Air Canada green flights

Terra Curve reports that Air Canada will offer voluntary carbon offsets to all passengers wishing to make their flights "green."

Powered by a new partnership with Zerofootprint, a leading organization in the global fight against climate change, the bilingual Voluntary Carbon Offset program offers travelers the choice of two new ISO-14064 certified carbon offsets projects – including an Ontario-based landfill gas recovery project and a tire recycling program in Quebec.

Read more here: Choose to fly green with Air Canada

Photo from Global Giants

Giant Canadian beaver dam can be seen from space

NPR reports on the world's largest beaver dam which is visible from space.

The Canadian beaver dam is as large a nine football fields and located in Alberta's Wood Buffalo National Park.

Dan Karpenchuk reports for the NPR newscast that "it's believed several beaver families joined forces to create the massive dam, which must have taken years to complete." He also says the dam is in an almost inaccessible part of the park, which may help explain why the beavers like that spot so much and have had enough time to make the dam so big.

Photo from http://www.geostrategis.com

Read the full story: Talk about busy beavers

Endangered coastal spots to see

Coastal Living via CNN reports on nine environmentally-sensitive coastal tourist spots that could disappear in the near future. Among the sites are:

INSIDE PASSAGE, British Columbia: Much of the storied Inside Passage route between Washington and Alaska looks as it has for centuries. Unfortunately, visiting cruise ships trail a hazardous mess in their wake. On a typical week long journey, passengers produce sewage, gray water, and many tons of trash.

EVERGLADES, Florida (picture above): The Everglades is the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States, with 1.5 million acres of marshes, estuaries, and prairies, and shady stretches of pine, cypress, and mahogany. Decades ago, the Everglades' freshwater flow was altered to accommodate agriculture, growing cities, and safety concerns. The dams and diversions starved and polluted the delicate ecosystems and the species that relied on them.

ROATAN, Honduras: Divers and snorkelers rave about the majesty of Roatán's biodiverse waters and coral reef system. [Warming oceans], Coastal development, illegal fishing, and reckless divers have taken a toll [on the delicate reefs].

Read the full story: 9 coastal wonders to see now

Photo from National Parks Service

Save orcas or salmon?

McClatchy reports on the dilemma of endangered species eating another endangered species.

A new study on endangered animals shows that killer whales, also called orcas, in the Pacific Northwest are primarily eating endangered Chinook salmon in Canada.

Though the dietary habits of killer whales may not seem like a big deal, the orcas and various salmon species are protected on both sides of the border. Efforts to revive endangered species that share the same ecosystem can become intertwined.

"It is fascinating the whales specialize in a particular species, and the species they focus on is one of the rarer ones and in some case protected," said Michael Ford, the director of the conservation biology division at the National Marine Fisheries Science Center in Seattle. "Recovery of the whales could be dependent on the recovery of salmon. It is all related."

Read the full story: Wildlife dilemma: protect killer whales or the fish they eat?

Photo by Jeff Lorton / West Coast Wildlife Adventures

Canadian grizzlies vs. polar bears

Discovery News reports that Canadian grizzly bears are encroaching on polar bear territory.

A Canadian Field Nationalist study shows that the grizzlies are moving into territory in northern Manitoba traditionally thought as polar bear territory. The study claims that this grizzly encroachment could inflict damage on the polar bear population.

Before 1996, there was no evidence that grizzly bears encroached on polar bear territory. From that year on, however, there have been at least 12 sightings, negating the prior theory that the barren landscape north of the Hudson Bay was impassable, in terms of resources, for migrating grizzly bears. But the flexible bears, which can eat everything from meat to berries, have crossed the gap and likely won't look back much, since the polar bear region is known for its abundant caribou, moose, fish and berries.

Read the full story: Grizzly bears enter polar bear territory

Photo by Linda Gormezano

Blue whales return to old migration waters

New Scientist reports that the blue whale have been reappearing in Pacific Ocean waters off Alaska and Canada.

These whales have been slowly migrating and reappearing in the area since 1997; the most since a 1965 whaling ban.

Whalers formerly caught hundreds of blue whales in the northern zones, landing 1300 between 1908 and 1965. Yet despite the ban, they seemed not to recover there, suggesting to some researchers that the cultural knowledge of the area had been lost.

Read the full story: Migrating blue whales rediscover "forgotten" waters

Canada's boreal forest fate in government's hands

Reuters reports that Canadian politicians are saving the boreal forest on advice from environmental experts.

Only 10 percent of the forest is protected now and deforestation is a big concern. The forest covers 1.4 billion hectares (see picture above) and is "better than almost anywhere else on the planet at keeping climate-warming carbon out of the atmosphere."

The plan to preserve the boreal forest picked up momentum last year when 1,500
scientists from more than 50 countries called for its protection.

In July, the government of Ontario agreed to strictly protect half of its boreal lands and to sustainably manage the other half, with no extraction of minerals or other natural resources allowed.

Last week, Quebec Premier Jean Charest, now campaigning for re-election, pledged to do the same if he wins. Canadian businesses also have endorsed the plan, and Kallick said there is a good chance most provincial governments will as well.

Read the full story: Politicians persuaded to save Canada boreal forest

Study says Canada isn't fighting global warming

Reuters reports on the study showing Canada to be one of the most developed nations lax on environmental standards.

The report put out by the Conference Board of Canada, says Canada's worst environmental problems are "greenhouse gas emissions, high garbage production, and rampant overuse of fresh water."

"Canada's government has been widely criticized for being soft on greenhouse gas emissions, which have been on the rise, partly due to booming development of the Alberta oil sands."

According to the study, the only two countries with worse environmental records are Australia and the United States.

Read the full story: Canada an environmental slouch

Vancouver BC downtown walk

San Jose Mercury News reports via the Seattle Times on the new three-mile path along Vancouver, B.C.'s False Creek.

The False Creek stroll lets visitors enjoying the sights of downtown with its "glittering high rises, million-dollar town houses and housing co-ops" with the scenic backdrop of the mountains.

According to writer Kristen Jackson, there's lots of stuff to do on the stroll besides just take in the sights:

"Hungry? Head to the Granville Island market, a foodie mecca of small-farm produce and seafood, food stalls and cafes. Or wine and dine at fancier restaurants along the way. Want some greenery? Lounge in waterfront pocket parks. Tired? Take a ride in one of the dozen-seater mini-ferries that buzz around False Creek like brightly painted water bugs."

Read the full story: A scenic stroll on the Vancouver, B.C. waterfront

Vancouver Island mushroom picking

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports on mushroom picking (led by a monk) in Canada's Vancouver Island.

Every September and October the popular mushroom-picking tours leave from Aerie resort, a 25-minute drive from capital Victoria.

"Brother Michael, a Benedictine monk and mushroom expert who is our guide for the day and has been leading the Aerie's outing each fall weekend for three years. From the Solo Dio monastery in nearby Duncan, Brother Michael spends four or five hours a day, five days a week, tramping among these steep hills, collecting pounds and pounds of mushrooms to supply Victoria's upscale restaurants, as well as the Aerie. His eyes are so well trained he can spot a potentially promising mushroom cache from more than 20 paces away."

After the three-hour hunt, happy pickers return to the resort for a gourmet lunch off of their mushroom find.

Read the full story: Mushroom hunting on Vancouver Island

Biking Canada's Cape Breton Isle

The San Jose Mercury News' Geri Migielicz writes about her three-day bike trip across the Cabot Trail in Canada's Cape Breton Isle - the northeastern most part of Nova Scotia.

"The rich culture and history make it feel like a shortcut to the British Isles or, when in Canada's Acadian territory, France.

This mix of influences has produced a vibrant Celtic-flavored folk music scene, which alone could justify the trip.

And if you're a bicyclist looking for spectacular terrain and challenging steep climbs to notch on your altimeter, look no further."

Read the full story: Two wheels across Nova Scotia

Toronto to pay for green lifestyles

Environmental News Network reports that Canadian city Toronto has a new carbon emissions reducing program that will pay residents to be green.

The Live Green Toronto program is a citizen-driven project that will give grants based on people's own green initiatives:

"Activators [environmentalists working for non-governmental agencies] meet people with project ideas and collaborate with them through the first stages. If a project idea survives the idea development stage, citizens will have been granted $1,000 to $25,000 [Canadian]. They then can apply for full grants of between $25,000 to $250,000 for their projects to become reality."

Toronto's goal is to reduce their emissions by 6 percent by 2012, 30 percent by 2020, and 80 percent by 2050.

Read the full story: Toronto pays citizens hefty grants for projects reducing carbon footprint

Polar bears, see before extinct

The Los Angeles Times reports on a small Canadian town besieged by polar bear viewing tourists - and because the bear was officially designated as endangered - will most likely see a tourist upswing.

"Tourists come to Churchill, a town about six blocks long, to see the bears; there are about 900 polar bears in the area. They go out on the tundra in buggies, peer at the animals through windows of the specially designed vehicles and get super-close to the bears -- without setting foot in their habitat."

But some tour operators are hopeful that the endangered tag will bring better protection to the bears as well as more recognition of the affects of global warming on melting ice.

Read the full story: Now endangered, polar bears a bigger draw to Churchill, Canada

Electric vehicles made in Canada not allowed in Canada

The Economist magazine reports on the ban of electric vehicles (EVs) on Canadian roads... even though there are three EV manufacturers in Canada.

The cars produced by ZENN Motor Company, Dynasty Electric Car and the third company (an unnamed yet-to-be-produced-EV) are all exported to the United States. These cars are all low-speed-vehicles meant for urban use, not long-haul.

Canada's road regulatory agency, Transport Canada, says EVs are not safe enough to be driven amongst larger gas vehicles:

"It is true that the [electric] cars are made from lightweight metals and plastics. But the manufacturers allege political bias: Stephen Harper's conservative government has much support in oil-rich Alberta.

Backed by thousands of would-be buyers, [EV manufacturers] are campaigning to reverse the agency's decision.

'It's a ludicrous regulatory situation. All you can point to is oil and the big guys and think there's a conspiracy somewhere,' says Danny Epp of Dynasty."

Read the full story: Not on our roads

For more on electric vehicles in Canada check out evcanada.org

British Columbia's eco-campaign

The Seattle Post Intelligencer reports on the new eco-campaign "Be Wild in BC" by neighboring British Columbia.

It's a new publication dropping today that "will help you connect with eco-friendly vacations in British Columbia."

Sounds good to us.

Read the full story: Be wild and green in B.C.

Hiking among glaciers in Canada's Jasper NP

Bob Downing of the Akron Beacon Journal via the Miami Herald writes about two worthwhile and picturesque hikes through Jasper National Park in Canada. There are icy-white glaciers, snowy mountain peaks and flower-filled meadows to be seen there.

Read the full story: Jasper National Park in Canadian Rockies offers trails aplenty