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Under the Clean Air Act, facilities emitting more than 25,000 tons a year of greenhouse gases will require a permit covering their emissions. Industrial facilities would also obtain construction and operating permits, mandating installation of pollution control devices and energy efficiency measures.

Industrial sources, including petrochemical production and petroleum refineries, are automatically covered under the rule. Small businesses and farms are exempt.

Data collection of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride, perflourocarbons, and other fluorinated compounds commences January 1, 2010.

To date Canada does not have regulations or rules for reporting green house gases, and the national inventory threshold starts at 100,000 tonne. Manitoba's Climate Act does not require construction and operating permits for industrial facilities.

May said that to get democracy working changes must include:

• Political Parties having less clout
• People need access to the courts
• People must get engaged in the political system

May spoke of concerns young Canadians have with the democratic process and shed light on problems with today's political system that are turning the general public away.

Elizabeth May recently launched her new book, Losing Confidence: Power, Politics and the Crisis in Canadian Democracy, which focuses on the Canadian democratic system, its pitfalls and what Canadians need to do to create change.

1. Cut Canada's GHGs by the current government's target of 20 percent below 2006 levels by 2020 (3% below 1990 levels)
2. Cut GHGs to levels recommended by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (a 25- 40% decrease below 1990 levels by 2020 to keep the earths temperature from rising above 2°C).

The report lays a plan that would help Canada meet the United Nations 2°C targets but it requires the Canadian Government to, invest capital funds, and institute new policy, laws and regulations. And, the report states that Canada can reduce emissions, have a strong economy, a higher quality of life, and continued steady job creation across the country while meeting the 2°C target.

Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis was published by Rodale Books, who previously published An Incontinent Truth in 2006. All proceeds go to Alliance for Climate Protection, a non-profit organization committed to educating the global community and implementing solutions.

To prepare for the book, Gore organized more than thirty comprehensive "Solution Summits" where leading experts on neuroscience, agriculture, economics and information technology gathered to discuss the most effective course of action.

The book explains the pros and cons of various renewable energies and the latest technological developments. Offering hope, in the last chapter Gore imagines a future generation asking how we were able to come together to avert catastrophic climate change.

Since 2004 when the Wuskwatim Hydro environmental licensing hearings were held, EnergyManitoba.org has held reports, presentations, government documents, and transcripts from the Wuskwatim reviews, hearings, and appeals.

"It is time to increase and improve access to online information about energy in Manitoba and beyond. Regular visitors will see new pages, while new visitors will have the best of both sites - as Wuskwatim archives continue to be available. Some page content is located on both ManitobaWildlands.org and Energy Manitoba.org The news page has an international scope. We hope the site becomes a regular destination for many new visitors." commented Gaile Whelan Enns, director, Manitoba Wildlands.

"For people who care about access to information these findings are very disappointing," comments Mary Agnes Welch, president of the Canadian Association of Journalists.

The report card gives the Manitoba government a failing grade regarding transparency based on their 1999 election promises. The groups urge the government to improve the decade old promises to make government more transparent. The report card includes five key recommendations for improving the Manitoba government's transparency standards.

Amendments to the Manitoba Act, which have not been proclaimed, include: reducing cabinet confidences to 20 years, and appointing a privacy adjudicator with power to order disclosure of information through Manitoba Ombudsman recommendation.

The route will be based on a Site Selection and Environmental Assessment Process (SSEA) which began fall 2008. The SSEA will result in a final Environmental Impact Statement to go to regulatory authorities June 2011. Federal and provincial environmental approvals will be coordinated between Manitoba Conservation and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency. The proposed in-service date is 2017.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation held a press conference, and released a power point presentation hoping to sway public opinion against the province's plan to build Bipole III down the west side of the province. The Canadian Taxpayers Association says building down the east side of Lake Winnipeg is the shorter route and will save an additional $1.4 billion.

"It looks like this tax payers association information avoids putting a value on ecological services from intact forest regions. The same avoidance applies to carbon reservoirs on the eastside. The UNESCO expectations of northern countries when protecting and designation new world heritages sites are very high. Two attempts at transmission lines in Canadian WHS are currently under investigation," commented Gaile Whelan Enns, director, Manitoba Wildlands.

A pledge was made for the province of Manitoba to provide $10,000,000 for the World Heritage Site. The Trust set up with The Winnipeg Foundation has a matching contributions mechanism. The interest from the Trust will be available to support operation of the Site, with emphasis on First Nation stewardship of their traditional lands. To date it is unclear how the Manitoba government contributions will be made - whether there will be an annual transfer, for instance.

Manitoba Wildlands is providing a transcript of the remarks made at the announcement of the trust, held at the Manitoba Legislature, October 13, 2009.

Robin Bryan was among five other who received North American's top environmental prize for leaders under the age of 23. Hosted by California-based Earth Island Institute, the award includes a $3,000 US cash prize and celebration gala in San Francisco.

Bryan fought for years to end logging activity in provincial parks as a campaigner with the Wilderness Committee. Studying at the University of Winnipeg, Bryan organized rallies, raised funds, organized volunteers and spoke with elected officials.

In 2008, the Government of Manitoba banned logging in four of the five parks with logging operations. Now Bryan is focusing on protecting East Shore Wilderness Area, 250,000 square kilometers of boreal forest in Ontario and Manitoba.

Storing more than 186 billion tons of carbon, Boreal forests and wetlands are the largest terrestrial storehouse of carbon on the planet. CPAWS is working to convince governments to create incentives for forest and wetland protection under a new climate agreement.

"We are urging Canada to take a lead role in ensuring countries take responsibility for the climate effect of clearing forests and create incentives for the protection of forests and wetlands in the next set of climate change rules. We also want to see current loopholes closed that have allowed some countries to cheat the system when accounting for their carbon emissions," said Chris Henschel, CPAWS forest and climate change specialist.

Visit www.makeforestscount.org to send a virtual postcard to politicians in Canada and abroad.

The plan proposes road construction, timber harvesting, forest renewal and forest protection for Forest Management License Area No. 1. FML No. 1 is bounded by Lake Winnipeg and the Ontario border, east to west and by the Winnipeg Rive and Atikaki Provincial Park, south and north.

Any long-term forest management plan in Manitoba filed by a major company (Tolko, Louisiana Pacific and Tembec) is subject to public hearings also. At this time the full schedule is not available from Manitoba Conservation.

The two environmental organizations are appealing to Premier Selinger to review this decision, and decide whether a logging road is a logging development, and whether the woodland caribou in this park deserve protection.

"Any reasonable person would expect a thoughtful citizen appeal to be responded to," said Eric Reder, Campaign Director for the Wilderness Committee. "Unfortunately, our Environment Act includes a 'weasel out' clause, allowing our government to deny an appeal without explanation."

"We would like to see our new premier stand up for wilderness, wildlife and protected lands in the province," said Gaile Whelan Enns of Manitoba Wildlands. "This appeal to reverse a poor decision gives him his first opportunity to do so."