By Andrew Gage, Staff Lawyer West Coast Environmental Law On Wednesday, Feb 20th, the Provincial Government issued a press release stating (among other things) that it was introducing changes to BC’s Integrated Pest Management Act (hat tip to Kathryn Seeley at the Canadian Cancer Society for directing my attention to this): The proposed amendments to
Court: Polar bear habitat that interferes with oil drilling has to go
By Philip Bump Grist.org Through a bit of evolutionary serendipity, polar bears are cute. They are big and fuzzy and have thick, dopey heads. This is helpful to the polar bears, because it’s given the animals a powerful tool in their fight for existence. “Do you want polar bears to go away?” fundraising pleas ask
Tankers? No thanks.
BY KIMBERLY SHEARON ecojustice.ca More than five months into technical hearings on the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline, the National Energy Board panel tasked with reviewing the project will finally hear evidence on the risk the pipeline poses to British Columbia’s coastline. And this week, and into the spring, Ecojustice lawyers will be in Prince Rupert, B.C.,
Public Action Making Headway in Stopping ‘Dinosaur Industries’
Todd Paglia Forest Ethics My Puget Sound fishing partners are six and eight years old – my sons Nico and Luca. Despite our best efforts we are not yet a major threat to our iconic Northwest salmon – but all that time fishing gives us a lot of time to appreciate the gorgeous islands,
Asia Pulp & Paper Company Pledges To Stop Deforestation In Indonesia Through Work With Greenpeace
Huffington Post JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — One of the world’s largest paper companies, Asia Pulp & Paper Group, has pledged to stop its suppliers from cutting down natural forests in Indonesia, a move it hopes will help preserve the threatened habitats of rare animals such as orangutans and Sumatran tigers while helping
Large blocks of Sumatra’s endangered rainforest may be put up for mining, logging
mongabay.com The Indonesian province of Aceh on the western tip of the island of Sumatra may be preparing to lift the protected status of key areas of lowland rainforest potentially ending its bid to earn carbon credits from forest conservation and putting several endangered species at increased risk, according to reports. Under a
Large blocks of Sumatra’s endangered rainforest may be put up for mining, logging
mongabay.com The Indonesian province of Aceh on the western tip of the island of Sumatra may be preparing to lift the protected status of key areas of lowland rainforest potentially ending its bid to earn carbon credits from forest conservation and putting several endangered species at increased risk, according to reports. Under a
Ecuadorian tribe gets reprieve from oil intrusion
Residents of Sani Isla have built up an arsenal of weapons to fend off Petroamazonas, in a confrontation which did not take place as expected Jonathan Watts, Latin American correspondent guardian.co.uk, An indigenous community in the Ecuadorian Amazon has won a reprieve after building up an arsenal of spears, blowpipes, machetes
The Foul Legacy of the Tar Sands: Lakes Turned Into Cancer Sites
by Kristina Chew Care2 Back in 2010, residents near the shores of Canada’s Lake Athabasca called on the government to commission an independent study about the impact of the tar sands development in northern Alberta and Saskatchewan on the environment. Lake Athabasca is located downstream from one of the major tar sands developments and residents,
Nevada Pipeline Will Push Dozens of Species Toward Extinction
Kansas City InfoZineinfozine.com The project’s “environmental impact statement” reveals that more than 137,000 acres of wildlife habitat will be permanently destroyed or changed. The Southern Nevada Water Authority still wants to take water form rural valleys of the state and bring it to the Las Vegas area. Las Vegas, NV – infoZine – The Bureau
Biodiversity offsetting will unleash a new spirit of destruction on the land
George Monbiot The Guardian A place of outstanding wildlife value may be destroyed if in return someone is paid to create a habitat elsewhere This post is about the dangerous new concept the government has seeded in the minds of developers and planners. The idea is called biodiversity offsetting. It involves trading places:
7 reasons why Arctic sea ice matters
Russell McLendon mnn.com The vanishing veneer of frozen ocean isn’t just important for polar bears. The Arctic has seen better years than 2012. Its sea ice melted to an all-time low this summer, and by fall it was 18 percent smaller than at any point in recorded history. As U.S. scientists noted in their
7 reasons why Arctic sea ice matters
Russell McLendon mnn.com The vanishing veneer of frozen ocean isn’t just important for polar bears. The Arctic has seen better years than 2012. Its sea ice melted to an all-time low this summer, and by fall it was 18 percent smaller than at any point in recorded history. As U.S. scientists noted in their
Illegal wildlife trade ‘threatening national security’, says WWF
Group says organised crime syndicates are ‘outgunning’ governments, leading to sharp rise in elephant and rhino deaths Suzanne Goldenberg US environment correspondent guardian.co.uk, Illicit trade in wildlife has exploded into a $19bn criminal enterprise, threatening government stability and national security, the WWF warned on Wednesday. A report from the world’s biggest conservation
4 Days Until the Fate of the Sacred Headwaters is Decided
BY KAREN TAM WU, SENIOR CONSERVATION CAMPAIGNER, FORESTETHICS ADVOCACY Dec 14, 2012 ForestEthics.org We’re down to just four days until the ban on Shell drilling for gas in the Sacred Headwaters will be lifted. Are we are on the brink of a watershed moment, or are we about to pour more fuel on the on the
