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Government politicians praised the budget's passage as just what is needed for a healthy economy, while critics said the government has made it easier for corporations to submit environmental assessments with only limited scope, or to avoid assessment altogether.

"This sets us back 20 or 25 years in terms of environmental assessment in Canada. It's a huge step backwards," commented Sierra Club Canada executive director John Bennett.

Critics say changes will "gut" the Act, and particularly weaken environmental oversights for new energy projects. Assessments could be carried out, not by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, but by weaker, less experienced bodies.

"The whole point of this, it's clear, is to push through major energy project. In the wake of the BP disaster, this is not the time to weaken environmental reviews of offshore oil and gas," said Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party . "It will be a miracle if these changes don't result in a disaster in some part of the Canadian environment because of the weakening of the review process."

One positive changes is that federal authority for environmental assessments rests with the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, whose budget has been beefed up by 60% a year, or $11 million.

Authorities analyzed water samples over two years for pesticide concentration. In summers 2008 and 2009 (before and after the ban took effect), staff from Ontario Ministry of Environment and five conservation authorities conducted water quality monitoring studies of ten urban streams and creeks. They tested them for up to 105 pesticides and breakdown products. Results show in 2009 concentrations of the three most popular cosmetic pesticides dropped by more than 80 per cent: 2,4D reduced by 86 per cent followed by dicamba (82 per cent) and MCPP (2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid; 78 per cent).

"The sort of thing we were hoping would happen: that kids would be protected, that water would be protected, that urban streams would be protected is happening, and it is very gratifying," stated Gideon Forman, Executive Director for the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment.

More than 250 pesticide products are banned for sale in Ontario, and over 95 pesticide ingredients are banned for cosmetic uses. Exceptions exist for public health or safety, natural resources, golf courses, sports fields, specialty turf, trees, agriculture, forestry and public works projects.

Biosphere reserves are areas listed under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere program. They serve as places to test integrated management of terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine resources and biodiversity.

The first biosphere reserves in Ethiopia and Zimbabwe are among the new sites. One of the two new Ethiopian reserves includes the place of origin of the plant Caffea Arabica, believed to be the first species of coffee ever cultivated.

The Council also added 10 biosphere reserve sites in Iran, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Poland, Slovenia, South Korea, and Sweden, while five sites in Chile, Costa Rica, Finland, Germany and Switzerland were extended.

The addition of 13 new sites brings the world biosphere reserves network to 564 in 109 countries, including 15 biosphere reserves in Canada.

Up to $1.275 million will flow to Brandon to design and construct a facility to capture methane gas generated at the landfill. The Brandon project will eliminate an estimated 57,000 tonnes of greenhouse-gas emissions each year, the equivalent of taking 11,000 cars off the road.

"The City of Brandon is pleased to work with the Province of Manitoba on this extremely important environmental initiative," said Dave Burgess, Mayor of Brandon.

"This agreement will lead to elimination of thousands of tonnes of greenhouse gas, improving the environment in Brandon and contributing to the overall reduction of greenhouse gas in this province," stated Conservation Minister Bill Blaikie.

Manitoba's landfill gas capture program will enable three of the province's largest landfills to make significant reductions to the amount of greenhouse gas emissions they release. In total, this will amount to 195,000 tonnes of reductions per year, or almost one per cent of the total Manitoba emissions.

The independent panel was appointed by Canada's Environment Minister January 2009 to study the Prosperity Gold-Copper Mine proposed by Vancouver-based Taseko Mines Ltd. The $800-million project would have a 20-year life and include an onsite mill, access road, and 125-kilometre-long power transmission line.

Taseko has said the project would generate hundreds of direct and indirect jobs in B.C.'s Cariboo-Chilcotin region, but the panel ruled that any such benefits would come at a cost.

"The panel concludes that the project would result in significant adverse environmental effects on fish and fish habitat, on navigation, on the current use of lands and resources for traditional purposes by First Nations and on cultural heritage, and on certain potential or established Aboriginal rights or title," stated the panel in the report submitted to Environment Minister Jim Prentice.

The government of British Columbia previously approved the project, concluding that while the project would have negative environmental effects, the mine was justified.

Opponents of the project describe the watershed as a pristine ecosystem, with exceptional views, clear lakes and abundant wildlife. The mine would wipe out a section of the Teztan Yeqok and about 90,000 rainbow trout on which the Tsilhqot'in and Secwepemc First Nations rely. The First Nations communities have long opposed this project.

The plaintiffs claimed property values didn't rise as rapidly as those in surrounding areas after the Ontario Ministry of the Environment report said land near the Inco refinery was polluted, posing a risk to people's health.

The court found metal refining was a non-natural use of land and therefore Inco was strictly liable for its failure to prevent the escape of dangerous substances. Additionally, Inco was found liable in private nuisance if plaintiffs could demonstrate a decline in their property values.

"In my opinion, if nickel has accumulated on the class members' properties in such amounts so as to negatively affect the values of the properties, then the physical damage to the properties is material. ... even if the nickel accumulation in the soil does not affect human health," stated Justice Henderson in his decision.

A West Coast Environmental Law blog explains how "...it's an important step forward in allowing class actions related to pollution. And as such it may have opened the door to the types of large damages awards that will allow toxic torts to be brought in Canada,"

Vale, the Brazilian based mining company which owns Inco, intends to appeal. "We have examined the decision and we do see grounds for appeal and we will appeal," said Vale spokesperson Cory McPhee.

"Today's milestone is the result of an historic and outstanding collaborative partnership between the Government of Canada and the Haida Nation," said Environment Minister Jim Prentice.

The conservation area extends 10 kilometres offshore of Gwaii Haanas (formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands), protecting over 5,000 square kilometres filled with orca and humpback whales, seabirds, salmon, and lush kelp forests.

The announcement has been a long time coming. For decades, the Haida Nation has been waging an often lonely, frustrating and prescient crusade, maintaining from the beginning that seabeds must logically be part of any serious protected region.

"This is a changing of the tides," said Guujaaw, President of the Haida Nation "as we come to appreciate the fragile and precious nature of our marine areas, we will begin to give the necessary attention to look after and restore our oceans."

Following designation, the Haida Nation and Government of Canada will initiate a process to work to develop a management plan for Gwaii Haanas. A local advisory committee of stakeholders, including commercial fishermen, tourism operators, and other economic sectors, has expressed unanimous support for the designation.

"The ... designation will pave the way to advance conservation along with cultural and economic prosperity, in a region that is one of the world's ecological treasures," said Gerald Butts, President and CEO of WWF-Canada."

The G20 Summit saw the largest mass arrests in Canadian history, with over 1000 people arrested between June 18 and June 28—roughly eight times the number of arrests at the last G20 summit in London England, and twice the number of people detained during Canada's 1970 FLQ October Crisis, when the War Measures Act was triggered.

"Canadians are entitled to policing that does not undermine constitutional values," stated the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA). More than 50 CCLA human rights monitors were on the streets during the Summit, adding, "In an effort to locate and disable 100-150 vandals, the police disregarded the constitutional rights of thousands."

The Ontario McGuinty government decision to pass a temporary Regulation under the Public Works Protection Act has come under fire. The Regulation was quietly passed June 2, 2010 but not published in the Gazette until after it expired.

The police investigating their own actions has not satisfied concerns. All four federal opposition parties in Canada's House of Commons have now backed to the call for an independent inquiry, making a federal inquiry likely.

The turbines were purchased from a Soviet-run manufacturer in the mid1970s. The generation station was completed in 1979 at a cost of $310 million.

Early last month, a European engineer familiar with the Soviet-made turbines, sought out Hydro's engineers at a conference overseas. The European engineer's warning was serious enough that Manitoba Hydro shut Jenpeg down almost immediately. Manitoba Hydro engineers inspected the first turbine and found many cracks on the shaft near the propellers. Each of the other five turbines will now be disassembled and inspected during the shut-down.

The Jenpeg shutdown costs Hydro $100,000 a day in lost power. Jenpeg is one of the Crown corporation's smallest plants, so no export contracts will be affected If the turbines need to be replaced it will take years for new turbines to be manufactured and installed.

Gaile Whelan Enns of Manitoba Wildlands commented, "There is no environmental license, public environmental management plan, or public emergency plan for this dam. We hope that Manitoba Hydro is completely transparent about this situation as it evolves."

Defence lawyer Adam Weisberg said that police appear to have arrested many people who had no involvement with the violence that took place on Saturday [June 26].

Globe and Mail reporter Lisan Jutras was live tweeting on the protests when she was encircled by police and detained for hours outside in the rain. Jutras reported on the diversity of people who were encircled, "I talked to the people around me: a woman who was a corporate lawyer walking home with a friend. A Chinese student who was told he had "insufficient" ID. A guy behind me who was there to take pictures..."

Two National Post photographers Brett Gundlock and Colin O'Connor were taken into custody and charged with obstruction of a peace officer and unlawful assembly while attempting to photograph clashes between police and demonstrators. Neither photographer was accused of any violent act. Instead, they were "amongst violent people," and allegedly failed to comply with a police order to disperse.

Video footage reveals Real News Network anchor Jesse Freeston was punched in the face and had his microphone seized by police.

At least four journalists, Amy Miller, Daniel McIsaac, Jesse Rosenfeld, and Lisa Walter have already filed complaints with Ontario's police watchdog, alleging physical assaults and threats of sexual violence by police.

Lawsuits filed in various states have been brought by, among others, fishermen who have lost their livelihoods, investors whose portfolios are losing value with the plunge in BP stock price, and insurance underwriters who are trying to block BP from collecting payments.

The Turtle Island Restoration Network, Center for Biological Diversity, Animal Welfare Institute and Animal Legal Defense sought an injunction to halt BP oil-burning operations until the safety of sea turtles can be ensured. BP's practice of corralling the oil with fire-resistant booms and then lighting it on fire resulted in endangered sea turtles being burned alive in violation of the U.S. Endagered Species Act. The groups withdrew the suit after the ensuing publicity led BP and the US Coast Guard to agree to allow wildlife rescuers to pluck sea turtles out of corralled oil patches.

Another suit seeks to hold BP and its CEO Tony Hayward accountable under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICCO) for allegedly engaging in a pattern of fraudulent misrepresentations when the company asserted in its regional oil spill and exploration oil spill emergency response plans that it had the equipment and technology to respond to a deepwater accident.

John F. Kennedy Jr., presently involved in three cases against BP including the RICCO action above, stated that "BP at this point has huge economic disincentives to actually deplore the kind of resources that it ought to deploy to clean up the site..."

As the number of cases filed against BP continues to rise the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation is expected to meet July 29 to consider how best to combine many lawsuits, including more than 180 on the panel's docket so far.

The settlement covers two transfers of land, now parts of Burlington and Toronto. In the Brant Tract purchase of 1797 the MNC sold the Crown 3,450 acres of land located near Burlington Bay on Lake Ontario. According to MNC the Crown paid less for the land in 1797 than had been promised at an earlier date. In the 1805 Toronto Purchase the MCN surrendered most of what is now metropolitan Toronto for a mere 10 shillings (roughly $60).

"Finally, 200 years later, an injustice is about to be corrected," Toronto Mayor David Miller said June 8, 2010 adding, "Canada took more land and paid less than was promised."

"We would like to thank you for your ongoing commitment, dedication, and caring for the tradition land of our people." responded Chief Bryan Laforme adding the settlement will enhance relationships between MCN and Toronto.

The settlement offer was overwhelmingly approved, 856 to 41, by the eighteen hundred MCN community members. Band members will get $20,000 each and $1,500 annually to cover living expenses. For those under 18, money will be held in trust. Money will be set aside for life insurance and post-secondary education; the rest will be placed in trust. The annual interest will be used for economic development projects or community facilities.

The land claim was launched by former chief Maurice LaForme in 1986. It fell to son Bryan LaForme, current Chief, to see the process to its conclusion. Bryan's brother Harry LaForme, a judge on Ontario's Court of Appeal, was legal counsel for the band and played an instrumental role.