For Marine Life, New Threats from a Fast-Tracked Canadian Pipeline

Yale Environment 360

A new Canadian government-backed pipeline that will triple the amount of thick Alberta tar sands oil flowing to a British Columbia port poses significant risks for a threatened population of killer whales and other coastal marine life. Story here.

Mercury linked to dramatic decline of migratory songbirds: study

RCI Radio Canada International

The Cape May warbler, while not named in this story, also migrates from the 

West Indies to the Boreal forests of Canada. A PinP photo.

Examination of tail feathers suggests that mercury is one of the determining factors for the steep declines of many songbird populations that migrate long distances to and from North America. More here.

Deepwater Horizon disaster altered building blocks of ocean life

The Guardian

Oil spill disaster reduced biodiversity in sites closest to spill, report finds, as White House rolls back conservation measures. More here.

BP Canada spews thousands of litres of toxic mud during offshore drilling incident near Halifax

NATIONAL

OBSERVER

BP Canada has spewed out 136,000 litres of a toxic mud into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Halifax during deepwater offshore exploratory oil drilling, a federal regulator says. More here.

The Natural Gas Industry Has a Leak Problem

The New York Times

Fracking in the Bakken formation of North Dakota. Photo by Joshua Doubek

The American oil and gas industry is leaking more methane than the government thinks — much more, a new study says. Since methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, that is bad news for climate change. More here.

Toxic legacy of Giant Mine found in snowshoe hares

TheNarwhal

Researchers find arsenic levels in animals living near mine 20 to 50 times greater than those living away from it. More here.

Greenpeace Film (on ocean pollution) to be shown at special Winnipeg Screening

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

This is Giant Mine

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.

One-Third of Protected Areas 'Highly Degraded' By Humans, Study Finds

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.

Pollution from Canadian refineries an ‘embarrassment’ compared to U.S.

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.

'Nowhere Is Immune': Researchers Find Record Levels of Microplastics in Arctic Sea Ice

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.

Climate change is wreaking havoc on delicate relationship between orchids and bees

ScienceDaily

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

Photo by Björn S.

Thawing permafrost causing the 'browning' of northern lakes

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.

High levels of microplastics found in Northwest Atlantic fish

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.

'Plastic in All Sizes' Found Everywhere in Once Pristine European Arctic

EcoWatch

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

If the world builds every coal plant that’s planned, climate change goals are doomed, scientists say

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

Can the Great Lakes Become Fishable, Drinkable and Swimmable Again?

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.

Oil Spill From Sanchi May Have Reached Japan

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.

BP Offshore Drill Project Approval Points to Need for Reform

• 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 reach fishing grounds on Emerald Bank in 6 days,  and Georges Bank in 20 days. Since the company’s own estimate of getting  a well capped and contained after a blowout is between 13-25 days, and its  self-assessed "worst case" scenario is that a blowout would be uncontrolled  for up to 30 days, this puts these fishing grounds at an unacceptable risk.  It should be noted that the Gulf of Mexico spill lasted almost 90 days. The approval, signed by federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna,  lays out some conditions, including the requirement that BP consult  indigenous groups regarding the specific aspects of its spill response plan.  In addition to readiness for capping wells, spill response may include using  dispersants - chemicals that have been shown to harm marine life and threaten  human health. However, final say on the oil spill plan will go to the  Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board, which has a conflicting  mandate to promote the oil industry. "This is exactly the type of regulatory capture that was reversed in the  United States after the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Our offshore oil  regulations are deeply flawed and the soon-to-be released new  environmental assessment law must absolutely demonstrate improvements  in this direction," adds Fitzgerald." We will continue to mobilize with our  allies to stop the BP project from proceeding this spring." -30-

  
  
• ra Club Can

Tragic tanker sinking lays bare the true risk Kinder Morgan poses to British Columbia

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.