a chunk of ice the size of Ontario

It's the end of a year, and it's list time.

Topping Environment Canada's list of top weather stories of 2007 is our melting Arctic sea ice - in September, scientists were stunned by satellite images revealing that the ice had shrunk to about 4 million square kilometres - a 23% reduction from 5.3 million square kilometres in 2005.

In other words, a chunk of ice the size of Ontario vanished within one year.

So what does it mean? Well, it remains to be seen how the dramatic transformation of the Arctic surface from a highly reflective white ice to dark heat-absorbing sea water will affect planetary climate.

"When you go from a surface that reflects 90 per cent of the radiation that comes in to a surface that absorbs 95 per cent of the sun's rays ... I think it has incredible implications for all people," warned senior climatologist David Phillips.

Second place on the weather list went to the threat of a devastating flood in British Columbia, followed by pre-winter storms across Canada, a hot and sticky summer on the Prairies, a dry summer in southern Ontario and the effects of Hurricane Noel in eastern Canada.

Full story at canada.com

while you're washing those holiday dishes

Maybe it's time to start thinking about water. Like, what if it runs out? If you're concerned about water quality - and quantity - you should visit Water for Life, a Canuck initiative developed for the UN's Water for Life decade (2005-2015).

Their goal is to create a common vision that will inspire movement in the direction Canada must go to protect its water resources successfully over the long term. The site has background and tips on ways to take action; plus, there are some nifty posters to download and share. thinkwater.ca

give the gift of a goat

Still shopping? Skip the mall and give a truly meaningful gift. The 'Oxfam Unwrapped' program is a unique collection of gifts you can give while helping people in developing countries become more self-sufficient. Give a survival kit or bicycle, or even a chicken, goat or donkey.

The recipient receives a card detailing the gift you bought in their name while the actual item goes to those who need it most (you don't actually have to wrap up the goat).

Visit oxfam.ca to learn how Oxfam Canada is making a difference.

say no to the wish book

This holiday season, Environmental Defence is sharing ways to protect the environment with their Top 5 Tips for a Green Holiday Season:

1. Tell Sears you don't want their 1083-page Wish Book Christmas Catalogue. Canada's largest catalogue is made from clearcut forests and threatened woodland caribou habitat in Ontario. It also uses as much energy to produce as the equivalent of 3,300 homes annually. Why not go online instead or take the bus to your local Sears store?

2. Replace your Christmas lights. Use low-energy LED lights and help reduce the annual holiday power surge! Check to see if your local utility is sponsoring an exchange program.

3. Skip the plastic. Using re-usable shopping bags can reduce the approximately 65,000 tonnes of plastic that is thrown away during the holidays in Canada. You will save on fossil fuel consumption too!

4. For your tree. The best thing you can do is use a locally-grown potted tree that can be replanted in the spring. If you buy a cut tree, then make sure that it is from a local tree-farm. While cutting the tree adds to your carbon footprint, the tree that will be replanted to replace it is your carbon offset.

5. Eat local. Reducing the distance your holiday food has to travel not only lowers your carbon footprint, it support local economies.

Support Environmental Defence by giving the Gift of Green to family and friends on your list who are concerned about the planet.

get real this christmas

Literally - the David Suzuki Foundation says you should buy a real Christmas tree over an artificial one.

Justin Smallbridge, who researched the issue for the foundation, said it's better for the environment since - for the most part - they are grown and sold locally, produce oxygen, are fully recyclable, and, once cut, are replaced with at least two more seedlings.

According to Statistics Canada, real Christmas tree sales were worth $73.9 million in 2005. About 2.4 million trees were exported to places as far away as Ireland and Thailand. Up to six million trees are grown in Canada each year.

But not everyone wants to get real. According again to StatsCan, $36.6 million was spent importing artificial trees from China in 2005.

Full article from the Vancouver Province >>

things heat up in regina

While our government makes climate change promises over rounds of tuak in Bali (we are agreeing, in principal, to agree to negotiate a future UN agreement on climate change!), folks in Regina were reminding them to actually do something.

Despite -20C temperatures, people gathered in downtown Regina on Saturday to protest global warming and demand the governments take action on climate change.

One speaker was 12-year-old Holden Greggains. He called for everyone to do their part to conserve energy and said even small changes can make a big difference in the long run.

A national day of action was called for by two of Canada's most recognized environmental activists, David Suzuki and Maude Barlow. As a result 37 cities across Canada held similar rallies and more than 80 countries around the world participated in "Kyoto Now" protests, correlating with the United Nation's 13th Climate Change Conference in Indonesia.

Read the full article at the Leader-Post or visit climatechaos.ca

ontario liberals told to curb use of road salt

It saves lives on slick winter roads, but kills plants, trees and aquatic animals. Road salt (sodium chloride) is a primary ice-fighting tool for most Canadian municipalities - despite a growing realization the chemical compound has nasty eco-consequences.

Last week, Environmental commissioner Gord Miller told the governing Liberals to curb the use of road salt by forcing municipalities to take advantage of modern technology.

He noted that widespread use of road salt used to be justified because people argued saving lives was more important than saving the environment. Now, modern technology means the municipalities don’t need to make that choice, Miller said, noting that the Ministry of Transportation uses on-board computers to monitor road temperatures and distribute salt more efficiently on 20 per cent of Ontario roads.

Miller also complained that development is trumping environmental concerns in the Golden Horseshoe region, where the population is exploding and “car-centric” culture continues to thrive.

Dan McDermott, with the Sierra Club of Canada, said the Liberals should follow Miller’s recommendation to halt the construction of new highways in southern Ontario. Adding and expanding highways will just mean more urban sprawl and more asphalt to salt, he said. “Fewer roads would mean less road salt,” McDermott said. “More transit would mean less road salt.”

You can’t argue with that. Read the story at the Toronto Star>>

a new sense of community

Did you know there are 24 ecovillages in Canada? I found this out at Global Ecovillage Network.

The term “ecovillage” may bring to mind images of drum-dancing, society-ditching hippies, but it's actually a positive term describing communities of people (both urban and rural), who strive to integrate a supportive social environment with a low-impact way of life.

Basically, people living and working together cooperatively to build a more sustainable future. To achieve this, they integrate various aspects of ecological design, permaculture, ecological building, green production, alternative energy and community building practices such as co-housing.

While the majority of Canadian ecovillages can be found in British Columbia, we also have a smattering across Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Quebec. Interested in visiting? Find out more about "ecovillage tourism" here.