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The UN has identified the lead up to 2020 as the critical period for action on climate change. Pedal for the Planet, a KYOTOplus initiative, aims to engage citizens and politicians in demanding a climate treaty be negotiated in Copenhagen, while raising awareness of inaction on climate change.

Pedal for the Planet is part of the petition-centered KYOTOplus campaign spearheaded by several civil society organizations including the David Suzuki Foundation, Greenpeace Canada, Oxfam Canada, Sierra Club Canada, as well as the two main networks working on climate change issues in Canada - Climate Action Network Canada (60 groups) and the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition (11 groups). Over 120 Canadian organizations are working together in the KYOTOplus initiative.

Manitoba Wildlands is a partner in Kyotoplus and Pedal for the Planet.

Regulating standby power of electronic devices can save enough electricity to power more than 300,000 Canadian homes each year. Natural Resources Canada estimates that on average, of the total electricity consumed by home electronics, 40 percent is consumed while they are off.

"These amendments to the Energy Efficiency Act make Canada a leader on the world stage in regulating standby power," said Minister Raitt. "This legislation is proof of our Government's commitment to help Canadians decrease their energy costs and industry to improve energy performance."

The Act expands authority to set energy efficiency standards for products that affect energy consumption, including windows and doors, and for devices that regulate energy consumption, such as thermostats.

RTOs remove toxic compounds from emissions like formaldehyde, benzene and Volatile Organic Compounds. The company indicated it costs $3 million each year to operate RTOs, which need to be replaced every 10 years at a cost of $10 million. The mill's RTOs are due to be replaced.

Manitoba Conservation allowed LP to stop using the RTOs on an interim basis. In March 2009, the Minister of Conservation requested Manitoba's Clean Environment Commission (CEC) to conduct an investigation and public meeting regarding the permanent request.

Environmental group, Concerned Citizens of the Valley, accuse Conservation Minister Stan Struthers and the CEC of restricting the public to ask questions and cross-examine the government and Louisiana Pacific at the upcoming CEC investigation meetings. To date it appears there may be no transcript, evidence or public registry ability.

"As a result of this agreement," Obama said, "we will save 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the lifetime of the vehicles sold in the next five years."

The fleet standard of 35.5 miles per gallon provides some certainty for the struggling auto sector as they plan for new modes. The rules roughly correspond to California's tough standards that over a dozen states say they plan to adopt.

"Premier Doer has said Manitoba will adopt California fuel efficiency standards once legislative barriers are removed. Manitoba needs to act now," commented Gaile Whelan Enns, director of Manitoba Wildlands.

"The United States and Canada, with closely linked financial markets and shared natural resources, must work together to create 21st-century clean energy economies that will put people back to work and benefit our environment." said Frances Beinecke, President of the Natural Resource Defence Council.

The Environmental Leaders issued a joint declaration that outlines collaboration to address common threats. The leaders called on their national governments to show bold leadership to address climate change, halt expansion of tar sands development, and invest in renewable energy technologies.

The fund will be spent over five years with $650 million going toward carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects to offset Canada's carbon-intensive oilsands development by storing CO2 emissions underground.

$200 million will be used for smaller-scale demonstration projects for renewable and alternative energy technologies. The remaining $150 will fund research initiatives that include new technologies to address oilsand's tailings ponds and water use.

Environmentalists say the Canadian government is attempting to 'green' the oilsands industry with CCS. Experts say CCS is largely unproven, is at least two decades from commercialization, and continues to have unknown costs.

Researchers for the History of Marine Animal Populations used old ship's logs, tax accounts, ancient texts, and monastery archives to create an overview of whales, fish and other sea creature populations. Research is part of the ten-year Census of Marine Life to be released in 2010.

Records showed New Zealand southern right whales numbered between 22,000 and 32,000 in the early 1800s but were hunted to only 25 reproductive females by 1925. Waters of the English Isles were once home to orca, blue whales, porpoise, dolphins, and blue and thresher sharks.

Historic data presented at the recent "Oceans Past II" conference in Vancouver, Canada will be used to assess environmental change in the oceans and help depleted populations recover.

The David Suzuki Foundation is inviting Canadians to organize an Oceans Day celebration of their own to highlight the importance of our oceans and promote their conservation. The Foundation will provide the ideas and tools to organize an event at home, school or in your community.

You can register your own Oceans Day Event online with the David Suzuki Foundation. Their website offers fun and easy activities to organize including a scavenger hunt, sustainable seafood feast, or a shore cleanup along a favorite beach, river or lake.

With 80 countries now using wind power on a commercial basis, wind generates 1.5 percent of the world's electricity, up from 0.1 percent in 1997, according to Washington-based research group Worldwatch Institute.

The United States is the world's leading wind power generator, accounting for 42 percent of new energy capacity. China ranked second with 6,300 megawatts installed during 2008 and India was third with 1,800 megawatts added.

The global market for wind turbine installations in 2008 was worth about $47.5 billion, an increase of approximately 42 percent over 2007. The economic crisis slowed development but economic stimulus packages identify wind as a key growth area.

The ban takes effect in 2010, and has driven seal fur prices down 86 percent to $15 per skin. Northern Aboriginals are exempt from the ban based on rights to hunt for sustenance. Inuit leaders are counting on Canada's government to challenge the ban before the World Trade Organization.

With fewer hunters out on the ice only 65,000 seals were expected to be killed this year of Canada's 338,000 quota. Some 6,000 North Atlantic fishermen rely on the seal hunt for up to 35 percent of their annual income.

Many commercial hunters feel unfairly treated by the ban that will allow Europe's fisherman to cull seals for fish stock management and then sell the resulting seal products within the EU. Adult seals consume huge amounts fish on a daily basis - Canada's east coast seal population is now 6 million, three times what it was in the 1970s.

The number of Critically Endangered Birds on the World Conservation Congress Red List of Threatened Species continues to increase, now at 192 species, a total of two more than in the 2008 update.

"In global terms, things continue to get worse - but there are some real conservation success stories this year to give us hope and point the way forward," says Dr Leon Bennun, BirdLife's Director of Science and Policy.

Agriculture, logging and invasive species continue to be the main threats affecting bird numbers. The Gorgeted Puffleg, a recently discovered species of hummingbird from Columbia has been listed as Critically Endangered as its habitat is being damaged to grow coca. The Sidamo Lark of Ethiopia has been up-listed to Critically Endangered also due to changes in land use.

The Canadian Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development tabled a report, which assessed the government's 2007 and 2008 climate change plans. The audit found that Environment Canada did not have a system in place to count real emission reductions, track how effective specific policies are, or account for uncertainties.

The Kyoto Protocol Implementation Act requires the government to produce a plan each year outlining how Canada will meet its obligations under the Kyoto Protocol by 2012.