This week:

• Bill Allison, University of Toronto scientist, speaks to science correspondant Sapna Sharma about the perils faced by coral reefs in the Maldives and worldwide.
• Urban planners Douglas Weber and David Sisam speak at the St. Lawrence Centre Forum, Building Toronto’s Green Future.

The headlines in brief:

• The County of Simcoe has voted 16 to 15 in favour of proceeding on preliminary works at the proposed Dump Site 41 in Tiny Township;
• Shell Canada will proceed with an environmental assessment of a new oil refinery proposed for construction near Sarnia;
• Ontario environment minister Laurel Broten announced two new renewable energy pilot projects for Ontario schools and a new drinking water report;
• Ontario Environment Minister Laurel Broten is facing heat over plans to build a two-storey garage at her private residence;
• Weather experts consider the current surge in tornadoes in Canada’s West to be highly unusual even for the current Canadian tornado season;
• The federal government announced new restrictions on California produce to prevent apple moths from entering the country;
• On Wednesday, the US House of Representatives passed legislation recognizing that climate change is a ‘reality’;
• The bald eagle has been officially removed from the American Endangered Species list;
• Europe is suffering from a severe heat wave;
• New research suggests that the East Antarctic ice sheet, the largest ice sheet in the world, is unlikely to melt catastrophically in the near future.

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This week:

• Simon Watson speaks with Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr, a professor of Islamic studies at George Washington University and one of the world’s leading experts on Islamic science and spirituality. In the interview, Dr. Nasr contemplates the environmental ethic of Islam.
• Take5 reporter Peter Stock presents a special feature on the Green Toronto Festival.
• The G8 report: a post-summit wrap-up with commentary by Kevin Farmer and Jordan Poppenk.

The headlines in brief:

• A controversial proposed transmission line through east-end Toronto neighbourhoods may not be needed after all if conservation and small-scale energy production are pursued;
• The premier of Saskatchewan and possibly the premiers of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador will file legal action against the federal government over offshore oil revenues;
• The federal government has approved the idea of burying nuclear waste from its power plants deep in the ground at a single location;
• Roy Romanow released a new 18-month inquiry into medicare indicating that the environment and health care are interrelated issues;
• The corporate services committee of Tiny Township voted to recommend the installation of proposed dump site 41 on top of its acquifer, which has been found to contain the cleanest water in the world;
• On Tuesday, the Bush administration proposed cutting one and a half acres from Northwest forests considered key to the survival of the northern spotted owl.
• A massive population of wildlife in southern Sudan thought to have been destroyed by decades of civil war has been discovered alive and thriving.
• A new report published in American Scientist suggests that the shrinking of the snowpack on Mount Kilimanjaro is not due to climate change.
• African countries will be permitted a one-off sale of legally acquired elephant ivory from stockpiles, with proceeds going for conservation.
• Wildlife campaigners have developed a new detection device aimed at combating the practice of farming bears for their bile.

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• Jordan Poppenk and Alexander Wilhelm report from Hamilton for a special feature on the Green Fleet Expo, a municipal event co-organized by Toronto and Hamilton to showcase eco-friendly versions of specialty vehicles for the next generation of government and private fleets.
• Alexander Wilhelm test-drives and reviews the major hybrid consumer vehicles on the North American market;
• Nancy Ruscica, Festival Coordinator, describes the upcoming Green Toronto Festival. The festival will be held from 10 to 3pm on Tuesday, July 12th in Nathan Phillips Square, and The Green Majority cast will be there to promote the program – come visit us.

The headlines in brief:

• Prime Minister Stephen Harper was said to have tested the patience of major allies at the G8 summit this week by arguing Canada’s approach to cutting greenhouse gasses could help to forge a new global climate change deal;
• A coalition of Quebec politicians and environmentalists is demanding the resignation of Environment Minister John Baird over the federal government’s approach to Kyoto;
• Ontario is making schools, daycares and municipalities regularly test their drinking water after almost half of 36 communities tested for lead revealed elevated levels;
• A new study shows that conservation measures by Ontario farmers have contributed to greenhouse-gas reduction efforts;
• Terrace, Smithers and Vancouver, B.C. are suffering from major flooding from the Skeena River;
• Toronto-Dominion Bank has become the first Canadian bank to publish a framework on how it plans to manage the environmental impact of its operations;
• Toyota said Thursday that global sales of its hybrid vehicles, first introduced 10 years ago, have topped 1 million;
• Symptoms of climate change are threatening the world’s cultural landmarks, according to the World Monuments Fund;
• Coastal waters off China’s southern port of Shenzhen have been hit by the biggest ever marine algal bloom.

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This week:

• Jordan Poppenk speaks with Richard Ubbens, Toronto’s Director of Forestry, about the problems caused by an invasive species known as the gypsy moth in forests and North American urban areas;
• Letitia Henville speaks with Christine Bouchard, Toronto’s Bike Week Events Organizer, about events and developments in the city’s cycling community.
• Kevin Farmer presents an editorial about objective greenhouse gas emissions standards.
  

The headlines in brief:

• Canada’s 2005 emission levels were unchanged from the previous year and only 0.3 per cent higher than in 2003;
• California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed new greenhouse gas legislation with Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty;
• Environment Minister John Baird failed to sell the federal government’s climate change policies to Canada’s provincial environment ministers;
• An analysis by The Pembina Institute says the Conservative environment plan favours the oil sands, leaves taxpayers to foot the bill for industry, and doesn’t explain how a drop in greenhouse gas emissions will be achieved;
• The Canadian government is facing legal action over its failure to meet its Kyoto targets;
• The MacKenzie Valley pipeline project is on ice as Exxon Mobil feels it is no longer economically viable;
• The Conservative government has announced it will side with the European countries against the Bush administration on greenhouse gas legislation;
• The International Whaling Commission has released a report condemning military exercises planned by Australia and the US that may be harmful to whales;
• A new study suggests that pesticide exposure may lead to an increased risk of contracting Parkinson’s disease;
• The biofuel boom is having an unexpected effect and may be endangering our tequila and beer supply.

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