JESSE ROGERSON: Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty says he believes a cap and trade system to regulate green house gas emissions is inevitable in North America. Premier McGuinty made the comments while in Quebec City for a joint cabinet meeting between the Ontario and Quebec governments. While little initiative has been taken at the federal level, McGuinty, along with Quebec Premier Jean Charest, have already introduced legislation to allow for a cap and trade system in the future.

Cap and trade places an upper limit on allowable green house gas emissions, above which a company would have to buy more carbon credits on the carbon market. Companies with lower green house gas emissions may trade their un-used carbon credits.

There is no word yet on when the Premiers plan to put the cap in trade system in place. Currently, the regulatory measures that will govern the proposed system are being drafted. [ index ]

JESSE ROGERSON: The Corporate Knights Research Group has reviewed the environmental and social governance of 60 Canadian companies listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The report found that only 10 of the 60 companies provide detailed reports on their energy and water use, carbon footprint, and waste generation for investors.

While the majority of companies in the review have begun disclosing their CO2 emissions, the report finds a lack of transparency on water use and waste generation.

Major pension funds in Canada have urged for a review of environmental and social governance of these corporations, as environmental impact is playing a larger role in risk management. Citing the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, British Columbia Investment Management Corporation has urged companies to adopt stronger environmental and social practices. Enforcement of disclosure ultimately lands on governmental regulators, who currently do not require reports specifically on environmental impact.

Grocery chain Loblaws Companies Limited was ranked first on the list for best environmental disclosure, with heavy manufacturer Bombardier coming in last. [ index ]

JESSE ROGERSON: Hi Knoll Park and McLallen creek path in Surrey, British Columbia have been closed in sections due to an ongoing gasoline spill from ABC Recycling, a car recycling company.

The spill first occurred nearly two months ago when fuel and chemicals from dismantled cars began leaking through a drainage pipe the company’s facility. The leak in the pipe was then worsened as heavy rains flushed large amounts of the unchecked gas and oil into the nearby McLallen creek.

The Ministry of the Environment ordered ABC Recycling to initiate clean up efforts immediately. Booms and absorbers have been deployed to remove the contaminants, and prevent further spread. ABC has also been ordered by the Ministry to draft a report outlining the company’s mistakes leading to the spill and the measures they plan to take to prevent a similar spill from taking place in the future.

Health officials have concluded there is a low threat to fishery operations in the area as the amount of contamination is relatively low. No charges to ABC Recycling are expected. [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: Ex-Oil company employee turned green energy advocate, Jerome Ringo, came to Ontario to share his expertise on energy issues. Mr. Ringo, a former member of the National Wildlife Federation, came to Ontario with a message; to help Louisiana, Ontario should help itself by using the BP disaster to help motivate change away from dirty energy. According to Environmental Defence, there is enough untapped wind potential in Ontario to provide 10 times its current consumption. With this is mind, Mr. Ringo said it’s time to take the transition to electric vehicles seriously and start planning for the infrastructure needed to sustain it. Canadian advocacy group Environmental Defence brought Mr. Ringo to Ontario to speak to his expertise on the oil and gas industry as well as using the event as an opportunity to present its new report on the state of Ontario’s energy infrastructure, which they claim shows that a transition to a large scale electric fleet in Ontario is within reach.

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DARYN CAISTER: A notice of judicial review was applied for this week by Ecojustice and Environmental Defence, challenging the city of Ottawa over the South March Highlands project. The project entails the extension of Terry Fox Drive in Ottawa, a major arterial road for the city named after the famous Canadian athlete. The environmental legal groups claim that the City of Ottawa is not in compliance with the provincial Environmental Assessment Act because it is using an outdated environmental assessment for the application process. They said that projects like this need to occur within 5 years of the assessment to ensure that the analysis is still valid, and that because this time has come and gone, the City needs to take a closer look at the wetlands in the area.  [ index ]

DARYN CAISTER: In a related story, Canada’s Western Premiers emerged from their annual conference proclaiming that the environmental assessment process must be streamlined. Currently, projects must undergo both a federal and a provincial environmental review. The group of Premiers said that the double assessment process between is redundant, wastes time, and costs far too much money to both to the government and the applicants. The Premiers stressed that they didn’t want to weaken the assessment process. Gordon Campbell, the Premier of BC gave a stated that Canada’s environmental assessments should be thorough, comprehensive and scientifically sound, but that one would do. Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach said that he was concerned about the competition for international investment and the impact of Canada’s assessment system. [ index ]

BRYANT BOULIANNE: Efforts to control the leaking oil well in the Gulf of Mexico are now focused on capturing as much oil as possible, with attempts to seal the gusher outright on hold until the completion of relief wells sometime in early August.

Engineers managed weeks ago to place a temporary cap on the well, allowing some of the oil to be siphoned up to oil tankers waiting on the surface. British Petroleum estimates that it is capturing around 20- to 25,000 barrels of oil per day. Though there are as yet no solid estimates on the total amount of oil gushing out of the well, what is certain is that only a fraction is currently being captured, with an untold amount of crude still being released into the ocean. BP hopes to increase its capture capacity to between 60- and 80,000 barrels per day by mid-July once additional ships are in place.

The capture operation hit a snag Wednesday morning, however, when a robotic submersible bumped into a vent pipe designed to prevent crystals from clogging up the riser pipe. As a precaution, BP engineers have had to temporarily remove the siphon to check for clogs, allowing oil to gush un-captured into ocean.

Also of note, the current capture efforts could be in danger, as the potential for hurricanes in the region raise the risk that the operation could need to be suspended before the well is sealed. [ index ]

BRYANT BOULIANNE: A U.S. federal district court overturned the Obama administration’s 6 month moratorium on offshore oil drilling Tuesday. In the decision, Judge Martin Feldman stated that the federal government had not properly justified the ban or the impact it would have on the regional economy.

The decision was in response to a lawsuit brought about by companies that service oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. They had argued that the failure of one rig did not justify shutting down the entire industry. In the White House stated that it would appeal the decision.

President Obama had ordered a one month halt to new drilling in the Gulf on May 6, which was then extended to 6 months on May 27. The government argues the moratorium is needed so that it can investigate what caused the Deepwater Horizon disaster, and to ensure that other rigs in the Gulf are not at risk of a similar disaster. [ index ]

BRYANT BOULIANNE: The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned a lower court decision to block the sale of genetically modified seeds pending safety approval.

At issue is a genetically modified strain of alfalfa designed by the Monsanto Corporation to be resistant to herbicide. The federal district court had decided in 2005 that the seeds could not be sold in the U.S. until an environmental impact study could be completed.

The Supreme Court, however, ruled this week that the ban was inappropriate and that the Department of Agriculture is within its rights to allow limited use of the seed while it continues to work on the safety report. While the Supreme Court did agree that a report is required under federal law before the seed can be fully approved, it said that a permanent injunction was not justified until an environmental impact statement can prove the seeds to be unsafe.

Environmentalists worry that the GM alfalfa could spread uncontrollably, and that the alfalfa’s genes could be passed into wild plants, creating resistant weeds. Monsanto defends its product, dismissing such concerns as “bad science fiction.” The seed is not currently used in Canada, and a bill currently before the House Commons seeks to block the introduction of any genetically modified seed into Canada before an analysis of potential harm is completed. [ index ]

SHAK HAQ: A beetle known as the emerald ash borer is destroying ash trees across Ottawa. City forestry officials were shocked to hear recent cases of the beetle’s appearance and concerned at the potential damage a severe infestation could cause. Originating from eastern Asia, the beetle was first sighted in 2008 in Ottawa’s east end. Since then, beetle populations have migrated across the city and are now attacking ash trees in the west end, where the Central Experimental Farm is located. The farm is home to a collection of rare and valuable ash trees, some more than 80 years old. The beetle poses a threat because their larvae eat the flesh of the ash tree leaving snake-like burrows in the trunk. Its recent sighting was first noticed two weeks ago when city officials found a dead tree at the southern edge of Central Experimental Farm. At this point, the trees within the farm are expected to be unharmed, however farm staff is taking all precautions and inoculations will take place over the next few weeks. [ index ]

JESSE ROGERSON: BP Canada has quietly begun construction and drilling operations earlier this month on an exploratory methane well at Mist Mountain, located in the British Columbia Rocky Mountains.

Permission to drill was granted in December for the Mist Mountain project, despite an onslaught of public and private criticisms of the lack of environmental oversight.  Critics contest that the process of extracting the coalbed methane produces water that can contain unnatural substances, which is then allowed to flow back into the ecosystem.

BP Canada has conducted several environmental impact studies for the past 3 years at Mist Mountain and maintain their impact will be minimal.  Critics believe BP has side stepped a more involved study by the British Columbia Environmental Assessment Review.  It is unknown how the governmental assessment would compare to BP Canada’s private assessment.

Mist Mountain is located in the rocky mountains near Banff National Park.  This region is home to protected wildlife. Possible disruption of the habitat or food system in the area could have detrimental effects on these at-risk species. [ index ]

SHAK HAQ: Brinkman & Associates Reforestation Ltd. recently planted its billionth tree. Founded in British Columbia in 1970, the Canadian silviculture and forest ecosystem renewal company reached the milestone on June 14. Planting crews from Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Costa Rica and Panama attended the ceremonial planting of the billionth tree. The lucky tree is a sapling now residing in Toronto’s Centennial Park. A mature tree was also planted at Eagleridge Bluff on the Sea-to-Sky Highway in British Columbia as part of the occasion. Thus far Brinkman & Associates has specialized in reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation in addition to restoring and managing forests. In some countries they will even exchange their reforestation efforts for emission reduction credits, which is especially appealing to developing and heavily industrialized nations. The president of the company, Dirk Brinkman, hopes this achievement will help drive the company towards forest ecosystem renewal in the US, Central and South America as well as tropical silviculture, which would lead to projects in Southeast Asia and Africa. [ index ]

JESSE ROGERSON: The National Round Table on the Environment and Economy has concluded in a new study that Canada’s water management policies do not promote sustainability or allow for economic growth in the natural resources sector.

Clean water is a critical component of the energy, mining, forest, and agriculture sectors, representing 85% of the country’s water consumption.  These sectors also represent a significant portion of the Canadian economy.  Current estimates show a growth in these industries of over 50% in the next 20 years, which will add to the already heavy demands on water resources.

Currently, water allocation and management is the responsibility of local governments, which may not be properly equipped to handle increased pressures on the resource. The report calls for a centralized national framework for integrated water governance and management.  This, however, must be initiated before water scarcity becomes an issue.

The report, titled ‘Changing Currents,’ is phase I of an inquiry into sustainable water policy in Canada.  Phase II will include research into potential solutions to these critical issues.  Results of phase II are expected in the coming year. [ index ]

SHAK HAQ: Waste management strategies are being revamped for apartments and condos across Toronto due to low participation rates in current programs. In 2006, Mayor David Miller promised to divert 70 per cent of household waste from landfills by 2011. While single-family homes have reached 60 per cent diversion, multi-unit buildings stand at only 16 per cent. Last year green-bin service was introduced to multi-unit facilities, but participation has only climbed to 10 per cent. According to city staff, the previous fee system confused many residents and building owners and offered minimal benefits for participating. As a result 75,000 residents lost access to the city’s recycling program as building owners opted to go with private removal companies. By provincial law, private companies are only required to provide basic blue-box service and are not obliged to collect organic waste or electronics. The city has responded by creating a new system that forces a building owner to make significant cuts in waste produced per unit and only then will they receive a cut in the removal fee. Under the new system, even reducing a small amount of waste will result in immediate financial rewards. Currently, buildings are not charged for recyclables collected. [ index ]

JESSE ROGERSON: A federal inquiry into the state of sockeye salmon in the Fraser River begins preliminary hearings this week.   Prime Minister Stephen Harper ordered the inquiry last year when 10 fold fewer sockeye returned to the Fraser River than expected.

The inquiry will examine a variety of potential influences, including water pollution, diseases, and urbanization.  Most importantly, the impact of salmon farming on the survival of wild sockeye will be assessed.  The commission will contract out research studies to leading experts in the field.

Other sections of the inquiry will look at the structure of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and contamination from pulp mills and sewage treatment plants that are scattered along the river.

Conservative MP John Cummins has criticized the commission for conflict of interest.  As he pointed out, a large portion of the leading experts being used in the inquiry were former employees at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, which will be under scrutiny during the course of the hearings.  The commission denies the conflict of interest.

The proceedings will occur in the federal court in Vancouver, led by Supreme Court Justice Bruce Cohen.  The commission will present its findings in May of next year. [ index ]

BRYANT BOULIANNE: Following negotiations with the White House earlier this week, British Petroleum has agreed to set aside $20 Billion into an independently managed fund to pay costs and liabilities stemming from the ongoing Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill. The fund will be overseen by Ken Feinberg, a lawyer and mediator who oversaw the fund to compensate victims of the September 11th attacks. The $20 Billion will go towards compensating employees of the fishing and tourism industries in the Gulf States whose livelihoods have been threatened by the mass of crude oil washing ashore. In addition, BP has bowed to US pressure and suspended paying dividends for at least the next three fiscal quarters; this is to assure that it retains enough cash to pay for further liabilities and damages should they exceed $20 Billion. Some analysts have estimated that the costs to BP could go as high as $60 Billion, especially if the US proceeds with criminal charges against the company. [ index ]

BRYANT BOULIANNE: The European Parliament has drafted a bill to ban illegal timber starting in 2012. The law would require companies operating in the European common market to ensure that their timber comes from legal sources. The law will apply “substantial penalties” to companies which do not employ due-diligence in ensuring their timber was not logged illegally. The law would regulate the import and use of raw timber and products such as furniture starting in 2012, while paper products would be exempt for 5 years. A UN report estimated that in 2006, 20-40% of the world’s wood came from illegal logging. In Europe, an estimated 16-19% of imported wood comes from illegal sources. Aside from the ecological damage it causes, illegal logging depresses the price of legal wood, and deprives nations with forestry industries of royalties and tax revenues. The proposed bill will go to a vote in the European Parliament next month. [ index ]

BRYANT BOULIANNE: A rather unusual project is underway in Peru to try and slow, or reverse, glacier loss. The project involves painting the rock face of Chalon Sombrero peak in the Peruvian Andes white. The paint, made from lime, egg whites, and water, is splashed on the rocks surrounding the glacier. The idea is to increase the amount of light the mountain reflects, thereby reducing the temperature and creating a colder microclimate which is more conducive to snow and ice formation. It may sound far-fetched, but the idea has won a $200,000 prize from the World Bank’s “100 Ideas to Save the Planet” competition. The local population, who rely on Andean glaciers for water, are behind the idea and pitching in to help the pilot project. Peru is home to 70% of the world’s tropical glaciers, but they have been receding rapidly over the last 50 years. [ index ]