This week:

• University of Toronto Forestry Professor Sandy Smith speaks with science correspondent Sapna Sharma about the impact of invasive species on Canada’s forests, coming as Alberta has declared a state of emergency over a widespread pine beetle infestation.
• Simon Watson speaks with Tim Leduc from York University’s Environmental Studies program about Inuit communities and knowledge about the issues surrounding global warming.

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The headlines in brief:

• The provincial government announced Wednesday that Ontario will ban the sale of incandescent light bulbs by 2012;
• A new study says zebra mussels may be changing the chemistry of water in the Great Lakes, spurring the growth of potentially toxic bacteria;
• Ontario has suffered mysterious collapse of up to 90 percent of its bee colonies in some regions, reflecting a spreading and unexplained collapse worldwide;
• According to a leaked document, Conservative government officials were recently considering weakening the promised cuts to cut greenhouse gas emissions;
• Environment Minister John Baird presented an apocalyptic economical scenario of Kyoto Protocol compliance to the Senate environment committee;
• Two NDP MPs have spoken out against Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, indicating that she should not be allowed to take part in the leaders’ debates;
• Former US Vice President Al Gore will give a presentation on the effects and solutions for global warming at an invitation-only business event in Toronto next week;
• For the first time in history, the UN security council met to discuss the assertion that climate change may be a potential cause of future wars;
• The UN has backed a seed storage plan worth 37.5 million dollars to safe-guard crops vital for developing nations from global warming and other threats;
• Scientific American reports that the number of amphibians is declining at astonishing rates, even in protected areas;
• Leaked US documents confirm suspicions that power plants have been side stepping their responsibility to incorporate pollution control measures during plant upgrades for nearly three decades;
• Home Depot is set to introduce the largest-yet green labeling program in American retailing.

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