CARA CHELLEW: A vote to stengthen the European Union’s Fuel Quality Directive was delayed Wednesday amid pressure from the Canadian government and alleged stalling by commission members.

The directive would assign a high greenhouse gas value on fuel from the Canadian oil sands to better reflect the environmental damage caused by extraction.

Tar sands would be ascribed a greenhouse gas default value of 107 grams of CO2 per megajoule, higher than 87.5 grams for crude oil.

Member states requested the commission conduct further impact assessments regarding cost, competitiveness, and security.

Canada’s natural resource minister Joe Oliver claims the directive is unjustified and discriminatory adding that Canada will not hesitate to defend its interests. [ index ]

NELLY LALANY (read by Lia Mazzolini): The Green Living Excellence in Corporate Responsibility (ECR) Awards honoured Holcim Canada with two awards for demonstrating leadership and showing a commitment to sustainability within the aggregate sector.

Senior Vice President, Bill Galloway, and his team were recognized with the senior corporate individual and Team awards in the area of large businesses specializing in resource, manufacturing, and oil and gas categories.

The ECR were created to honour corporate Canadians for outstanding work towards sustainability and ethical practice within the business framework. Holcim Canada was also recognized for playing a role in forming an independent not-for-profit organization called SERA Canada, which stands for Socially and Environmentally Responsible Aggregate Canada with Environmental Defence. SERA’s mission will be to engaged broad groups of stakeholders to build consensus for standards, which set high goals for the aggregate sector. [ index ]

CARA CHELLEW: A British Columbian MLA has tabled a bill to remove the requirement that public sector organizations buy carbon offsets for greenhouse gas emissions.

Bob Simpson, an independent for North Caribou claims the provinces Greenhouse Gas Reduction Targets Act does little to reduce emissions.

He believes the act creates a smokescreen where only 1 percent of emissions are offset while the majority are not being addressed.

He is also calling on the government to provide funds to the private sector to invest in energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reductions. [ index ]

NELLY LALANY (read by Lia Mazzolini): In Ottawa, consultations on proposed regulations to battle pollution from coal-fired power plants are attracting attention. According to several environmental groups more than 5, 000 Canadians are sending in letters advocating for a tougher plan.

The Canadians groups asked their members to participate in the public consultation period, which ended this week and notes that the regulations could potentially reduce 10 per cent of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions.

According to a spokesperson for Environment Canada, the government is currently projecting reductions in emissions. However, environment groups, including Sierra Club and Climate Action Network Canada say that current regulations will only results in a 3 per cent improvement toward meeting Canada’s goals for 2020.

The environment group are also calling on Environment Minister Peter Kent to explain the government’s plans to close the loophole that will allow construction of a new power plant in Alberta since it likely will not be subject to the regulations until 2060.  [ index ]

CARA CHELLEW: The Canadian Environmental Network will lose its core federal funding next year, forcing the closure of eleven regional offices.

The network has facilitated communication between community groups and the federal government since its inception in 1977.

In May, the group was assured a continuance of funding in writing but after a freeze of communication over the summer, they learned funding for next year would not be renewed.

The abruptness of the announcement hasn’t allowed the group to find alterante sources of funding.

Over the past three decades, the Canadian Environmental Network has worked with the federal governement on key environmental initiatives including the development of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act and Brian Mulroney’s Green Plan.

Environment Canada says they will replace the network’s function with web based consultation. [ index ]

NELLY LALANY (read by Lia Mazzolini): This week the 2011 Buffet National Wellness Survey results were released today at the launch of the Sun Life Wellness Institute Breakfast Presentation series. The survey results show that the nation understands the importance of wellness, but so far creating a complete work plan has been difficult.

Lori Casselman, Assistant Vice-President for Health and Wellness and Group Benefits at Sun Life says that they are pleased with the results of the survey. She also adds they are happy to see that most employers surveyed recognize the importance of the workers’ health needs and how this affects performance. Casselman notes that even though these aspects are recognized, most are not creating new strategies for improvement.

The survey results are said to offer an up to date look at how public, private, and non-profit organizations in various industries are working for the improvement of employee health and wellness. [ index ]

LIA MAZZOLINI: Aging nuclear plants and more reactors in China, are increasing concern in the country. They face increasing safety risks from its nuclear power plants as existing facilities age and a large number of new reactors go into operation.

The country’s environmental minister Zhou Shengxian (shjoe shion-shen) says, China’s safety standards for old nuclear facilities are low, in comments published for parliament, on Wednesday, October 26. He told legislators that nuclear construction is accelerating, increasing the range of technology, making it harder to monitor safety.

The government’s original plan was to increase capacity to more than 80 gigawatts by 2020, up from 10.9 gigawatts at the end of last year. But, the Fukushima disaster created uncertainty with the plans are were forced to revise them.

Zhou adds they have 31 storage facilities for waste produced by its current 13 nuclear power generating units. This formed a national monitoring and warning network for nuclear radiation, playing a role in handling radiation from Japan’s damaged reactor, in the spring.

Currently, 28 nuclear power generating units are under construction, increasing pressure for preventing radiation risks. [ index ]

LIA MAZZOLINI: Small nations around the world are teaming up to push solutions for climate change at a Commonwealth summit. African, Caribbean and South Pacific states say big greenhouse gas emitters like China and the United States aren’t doing enough to fight climate change.

They urge Commonwealth leaders to call for urgent action at the UN’s climate talks in Durban, this November. Samoan Prime Minister, Tuilaepa pointed to the major polluters for not doing enough to cut their greenhouse gas emissions.

Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi (tueh-liepa, sa-le-le, ma-li-e-legoi) was speaking to reporters, after discussing climate change with developing Commonwealth nations in Perth, on Tuesday October 25.

Tuilaepa says that the small countries will unite on climate change during the summit of leaders from the 54-nation Commonwealth bloc, starting on Friday, October 28.

The UN climate meeting in Durban is one of the last chances for world leaders to voice their stance on climate change. The Kyoto Protocol, which governs greenhouse gas emissions reductions, expires at the end of 2012. [ index ]

LIA MAZZOLINI: Environmental protesters are still confronting the U.S. President about their disapproval of the proposed TransCanada’s Keystone XL Pipeline. President, Barack Obama made an appearance at the University of Colorado, in Denver, when a group of protestors shouted their disfavor for the $7-billion pipeline project, on Wednesday, October 26.

This comes after a large anti-Keystone XL demonstration outside an Obama campaign fundraiser, in San Francisco. A letter was given to Obama from 14 anti-pipeline Democrats, led by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who are seeking an investigation into the State Department’s handling of the environmental impact study on Keystone XL.

The group says the State Department may have violated federal regulations by hiring environmental consulting firm, Cardno Entrix, to conduct the eco-study.

Cardno Entrix had been hired by TransCanada to perform other consulting work. The study finds the pipeline’s construction won’t have a significant impact on the environment.

Not all Democrats are against the Keystone XL. Last week, nearly two dozen Democrats in the House of Representatives wrote to Obama in favour of Keystone XL because of its promise to create thousands of jobs.

The State Department promises a decision on the Keystone project will be made by the end of this year.  [ index ]