Prime Minister Stephen Harper is heading for China with four cabinet ministers and seven MPs Monday. Since Harper took office in 2006 it will only be his second visit. Not only did he meet with his holiness, the Dalai Lama, which angered the Chinese government, but Harper also did not attend the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Now why would Prime Minister Harper all of a sudden have a change of heart? He did state that his reason for not attending the Beijing Olympics was because he did not think Canadians wanted to see the government sell out over the “almighty dollar.” So it couldn’t possibly be because of the Northern Gateway pipeline that would send Alberta oilsands crude oil through my backyard of British Columbia’s coast over to Asia.

It surely couldn’t be any talks on human rights issues, we all know where China stands on that; no voting, no free media, object anything and be imprisoned. No, surely no talks on human rights.

China’s interest in the Arctic perhaps? China’s ambassador to Canada has already stated that China would like to be an observer on the Arctic Council. Maybe, but still wouldn’t get me on a plane all the way to China, especially on a Monday.

Yes, of course there will be talks of investment and trade with China being Canada’s second-largest trade partner. In 2010 Canadians bought toys, electronics, clothing, machinery, shoes, tupperware and everything in their junk drawer from China, totaling $44.5 billion. Not quite the same going the other way but Canadians still sold back to China $13.2 billion in natural resources from wood pulp, mineral ores, oil and gas.

Still not satisfied though. There must be something more to entice this visit. It can’t just be the hope to sell a measly extra $5 to $10 billion in crude oil. It’s not like Canada needs the extra business, not while deals for the Trans Canada Keystone XL pipeline to the US are running along so smoothly. Sure the U.S. President Barack Obama unfortunately had to delay approvals, but it’s gonna happen.

So what does China have that the US doesn’t? Pandas! Cute, cuddly, panda bears. Let’s be honest for a second here, who doesn’t want a panda bear to call their own. So what if it takes a little dirty crude oil from Alberta to get it. You try and say no to those big eyes and that soft fir. I for one say let’s give Prime Minister Harper a round of applause. If the Chinese government wants to use a panda bear as a gift to promote diplomatic relations, who are we to stop them.

When Harper finally does meet Canada’s new furry mascot, I hope he remembers the wise words of his spokesman when he told reporters: “I wouldn’t wear your bamboo undershorts.”

Code Orange. Its the alert level just below Code: Red – and its where Alaska’s remote Cleveland Volcano now sits classified. Cleveland is a 5,675-foot mountain on an uninhabited island 940 miles southwest of Anchorage. Scientists recently noticed that a new lava dome had begun forming, which is a major indicator that the mountain is very possibly ready to erupt at any moment. The mountain is quite far from any towns, but the resulting ash cloud would be very hazardous for airplanes.

The Alaska Volcano Observatory raided the alert status yesterday, saying that the color label means that the area is “exhibiting heightened or escalating unrest with increased potential of eruption, timeframe uncertain, OR eruption is underway with no or minor volcanic-ash emissions,” according to the observatory.

An eruption a decade ago produced ash clouds as high as 39,000 feet, which would most definitely interrupt air travel for thousands of miles. The standardized USGS alert-notification system for volcanic activity was designed to be useful to people on the ground and to those in aviation.

The US state department has officially said no to the Keystone pipeline, a controversial 1600-mile long crude oil pipeline that would have run from the Alberta tar sands.

The state department denied the permit, saying it had insufficient time to review the plans. President Barack Obama said he was disappointed that the deadline set by Republicans in Congress had caused the state department to reject the project before a full study could be undertaken.

“This announcement is not a judgment on the merits of the pipeline, but the arbitrary nature of a deadline that prevented the state department from gathering the information necessary to approve the project and protect the American people.”

The pipeline would have passed through Alberta, Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma.

A court in Lago Agrio, Ecuador has upheld the ruling against Chevron that ordered the company to pay 18 billion USD in damages for chemicals spillage in the rainforests of the Amazon.

The court made the announcement on Tuesday saying “We ratify the ruling of February 14 2011 in all its parts, including the sentence for moral reparation.”

Chevron has called the court’s decision “illegitimate” and “a fraud” and claimed they would continue to seek recourse through proceedings outside Ecuador. Chevron has no international obligation to pay, and no assets in Ecuador for the government to seize.

Chevron and their asset company, Texaco, have ruined land and caused much sickness and despair amongst the indigenous people of the Amazon since recklessly dumping toxic waste in the Amazon River basin. 18 billion US gallons of formation water was dumped by the company before they were intervened.

Just less than a week after it started, Chilean President Sebastien Pinera, has announced that the enormous wildfire that has destroyed over 30,000 acres, has been contained. The fire, which was started by a tourist who didn’t properly put out a small fire he made with some cardboard, spread quickly throughout Chile’s Torres del Paine national park, a protected Patagonian ecosystem. Officials say that the blaze was successfully contained by around 500 firefighters, who worked 24 hours a day to defeat the fire.

“Thanks to the great work of our firemen, and better weather conditions, the Torres del Paine fire is under control,” President Pinera said via Twitter.

Torres del Paine National Park has mountains, a glacier, a lake, and a number of rivers contained within southern Chilean Patagonia. This is the third fire in the park since 1985. All three fires were started by foreign tourists. Camping is only allowed at specified campsites and wood fires are prohibited throughout the park.

Kyoto Agreement is a movement by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Changes (UNFCCC) whereby, countries that enter into the agreement bound themselves to reduce their emission of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and sulphur hexafluoride. Such gases are called greenhouse gases that largely cause global warming. The aim of Kyoto Agreement is basically developing a sustainable development by the convergence of concerns over the economy, society and the environment.

In the first Kyoto Agreement in 1997, Canada was one of the signers. However, Canada had declared that they are no longer renewing their participation with the Kyoto agreement when the same expires on 2012.

The reason why the US did not participate in the Kyoto agreement is that it claims the agreement is stifling as it hinders economic development. The Kyoto aimed to develop a sustainable development by exposing the importance of the environment and economy. It aims to limit the deterioration of the environment by lessening the emission of the greenhouse gases. However, after
more than a decade, the protocol failed to lower the use of fossil fuel which is the biggest source of greenhouse gases.

This only shows that ecological progress is far from being achieved. Nations may find it plausible to attain economic and environmental sustainability but are having difficulty achieving a sustainability overall.

Canada has seemingly prioritized economic sustainability. And so, it’s irresponsibly abandoned the Kyoto Agreement. This declination of the protocol has a big effect on the environment.

Canada is one of the most polluting nations that produces significant amount of greenhouse gases. If it will no longer be a signatory to Kyoto Agreement or protocol, starting in 2013, Canada is free to manufacture, produce and experiment substances without reflecting as to whether they will abide with the stipulations of the Kyoto agreement.

If Canada’s economy booms due to their non-participation to the renewal of Kyoto agreement, other forerunner countries, such as Japan and Korea, will also likely to follow. When this happens, Kyoto agreement may prove futile. And, of course, our environment
will suffer.

Another proud moment for Monsanto; the company has been given the Worst Company of 2011 Award for its numerous crimes against protecting human health and the environment. The award was given by NaturalSociety after thousands of readers voted Monsanto the worst company of 2011.

“Considering the fact that Monsanto’s global GMO push has threatened environmental and human health alike, I think NaturalSociety labeling them Worst Company of 2011 is very suiting,” said Sayer Ji, President of GreenMedInfo.com.

The award is intended to bring awareness to these environmental issues, which are continually being recognized by nations worldwide.

Global carbon emissions have reached a record 10 billion tons, which is a huge increase of almost 50% in the last twenty years. The study by the Global Carbon Project says a slowdown in emissions during the 2008-09 global financial crisis wasn’t enough to make a positive impact, and the gain in 2011 followed a 6% jump in 2010.

“The global financial crisis was an opportunity to move the global economy away from a high-emissions trajectory. Our results provide no indication of this happening,” the authors say in the study published in the journal Nature Climate Change.

Global emissions from burning fossil fuels went up 5.9% in 2010, compared with a 1.4% drop the year before.

In both years, emissions growth has been dominated by emerging economies, with China’s emissions jumping 10.4% in 2010, India 9.4%, and South Korea 9.2%.

Today the World Meteorological Organization released a report that shows 2011 to be the 10th hottest year ever recorded, and they say that human-caused global warming is the reason.

“Our science is solid and it proves unequivocally that the world is warming and that this warming is due to human activities,” said WMO Deputy Secretary-General Jerry Lengoasa. The report says that the warmest 13 years of average global temperatures have all occurred in the last 15 years.

“Global temperatures in 2011 are currently the tenth highest on record and are higher than any previous year with a La Nina event, which has a relative cooling influence” according to the report.

The WMO report said the extent of Arctic sea ice in 2011 was the second lowest on record.

“Concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have reached new highs,” WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud said in a separate statement. “They are very rapidly approaching levels consistent with a 2-2.4 degree Centigrade rise in average global temperatures which scientists believe could trigger far reaching and irreversible changes in our Earth, biosphere and oceans.”

Mexico is suffering from the most severe drought its seen in 70 years. The drought has killed huge numbers of farm animals, has destroyed innumerable crops and worst of all – is expected to continue into 2012.

Over 70% of Mexico, including Coahuila, San Luis Potosi, Sonora, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas have been affected by the lack of rainfall and the high temperatures. As a result, the government has cut its forecast for corn production twice this year.

Over 450,000 cattle have died since the beginning of the drought, with more expected to parish in the months to come. Dams and reservoirs in the area are at 30% to 40% of normal capacity.

The Mexican government has put aside $113 million so far to cover the numerous losses.