News

The UNESCO World Heritage Commission has launched a mission to investigate concerns over energy and mining development proposals. Mountaintop removal of coal would dump waste material into the valley below and allow heavy metals to enter the Flathead River and the Peace Park downstream. A joint US – Canada State of Conservation Report about these threats will be available by February 2010, and reviewed by the WHS Commission in summer 2010.

The area is one of the most important grizzly bear and carnivore habitats in the Rocky Mountains. The International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP) is supporting protection efforts through a project to capture images of the region's beauty and conservation issues. Garth Lenz is coordinating the mission, called a RAVE (Rapid Assessment Visual Expedition).

The Happy Planet Index from New Economics Foundation is an innovative global ranking system that combines environmental impact with well-being. The report shows an increasing trend in ecological footprint per person of 72 percent over the last 45 years, for the world's most developed nations.

Costa Rica topped the list of 143 nations surveyed for being the 'greenest and happiest' country. No one country achieved all three goals of: high life satisfaction, high life expectancy, and 'one-planet living' – consuming its fair share of the Earth's natural resources.

Overall China ranked 20th, UK 74th, Canada 89th, and the USA at 114th out of 143 countries. According to the report Canada had one of the highest scores in the measure of life satisfaction and life expectancy or 'happy life years'.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has set out the UK's first detailed position on an international climate change agreement. He urges world leaders to cut global greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 percent by 2050 compared to 1990 levels. He also committed to providing financial aid for climate mitigation in the developing world.

It will cost an estimated $100 billion per year by 2020 to finance actions to reduce global emissions, adapt to climate change, implement green technologies and reduce deforestation. Economic benefits from converting economic activity away from producing greenhouse gases are significant.

Over 800,000 people are now employed in Britain's low carbon economic sector and over a million jobs are predicted by the middle of the next decade. A global deal is very important for the UK's economic future.

The City of Winnipeg is now looking at 'improving' the current management of the Water and Waste Department by creating an arms-length model to deal with future operations. The Public-Private Partnership (P3) is being presented to Winnipeg citizens without public input. The language used in the public materials lauding an arms length water system is vague at best.

FOE's first annual Score Card of Environmental Rights found Alberta, Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island were the worst performers, scoring a 'D'. The Yukon and Ontario received the highest scores of 'B+' and a 'B', respectively.

"The inadequacy of our environmental rights is shocking," says Beatrice Olivastri, CEO, Friends of the Earth Canada. "We are dismayed to see the discrepancy between jurisdictions in environmental rights afforded Canadians."

"Manitoba's 'public' registry system fails to include complete documents, delays in posting are frequent, and while online 'registries' are improving, but they have a long way to go. The CEC takes down its online materials, rather than keeping archives. Notice periods were also just reduced, through an Environment Act amendment," comments Gaile Whelan Enns, of Manitoba Wildlands.

Poplar River First Nation publicly released its Lands Management Plan May 2006. Permanent protection of the park reserve was an election promise of the current government during the spring 2007 election. The park reserve, which is part of a boreal World Heritage Site nomination, has also been the subject of massive letter and e-mail campaigns urging the government to make good on its promise of permanent protection.

Manitoba Conservation steps to extend interim protection come in the midst of a process for a controversial piece of legislation. Bill 6 – The East Side Traditional Lands Planning and Special Protected Areas Act – is intended to protect areas of traditional territory East Side First Nations but also includes far-reaching provisions related to lands management plans.

The length of the proposed interim protection period for the Poplar/Nanowin Rivers Park Reserve is not clear in Manitoba Government consultation materials. Deadline for comments was July 13, 2009.

"Nowhere else on Earth do fewer people steward more resources, yet Canada now stands dead last amongst the G8 Nations in protecting our shared home from the threat of dangerous climate change," said Keith Stewart, Director of WWF-Canada's Climate Change Campaign.

Overall, the Scorecard's message is that countries such as Germany, the UK and France have made commendable efforts, but action remains insufficient to set the world on a low carbon economy course. Further steps are needed to keep global temperatures below the danger threshold, defined as a two-degree rise of average temperatures when compared to pre-industrial times.

WWF says that to prevent climate change from reaching these danger levels, global emissions must peak and decline well before 2020 and be reduced by 80% by 2050.

Clinton is currently reviewing a number of cross-border pipeline projects including the Alberta Clipper, and has authority to approve or deny the pipelines. Canada is the biggest foreign oil supplier to the U.S. with 1 million barrels of oil exported each day.

ForestEthics joined with Sierra Club to encourage public opposition to the projects that would undermine international climate leadership and the current shift toward a clean energy economy.

The groups argue oilsands production generates up to five times more greenhouse gas emissions than conventional oil.

Hearings to review the legislation and hear citizen presentations were also held the preceding Thursday June 4th. Speakers mostly objected to the Bill, due to the commitment to 'write the bill with the First Nation communities' made by Premier Doer during the 2007 Manitoba election campaign.

Moses Okimaw, spoke as an individual, read the press release into the record, and provided examples of where the Bill does not uphold the April 2007 Accord signed between the Manitoba government and east side First Nations.

First Nation Chiefs from the east side spoke in opposition to the Bill. Manitoba Keewatinook Ininew Okimakanak (MKO) tabled its member's correspondence objecting to the Bill with the Premier and the Minister. All presentations, and remarks are contained in the Legislative transcript.

The worldwide campaign - Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign launched by the UNEP and the World Agroforestry Centre raised its target from 1 billion to 7 billion trees earlier this year after thousands of people in 166 countries joined the initiative.

The campaign encourages communities, businesses, social organizations and governments to fight climate change through reforestation. "Sealing the deal" at the UN Climate Change Conference this December is also a campaign goal.

Trees absorb carbon dioxide, improve soil fertility and are important for water quality. Africa is the leading region with over half of all tree plantings. Ethiopia has planted 700 million trees, Turkey 400 million, Mexico 250 million and Kenya 100 million trees.

James E. Hansen, NASA's chief climate scientist, actress Daryl Hannah, and others were arrested for entering the Goals Coal plant owned by Massey Energy, the biggest company conducting mountaintop removal in West Virginia.

"Mountaintop removal, providing only a small fraction of our energy, should be abolished," said Dr. Hansen. Mountaintop removal results in clear cutting of biologically diverse forests and dumping of waste rock into valley streams below.

Hansen believes all coal burning plants will have to be shut down by 2030 in order to avert catastrophic climate change. He also criticized the US Congress climate bill that would allow for the construction of new coal plants under various provisions.

"Climate change is one of the epic challenges facing this and future generations," said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. "Every citizen of the world has a stake in the outcome. It is time to seal a deal. We need a global movement that mobilizes real change."

Delegates from 192 nations will meet to secure a new global climate change treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol when it expires in 2012. Hopenhagen is about global action that focuses on COP15 as an opportunity to protect people and the planet.