DARYN CAISTER: A massive power deal between Hydro-Quebec and New Brunswick Power has received last minute revisions due to citizen outrage. The proposed deal would have seen New Brunswick power passed over in its entirety to Hydro-Quebec, along with its outstanding $4.8 billion dollar debt. In exchange for the deal, Hydro Quebec also promised to provide New Brunswick customers with $5 billion dollars in rate reductions and rate freezes guaranteed to last for 5 years, including reducing industrial rates by 30%. The outrage expressed by residents in New Brunswick include the suspicion that the deal was being manipulated for the benefit of powerful industrial families looking to benefit from the politically negotiated cheap industrial rates. Many residents were also concerned about the loss of control of the provincial power company, as well as widespread concern that the reduced rates would be sharply increased once the 5 year period was up. In addition to public denouncement of the plan, Newfoundland Premier Danny Williams spoke out against the deal complaining that the sale would give Hydro-Quebec control over a vital power transmission corridor to the US northeast. These concerns have seriously damaged New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham’s image, and he has been frantically trying to reopen the deal to save his political career. The newly negotiated deal will see New Brunswick maintain its transmission and local distribution operations, while handing over the provinces power plants to Hydro-Quebec. Hydro-Quebec will also contract its supply of base load power to the New Brunswick market if the deal goes through in its current form, and will not take on the outstanding $5 billion in debt. [ index ]

SHAK HAQ: South Korea’s Samsung Group will invest $7-billion to build 2,500 megawatts of wind and solar power in the province of Ontario. This is part of the province’s plan to create more green energy jobs. Premier Dalton McGuinty hopes to make Ontario the go-to place for green energy parts suppliers, equipment designers and operators and stated, “Ontario is taking a giant step forward in the green economy.” After a year of negotiations, the Samsung group in partnership with the South Korean government, will create and operate wind and solar power plants in Ontario over the next 25 years. The group promises to create 16,000 jobs during the process, although only 4,000 of these will be permanent. The goal is to light up 580,000 homes in the province. Energy developers and opposition members were quick to point out that Samsung is getting what they are calling a “sweetheart” deal in reference to the financial incentives over and above what his government would pay other green-energy companies. Samsung is set to receive $437-million in incentive payments, which will come from an additional $1.60 a year on consumers’ electricity bills for the next 25 years. Samsung will also receive a feed-in rate of 13.5 cents per kilowatt-hour for wind power and 44.3 cents for its solar power. Currently the market price in Ontario for electricity is 3.31 cents. Critics are also questioning why the province’s electricity generation is going to a foreign government when Ontario Power Generation, the electrical utility owned by the provincial government, would have theoretically been capable of taking on this project. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER:  The battle for green street cred heats up between Ontario and British Colombia. CIBC hosted an invitation only meeting for North-America’s top clean energy companies and investors this week in Vancouver. However many industry analysts are saying that Ontario still has the upper hand. BC has been branding itself as a national leader in clean green ideas for some time with plenty of support from Vancouver’s mayor, and the country’s only carbon tax to prove it. But the carbon tax has been under attack this since implementation, and many industry analysts are predicting that Ontario will likely be the province to beat if things keep going the way they have. With a larger market share and an internationally recognized feed in tariff pricing guarantee for clean energy providers, Ontario is certainly in a good position. Michel Letellier, president and CEO of Innergex Renewable Energy Inc., a Quebec based clean energy firm said this week that Ontario and BC are in for a serious fight for market share and reputation the way things are going, he also said that “Ontario is probably the hottest market in Canada”. Not to be outdone, the BC government has been working on a new package of policies aimed at recapturing the lead. Clean energy industries couldn’t be happier, as the two provinces battle for investment; the climate for large scale investment grows seems to be improving daily. While the federal government battles international and home grown resentment over the tar sands, BC and Ontario are speeding past them, seemingly intent on doing their best to reduce reliance on black gold. Whatever the outcome of this battle, the only sure winners will be clean energy companies, and Canadian consumers looking to make the switch to clean energy. [ index ]

SHAK HAQ: A First Nations group in B.C. is making a plea to a group of Alberta energy companies in an effort to stop an Enbridge Inc. pipeline that would cut across their lands. The 1,170-kilometre long Northern Gateway pipeline would bring crude oil from Alberta to northern B.C. coast to be loaded onto oil tankers destined for Asian refineries. The pipeline cuts across 50 First Nations, including 140 km of pristine, salmon-rich Wet’suwet’en lands. There are concerns that the line will damage the environment and the salmon industry, estimated to bring in $100-million yearly. The Wet’suwet’en Nation went to Calgary this past week in hopes to persuade energy companies to boycott the project. They also met with U.S. and Chinese consulates in Calgary to state their concerns. David deWit, the group’s natural resources manager stated, “We want to let these shippers know their support for the Enbridge project will also be supporting infringement on the Wet’suwet’en Nation.” A spokesperson for the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency said a review process is underway and the panel’s findings will be used by the government to “fulfill its legal duty to consult and, where appropriate, accommodate.” Despite the opposition from the Wet’suwet’en people Alberta oil producers and Asian refiners are moving forward. $100-million has already been given to Enbridge for development and Energy Minister Ron Liepert claimed he is aggressively looking at international markets for oil and gas products. Of the 50 First Nations affected by the project, 30 have signed “protocol agreements” allowing discussions with Enbridge. They have also received funding for local traditional knowledge studies. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER:  The British based Marine Stewardship Council announced this week that it would be certifying the Fraser River sockeye salmon run as an internationally recognized sustainable fishery, despite accusations of green-washing by BC environmental groups. Bruce Hill, representative for the Headwaters Initiative, a BC group working to preserve BC rivers, said this week that the eco-labelling system has lost its credibility with this announcement. He said that labelling the Fraser and Skeena river fisheries as sustainable would be “absurd”, going so far as to call it “eco-fraud”. Biologists for the David Suzuki Foundation made slightly less accusatory statements this week such that the certification shouldn’t be granted until after careful review and not before a crucial study on sockeye by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife is finalized. The sockeye collapse last season still remains fresh in BC fisheries and environmental group’s minds alike with less than 1 million fish returning to spawn down from the expected 10.6 million expected. The Suzuki Foundation scientists say this premature at best certification may endanger any meaning to the MSC certifications in the future. MSC representatives said that they didn’t feel the need to wait for the results of the study because the certification could always be changed later as MSC certifications require annual audits. The MSC spokesperson also added that the certification is meant to reflect the way that fisheries are managed, not how stocks vary from year to year. The CSEWC fishery study is set to get under way after the Olympics. [ index ]

DRYAN CAISTER:  Charges have been dropped against the famous Lake Louise hotel. The picturesque Fairmont Chateau hotel on Lake Louise has been under investigation for most of the last 4 months due to suspicions that the hotel had been dumping chlorine contaminated water into a creek in Banff National Park. The PR storm started with a complaint submitted with Parks Canada last year that waste water from the hotel had been spilling into crown land rather than being directed to waste water treatment facilities for proper disposal. The crown prosecutor’s office however reported this week that their investigation had uncovered no evidence that the water from the drain pipe was the cause of any environmental damage to Lake Louise or the surrounding environment, and therefore had no basis to press charges. While the hotel was cleared of this charge, this was only the first component of a federal probe into water use at the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Parks Canada has informed the company that it must install chlorine detectors and take extra precautions. The initial investigation was started when Brad Cabana, a former member of Parks Canada’s advisory board, noticed a funny smell coming from the a storm water pipe, which he later identified as containing trace levels of chlorine. Parks Canada conducted extensive testing of the water, but concluded that the levels of chlorine were one order of magnitude lower than that found in typical drinking water. Mr. Cabana said that he was frustrated with the findings of the probe, as he has also recorded abnormal algae growth at the point of contact with two other storm pipes connected to the hotel facility. He says these blooms point to a non-natural source of water. Despite the dropping of charges, questions still haunt the hotel’s water system. Nearly 510,000 cubic meters of water that pulled from Lake Louise since 2003 has not been returned. Investigations into this and other aspects of the issue are ongoing. [ index ]

SHAK HAQ: Hydro-Québec together with Mitsubishi Motors is getting ready to launch the largest electric-vehicle trial in the country this fall. The $4.5 million project will put 50 of its i-MiEV electric cars on the streets of Boucherville over the next three years. Stacey Masson, spokeswoman for Hydro-Québec called this a major step and said they want to make sure they have the necessary infrastructure to support the transition to electric vehicles. Coulomb Technologies, one of the current leaders in fueling the electric transportation industry has already set up charging stations, known as a ChargePoint, in Vancouver, the first in Canada. It is aggressively expanding across the U.S. and hopes to make its mark in Quebec as well. The ChargePoints would be the electric car equivalent of the gas station, but are much more versatile as they can be located anywhere. As the ChargePoints are networked, they can be located by Blackberry or iPhone to see whether they are occupied or not. The system can also send messages to users when the battery has been fully charged. Critics point out that re-charging the battery would entail the vehicle being docked for at least a few hours, which may deter consumers. The most current technology, developed by Coulomb, will allow most vehicles to fully charge in less than one hour. With improvements in lithium-ion technology, charge times could potentially be reduced to as little as 15 minutes. However, with faster charging comes the risk of higher voltage or higher currents, a potential risk for the car battery heating up or the charging centre’s grid if too many cars charge simultaneously.nbsp;[ index ]

SHAK HAQ: Residents in B.C. have been on the lookout for extreme weather conditions ranging from flood watches, avalanche warnings and water contamination across the province. Reports issued by Environment Canada over the past few days have kept residents on high alert. The B.C. River Forecast Centre issued a flood warning for the Cowichan and Koksilah rivers on Vancouver Island. Heavy precipitation off the west coast of Vancouver Island reached 150-200 millimetres in some areas. Torrential downpours in the province’s interior led to contaminated water sources leaving residents of Coldstream scrambling for bottled water. An advisory was released warning residents to avoid tap water for drinking, washing vegetables, cooking, or bathing after E.coli was found in a local well. The 3,500 Coldstream residents have temporarily relocated to Vernon. Authorities aim to restore water quality by Sunday. The Canadian Avalanche Centre issued special avalanche warnings due to the mild temperatures in the B.C. mountain backcountry, including many popular ski areas. They warn that even the weight of a person on skis could trigger an avalanche due to the weak layers in the snowpack. Although rain warnings will subside this weekend, stormy conditions are expected to pick up on Sunday bringing more unpleasant weather. It is not clear whether these trends will continue in the next few weeks as Olympic preparations are underway. [ index ]

LEEANNE MACGREGOR: It has been a difficult week for US climate change policy. First, the Senate lost its filibuster-proof numbers with the election of Republican (and climate change sceptic) Scott Brown as Massachusetts senator. Democrats have now lost their two-thirds majority and will risk having any bill killed by perpetual debate, never making it to a vote. In light of this shift in power, supporters of the current climate change legislation are proposing that a vote on the legislation take place months from now, after the November bi-election. The current legislation is being drafted by a politically diverse team led by John Kerry and is still weeks away from completion. In the meantime, President Obama has granted the Environmental Protection Agency the power to make climate change rules. Alaskan Republican senator, Lisa Murkowski, claims that measures taken by the EPA will negatively affect the job market in her oil industry-rich state. Yesterday, Murkowski submitted a “resolution of disapproval” measure that, if passed, would prevent the EPA from limiting discharges into the atmosphere by such big polluters as coal fired power plants, oil refineries and large factories. Environmentalists say the resolution is a long shot. While Murkowski has considerable support from Republican senators, the likelihood of the bill being approved by President Obama is slight. The move by Murkowski has highlighted the importance of reaching a bipartisan agreement on climate change legislation.nbsp;[ index ]

LEEANNE MACGREGOR:  Environmental advocates are calling it the first of its kind; the island states of Micronesia have submitted a complaint to the Czech Republic regarding one of its coal-fired power plants. The Prunerov plant is among the largest coal-fired plants in the European Union and is the Czech Republic’s biggest single source of CO2 emissions. It was scheduled to close in 2020, but new plans to refit the plant will prolong its life until 2035. The Federated States of Micronesia appealed to the Czech Environment Ministry to launch a Transboundary Environmental Impact Assessment, which is typically reserved for bordering states. Despite their over 6,000 kilometre separation, Micronesia’s plea states that the increase in CO2 emissions that the refit suggests could “play a relevant role in the destruction of the entire environment of [the Micronesian] state”. Word from the Czech Environment Ministry is that the request has been well received; a decision on whether to agree to a Transboundary Environmental Impact Assessment will be made in the next two weeks. [ index ]

LEEANNE MACGREGOR: A new report from China released earlier this week claims that China’s largest polluter is agricultural chemicals. While it is the world’s largest grain producer, it is estimated that China uses 40% more chemical fertilizer than what’s considered necessary. The rate of chemical use has been increasing disproportionately in relation to production levels over the past fifty years; while China’s grain production increased eight times since the 1960’s, the use of nitrogen fertilizer has increased by fifty-five times. Excessive use of fertilizer results in the yearly release of 10 million tons of fertilizer into lakes and rivers where the influx of nitrogen has been known to cause biological dead zones. The mass introduction of genetically engineered crops in the 80’s is thought to be responsible for starting China’s chemical dependence. The report urged the Chinese government to reduce subsidies to fertilizer manufacturers and support the use of natural fertilizers. [ index ]

LEEANNE MACGREGOR:  Concern is mounting for one of North America’s most recognizable insects, the Monarch butterfly. The migratory Monarch spends its winters in Mexico where scientists say they’ve counted the lowest numbers yet. In the 1990’s, butterfly colonies occupied nine hectares of forest during the winter, with each hectare representing up to 60 million individuals. Today they keep to less than two hectares. The drop in numbers in the past year is attributed to unseasonably high temperatures in the southern United States in the spring when butterflies begin migrating north, and cooler summer temperatures in Canada and the northern States which negatively effects breeding. The overall trend toward depleting numbers is attributed to loss of habitat. The annual migration of 2,500 kilometres takes about five generations to complete; the growing use of herbicides associated with genetically modified agriculture kills the milkweed plants that larvae Monarchs depend on for food. Monarch butterfly advocacy groups urge farmers to cultivate milkweed plants along the borders of their fields to help offset the damage of pesticides to Monarchs. [ index ]