PLANET IN PERIL

International Institute for Sustainable Development. 2014-2015 was a great year for IISD Experimental Lakes Area (IISD-ELA). This was the world-class freshwater research institute's first year under new management, and the team was happy to get back to research as well as focus on expanding the outreach and educational opportunities at the site.  Tests conducted on the Experimental Lakes result in solutions  which save others,  like the one above. PinP photo. The annual report includes highlights from some members of staff and the board, as well as some stats from our first year and stunning images of our 58 beautiful lakes and their watersheds. Download the report here.

CBC News Clear Lk. MB.  PinP  photo. Canadian lakes and those that are ice-covered in winter are warming twice as fast as others. Story here.

TheDailyClimate Acidification is not just for oceans—the Great Lakes could acidify, too, as our carbon emissions increase. Here's why you should take note. More here.

bilateral.org PinP  photo During the secret negotiations of the free trade agreement between the European Union and Canada known as CETA, the European Commission always maintained that water would be excluded from the treaty, and that the choice on how to manage services related to the production and distribution of drinking water by the public authorities would not be questioned. But a careful reading of the consolidated text of CETA shows that the reality is different. Details here.

CBC News Two-thirds of First Nations have been under at least 1 water advisory between 2004 and 2014. Story here.

International Institute for Sustainable Development IISD Experimental Lakes Area (IISD-ELA) was pleased to welcome Premier of Ontario Kathleen Wynne and her partner Jane Rounthwaite for a visit on August 30, 2015. Story here.

APTN National News A non-governmental organization has initiated a water-related study about Shoal Lake 40 First Nation as part of a world-wide investigation into healthy communities. Story here.

Center for Food Safety Researchers across the United States, Canada, and Europe are repeatedly finding high levels of neonicotinoid residues that exceed vital standards set to protect aquatic life.  STORY HERE. Related:   New Studies Show Farm Chemicals Are Affecting More Than Bees. Bird Populations are Declining, Too.

Sum of  + Us And the government is helping make it happen! Please help spread the word about this outrage!

VO VANCOUVER          OBSERVER A lake in Saskatchewan, Canada.  PinP photo. The Navigable Waters Protection Act no longer protects water. The Fisheries Act no longer protects fish. The Environmental Assessment Act...   Story here.  

The Telegraph Blue-green algae is increasing in Britain's lakes and poses a serious threat to health, scientists have warned. Story here. PinP photo.

Huffington Post California has proposed closing by October up to 140 oilfield wells that state regulators had allowed to inject into federally protected drinking water aquifers, state officials said Monday. Story here.

New charitable status will allow Experimental Lakes Area to realize full fundraising potential. WINNIPEG—The  International Institute for Sustainable Development-Experimental Lakes Area (IISD-ELA)  is pleased to announce that it has now been granted full charitable status from the Canada Revenue Agency. This is a crucial step in allowing the world-class freshwater research facility to reach its full fundraising potential and to realize its research, educational and operational goals.

                                       International Institute for Sustainable Development               Experimental Lakes Area wraps first research season under new management A (pristine?) lake in Manitoba, Canada. Larry Powell PinP photo. OTTAWA & WINNIPEG – What’s in our lake water? As we learned this year, increasingly the answer includes flame retardants and anti-microbial nanosilvers from our clothes and baby products, synthetic estrogen and other hormones from flushed pharmaceuticals, and mercury from coal plants. 

Manitoba Co-Operator Ducks in a nutrient-rich river  in Manitoba.  P in P  photo. Ultimately, storing water on the land isn’t just about flood control, it’s about capitalizing on available nutrients as well. Story here.

World Resources Institute Right now, dozens of countries around the world are deciding whether or not to develop their shale gas and tight oil resources (tight oil deposits are trapped in fine-grained sedimentary rock, including shale). It’s easy to understand why: shale gas could boost the world’s recoverable natural gas resources by 47 percent, cut greenhouse gas emissions compared to coal, create new revenue and jobs, and raise national energy supplies. However, extracting natural gas and tight oil from shale poses environmental risks , especially when it comes to water. Hydraulic fracturing requires up to 25 million liters of fresh water per well, meaning shale resources can be hard to develop where fresh water is hard to find—including in some of the world’s fastest-growing economies and populations. Details here.

CBC News A multimillion-dollar plan to help save Lake Winnipeg by reducing the blue-green algae poisoning the lake was announced Wednesday by the Manitoba government. Details here. Related: Dangerous Ditches.  Manitoba’s “war on weeds” comes complete with powerful herbicides, questionable spraying practices and collateral damage. Scum on Lake Winnipeg. PLT photo.

ScienceDaily If you guessed that trees are all that's being affected by the recent infestation of the pine bark beetle, guess again. Full story here.

Council of Canadians. The Council of Canadians is applauding the transfer of the Experimental Lakes Area (ELA) to the International Institute of Sustainable Development but continues to decry the Harper government’s abdication of its responsibility for fresh water protection. Details here.