Polar bears are iconic arctic species, threatened by global warming and big oil companies. (Image: Christy Mazrimas-Ott)

There was a time when Canada, symbolized by the maple leaf, was a “green,” environmentally conscientious neighbor. Remember, in the 1980s, Canada came knocking on America’s door, rightfully demanding that the United States curb the sulfur dioxide emissions causing the acid rain that was killing Canada’s lakes and streams.

But today, alarms are going off up north. Increasing capture by polluter interests, Canada’s sliding into shades of gray. Experts say Ontario could lose its beloved polar bears because of a warming climate. World polar bear expert Ian Stirling, University of Alberta, citing Arctic ice loss at 10 percent per decade since 1979, says it’s unlikely this iconic animal will survive on the Ontario and Manitoba shores of Hudson Bay in 20 to 30 years.

Another study predicts trouble for caribou. Some of Canada’s caribou face the possibility of local extinction because of industrial development in northeastern Alberta and the lack of effective habitat protection. Woodland caribou is listed as a threatened species, provincially and federally. “The recently released draft recovery strategy allows for 95 percent of woodland caribou habitat in northeastern Alberta to be lost in order to promote oil sands development,” the Pembina Institute has warned.

Then there’s cod. Canada had to impose a moratorium on cod fishing off the coast of Newfoundland because the cod fishery collapsed, some say because of lax government oversight, poorly-managed over-fishing and exploitation.

Is Canada asleep? No, Canada is in fact very much awake and very busy working on behalf of polluters.

Climate Blind

First let’s look at climate change.

Canada is one of the world biggest emitters of greenhouse gas pollutants. “After committing to targets in Copenhagen, Environment Canada’s projections show that Canada’s current federal and provincial policies will achieve only a quarter of the reductions needed by 2020 – leaving 75 percent of the work as a question mark….”  P.J. Partington has commented.

Canada ranks 54^th out of 61 countries internationally – two points lower than the U.S. – earning a “very poor performance” label in the December 6 global climate performance assessment of world governments’ efforts to curb climate change.

In the negotiations in Durban, Canada pulled out of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change on December 12 to worldwide denunciation, citing the country’s previous commitment as a mistake. Environment Minister Peter Kent said, “It’s now clear that Kyoto is not the path forward to a global solution to climate change. If anything it’s an impediment.” China, once recalcitrant, agreed to limits on greenhouse gas emissions and called Canada’s decision “an excuse to shirk responsibility.”

Oozing with Oil

Tailings pond north of Syncrude processing facility and upgrader (Courtesy of the Pembina Institute)

The latest chapter in Canada’s Big Oil binge is big bad bitumen, Canada’s exploitation of tar sands oil, one of the most polluting, highest-carbon, greenhouse-gas-causing fuels on the planet.

TransCanada and partners propose to build the Keystone XL pipeline, a 1,700-mile pipeline through five Midwestern U.S. states from Alberta to Texas and ship 700,000 barrels of tar sands oil a day for refinement into products likely to be exported.

According to Oregon Senator Ron Wyden, who asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate because it could lead to higher energy prices for Americans, the Keystone corporate interests are Canadian Natural Resources Limited, Conoco Phillips Canada Marketing & Trading ULC, EnCana Corporations, Shell Trading Canada, Total E&P Canada Ltd and Trafigura Canada General Partnership.

The environmental havoc already underway from extraction in Alberta is no secret. To produce one barrel, extractors level the forest, dig up four tons of earth, consume two to four barrels of fresh water, burn large amounts of natural gas and create toxic sludge holding ponds. Alberta’s booming tar sands production is polluting the Athabasca River and converting forests and farmlands to wastelands.

The Keystone XL pipeline will increase production of this dirty fuel by 50 percent. Some will argue that Canada only produces less than two percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, but by producing, shipping and exporting tar sands oil at an ever-escalating pace, Canada is promoting a dirty fuel to the rest of the world to burn, thus increasing emissions multi-fold worldwide.

Syncrude oil sands operations (courtesy of the Pembina Institute)

Pro-pipeline pals in Congress have crafted legislative riders to usurp and overrule President Barack Obama, established review processes and science. Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper even got President Obama’s ear at the White House in early December and made his case for what he dubbed a “no-brainer.”

Talk about pulling out all the stops. Let’s get that oil flowing as the oil lobbyists oil the Washington skids!

And to rub yet more salt into the wounds, on December 8, the Canadian government approved yet more tar sands production by giving the go-ahead for the construction of the $8.9 billion Joslyn North Mine in northern Alberta.

And there’s more to come. Imperial Oil CEO Bruce Marsh said that his company, an Exxon subsidiary, is planning to start the Kearl oil sands mining project in Canada in 2012 and they expect to produce 110,000 barrels a day and maybe up to the 345,000 barrels a day the Canadian government has approved.

As they say on TV commercials: WAIT, there’s more!

Environment Canada has not implemented its long-term scientific research plan, a plan that undergirds the country’s work to mitigate air and water pollution and other environmental risks, charged Commissioner Scott Vaughan, of Canada’s Office of the Auditor General in early December and the department has stopped issuing many environmental reports. So they don’t know what the problems are or the effectiveness of their policies?

Vaughan also issued a recent audit showing that Environment Canada’s enforcement program is not ensuring adequate compliance with environmental regulations and is failing to target the biggest polluters.

Vaughan also found that several Canadian government agencies do not enforce safety regulations for shipping chemicals on highways and railroads and for pumping oil and gas in the country. He reported an average of two accidents a week involving the transport of dangerous materials across Canada. He concluded, for example, “Management has not acted on long-standing concerns regarding inspection and emergency plan review practices,” for transporting dangerous goods.

Accompanying a map of numerous approved and proposed oil and gas pipelines across Canada, Vaughn wrote, “These pipelines, which are located in both rural and urban areas and across different terrains, require ongoing surveillance and maintenance to ensure that they continue to operate according to the National Energy Board Act, its regulations, and standards such as the Canadian Standards Association’s Oil and Gas Pipeline Systems standard. Pipeline incidents, such as gas leaks and oil spills, have occurred across Canada.” Exhibit 1.4 shows over 50 pipeline incidents. This comes against a backdrop of confident assurances from TransCanada that the Keystone pipeline would traverse the U.S. safely. Huh?

A Graying Canada

Canada, the second largest country in the world after Russia, has vast landscapes – three oceans, the tundra, plains, mountains, boreal forests, wetlands, rivers, lakes and coastline. Given its bounty, Canada should be proud and protective of its natural resources. National motto: From Sea to Sea.

But somewhere along the way, Canada has lost its conservation conscience, as it propels itself into an oil-producing, carbon-crazy frenzy.

Polar bears and caribou on the road to extinction. Cod struggling to thrive in the north Atlantic. Does Canada care? Does Canada prefer gray to green?

Kate Catlin, a native of the Seattle area, has been selected as a member of the United States Youth Delegation to the United Nations climate negotiations in Durban, South Africa from Nov. 28-Dec. 9, 2011. A junior at Gonzaga University pursuing a B.S. in Economics, Kate is currently in Nicaragua interning with Soluciones Comunitarias.

The Kyoto Protocol has been called a essential by some and a failure by others. Nevertheless, as of 2012 it will be called “expired” by everyone as the term of the first period of emissions reductions agreement come to an end.

On November 28, 2011, the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the Climate Change Convention officially commences in Durban, South Africa to determine the future of the agreement. In attendance will be consequential heads of state, revered policy experts, international negotiators, hundreds of NGOs, and 14 United States Youth SustainUS Delegates – a group I am proud to be selected as a member for.

For those who are unfamiliar: The Kyoto Protocol was an international agreement  forged through the UN a decade ago which sought to reduce global climate change emissions an average of five percent against 1990 levels over the five-year period 2008-2012. Without emissions reductions, our heating planet will become much less livable for wildlife.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that 20-30% of the world’s plant and animal species will be at increasingly high risk of extinction if global mean temperatures exceed a warming of 2 – 3°C. There will also be debilitating effects on humans as water sources dry up, natural disasters intensify, and island nations are lost under the rising ocean. The Cancun Agreements of 2010 included clear objectives for reducing human-generated greenhouse gas emissions over time to keep the global average temperature rise below 2 °C.

That makes the next year a critical turning point – experts agree that we need to start reducing NOW. Our international leaders must use this conference to forge a new strong and binding agreement with specifics on how we will mitigate, adapt for and fund the climate crisis.

As an “Agent of Change” with SustainUS, I will work with U.S. youth and young people from around the world in submitting policy recommendations, doing interviews with the media, and speaking with government delegates. Youth will bring our message into the negotiation halls: Bold and immediate action to ensure a livable world for generations of people and wildlife to come. I will also be keeping you updated with a first-hand account of the conference and the life of a delegate through this blog. Stay tuned!

Learn more about the conference and how to support bringing youth to climate agreements.

Yesterday on the lawn of the DC Historical Society, the Xprize foundation awarded $10 million in prizes to three teams who built vehicles that achieve greater than 100 MPGe (Miles Per Gallon energy equivalent – an efficiency measure equalized across electric, gas, or other fuels) while being speedy, safe, affordable and mass producible.

Over 100 teams entered the contest, 22 super-efficient vehicles made the finals, and 3 teams split the prize money by pushing the envelope in materials, safety, propulsion and design. Two of the winning vehicles achieved nearly 200 MPGe.

National Wildlife Federation is a sponsor of the Automotive Xprize which aims to galvanize technology breakthroughs that can transform the auto industry while cutting oil consumption and emissions. The prizes for these novel super-efficient vehicles come just months before very efficient mass market electric vehicles are slated to hit vehicle showrooms and family’s garages this fall.

Speakers from the winning teams, prominent legislators and others underscored how a confluence of initiatives like the Xprize which inspire innovation and entrepreneurship, energy policy leadership from government, and robust public and private sector partnerships to invest in science, technology and manufacturing – are the critical ingredients for US technology leadership and economic revitalization. Noting that “imported oil is responsible for 50% of the US trade deficit” speakers stressed the need to act to adopt more efficient vehicles to address climate change, energy independence and the economy.

A member of the winning Edison2 Team of Lynchburg, Virginia, spoke of “electricity in the country” around automotive innovation that must continue. Speakers stressed the importance of science education and building the next generation of engineers. The West Philly Hybrid X team – students from the West Philadelphia High School Academy of Automotive and Mechanical Engineering epitomized this emphasis with their two entries, battery electric and plug-in-electric conversion vehicles which achieved 57 and 64MPGe respectively (standard MPG for these vehicles would be even higher).

This optimism is shared by the public. A poll released separately yesterday showed overwhelming support for stronger national fuel economy standards. 86% of respondents believed that the technology exists today to meet a 60mpg standard by 2025 or could be developed “if we made a serious effort”. The Xprize winners and runners up are one more piece of evidence that the US can meet this challenge handily.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Unfortunately the U.S. government reported today that the nation will increase it’s emissions this year by 3.2 percent. Worse still, it’s largely due to increased use of coal and natural gas to power our electrical grid. Clearly voluntary measures won’t cut the mustard.  We must have comprehensive climate and energy legislation that will put a price on carbon and truly boost clean energy investments in wind and solar, which can power our grid without increasing CO2. 

Read the federal report here.

http://cnn.com/video/?/video/tech/2010/04/07/gsif.burpless.cows.cnn

As the single largest energy consumer in the U.S. economy, the Federal Government spent more than $24.5 billion on electricity and fuel in 2008 alone. Achieving the Federal GHG pollution reduction target will reduce Federal energy use by the equivalent of 646 trillion BTUs, equal to 205 million barrels of oil, and taking 17 million cars off the road for one year. This is also equivalent to a cumulative total of $8 to $11 billion in avoided energy costs through 2020.

“As the largest energy consumer in the United States, we have a responsibility to American citizens to reduce our energy use and become more efficient,” said President Obama. “Our goal is to lower costs, reduce pollution, and shift Federal energy expenses away from oil and towards local, clean energy.”

Here’s what Larry Schweiger, president & CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, had to say about the plan:

Leadership starts from the top, and once again President Obama is showing his commitment to protecting our environment and promoting energy independence. This is a well-thought out plan that shows that we can significantly reduce pollution, save oil, and reduce our energy bills at the same time. This is good for taxpayers, it’s good for our children’s future, and it’s good for wildlife and the environment. If the federal government can cut pollution by 28% this decade while saving money, then imagine what the nation’s biggest corporate polluters could do if they focused on innovation and protecting our environment.

Yesterday, President Obama set a more modest goal for the nation as a whole, calling for a 17% pollution cut by 2020 as part of the Copenhagen Accord, consistent with the American Clean Energy & Security Act that passed the House last year. The Senate must pass clean energy and climate legislation this year to get America moving on the road to clean energy jobs, energy independence, and a healthy planet for future generations.

Email your Senators today!

With deforestation responsible for roughly 15 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, we have an opportunity to bridge a significant gap between what science tells us is necessary to avoid catastrophic climate change and the amount of reductions nations like the U.S. are willing to put on the table.

Our own U.S. House legislation lays out an aggressive plan to cut 720 million tons of global carbon dioxide emissions in 2020 by financing forest restoration efforts. But because that legislation is not law, our own U.S. negotiating team has refused to use it as a negotiating tool.

The Bellona Foundation, an organization that graciously sponsored most of NWF’s side events, has been covering activities. They offer some good coverage to follow.

Photo via Flickr’s AidJoy

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson also announced here that EPA will regulate greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources. Administrator Jackson said:

“We are not going to continue with business as usual while we wait for Congress to act. We have the tools and the technologies to move forward today, and we are using them.”

This is good news for the creation of 1.7 million clean energy jobs in America and is some real momentum to safeguard wildlife.

To reduce cars’ effects on rising levels of global warming pollution (not to mention our wallets), California legislators have been working to improve life on the road through state legislation.

If implemented, this legislation would require automakers to reduce the emissions their vehicles produce, encouraging more fuel-efficient vehicles on America’s roads.

Unfortunately, the EPA under the previous administration overruled the state’s decision to enact higher emissions standards than the federal government’s, preventing California — and 13 other states — from working to get cleaner cars and trucks on our roads..

But the story’s not over yet . President Obama recently issued an order demanding the EPA reconsider this decision.

So please take a moment today to urge the EPA to reverse their decision and grant states the rights to implement stronger vehicle emissions standards.

Granting California the right to set stronger auto emissions standards is a critical step to reduce global warming. With 13 other states following California’s lead, this is a great opportunity to get Americans driving cleaner cars, spending less money on gas, and to safeguard the future of our natural world!