[All] GREN: Enviro News

[Louisette Lanteigne]

Local

2014 Farmland Forum: The Region of Waterloo experience created by Region of Waterloo Planning Director Kevin Eby as presented to Ontario Farmland Trust
-review of Waterloo moraine, aggregate and farmland issues in the face of provincial growth targets. 
http://ontariofarmlandtrust.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Farmland-Protection-the-Region-of-Waterloo-Experience-Kevin-Eby-2.pdf

Close to 500 sustainability leaders joined Sustainable Waterloo Region to celebrate the release of it's new report. Press release with video links here: http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1344713/organizations-in-waterloo-region-are-changing-the-face-of-environmental-sustainability


Highway 7 expansion won’t start until 2016, leaked document suggests 
http://www.guelphmercury.com/news-story/4441541-highway-7-expansion-won-t-start-until-2016-leaked-document-suggests/


Kitchener to Toronto in 48 minutes by train? That’s the plan, transportation minister says: 
http://www.therecord.com/news-story/4492194-kitchener-to-toronto-in-48-minutes-by-train-that-s-the-plan-transportation-minister-says/



Provincial

The Ontario Ministry of Energy Conservation Directive will reduce energy use in Ontario by 7 billion KW by 2020. That represents a 5% reduction in energy use in Ontario. The main document is here : http://www.powerauthority.on.ca/sites/default/files/news/MC-2014-856.pdf and the numbers were confirmed by Clean Energy Alliance of Ontario. 

There is a rally to stop Tar Sands and Fracking taking place at Toronto City Hall on May the 10th which is part of a National day of action.  http://stopfrackingontario.wordpress.com/2014/04/26/toronto-day-of-action-no-tar-sands-no-fracking-no-line-9/

Lack of vitamin B1 is killing Great Lakes Fish. http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=3868#.U2FRr3VdXWR

NASA's view of the extreme ice conditions happening in the Great Lakes this year. (the graph and photos are remarkable) 
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=83541&src=twitter&utm_content=buffer3cda5&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer


Dr. Sharri Mason, a chemistry Prof at State University of New York at Fredonia is studying plastic beads in the Great Lakes. She states "90% of the plastic that we found was in Lake Erie. The largest being around 450,000 plastic particles per square kilometer, which in kind of more layman terms, that's over 1 million plastic particles per square mile." 
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=251664454


National

Environmental Groups won in court forcing Ottawa to review the approval of up to 385 pesticide products containing 23 active ingredients, many with links to Cancer and water contamination. http://www.ecojustice.ca/media-centre/press-releases/environmental-groups-force-ottawa-to-review-approval-of-hundreds-of-pesticide-products

Environment Canada's new Water page highlights various water quality issues across Canada. http://www.ec.gc.ca/eau-water/

The BC Civil liberties association has form letters folks can use to find out if the NEB, CSIS or RCMP has breached privacy for those participating in public processes. Evidence shows data was given to big oil firms during NEB pipeline hearings and that act was illegal. For folks wanting to make an inquiry on whether or not their private data was breached, the form letters are here: http://bccla.org/dont-spy-on-me/10388-2/


International

Explosion of de-railed crude oil train in Lynchburg VA leaked in lake. Very Lac Megantic like explosion:  http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/14-train-cars-hauling-crude-oil-derailed-in-virginia-1.2627407


New reports show cities are SINKING into the ocean do to the over-withdrawl of aquifers. To the point they're going below sea levels. (Wondering what sort of local geological impacts our well systems have.) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2616714/Forget-global-warming-groundwater-extraction-causing-megacities-SINK-beneath-sea-level.html

El Nino is 70 percent likely to happen in 2014 and already a global economic warning has been issued regarding food security issues. 
http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/550044/20140429/food-markets-drought-el-ni-o-australia.htm#.U2EisYNE3Fo


Quick sign Petitions and Actions

Quick Feedback needed to show support for the work of Ecojustice http://ejcan.convio.net/site/Survey

Sign on with Environmental Defence to get the Federal Government to fix our broken regulatory system. http://environmentaldefence.ca/tell-federal-government-fix-our-broken-regulatory-system

Support students at Harvard University in their campaign to have the institution divest from fossil fuels. http://act.350.org/sign/Harvard/?t=2&akid=4531.178523.dwUNcU

Have a great day everybody! 

Lulu :0)
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