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 ]