Pick up any newspaper and you’re likely to come across an environmental story that’s making headlines – usually in a negative way. The recent oil spill in the Gulf coast is an example of an environmental tragedy of such epic proportions that trying to wrap your mind around just what happened is almost too much to bear.

With only two subpopulations in Canada, habitat for the spiny softshell turtle (Apalone spinifera) is crucial to its survival. However, this reptile has a long must-have list before it moves into its habitat and human impacts can leave it homeless. As it stands, the spiny softshell turtle has been listed as threatened by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) since 1991.

It’s your quintessential good-news/bad-news story. The good news? Emission-control legislation enacted in Canada and the U.S. over the last three decades has resulted in significant acid rain declines in this country. The bad? Despite those efforts, much of Atlantic Canada still gets more acid precipitation than local ecosystems can bear.

The assessment of 28 wildlife species by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) in November verified what many of us already knew.  Without significant efforts, more and more of our native species are at risk of becoming extinct. Habitat loss, climate change and human activity are increasingly threatening their worlds, making survival an even greater challenge.
 

By Leigh Edgar

Once a leader in the fight against climate change, the government of Canada is now lagging behind other developed nations in its efforts to meaningfully address greenhouse gas emissions. And instead of trying to improve its own record, Canada wants to point the finger at other nations instead.
 

Canada boasts an impressive maritime heritage. With the world’s longest coastline bordering on three oceans, it’s easy to see how important the marine environment is to our way of life. Nearly a third of all Canadians live within reach of the coast. Oceans contribute to our economy, our recreation and our identity. Oceans are important sources of food and cultural experiences and they provide an array of goods and services that we benefit from everyday, regardless of where we live.
 

Pushing to amend Canada’s Navigable Waters Protection Act to strengthen and conserve environmental protection of Canadian waters.  

Even though it’s still making headlines, it shouldn’t be news to anyone — kids today are spending too much time inside and not enough time in nature. A recent U.K. study conducted by the National Trust showed that of the 1,651 children surveyed, only half could tell the difference between a bee and a wasp but 90 per cent could identify Yoda. This study focused on U.K. children, but would Canadian kids fare any better? If we can be compared to our neighbours to the south — who have studied this growing disconnect in detail — the answer is no.  

CWF encourages Canadians to add their voices to the call for allocation of carbon market revenues to conservation. 

The heat is on in Cancún, Mexico, this December. Sure it’s balmy, but the real heat is coming from the United Nations COP16 summit, which took place from November 29 to December 10.