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A recent poll conducted by Harris-Decima found that Canadians clearly understand the imperative and opportunity of a low-carbon transition, and the role an integrated climate and energy strategy can play. When asked whether "We need a Canadian climate and energy strategy to plan our nation's energy future," a remarkable 87 per cent of Canadians agree. With 62 per cent agreeing that, "A Canadian energy strategy will only be successful if it transitions Canada to a low-carbon economy."

Canada will have enough renewable energy by 2050 to achieve the deep greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions required to put a brake on global climate change, according to a report released by the Trottier Energy Futures Project (TEFP). An Inventory of Low-Carbon Energy for Canada shows that Canada's supplies of solar, wind, hydroelectric and biomass energy are much larger than the current or forecast demand for fuel and electricity. Technology costs have also been falling in recent years. The report is a joint project of the Suzuki and Trottier Foundations.

Source: pipe-up.net

An aging oil pipeline burst on July 25, 2010 and spilled more than one million gallons of heavy Canadian tar sands bitumen oil into the Kalamazoo River. It was the largest inland oil pipeline spill in U.S. history. The Kalamazoo accident was the first major pipeline spill involving diluted bitumen, or dilbit, the same type of oil that will be carried by the Keystone XL pipeline if the Obama administration approves the project.

"You can look at the river and say it looks good but there are so many things that fly under the radar–those are the things that we will be monitoring for years," said Michelle DeLong, who is leading the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ).

A recent article in Nature assumes that the "costs of a melting Artic will be huge, because the region is pivotal to the function of earth's systems, such as oceans and the climate."

Scientists and economists said that the release of the methane, trapped for thousands of years beneath the frozen permafrost of the Arctic, is one of the most dangerous "feedback" consequences of the rapid warming of the region, a process which has seen sea ice diminish by more than a third since the 1970s.

"We are looking at a big effect, possibly a catastrophic effect on global climate that has been a consequence of the extremely fast sea-ice retreat we've seen in recent years," Professor Wadhams said, of Cambridge University, who was part of the study team.

"We have an area of the world that used to be covered with sea ice all the year round but which is now, in the summer months, becoming ice free," he added.

After the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant disaster in Japan, Germany adopted a policy of phasing out nuclear energy by 2022 and ensuring that 80 percent of the country's electricity supply comes from clean energy by 2050. Even with starting to phase out its nuclear power plants, Germany has seen its power output quadruple since 2011.

The well and blowout have cast doubts on the safety of underground extraction methods, according to documents obtained by the Toronto Star and a government scientist who has been on site. The scientist says there are four separate sites involved, all of which are on the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range. Over 30,000 kg of oil vegetation has been cleared from the most recent of the four sites.

These Cold Lake Natural Resources Ltd operations are on the traditional territory of the Beaver Lake Cree First Nation which is pursuing a constitutional challenge that argues the cumulative impacts of oil sands industrial development are infringing their treaty rights to hunt, fish and trap.

"This is a new kind of oil spill and there is no 'off button,' " said Keith Stewart, an energy analyst with Greenpeace who teaches a course on energy policy and environment at the University of Toronto. "You can't cap it like a conventional oil well or turn off a valve on a pipeline."

Environmental groups were disappointed. Simon Dyer, policy director at the Pembina Institute, an environmental think tank, said Canada's reputation is being put further at risk as it keeps approving oil-sands projects in the absence of adequate rules for global warming or wetland protection.

"We are disappointed to see that the review panel is recommending approval of the Shell Jackpine mine expansion project, despite noting that the project lacks adequate mitigation and will contribute (along with other planned projects) to very significant adverse impacts to aboriginal rights and values, wildlife populations, wetlands, migratory birds and old-growth forests," Mr. Dyer said.

"The joint review panel heard Shell's own analysis that this project, when added to other planned oilsands projects, will exceed science-based environmental limits for impacts to air quality, wildlife habitat and the Athabasca River — yet the panel recommended approval of the project anyway."

Source: bees.chrisinch.com

There are about 80,000 bee hives in Ontario, operated by some 250 professional beekeepers and another 4,000 hobby beekeepers. In 2012, over 6 per cent of bee colony populations were lost, and beekeepers and environmentalists are now calling for a ban on neonicotinoids, much like the one just introduced in Europe.

The Ontario Beekeepers' Association, Sierra Club Canada and the Green Party are pushing for a federal ban. "It's like a game of roulette now ...nothing stops the bees from being in contact with the pesticides," says association spokesperson Tibor Szabo. Corn farmers will have a different view.

A bee health working group is being formed by the Ontario gorvernment to make recommendations on how to mitigate the potential risk of a certain pesticide to honey bees. The group will comprise beekeepers, farmers, people in agri-business and scientists as well as staff from federal and provincial agencies

"Easily the biggest improvement in Whiteshell Provincial Park history was the ban on industrial logging that finally occurred in 2009," said Eric Reder, Campaign Director for the Wilderness Committee. "Nearly half of Whiteshell--47%--is still open for mining and mineral exploration activity and other development. Manitoba provincial parks need to be "improved" so that they are protected areas, like parks across Canada."

Manitobans, when asked, have overwhelmingly supported more park protection, but the Manitoba government needs to be dragged towards proper protection for Whiteshell Park. From 2009, Manitobans have been waiting to see some of the area around Meditation Lake protected. In fact, protection for these lands and waters in Whiteshell Park has been the subject of at least three government news releases--the latest in March of this year--but it still hasn't happened.

Environment Canada, which references some Statistics Canada data in its annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventories stated it still needed to review “ available information and assess its potential use”. The annual GHG report by Environment Canada is mandatory and required under the Canadian government’s international climate change commitments

Data released this spring by Environment Canada indicate Manitoba's greenhouse gas emissions were at 19,500 kilotonnes in 2011, down by one per cent over 2010. Current reductions are nowhere near the promise to shrink emissions in Manitoba to levels mandated by the Kyoto Protocol. Manitoba’s emissions in 1990 were18,300 kilotonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions and in 2000 it was 21,000 kilotonnes.

Manitoba Minister of Environment and Conservation, Gord Mackintosh said Manitoba's Kyoto promise was in part thwarted by federal inaction on climate change.

Monsanto has sued many farmers when their GM crops have turned up in the farmer's fields even though the farmers state they never planted them. Farmers who get into the Roundup-Ready (RR) System lose their independence, and are obliged to sign a lengthy and restrictive agreement.

Monsanto often contracts private investigation firms like Pinkerton, to check up on farmers and independent, non-GM farmers, taking samples unannounced from their fields to make sure they are not in violation. Monsanto also maintains a hotline so farmers can turn in their neighbours for suspected violations.

Agricultural lands, golf courses and sod farms would be exempt from the ban.

If the ban goes through, Manitobans would only be allowed to use bio-pesticides and organic methods to control weeds on their lawns.

"Medical experts are clear that synthetic chemical lawn pesticides pose risks to human health, especially in the early stages of life, and to pets as well. We must reduce exposure to these products where they are not needed," said Mackintosh.

"Given the increasing availability of replacement products and alternative turf management practices that effectively control weeds, Manitoba is proposing to join most other provinces and more than 170 Canadian municipalities to protect human, pet and environmental health."

The IUCN has now added 4,807 species in its latest "Red List", bringing the total number of threatened species to 70,294, of which 20,934 are on the edge of extinction.

"Thanks to the IUCN Red List, we now have more information on the state of the world's biodiversity than ever before," says Jane Smart, Global Director, IUCN Biodiversity Conservation Group. "But the overall picture is alarming. We must use this knowledge to its fullest – making our conservation efforts well targeted and efficient - if we are serious about stopping the extinction crisis that continues to threaten all life on Earth."

This update of The IUCN Red List provides results of the first-ever global assessment of freshwater shrimps, of which 28% are threatened with extinction. Ten percent are used for human consumption, including the Giant River Prawn (macrobrachium rosenbergii), and they are an important part of the freshwater food web. Pollution, modification of habitat and the aquarium trade are some of the primary threats.