CHRIS GUSEN (read by Ariel Rabinovitch): The NDP has reintroduced the Climate Accountability Act, a bill that aims to strengthen Canada’s greenhouse gas reduction targets. Megan Leslie, the NDP’s environment critic, tabled the legislation on June 15th for what will be its third appearance in the House of Commons. The bill has been passed twice by parliament, but it was controversially defeated by the Senate last November. It is even less likely to be passed now that the Conservative party holds a majority. Stephen Harper has opposed the bill from that start, calling it irresponsible and warning that it could have a negative impact on the economy. Megan Leslie and the NDP questioned this line of thinking, arguing that strong action on climate change will create green jobs, a stronger economy, and energy security. [ index ]

LIA MAZZOLINI: One of worst wildfires in northern Alberta is now about the size of Prince Edward Island. Almost 600,000 of hectares of muskeg and bush have been left in ashes, in the Richardson backcountry, 60 km. north of Fort McMurray.

More than 700 fire fighters braved to battle the inferno. Yet, it wasn’t enough manpower to fight the flames. An additional 40 fire fighters were flown in from Mexico to help tame the fire.

Geoffrey Driscoll, a wildfire information officer says that controlled fires have been set to burn potential sources for wildfires to use. Another neighbouring fire was in threat of joining the massive Richardson fire, which would make matters much worse.

This fire has been burning since May 15 and has had days of high winds to fuel the blaze. It has also known to reach speeds of 100 kilometres an hour, leaving a charred ground in its wake. Fortunately, due to northerly winds, the fire burns northward, away from the oilsands and also isn’t likely to threat civilians and their property. However, the fire is still a major problem, growing and out-of-control. [ index ]

ARIEL RABINOVITCH: In Burritts Rapids, Ontario, plans are in place to harness energy from a local water dam and pump it back into the community. The 3 million dollar project will see an upgrade to the dam, which sits between the city of Ottawa and North Grenville on the Rideau River. A small turbine inserted into one of the gates of the dam will create energy for the local community, and any money made in the power generation will go back to the community. The plan comes from a combination of new legislation, support from the community of about 200, and technology that makes such a project financially viable.

The town of 200 is excited about the idea, as it will mean their power is locally produced. Still pending is approval from the city of Ottawa and North Grenville. Parks Canada, which owns the dam and the water rights, and the Ontario government, which deals with energy projects are also set to come on board. Although no complaints have surfaced yet, questions being raised include that of potential noise and visual impacts. [ index ]

CHRIS GUSEN (read by Lia Mazzolini): According to aquatic toxicology expert Peter Ross, the Sockeye Salmon in B.C.’s Fraser River could be getting sick from household chemicals flowing into the watershed. Earlier this week, Ross spoke before a public inquiry that has been investigating the river’s dwindling salmon populations. He said that many of the everyday domestic chemicals present in the river, though not necessarily lethal, can weaken the salmon’s immune systems, make them vulnerable to disease, and generally affect their ability to feed and grow. The true results of this contamination might not become clear until the salmon encounter environmental pressures such as a food shortage or pandemic. At that point, Ross argued, their ability to survive will be seriously impaired. He also emphasized the inadequacy of current research into the problem, identifying government cutbacks and departmental restructuring as obstacles preventing proper protection of the Fraser River habitat. [ index ]

ARIEL RABINOVITCH: A new program in Moncton has been unpacked, and sets a standard in Canadian recycling methods. The recycling program in southeastern New Brunswick is making history as the first municipal facility in Canada to recycle Styrofoam. Such items as take-out containers, egg cartons and cups — are pulverized into small bits and end up as a compact heavy mass. The West-more-land-Albert Solid Waste Corporation and a private company are partners in the program, which will see several tonnes of recycled Styrofoam shipped at a time to South Korea, where it is bought and made into crown molding.

The waste corporation sent out on Wednesday June 15th, it’s first shipment of recycled Styrofoam. The container shipped on Wednesday equals approximately 36 tractor trailer-sized loads of Styrofoam that would otherwise have ended up in a landfill. Laid out side by side, the 13-tonne shipment will save about a football field worth of landfill space. A spokesperson for the corporation hopes that in the future, all aspects of the Styrofoam recycling program can be managed under one roof, including the manufacturing of the crown molding. [ index ]

LIA MAZZOLINI: The University of BC held an international summit in efforts to try to solve the hardest environmental issues to date. Students from 35 countries, business leaders and government officials were at the second biennial International Student Energy Summit. Nobel Peace Prize winner Rajendra Pachauri and the chair of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, were among the featured speakers of the event.

In 2007, Pachauri won a Nobel Prize along with former U.S. vice-president Al Gore for their collective efforts to counteract climate change.

Some of the themes of the summit were technology, negotiation and cooperation between communities, government and industry, and the relationship between money and energy issues.The two major issues that came up frequently were the Alberta oilsands and deepwater drilling.

Pachauri’s message to the summit was that all environmental issues can be solved. He adds that in order for these problems to be solved, there must be a shift in attitude and policies.

At the end of the summit, the speakers expressed they were impressed, inspired and hopeful for advancements in green technology. Pachauri says he looks forward to see what the future holds to solve climate change. [ index ]

MELISSA SHAW: Efforts to cool the three reactors at the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan has resulted in one hundred and ten thousand metric tonnes of highly radioactive water and storage space has become a problem. Officials at Tokyo Electric Power Company or Tepco say that they are working with French and U.S companies to develop a system that decontaminates the water and uses it to re-cool the reactors. They plan to begin the process June 17th. If this method fails the overflow could begin spilling into the sea as early as June 20th. In early April Tepco was criticized by neighbouring nations China and Korea for dumping ten thousand metric tonnes of water with low level radiation into the ocean. Even if the system for recycling the coolant water does succeed its unclear where the radioactive sludge left over from the decontamination process will be stored. Despite challenges Tepco aims to limit radiation leaks and shut down the reactors by 2012. Clean up of the site could only begin after the reactors have reached a stage of cold shutdown where the uranium core is no longer able to boil off the water being used as a coolant. It could take over a decade before the fuel is fully removed and cleanup of the site is completed. [ index ]

MELISSA SHAW: Flooding in China’s Yangtze river basin area has caused landslides, and left more than 170 people dead. 405 millimetres of rain was recorded over a period of 10 days in early June and the crisis has since been upgraded to 4, the highest level. Over a half a million people have been evacuated from the central and southern provinces. China’s flood control agency has announced that the Qiantang river’s water level in Zhejiang province is at its highest since 1955 reaching 7.9 feet over the safe level. Two dikes in the province have been breached flooding 2 towns and 21 villages. The military has been assisting with rescue efforts. More rain is expected in the forecast until Sunday June 19th. [ index ]

MELISSA SHAW: On Thursday June 16th the U.S Senate approved a bill to end a $6 billion dollar subsidy for the ethanol fuel industry. The 73-27 vote will eliminate the 45 cent per gallon credit given for mixing ethanol with gasoline and the 54 cent per gallon tariff for imported ethanol. Critics of the industry say that the biofuel subsidy program in the U.S increases the cost of corn in the market which reached $8 dollars a bushel this month. The higher cost of corn puts poorer nations where people buy corn for food at a disadvantage. It’s also an attempt by the U.S to reduce debt because eliminating the subsidy program is will save 5.8 billion annually. Under the Renewable Fuels Act U.S petroleum refiners are still required to use 15 billion gallons of ethanol by 2015. Profits from ethanol production remain low as the price of corn continues to rise. The byproduct from the production process which is sold as cattle feed is actually more profitable. The volume of ethanol produced in the U.S has doubled since 2007 but the boom seems largely over as industry growth has slowed in recent years. [ index ]

CHRIS GUSEN (read by Ariel Rabinovitch): Earlier this week, the federal government unveiled plans to expand the protection of marine environments off Canada’s Atlantic coast. In an announcement that coincided with World Oceans Day, Keith Ashfield, the Minister of Fisheries, identified three vulnerable underwater areas—two in Gulf of St. Lawrence and one in Eastern Nova Scoatia—that will be evaluated as potential protected areas. The initial consultation process will take between one and five years and will include local governments, first nations, business interests, and the general public. Once this phase is complete and the boundaries are decided, the habitats and animals within them will be preserved and protected by the Department of Fisheries. Canada, which currently protects about 1 percent of its ocean territory, still has a long way to go compared to countries like Australia, which protects 14 percent. [ index ]

CHRIS GUSEN (read by Ariel Rabinovitch): Toronto’s Evergreen Brickworks, an abandoned industrial area that has recently been transformed into a showcase for urban sustainability, is set to launch an ambitious new initiative that will significantly further its green mission. The project, known as the Sustainable Cities Network, received close to five million dollars in investment from the Ontario government this week and Evergreen hopes to raise an additional ten million dollars from private sources. The organization will use this funding to advance its two parallel agendas of exploring sustainable ideas for the future of Toronto while also showcasing green technologies and best practices from around the world. Over the next five years, the Brickworks will serve as a testing and demonstration ground for new green technology. It will also host an ongoing series of conferences and workshops in order to bring together key environmental thinkers from across the globe. Geoff Cape, Evergreen’s Executive Director, is optimistic about the project’s impact on Ontario’s economy, predicting that a “sustainable green economy will create tens of thousands of jobs, at least.” [ index ]

LIA MAZZOLINI: The Enbridge oil spill in the Northwest Territories is now looking much worse than originally anticipated. Calgary-based Enbridge estimated that only four barrels of oil leaked from the 44-year-old Norman Wells pipeline last month, in the town of the same name. Yet, the current estimation of oil leakage is now topping at 1,500 barrels. Initially, Enbridge’s estimate was based on oil found on the surface of the land but later realized that the ground was soaked with oil.

Enbridge spokeswoman Gina Jordan, says that the company has disposed 100 barrels of oil from the site. Jordan adds that the leak was blocked immediately and the oil is not threatening any waterways.

However, this incident may hurt the company’s image, given their recent track record. The Rainbow pipeline had just ruptured in Northern Alberta, on April 28, spilling 28,000 barrels near the Cree community of Little Buffalo. Also, Enbridge was responsible for 20,000 barrels of oil to leak into the Kalamazoo River in Michigan, last July.

Currently, the town of Norman Wells has lost its supply of natural gas from oil wells to heat homes and businesses. The town has been in a state of emergency since May 6 and is asking the federal government to help pay the growing cost of using propane for fuel. [ index ]

CHRIS GUSEN (read by Ariel Rabinovitch): The Nature Conservancy of Canada has announced that it will receive over $4 million through the largest ever sale of forest-based carbon credits in North America. In what will be the first deal of its kind to take place in Canada, the Nature Conservancy (or NCC) sold carbon credits equivalent to seven hundred thousand tons of C02 emissions to a Vancouver-based carbon trading firm. The credits were calculated based on an estimate of the amount of carbon sequestered in B.C.’s Darkwoods forest, which was purchased by the NCC in 2008 to protect it from logging and development. Essentially, this deal means that the NCC is being paid to preserve the forest, as it will use the proceeds to manage and protect Darkwoods. John Lounds, President and CEO of the NCC, called the project a ground-breaking move that could be a model for other non-profits trying to generate funds from preserved forests. [ index ]

LIA MAZZOLINI: According to a recent study, Canadian ecosystems are contributing billions of dollars in services. Research gathered by policy institute, Sustainable Prosperity of University of Ottawa, was collectively produced with an international study, for World Environment Day, Sunday June 5.

The main topic of the report was the examination between environmental costs and economic costs of abusing ecosystems.

The report put estimates on the cost of what each natural resource provides. It highlights Ontario’s Greenbelt as worth $2.6 Billion per year, B.C.’s Lower Mainland at $5.4 billion a year, and Canada’s boreal forests at over 700 billion per year.

The report theorizes that there is an overconsumption of natural resources because there is no ‘balance sheet’ to regulate the cost of the resources’ services. Water purification by the wetlands, flooding and erosion prevention by forests are examples of these free services. The only option to losing these resources are technological alternatives, the government won’t be able to afford.

One of the report’s authors, Stewart Elgie, proposes that tax incentives and subsidies should be abolished to businesses that endanger local ecosystems. Instead, businesses should be rewarded for making eco-friendly decisions. [ index ]

BRYANT BOULIANNE (read by Lia Mazzolini): Thousands of fish have died in England’s River Thames after 450,000 tonnes of raw sewage poured into the river. Heavy rainfall over the weekend caused London’s sewage systems to overflow, allowing the heavily polluted sewage to spill into the Thames. The incident has killed thousands of fish and has left the banks of the river littered with garbage.

Though the Thames has recovered dramatically since the 1950s when it was declared to be a dead river, there are still around 60 sewage incidents a year. The culprit is London’s old Victorian-era sewage system, which is outdated and inadequate to handle to volume produced by modern London. [ index ]

BRYANT BOULIANNE (read by Lia Mazzolini): In a strange, legislation-led turn of events, Australian farmers might be able to claim carbon credits by killing Camels. Under a new law moving through Australian parliament, farmers and investors can claim carbon credits by showing that they have cut carbon emissions. These credits can then be used to offset for emissions elsewhere. Now, an Australian company is proposing to generate carbon credits by killing off wild camels. Camels were introduced to Australia in the 1800s and now number over a million. It has been estimated that each camel emits 45kg of methane per year. By culling the camels, the company claims it will be reducing Australia’s carbon emissions and thereby earn carbon credits. Though the company’s logic is legally sound, it remains to be seen whether or not this project will get off the ground. [ index ]

BRYANT BOULIANNE (read by Lia Mazzolini): Russia and Norway have reached a new agreement to divide mineral rights in the Barents Sea, part of the Arctic Ocean. The agreement has been years in the making and divides the sea into roughly two equal portions. The Arctic seabed is thought to contain vast quantities of untapped oil and gas which is becoming more accessible due to warmer arctic winters. Though the agreement divides the sea between the two nations, Russian and Norwegian oil companies have already begun cooperating on new arctic oil fields. With the boundaries of the Barents Sea now settled, it remains for the rest of the Arctic nations, including Canada and the U.S., to settle disputes in the rest of the Arctic. [ index ]