Unprecedented opposition may make British Columbia pipeline a non-starter
More than 1,000 Canadians have spoken out at public hearings on whether to build the Northern Gateway oil pipeline through the British Columbia wilderness.
Shell begins drilling in Arctic waters, despite concerns over environment, increasing ice melt
After years of delays due to safety and environmental concerns, Shell Oil has started drilling operations off the Alaskan Coast. But because their spill response ship Arctic Challenger is not yet ready or in position, the Department of the Interior only granted them a permit for an exploratory well, and won’t yet allow them to go after the zones estimated to have the most oil. And since it’s late in the season, they’ll only be able to install some infrastructure and equipment for the oil well in the Chukchi Sea over the next few weeks, before they have to shut down and wait for next summer’s ice melt to continue drilling. This comes as new data from the National Snow and Ice Data Center finds that Arctic sea ice is at its lowest level since satellite recordings began, with several weeks of summer melting yet to come.
Australia to ban giant fishing trawler
Australia plans to block a controversial “super trawler” from fishing in its waters for two years in a victory for environmental activists worried about the impact on fish stocks and other marine life.
British royal couple caught in logging scandal
It was to be a highlight of their official Diamond Jubilee tour on behalf of the Queen, a trip deep into the heart of Borneo to see one of its last areas of virgin rainforest. In doing so, however, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, whose nine-day tour of Asia and the South Pacific started on Septemeber 10, are being propelled into the first diplomatic row of their fledging royal careers.
