PLANET IN PERIL

New Scientist Countries in the EU, including the UK, are throwing away money by subsidising the burning of wood for energy, according to an independent report. While burning some forms of wood waste can indeed reduce greenhouse gas emissions, in practice the growing use of wood energy in the EU is increasing rather than reducing emissions, the new report concludes. Story here.

Interprets Agency Service News Agency The available data is enough for the United Nations to literally declare war on oceans plastic: more than 8 million tonnes of it leaks into their waters each year – equal to dumping a garbage truck of plastic every minute, wreaking havoc on marine wildlife, fisheries and tourism, and costing at least 8 billion dollars in damage to marine ecosystems. Story here.

Winnipeg Free Press The U.S. National Weather Service says there is more than an 80 per cent chance of major flooding along the Red River near the Manitoba border in the coming months.  Story here. Grand Forks, ND in 1997 Ken Gardner,  U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

NATIONAL OBSERVER Did you know that: We Canadians are now one of the world's largest extractors of climate pollution, per capita? We're planning one of world's biggest increases through 2030? Our relentlessly increasing extraction has become a supersized gamble that threatens both climate hope and our economic stability? DETAILS HERE.                          Part if the infrastructure awaiting approval of the  Keystone  XL pipeline. Photo by  shannonpatrick17

The Globe & Mail Federal and provincial governments are being urged to increase protection for the boreal forest and its imperilled woodland caribou herds from resource-company activity, as environment ministers prepare to meet in Ottawa this week to devise plans for greater conservation efforts. Story here.