VANNESSA PURDY (read by Daryn Caister): A proposal to treat fracking water at a New York state sewage plant is coming under fire from The Niagara Falls Water Board. The board is concerned that, if the plan is approved, the fracking water (liquid wastewater from the controversial drilling technique known as fracking) would pollute the Great Lakes.

The facility in question sits on the Niagara river, and it’s method of disposing of the water has yet to be confirmed; there remains the possibility that the wastewater could be treated before it is released back into the waterways, or that it could be recycled and used again in the fracking process. Regardless of the treatment decided upon, the plan is still pending approval from New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation before it can proceed. [ index ]

VANNESSA PURDY (read by Daryn Caister): This past Monday marks the first time the American-financed The Highland Companies behind the controversial super quarry proposed in Melancthon has spoken out about the quarry. CBC News spoke with a Highland executive, Joseph Izhakoff, on their plan of buying thousands of fertile farming acres within Ontario’s largest potato growing operation, to obtain the large gravel source below. Izhakoff said he did not understand the opposition’s reaction and insists that there is a need for his project. He also draws attention to the phased process planned, whereby the quarry is mined in large sections over 50 to 100 years, and once an area has been depleted, it is put back to use as farmland.

Of course, concerned citizens and the Ontario Ministry of Environment remain skeptical of the quarry and the environmental viability of the plan. The quarry is still undergoing the Environmental Assessment Review put forth by the ministry, which could take several years to complete. [ index ]

VANNESSA PURDY (read by Daryn Caister): On Tuesday, Environment Minister Scott Vaughan introduced his report painting Canada’s federal decision makers as woefully ill-informed on oilsands pollution and greenhouse gas emissions; so much so that decisions with environmental consequences are made irresponsibly. Vaughan notes that, despite having spent $9 billion since 2007 on cutting greenhouse gas emissions, there is no real way to tell if Ottawa is on track to reach its goals, thanks to the lack of transparency and coherency within the system. Vaughn is doubtful that Canada would be able to meet its emissions targets—now 90% lower than a mere four years ago—unless major changes are implemented.

This uninspiring revelation comes in close proximity decision by the European Commission to blacklist exports from Alberta’s oilsands, in spite of intensive lobbying on the behalf of the Canadian government. Canadian officials are worried that this could signal other countries to follow suit. Currently, oilsands exports to Europe are relatively small, but if this cause is backed up by other European Union members, experts say there is the potential for an overall block on oilsands exports to that entire market. [ index ]

VANNESSA PURDY: Canadian author Margaret Atwood is joining the sustainability movement in her own way. This past Tuesday, Atwood and Vancouver-based Canopy (an environmental, non-profit group), are launching 300 autographed copies of her new book printed on paper made from wheat and flax straw, as well as other recycled materials. The straw book, In Other Worlds: SF and the Human Imagination, will be on sale for $100 each. The goal of the project is to show that straw and wheat are alternative, less harmful sources for fine paper.

Canopy, whose mandate is to protect and conserve forests, species, and the climate, is dubbing this new paper Second Harvest. This is not their first foray into eco-friendly publishing, they had previously arranged for Raincoast Books to publish Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix on entirely recycled paper. As it stands, however, the straw paper technique is still very rare. That said, if its production expands, it could avert the logging of half a billion trees for paper, annually, according to Canopy. Proceeds from Atwood’s book will go to support Canopy’s Second Harvest program. [ index ]

VANNESSA PURDY: Earlier this week, Quebec Premier Jean Charest announced in Barcelona that he has yet to solidify details of the Plan Nord. The plan was announced in May of this year, it’s goal being to preserve half of the area of northern Quebec, opting for sustainable development instead. In May, Charest said the Plan would create 500,000 jobs over the next quarter century, but this past week he revealed the plan to be still in a rough stage. As well, he revealed that he would not prohibit forestry work in the conservation area.

As a result, the International Boreal Conservation Campaign, previously a supporter of the Plan Nord, is calling out Quebec on its sudden and significant alteration, and demanding that Charest ban forestry operations in the designated zones. [ index ]

VANNESSA PURDY: Toronto company Gilead Power Corporation has its eye on locations in Murillo and Lappe, Ontario, near Thunder Bay, to be home to two new wind farms. According to Gilead’s site, they have already conducted studies on the locations that have revealed wind strength able to support the proposed farms, one of which is to be 130 megawatts and begin construction in 2013, the other to produce 74 megawatts of electricity, and could start construction in 2014.

Gilead Power is also in the news because another wind farm, just east of Prince Edward county and set to begin construction in 2012, is located adjacent to a National Wildlife Area. This area serves as a temporary home for hundreds of thousands of birds on their migratory journeys. Nature Canada fears this wind farm would both set an undesirable precedent, as well as disrupt an Important Bird Area. Gilead points out that their project will take up less than one percent of the length of the area in question, and says that, if necessary, they will shut down the turbines during the migration periods. [ index ]

CHRIS GUSEN (read by Kevin Devine): On Sunday, all car traffic was banned from the streets of Milan, Italy for ten hours in an attempt to reduce the city’s smog levels. Air pollution in the northern Italian city is among the worst in Europe. In 2007, Milan instituted a law requiring an automatic car-free Sunday whenever pollution exceeds the statutory limit for twelve days in a row. The last time the ban was triggered was in February of this year. The initiative has not been universally well-received by environmentalists. Many argue that it fails to address the systemic issues behind air pollution. One of Milan’s Green Party councillors, Enrico Fedrighini, commented that a few car-free Sundays a month won’t do anything to reduce smog. Instead, he says Milan should overhaul its public transport system to give people a feasible alternative to driving. [ index ]

CHRIS GUSEN (read by Kevin Devine): Oil from the container ship that ran aground off the coast of New Zealand last week has begun to reach the shore. The ship hit the Astrolabe Reef on Wednesday and has leaked 30 tons of oil and fuel into the sea so far. The New Zealand government has called this the country’s worst environmental disaster in decades, and they are struggling to contain the damage. The spilled material actually represents a small portion of the 1,700 tons of oil contained within the vessel. Salvage experts are working around the clock to pump the oil out of the grounded ship. Officials expect weather conditions to worsen over coming days and fear that a much larger environmental disaster will result if the ship breaks apart in a storm. Seabirds and fish have already been affected by the spill, and environmental groups have warned that it poses a threat to dolphins and seals calving in the area. The ship’s captain has been arrested and charged with ”operating a vessel in a manner causing unnecessary danger or risk”. The company that owns the ship, Costamare Inc., has not commented on the reasons for the collision and it is still unclear how the ship crashed into a well-known reef during calm weather. [ index ]

CHRIS GUSEN (read by Kevin Devine): Australia’s parliament has passed a carbon tax legislation that will require the country’s 500 biggest polluters to pay for each ton of carbon dioxide they emit. The bill was passed by the lower house of parliament by a narrow margin of 74-72 and is expected to easily pass through the upper house and become law. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, of the Labour Party, who has staked her political future on the reform, called the vote “a significant day for Australians and the Australians of the future who want to see a better environment.” Australia is the world’s largest coal exporter and one of the largest per capita carbon emitters. The carbon tax is controversial with the Australian public because Prime Minister Gillard pledged not to introduce it during last year’s federal election. However, in order to form a stable minority government last year, Gillard signed a deal with the Green Party which promised climate change policy in exchange for their support. The tax will be introduced in mid 2012, with a market-based carbon credit trading scheme rolling out in 2015. The goal is to cut 159 million tons of C02 by 2020. [ index ]