PLANET IN PERIL

Larry, Never has our blue planet been more under threat.  And never before have we had a better sense of what's at stake. Come watch the latest film that will captivate and motivate you to join a global movement working to save our oceans. Greenpeace Canada is sponsoring a special Winnipeg screening of BLUE  — the critically-acclaimed and award-winning documentary film which takes you deep into our planet’s threatened oceans and seas.  This one-night-only screening is an on-demand event.  It only takes place if 50 tickets are sold. Reserve your spot now  — and portion of ticket sales will go towards supporting Greenpeace's vital work to protect our oceans and the planet.  WHAT: Special screening of BLUE — an award-winning documentary film WHEN: Monday 25th June, 7pm WHERE: Cineplex Odeon McGillivray Cinemas ( 2190 McGillivray Blvd, Winnipeg, MB, R3Y 1S6 ) HOW: Tickets are $14.50 and you can order yours here

TheNarwhal  Giant Mine - 2008. Photo by  WinterCity296  WinterforceMedia This gold mine was once so dangerous that it killed a toddler who ate snow two kilometres away. Canada’s second-largest environmental liability is inside Yellowknife city limits — and intrinsically tied to the city’s history and future. The federal government has now inherited the billion-dollar cleanup effort that could span a century. More here.

EcoWatch A traffic jam on the road to the famed Lake Louise in Jasper National Park, Canada. PinP photo. A study published in  Science  Friday presents what authors call a sobering "reality check" on global efforts to protect  biodiversity —one third of all conservation areas set aside as wildlife sanctuaries or  national parks  are "highly degraded" by human activities. More here.

NATIONAL OBSERVER The Irving Oil Refinery in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada. Photo by  Cusack5239 Sarnia’s Imperial Oil refinery emitted 10 times more fine particulate matter, seven times more carbon monoxide and 49 times more sulphur dioxide than the Detroit plant. More here.

EcoWatch  North Polar flight with Air Berlin: Pole overflight (Photographer: Basti, Editor: Hedwig) Scientists found record levels of  microplastics  in  Arctic   sea ice , a study published Tuesday in  Nature Communications  revealed. More here.

ScienceDaily The first definitive demonstration of climate change upsetting the vital interdependent relationships between species has been revealed. More here. Photo by  Björn S.

Science Daily As the ice melts, the organic carbon found in permafrost is being released once again after ages of confinement in the soil. It is making its way into Arctic and subarctic lakes and ponds, and modifying their composition. More here. Arctic Lake. A US Fish & Wildlife photo.

ScienceDaily An Atlantic sturgeon. US Fish & Wildlife Service. New study finds microplastics in the stomachs of 73 percent of mesopelagic (medium-depth) fish caught in the Northwest Atlantic -- one of the highest levels globally. More here.

EcoWatch A disturbing amount of plastic   is building up in the once-pristine European Arctic.    More here.

The Washington Post The much-heralded demise of the coal industry may be overstated, a new scientific analysis asserts — finding that if all planned plants were constructed, the world would have little chance of meeting its climate change goals. Story here. Dave Johnson coal-fired power plant,  central Wyoming  Greg Goebel  from  Loveland CO, USA

EcoWatch As Mark Mattson waited to speak to Canada's minister for the environment, Catherine McKenna, about the  Great Lakes  last December, he could feel the weight of the 184-page report he carried in his shoulder bag. More here.

EcoWatch Oil from the stricken oil tanker Sanchi, which exploded and sank in the East China Sea, may have now reached the shores of Japan, according to the country's Coast Guard. More here.

OTTAWA - Sierra Club Canada Foundation is disappointed, but not surprised, that Federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna approved up to seven exploratory drill wells for BP off Nova Scotia yesterday. The leases where BP will be drilling are located 48 km from Sable Island National Park and 71 km from the Gully Marine Protected Area, home to the Northern bottlenose whale and deep-sea corals. "I wish I could say I was shocked, but sadly I'm not," stated Gretchen Fitzgerald, National Program Director of Sierra Club Canada Foundation.  "This project could  result in a massive blow out on the East coast, one  that  we are not prepared nor equipped  to deal with. Even under the best  conditions,  BP says it will take two weeks to cap a well.  That's two weeks  for oil to flow,  threatening whales, fish, birds, and fisheries." The Environmental Assessment Report for the project indicates that in  case of  a spill, oil could  rea

Dogwood Leaving an ocean of fire, and the largest oil spill since 1991 in its wake, MV Sanchi exploded and then sank to the bottom of the Pacific on January 14. As two of Asia’s most powerful countries stood by — BC got a firsthand look at just how easy it is to sink an oil tanker. More here. World Maritime News photo.

NATIONAL OBSERVER    PinP photo. Some birds have been forced to change their tune as a result of noise pollution from oil and  gas drilling, new research  from the University of Manitoba has found.  More here.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

U.S. National Academy Sciences A Wikimedia photo. Across North America, streams and rivers are becoming saltier, and freshwater bodies, more alkaline, all thanks to human activity. According to a new study, salty compounds like road de-icers and fertilizers, which make their way into rivers, are significantly changing the salinity levels of the waters in the United States and southern Canada. Researchers analyzed the data recorded at 232 U.S. Geological Survey monitoring sites across the country over the past 50 years. It's the first study to simultaneously account for multiple salt ions — such as sodium, calcium, magnesium and potassium — in freshwater across the United States and southern Canada. The results suggest that salt ions, damaging in their own right, are driving up the pH of freshwater as well, making it more alkaline.

the guardian Colossal funding in manufacturing plants by fossil fuel companies will increase plastic production by 40%, risking permanent pollution of the earth. Story here. RELATED:  Big oil invests $180B in plastics, merging two planet-killing industries

|NATIONAL |OBSERVER Canada has chosen an alternate site for a critical air pollution research station that was shuttered in June, but almost a year will have passed before it's operational again. Story here.

YaleEnvironment360 A loophole in carbon-accounting rules is spurring a boom in burning wood pellets in European power plants. The result has been a surge in logging, particularly in the U.S. South, and new doubts about whether Europe can meet its commitments under the Paris accord.   Story here. PinP photo   PinP photo.

EurekAlert! Photo courtesy of  http://beautifuldestruction.ca Wildfires, cigarette smoking and vehicles all emit a potentially harmful compound called isocyanic acid. The substance has been linked to several health conditions, including heart disease and cataracts. Scientists investigating sources of the compound have now identified off-road diesel vehicles in oil sands production in Alberta, Canada, as a major contributor to regional levels of the pollutant. Story here.