fishery. It is the first time that a BC fishery has been certified by the organization. The MSC is a non-profit organization that promotes sustainable fishing. In order to be certified, the fishery must prove that its impact on the larger marine ecosystem is minimal, and that it is effectively managed. The certification allows products from the fishery to carry the MSC eco-label. That label is seen as key to improving market share in Europe and North America, where consumers are more concerned about the methods by which their food is harvested. Halibut are caught with long lines, which are desirable because they don’t disturb the benthic community along the ocean floor, and because they only target the desired species through proper hook sizing and design. Commercial fishers are pleased with the certification, and they say it will level the playing field against competition from Alaskan halibut producers, who received the MSC certification three years ago. [ index ]

SHAK HAQ: The President of the Philippines, Gloria Macapagal-Arroya, has declared a nationwide “state of calamity” as they attempt to prepare themselves for the arrival of what scientists are calling a ‘super-typhoon’ expected to hit on Saturday. This comes just days after tropical storm Ketsana caused the country’s worst flooding in decades devastating the capital city of Manila and leaving 300 people dead. Millions are affected as several areas of the city are still under water. Ketsana, which hit the Philippines last Saturday transformed into a typhoon that hit Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos causing severe flooding and leaving dozens dead. Typhoon Parma is predicted to be a category five storm and has already begun affecting the Philippines with heavy rains and strong winds. Thousands of Filipinos on the main island of Luzon have been ordered to evacuate. The state of calamity decree allows local governments access to emergency funds for relief work. Several parts of the country were already under a state of calamity following last week’s storm. According to local forecasts, “by Saturday afternoon, Parma could be packing centre winds of more than 200 km/h and could be weakened once it slams into the Cordillera mountain region in the north.” [ index ]

SHAK HAQ: An earthquake hit the port city of Padang in Indonesia Wednesday evening measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale. On Thursday morning just as the rescue teams were setting to work, the city was rattled by a second quake with a magnitude of 6.6. The death toll from the first quake is estimated at around 1,100, but according to the UN humanitarian coordinator, John Holmes, that number is expected to rise. Hundreds more are injured while many are still trapped beneath the rubble. Rescue teams have been frantically searching to find evidence of survivors who may be trapped, but their process is severely delayed as tractors and other equipment are inaccessible at this time, forcing workers to sift through the rubble by hand. It wasn’t until Thursday night when appropriate equipment had become available. With a population of 900,000, Padang’s mayor is appealing for help. He said the city was overwhelmed by the dead and the injured and severely affected by the lack of electricity and clean water. Padang is situated on the west-central coast of Sumatra, the largest island of Indonesia whose western coast is home to dozens of volcanoes. The city also sits along the Sunda Trench, part of the “Ring of Fire”, a volatile network of volcanic arcs and oceanic trenches. This area is frequented by earthquakes and volcanic activity. [ index ]

SHAK HAQ: The Malawian teenager who transformed his village by creating electric windmills out of junk is now the subject of a new book, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. William Kamkwamaba was forced to quit school at age 14 as his family could no longer afford the school fees. This did not stop the ambitious self-taught Malawian teen whose dream was to bring electricity and running water to his village – with or without government or NGO support. In 2002 Malawi experienced a massive drought, killing thousands and leaving many families, including Kamkwamba’s, on the brink of starvation. Using a local library, he educated himself and found a strong affinity to the sciences. During this time he came across a picture of a windmill and he reflects, “I was very interested when I saw the windmill could make electricity and pump water.” When he was not helping his family with the farming, he worked on a prototype of his own design using any junk he could find. Using spare bicycle parts, a tractor fan blade and an old shock absorber, and blades made from plastic pipes, Kamkwamba created a turbine. The complete structure was a towering 5 metres high made of blue-gum-tree wood. This first design of his created a 12-watt output. The now 22-year old has since built a 12 metre windmill, installed solar power in his village with a solar pump, built a water-pumping windmill for irrigation, and upgraded his original windmill to 48-volts. Today, only 2% of Malawians have electricity, a figure Kamkwamba hopes to change. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind tells this story and is co-authored by Kamkwamba. It has just been published in the US. [ index ]

SHAK HAQ: According to BusinessWeek, Apple has launched an expanded environmental section of its website to offer extensive information on its green initiatives. The section also provides a closer look at the environmental impact of its products over their complete life cycles from raw materials to customer usage to recycling. In the past, Apple has been targeted by environmental groups such as Greenpeace over its environmental impact. With more transparency, Apple hopes that this will show the actions they are taking to change their environmental footprint. Apple noted that 53% of the company’s greenhouse gas emissions arise from customer usage of its products, however they also note that they are the only company in their industry to have the entire product line certified as Energy Star compliant. Their website also highlights the reduction and elimination of a number of toxic chemicals from its products as new models have come out. The site will also feature a tally of overall carbon emissions. The initiative appears to be a step in the right direction as the Carbon Disclosure Project recently gave Apple a score of 73 out of 100 for breadth and depth of its public disclosures. In 2008, their score was only 7 out of 100. [ index ]