SHAK HAQ: Despite efforts by individual cities to become greener, suburban neighbourhoods remain leading polluters across Canada according to a recent report released by the Pembina Institute. The report, released on Wednesday, assessed environmental data from major cities including Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa and Toronto. The results found that in Toronto, for example, residents in the downtown core were more attuned to bike and public transit, whereas the residents living in adjacent suburban areas have the farthest commutes compared to the other cities studied. The large discrepancy between residents in the core versus residents in suburban areas towards greener living was apparent when the respective carbon footprints were compared. Toronto showed that core areas created 3.1 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per capita whereas suburban areas areas created 13.1. According to University of Toronto professor Chris Kennedy, policymakers are ignoring the larger picture and need to work together with surrounding neighbourhoods if there is to be any impact from these efforts. The head of Toronto’s environment office agreed that there is a need for more integrative planning, however cities currently lack the power to make progressive decisions at the local level. [ index ]

NAOMI JEHLICKA: With the hot and hazy days of summer fast approaching, it might be time to invest in a stainless steel water bottle for our daily hydration requirements, especially considering the results of a study presented at the general meeting of the American Society of Microbiology this past Tuesday. According to the presenters affiliated with Montreal’s C-Crest laboratory, more than 70 per cent of bottled water samples from Canada contained bacterial rates that far exceeded recommended limits in the United States.

“Heterotrophic bacteria counts in some of the bottles were found to be in revolting figures of 100 times more than the permitted limit” said Sonish Azam, researcher. While high heterotrophic bacterial levels do not necessarily pose a health risk, it is concerning that the count is so high, especially because all samples were tested only after two months of bottling. All samples came from Quebec.

Samples of Canadian tap water were also tested and the results showed that its bacteria count was much lower than in bottled water, thus safer to drink. [ index ]

SHAK HAQ: A group of senior bureaucrats warns the federal government that Canada’s water supply is in danger. The unnamed group released a report to The Canadian Press claiming the government’s lack of information is putting Canadians’ health and economy at risk. The report cites climate change and development as the major factors straining the water supply and does not shy away from claiming that the government knows very little about it. The highlights of the report include common misconceptions about Canada’s water, for example, despite having a fifth of the world’s fresh water, only seven per cent is renewable. The report also points out that water in Canada is not always where it is needed most as most freshwater streams flow north whereas the majority of Canadians live in the southern regions. The group believes Canada is at least two decades away from mapping a number of key aquifers and groundwater and glaciers should not be considered renewable sources. Environment Canada has not yet responded to the report, but is expected to do so shortly. [ index ]

NAOMI JEHLICKA: This past Thursday, Toronto Transit Commission Vice-Chair Joe Mihevec along with other community leaders announced his intention to organize the first ever TTC Passenger Audit of subway and Rapid Transit Stations. On Saturday, July 17th from 11 am to 12:30 pm, volunteers from across the Greater Toronto Area will gather a comprehensive list of station repairs, cleaning and maintenance needed of the TTC. This audit will address issues like the layers of dirt and grime on the subway cars and windows as well as overflowing garbage bins at some stations.

It is hoped that this audit will be the first step in addressing the issue of cleanliness. As such, the Audit it is of interest to environmentalists because it could potentially result in additional funds being allocated to rectify this during next year’s budget talks.

In a public response to Joe Mihevec’s initiative, current TTC Chair and former mayoral candidate Adam Giamborne firmly stated that there is no need for a public audit, that the TTC administration knows about the problems, and that the only way to fix these problems is for the Province to give the city more money for transit upgrades. “We just have to be clear about expectations,” said Giambrone. “If something is audited it doesn’t mean there will be resources to repair it.” [ index ]

SHAK HAQ: Ontario’s roads may become more bike-friendly if a proposed bill is passed that would require drivers to leave a three to five feet buffer zone when passing cyclists on city streets and highways respectively. The private member’s bill was put forth by NDP transportation critic Cheri DiNovo and has become a key priority for Transportation Minister Kathleen Wynne, a cycling enthusiast herself. DiNovo stated that similar laws already exist in France, Spain, Germany and sixteen states in the United States. The bill would ideally reduce the number of bicycle-related injuries and deaths, which bring approximately 80 people to Ontario emergency rooms every day. The leading cause for these injuries, she said, was collisions involving drivers passing bikes. The proposed bill appears to be garnering much support in the legislature this past Tuesday, especially from Transportation Minister Wynne, however Dalton McGuinty remains skeptical and feels more respect rather than more laws is required. [ index ]

NAOMI JEHLICKA: A series of serious forest fires has forced more than 1400 people from their homes near the Wemotaci First Nation, a small settlement 300 kilometres north of Quebec City.

These fires, which started early Thursday morning, were caused by record breaking heat and lightning storms and are increasing in both size and intensity. Over 29 000 hectares of forest are ablaze. The fire is still spreading and an extreme fire danger warning has been issued in neighbouring forested areas in the Montreal, Laurentians and Outaouais regions.

Over eight hundred firefighters, 50 helicopters and 14 water bombers have been deployed to battle the flames, with reinforcements coming from Manitoba and other neighbouring provinces. Fire crews from Maine are also being sent in under a compact that covers the seven New England states and four Canadian provinces.

Quebec’s forecast for the next few days calls for hot, dry and hazy conditions. [ index ]

BRYANT BOULIANNE: The ongoing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is now worse than that of the Exxon Valdez, according to current estimates. This makes it the worst oil spill in US history. Independent scientists have estimated that between 260,000 and 540,000 barrels of oil have already been spilled into the gulf, greater than the 250,000 barrels spilled in the Exxon Valdez disaster in 1989. This comes as British Petroleum continues its efforts to plug the spill by pumping mud and cement into the leaking well on the ocean floor. British Petroleum now says it could be another 24 to 48 hours before it will know if the current effort will plug the leak. Meanwhile the political fallout of the spill continues as President Obama has announced he will extend a moratorium on offshore drilling for another 6 months while his government continues to review the industry. The disaster has also exposed apathy and incompetence at the Minerals Management Service, which is charged with regulating offshore drilling. Investigations allege that service employees took gifts from oil companies, and apparently helped oil projects skirt regulations that it was supposed to impose. [ index ]

BRYANT BOULIANNE: Oil has begun spilling into the Straits of Singapore after a collision between an oil tanker and a freight ship. The collision opened a 10-metre gash into the side of the Bunga Kelena 3, a Malaysian oil tanker. Officials have estimated that around 14,000 barrels of oil have been spilled. The company that owns the tanker has placed booms around the ship in an attempt to contain the spill. The Straits of Singapore is one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, and it is hoped that the spill will be contained to quickly to minimize the ecological damage as well as to prevent a disruption to maritime traffic. [ index ]

BRYANT BOULIANNE: Mexican President Felipe Calderon, in Ottawa this week on a diplomatic visit, stressed the need for leadership on climate change. Mr. Calderon criticized the wait-and-see approach of climate change policy, specifically towards the United States, saying “We cannot wait for developed countries to make a decision…Some of them, like the US, could take another eternity.” This has been taken by some as a rebuke of Canadian policy on climate change. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has stated in the past his strategy of aligning Canadian climate change policy along with that of the US, partly by waiting for the US to take measures first. That President Calderon raised this issue on his visit signals Mexico’s disappointment with Canada’s lack of leadership on climate change. [ index ]

TYLER IRVING: On Tuesday, environmentalists and forestry products companies gathered in Toronto to announce the signing of an historic truce. A new agreement, two years in the making, will see an end to both unsustainable logging practices and economically damaging protests.

The agreement was negotiated between the Forestry Products Association of Canada, which represents such forestry giants as AbitibiBowater and Tembec Inc., and nine environmental groups, including Greenpeace, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, and the U.S.-based Pew Charitable Trusts. The deal covers 72 million hectares of public forests, an area nearly twice the size of Germany.

Under the deal, logging will cease in 29 million hectares of boreal forest in order to develop a plan to protect the woodland caribou. The rest of the land will be subject to strict sustainability standards set by the international Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). In return, the environmental groups agree to stop their “Do Not Buy” campaigns and, if all the standards are met, help to publicly brand the Canadian forest products industry as green. In a press release, Avrim Lazar, President and CEO of FPAC, said that the importance of this Agreement cannot be overstated. [ index ]

NAOMI JEHLICKA: A report by the Sierra Club of Canada argues that both the federal and Northwest Territory governments are disregarding most of the findings of the Mackenzie Valley joint review panel process, which was organized in 2005 to assess the impact of a natural gas pipeline construction project in this region.

The panel investigation spanned five years and included intensive research, public hearings, and community consultations. It produced 155 recommendations for both the Federal and Northwest Territory governments to consider, yet only 10 suggestions were fully accepted, while 77 were altered to the point of non-recognition.

The Sierra Club is worried that by not taking the time and spending the money to develop this project in a way that guarantees minimal environmental damage, the chances of the pipeline having both short and long term environmental consequences are increased. The Sierra Club has denounced the direction taken by the governments and is contemplating launching a large scale public awareness campaign to bring to light the problems with not following the environmental guidelines produced. [ index ]

TYLER IRVING: The agency that regulates offshore drilling in Newfoundland and Labrador is stepping up inspections for Canada’s deepest offshore oil project. The Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board said it is tightening restrictions in light of heightened public concern, following last month’s blowout of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico.

Newfoundland and Labrador’s Premier Danny Williams has been under public pressure for allowing the exploratory drilling project to go ahead. The project, known as Lona O-55 is operated by Chevron, Inc. At 2600 metres, it is the deepest offshore oil well in Canada, and 1000 metres deeper than Deepwater Horizon.

The new restrictions include daily reports to an oversight board composed of petroleum board members. Chevron must also meet with the board every two weeks to discuss matters of concern. Inspections of the operations will be increased from every 3 to 4 months to every 3 to 4 weeks. And before penetrating any targets, Chevron must hold a “timeout” to ensure that emergency teams are ready to respond in case of a spill. Chevron has agreed to abide by the new restrictions. [ index ]

NAOMI JEHLICKA: Despite the pleadings of environmentalists, Alberta seems to be picking up momentum when it comes to exploiting their oil sands. This past Tuesday, representatives from the Albertan government announced that Canadian Natural and North West – two multibillion-dollar oil companies – have been granted permission to build a new soil upgrader with financial support from the Albertan government.

The proposed soil upgrader will take oil sands bitumen and refine it into more malleable crude that can flow through a pipeline before being further refined into useful products like gasoline. This particular project would allow North West to directly produce refined fuels such as diesel and naphtha.

The deal is not yet finalized, but the Albertan government is adamant in seeking innovative ways to increase the profits from the oil and gas sector and will do what it can to ensure that this – or a similar deal – gets passed. [ index ]

TYLER IRVING: According to a report released this week by the National Round-Table on the Environment and the Economy, Canada is 6th in the G8 in terms of carbon efficiency. The ranking has upset environment minister Jim Prentice, who has asked for a meeting with the report’s authors to explain their methodology.

The NRTEE is a government-appointed advisory panel created in 1988. In its report, it assessed countries in five categories it believes are important in transitioning to a low-carbon economy. Although Canada ranked first in skills and third in innovation, its poor performance in emissions and energy, policy and institutions, and investment led to its overall 6th place ranking. Top marks went to France, Germany, and UK.

Mr. Prentice says the report ignores progress Canada has made in the past year, including the non-binding commitment signed in Copenhagen, regulations on increasing the ethanol content of fuel, and North America-wide standards on auto emissions. He also complained that the U.S. got points for consuming Canadian-produced energy, while Canada lost points for selling energy to the U.S. [ index ]

NAOMI JEHLICKA: New data from the National Snow and Ice Data Center predicts that this year might set another record low for arctic sea ice. According to Data Centre Scientist Dr. Serreze, the latest satellite information shows that ice cover in the arctic is melting even faster this year than it did in 2007, which set the previous record for ice loss.

Other renowned sea-ice experts are worried that ice might be melting even faster than what is depicted in these satellite images. Dr. David Barber from the University of Manitoba worries that satellite data doesn’t say much about the state or thickness of the ice – a concern that has been corroborated by recent expeditions to the arctic.

To put this in perspective, true multi-year ice currently comprises about 18 percent of the Arctic ice pack. Twenty nine years ago, that figure was around 90 percent. The wide gap between these two statistics has climate scientists concerned. [ index ]

TYLER IRVING: Local food advocates in Vancouver are crowing this week as the city officially approved guidelines for backyard chicken coops. Vancouverites can provide themselves with fresh eggs from up to four chickens, provided they keep a buffer zone of one metre from the property line, and three metres from the nearest window.

Fanciers of roosters, ducks, turkeys or pheasants are out of luck, as the guidelines expressly forbid the keeping of those birds. Coops must also be kept only in back yards, not front yards or apartment balconies.

The new guidelines are welcomed by groups such as the FarmFolk/CityFolk Society which cultivates a local, sustainable food system. The group promotes responsible care of urban chickens through a website called chickensinvancouver.com. Although the new bylaw must still be voted on by city council on June 8th, given the positive reception to the new guidelines, there is little doubt that it will pass. [ index ]

BRYANT BOULIANNE: US Congressman Edward Markey has convinced British Petroleum to release the live feed of the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. BP has a submersible on the sea floor filming the oil gushing out of a broken pipe, and had previously released a brief clip of this footage. Now, at the requests of Rep. Markey, BP has agreed to publish the live, streaming feed of the oil leak. The feed is to be published on the website of the committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, which can be found at globalwarming.house.gov. Rep. Markey has been critical of BP for preventing independent scientists from analyzing the leak. After hearing that BP had agreed to his request, he stated: “This may be BP’s footage, but it’s America’s ocean. Now anyone will be able to see the real-time effects the BP spill is having…” [ index ]

BRYANT BOULIANNE: British Petroleum has estimated the rate of its oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is 5,000 barrels per day. Now, independent scientists are revealing that this may be a considerable underestimate. Steve Wereley, an engineer from Purdue University, used footage of the leak released this month to perform his own calculation. Using a technique called particle image velocitometry, Wereley produced an estimate of 70,000 barrels per day, which is 14 times the BP estimate. This estimate of 70,000 barrels per day is only for one of the holes in the pipe, however. Another analysis of a smaller leak elsewhere in the pipe produced an estimate of 25,000 barrels per day. Wereley testified before a congressional subcommittee this week that the technique he used has been around for 25 years and can have up to 99% accuracy when used on high quality video. He testified that his overall estimate for the leak is 95,000 barrels per day. This is in the same range as other independent scientists, who have variously estimated rates of between 25,000 and 100,000 barrels per day. BP has so far not revised its figure of 5,000 barrels per day. [ index ]

BRYANT BOULIANNE: The new British government will be pushing the European Union for higher greenhouse gas cuts. Currently, the EU has set as its goal a 20% reduction of 1990 levels by the year 2020. The UK now says it will push to increase the targeted reduction to 30%. The EU agreed to a 20% reduction target last year, which it said could increase to 30% if the Copenhagen conference produced a global agreement on climate change. Although no such agreement was made, the UK will push to adopt the higher target anyway. This goal has received the endorsement of the German environment minister, indicating that there is support for this measure outside of the UK. The UK hopes to achieve these reductions in part by investing in renewable energy. It will hopefully use environmental taxes to raise revenue to subsidise and invest in clean energy.  [ index ]