News

The research was conducted through online research, government websites and expert interviews. At the top of the class was British Columbia, with an individual grade of 69% thanks to green jobs, buildings, energy efficiency, and organic food. Prince Edward Island was dead last with a score of 32%.

"Our hope is that this clear presentation of provincial eco-performance will be seized upon by leaders across Canada looking to ramp up their region's eco-resiliency," said Toby Heaps, the editor-in-chief of Corporate Knights.

Manitoba placed ninth among 13 Canadian jurisdictions, ranking low in everything but energy - where it got an A+ for total energy consumed per GDP. Manitoba tied with Saskatchewan for the lowest environmental employment and organic food consumed.

Ecojustice filed a lawsuit on behalf of Sierra Club of Canada claiming the federal Cabinet does not have authority to issues regulations under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA). The lawsuit asks the Federal Court to declare the two recent regulations illegal, they are:

The Exclusion List Regulations would exempt projects such as highways, bridges, garbage dumps, sewer systems, funded under the Building Plan Canada, from legally required federal assessments, until March 2011.

The Infrastructure Projects Environmental Adaptation Regulations would unlawfully give powers to the Minister of Environment to exempt other projects from a federal EA funded under the Building Canada Fund.

"It is reckless, irresponsible and represents an extremely serious attack on Canada's environmental assessment laws. US, China or India have not gotten rid of environmental assessment oversight in their economic stimulus plans," said Ecojustice lawyer Justin Duncan.

Ecojustice filed the lawsuit on behalf of nine of Canada and British Columbia's leading environmental organizations alleging that DFO failed to protect the critical habitat of Northern and Southern resident killer whales in the Pacific Northwest, as required by law.

Environmental groups welcomed the precedent-setting Order but still want their case to be heard to ensure the government takes action under SARA. They are concerned the Order focuses on protecting the geophysical features of critical habitat only and does not address declining food sources, pollution, vessel traffic and acoustic disturbances.

If the case is successful, SARA will be required to protect critical habitat of all endangered aquatic species.

The EPA analyzed six greenhouse gasses and concluded their concentrations are at historic levels due to human activity. The EPA now has authority and obligation to regulate global warming pollution under the U.S. Clean Air Act.

President Obama has committed to building a green economy and the Sierra Club US has launched "The Big Picture" campaign to mobilize support for the rules and regulations expected to follow the "endangerment finding".

This year's theme for the International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD) is 'Celebrating Birds in Culture' which explores the role birds play in the lives of Native People throughout the Americas. Birds have been represented in tribal life since ancient times in cave art, weavings, pottery, stories, ceremonies, and as a source of food.

Started in 1993, IMBD is the premier education project of Environment for the Americas. The event encourages bird conservation and increases awareness of birds through hikes, bird watching, public events, and other educational programs.

A born-and-bred West Virginian, Gunnoe has worked with the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, as well as Sierra Club's Environmental Law and Environmental Justice programs, to stop a mining practice that devastates communities and natural resources. As she says in a Goldman video, "When you flip a switch on, there's a 52% chance that you're destroying the water, air, and land where I live."

Other 2009 Goldman Prize winners hail from Gabon, Suriname, Bangladesh, Russia, and Indonesia. Each receives $150,000 to pursue his or her vision of a renewed and protected environment.

In 2003 Quebec set a goal to protect 8 percent of the province, the latest addition brings the total 8.12 percent or 135,326 square kilometers. Quebec has committed to adding another four percent province-wide and to protect at least half of northern Quebec as part of Plan Nord.

"Just five years ago, Quebec was behind in protecting its natural heritage. Now it's on its way to becoming a world leader," said Mathew Jacobson of the Pew Environmental Group. "With each new conservation addition, Quebec emerges further as a global model for sustainable economic development and land conservation."

Environmental groups applauded the move to protect one of the largest intact forest and wetland ecosystems remaining on earth. Canada's Boreal Forest stores 186 billion tones of carbon and provides nesting grounds for billions of songbirds and waterfowl.

"Manitobans have been waiting for years for their government to take steps like Quebec is taking. Our boreal forest regions urgently need new protected areas," commented Gaile Whelan Enns of Manitoba Wildlands.

"Roots & Shoots is a program aimed at getting young people involved in developing their own projects to improve the environment, gain a greater understanding of their culture, and improve lives of the people in their communities," said Fontaine.

Roots & Shoots is an environmental and humanitarian education program that empowers youth to make positive changes in their communities. The program includes a global network of more than 100,000 youth in almost 100 countries.

There are already two First Nations communities in British Columbia involved in Roots & Shoots. The Jane Goodall Institute will work closely with AFN to expand the program to other interested First Nation communities.

B.C. implemented the carbon tax July 2008 under the Liberal government but NDP leader Carole James promises to axe the tax as part of her party's platform for the May 12 B. C. election. James says it is "the wrong tax at the wrong time," and that a cap-and-trade system will distribute the burden more fairly on large-scale polluters.

"The NDP has chosen what they think will be a publicly acceptable but climate-irresponsible approach. And that is, they want to step backward on the pricing of carbon and backwards on the policies in place in the hopes that may get them elected," Merran Smith, a climate director with ForestEthics, said Monday.

Environmental critics say the NDP plan could cost the province thousands of jobs in the green economy, loose its position as an environmental leader and simply delay urgently needed action on climate change.

The report, The Identification of Critical Habitat for Woodland Caribou was commissioned under the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA). The report says woodland caribou are in worse trouble than previously thought, and unless Canada adopts a new approach to protecting caribou habitat, caribou will become extinct by the end of this century.

"The science shows we need to protect at least half of the carbon-rich Boreal forest if we are to ensure the caribou's long-term survival and slow the effects of climate change." says Aran O'Carroll, National Manager, Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, CPAWS.

The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) is calling on the Ontario government to revise its 'clear cutting for caribou' approach and immediately halt all development in the boreal until the province finalizes its plan for woodland caribou.

Three years ago, the B.C. government promised to implement an Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) system for the North and South Central Coast area as part of the historic Coast Land Use Decisions to end logging protests and blockades.

The region contains the largest intact temperate rain forest left in the world, and is home 1,000 year-old cedar trees and the rare Spirit Bear. Environmental groups applaud the new "lighter touch" logging that will maintain 50 percent of the natural level of old growth forest in the region.

Industry, First Nations and the B.C. government have endorsed a five-year plan for ongoing science-based collaborative planning and a reserve network outside the protected areas. B.C. will also commit $120 million to the Coast Opportunity Fund aimed at preserving the rainforest and promoting economic development opportunities for First Nations.

Senior executives from a number of Climate Saver companies met in Washington, D.C. to tell lawmakers climate protection can be achieved without sacrificing growth or the bottom line. They also called for comprehensive climate policies at the national and international levels.

WWF helps companies including IBM, Sony, Coca-Cola, Nokia, and Nike to establish their own ambitious targets and develop specific action plans. WWF Climate Savers will reduce their GHG emissions by a collective 50 million tons of carbon between 1999 and 2010.