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The SCO says that 26 First Nations communities are concerned about flooding and that every year flooding is getting worse, destroying shoreline and damaging property. This spring alone, 296 houses were impacted. The SCO want Manitoba Hydro held responsible for the destruction.

Manitoba Hydro says there is no basis for the complaint and that lake levels have not changed since hydro started regulating them.

After a year long delay due to financial problems with the parent company Babcock and Brown, the Pattern Energy owned St. Joseph's wind project is going to produce only 138 megawatts of energy compared to the 300 megawatts originally planned.

St. Joseph's wind project was going to be the largest wind project in Canada and decrease in size will affect revenue for municipalities and landowners involved. The decrease in generation also effects Manitoba's goal of reaching 1000 MW of wind energy by 2015, since nine other licensed wind projects have been put on hold.

Pattern Energy is apparently looking to the Manitoba Government to subsidize the project, an act not all officials agree with. Manitoba Hydro says the power purchase agreement is almost complete.

The CEC Secretariat will produce a Sustainable Freight Transportation in North America report through an advisory group with representatives from the transportation industry, non-governmental groups and government agencies.

The advisory group will be chaired by President and Vice Chancellor at the University of Winnipeg, Lloyd Axworthy. Mr. Axworthy is also a former Canadian cabinet minister, including responsibility for foreign affairs. The group will study improvements in environmental performance and sustainability for the transport industry and recommend policy changes for the governments of Canada, US, and Mexico.

Making improvements to freight transportation to cut GHG emissions, will also help all three countries meet GHE reduction targets. The final report is expected by mid-2010.

Message from Merida declaration outlines an international call for specific policy to integrate wilderness and biodiversity conservation into next global climate change strategy. The declaration states that protection of critical wilderness areas will help combat climate change.

The Message from Merida will be collecting signatures from international delegates until the UN Climate Change Conference (COP15) in Copenhagen, December 7th to 18th. To sign the Mensaje de Merida as an organization, please send your logo, name and title to Emily Loose (Emily@wild.org). Individuals are also welcome to sign. Wild 9 resolutions are available for comment on the resolutions website.

IUCN found that of known species, 30% of amphibians, 21% of mammals, 12% of birds, 28% of reptiles and 70% of plant species are in danger. Every year more species are discovered and examined by IUCN so more are found to be in danger. These numbers are increasing at an alarming rate. IUCN is calling it a "serious extinction crisis", according to Jane Smart, Director of IUCN's Biodiversity Conservation Group.

The cause for increase in species loss is habitat loss and changes in land use. IUCN warns the situation may actually be even worse than their numbers show as more species need to be examined.

In 1973, Manitoba Hydro began construction on the LWCRDP for a series of dams to regulate water levels on Lake Winnipeg and divert the Churchill River under an interim licence granted through the Manitoba Water Power Act. Manitoba Hydro now seeks a 50-year final licence for the Churchill River Diversion Project and a separate licensing process for regulation of Lake Winnipeg.

Chief Balfour stated "In 1973 Manitoba and Canada said the flooding of our lands were justified to provide power needed of the Province. Today, Manitoba Hydro has a very different focus - maximizing export revenues. We will seek...a system-wide look at how Hydro manages and operates rivers and lakes that supply water to Hydro's dams, and the outstanding issues regarding implementation of the (Northern Flood Agreement) Treaty."

Scientists are unsure what is causing the extremely low return rates and uncertainty surrounds the tracking and whereabouts of the rest of the fingerlings from recent years. But on Thursday November, 5 2009 Prime Minister Harper announced the start of a judicial inquiry to look at the declines.

The inquiry will be headed by B.C. Supreme Court Justice Bruce Cohen who will examine the cause of the collapse looking at everything from human error and fish farming standards, to environmental disaster. He will report back with recommendations by May 1 2011.

A smart grid is an electrical power set-up that brings electricity to everyone that needs it and reports back to the utility on how much energy is used. It uses that data to charge you more for electricity used in peak hours and offsets that with discounts for energy use during low demand hours, forcing consumers to save energy. It also takes the strain off the electrical grid and makes it more efficient at supplying the energy needed. A smart grid has less environmental impact overall.

The funding Obama promised will help increase the liability, efficiency and security of the US electrical system under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Justice Burton stated that a belief in man-made climate change is capable of being a philosophical belief for the purpose of the 2003 Religion and Belief Regulations. This decision will set a precedent for how environmental beliefs are regarded in the future.

At the 66th Annual Convention of National Congress of American Indians, it was resolved to call on the United States Congress to not benefit large foreign hydro utilities under federal Renewable Energy Standards until such projects have met the approval of National Environmental Policy Act.

Similarly, on September 4th 2009, the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council passed a resolution calling on the Wisconsin Legislature to enact language related to Manitoba Hydro to ensure that the environmental effects of Manitoba Hydro projects are recognized and addressed.

First Nations are facing some of the worst water crises in Canada and throughout North America. This book is a call to respect the water rights of First Nations, and through this create a new water ethic in Canada and beyond.

"In Denying the Source, Merrell-Ann Phare summarizes the many complex legal and ethical questions that have resulted in the water crisis facing Canada's First Nations. She proposes that only immediate action to develop a new water ethic involving Indigenous Peoples, our waterways, and the watersheds that flow to them, will ensure our freshwater supplies for the future," states David Schindler, Killam Memorial Professor of Ecology at University of Alberta.

Part of the reason for the drop is increased efficient water use by industry (power generation) and irrigation. However, there is a worrying trend in parts of the US, such as the Southwest and Southeast States, where water is scarce, and demand is growing, according to Dr. Peter Gleick, President and Co-founder of the Pacific Institute. Populations in these areas are continuing to grow, adding to water competition.

Experts are warning that the efficient water use trend needs to continue or water availability will decrease.