MARTIN WALDMAN: A new mine in the Northwest Territories proposed by South African diamond company De Beers could drive caribou herds farther away from their usual migration routes. According to an environmental impact statement filed by the company, De Beers’ proposed Gahcho Kue mine woud be about 280 kilometres northeast of Yellowknife, along the traditional migration routes of the Bathurst, Ahiak and Beverly caribou herds. If approved, the mine will be just 80 kilometres southeast of the Snap Lake mine, which also belongs to De Beer’, and not far from the Northwest Territory’s two other existing diamond mines.

While some wildlife experts point out that caribou movements and populations are difficult to predict, local First Nations Chiefs are strongly opposed to the construction of a new mine. The environmental impact statement handed in by De Beer’s was two years behind schedule, but its approval could mean the Gahcho Kue mine will be in operation by 2014. [ index ]

VANESSA PURDY: Canada’s Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, , has removed food-related research from its target funding areas. The $1.1-billion group will focus on projects about natural resources, information technologies and manufacturing instead. NSERC maintains that agriculturally relevant topics do fit within these new priorities.

This move comes at an interesting time, given that the United Nations recently expressed concerns that a global food crisis is not far in the future. Researchers say NSERC’s decision represents the apathy of rich countries, neglecting food research when it is needed the most.

The productivity of Canadas farms has slowed significantly over the past 2 decades, coinciding with decreases in public funding on food research. Our federal agriculture department allocates about $230-million annually towards research programs; far below what was spent 20 years ago. This amount is also a small fraction of the $4-billion put towards farm-income-support programs. [ index ]

MARTIN WALDMAN: A report from Environment Canada suggests the country had its warmest year on record in 2010, with the Arctic region facing the most immediate and serious consequences. The national average temperature for the year was 3 degrees Celsius above normal, making it the warmest year since nationwide records began in 1948. The previous warmest year, 1998, was 2.5 C above normal.

Most areas of Nunavut and northern Quebec were at least 4 degrees above normal, while for the Arctic tundra region that number was 4.3 degrees. The northeastern forest and Atlantic regions also had the warmest year on record. According to Environment Canada’s data, an area of southern Alberta and Saskatchewan was the ONLY part of Canada with close to normal temperatures last year. The data and climate change models predict that Canada — and the North in particular — could undergo some of the most pronounced warming on the planet if greenhouse gas emissions are not significantly reduced. [ index ]

VANESSA PURDY: Evidence uncovered recently suggests a Weyburn, Saskatchewan carbon capture and storage project could be leaking CO2.

Jane and Cameron Kerr, farmers near Weyburn, have experienced a bizarre set of events on their property that have led them to believe gasses from the carbon capture project are leaking. Accumulating algae, dead animals, and strange bubbling around a pond near their house are the most suspicious signs that something is wrong. The Kerrs hired a consultant, who confirmed that carbon dioxide was indeed bubbling onto their land.

The industry and researchers, however, doubt this claim ad maintain that the project is safe; that there are many potential natural explanations for the strange occurrences–after all, the reservoir is 1.4 kilometres below the surface. The project has become a centrepiece of the nation’s Canada’s climate-change tactics. It also received including $2-billion from the government of Alberta.

Researchers who are of an 85$ million research project have studied the Weyburn area for the past ten years, dispute the damning explanations. They say the “fingerprint” of the gas found on the Kerr property matches both that of the injected gas, but also naturally occurring gases found in baseline studies before the project began total operation.

As it stands, the evidence on both sides remains inconclusive. [ index ]

MARTIN WALDMAN: Despite being outfitted with some of the world’s most advanced equipment for dealing with oil spills, tracking submarines and monitoring Arctic sea ice, Environment Canada has removed two state-of-the-art airplanes from service. The airplanes each have lasers, radar technology and other remote-sensing tools that have been developed by Canadian researchers over three decades. Neither plane has flown for a year, and last September Environment Canada shut down the program, deciding to lease out similar aircraft when necessary. A department spokesperson pointed to other commercially available planes, and said it would make more financial sense not to own and manage the aircraft.

The planes have been a key part in Canada’s overall strategy to monitor oil spills, pollution, arctic sea ice and insect infestations. They were called into action in 2006 when the Queen of the North ferry sank off the coast of British Columbia, spilling fuel oil into the ocean. Some former Environment Canada employees are pointing to a lack of interdepartmental communication for not keeping the planes in use, and that leasing other equipment will not provide the same resources. [ index ]

VANESSA PURDY: The dangers of moose and motor vehicle collisions is nothing new to Newfoundlanders. However, many activists have long been urging their government to do more to prevent these accidents and protect motorists. The latest step in this direction is a class-action lawsuit filed this week against the provincial government, in an attempt to force action aimed at reducing the moose population, and helping victims.

The province estimates a population of 120,000 moose, but critics say it could be up to 200,000. Every year, there there are approximately 700 moose-car collisions, and several deaths as a result.

An increase in moose population has led to an increase in collisions. The government is the defendant in this suit, as it brought moose to Newfoundland a century ago, hoping to provide an alternative source of meat.

The moose has virtually no predators, other than hunters, but this has not proven to be an effective way of controlling the population, despite in increase in the hunt last March.

This lawsuit also claims the government behaved negligently in its brush clearing efforts on the edges of highways, as well as in installing warning systems or fences in areas known to be problematic. [ index ]

BRYANT BOULIANNE: 2010 was the year with the highest global average temperature on record, according to NASA. In conjunction with the U.S. Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NASA released its data for 2010 this week, revealing that 2010 was slightly hotter than 2005, placing the two years in a virtual tie.

When compared to the average yearly temperatures from 1951 to 1980, global surface temperatures last year were 0.62C hotter than the average. According to the data, this marks the 34th year in a row in which the yearly temperature was higher than the 20th century average. [ index ]

BRYANT BOULIANNE: For decades scientists have studied penguins by clipping tracking bands to their wings, but this practice may significantly lower their chances of survival, according to a new study in Nature. By banding penguins, researchers can estimate the size of a local penguin population and the health of the species. The new study estimates that banded penguins had a 16% lower survival rate than un-banded penguins. The researchers argue that the bands increase drag on the penguins while swimming, forcing them to spend 24% more energy while in the water. This impairs their ability to hunt and slows them down during migrations.

Because the banded penguins are worse off, they may make the total penguin population look unhealthier than it really is. This would have an effect on studies which use penguin numbers to study the effects of climate change on Antarctic ecosystems. The study suggests the use of tiny tags inserted under the penguins skin as an alternative to bands for future studies. [ index ]

BRYANT BOULIANNE: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has revoked the permit for a proposed coal mine in West Virgina. The Spruce No.1 Mine would involve using dynamite to blow off the top of a mountain and then dump the fill into neighbouring valleys, a common practice in Virginian coal mining. The mine would be one of the largest of its kind, covering over 2,000 acres. But on Thursday, the EPA revoked the mine’s permit, saying it would cause unacceptable levels of environmental damage and endanger local human health by contaminating streams and rivers. It was the first time in history that the EPA revoked a permit for a coal mine. The company behind the mine, Arch Coal, argues that the decision will hurt both the local and national economy and harm investment in American energy. They plan to challenge the EPA in court. [ index ]