It’s just become a little more vital to eat wild-caught salmon – GMO salmon have been approved for sale in the United States. The decision by the FDA is a landmark in that it approves the first GMO animal to be sold for food.

The fish is called AquAdvantage salmon, and Americans could be eating it in 2-3 years. Its DNA has been altered so that it grows twice as face as “real” salmon. Critics of the technology cite potential issues should the fish escape and breed with its natural counterpart.

In Canada, research on GM trout yielded a fish in which the flesh was still edible, but with misshapen heads and bloated bodies. Critics of the FDA-approved GMO salmon state that the tests were carried out on too small of a sample of animals, and even with those tests, a higher level of growth hormone was detected in the fish.

Right now the fish may even not be labeled differently from natural fish. The FDA is currently mulling this over. If you are concerned, write a letter or e-mail to the FDA asking them to ensure that the new fish is labeled differently.

Last week, the Canadian government announced the establishment of the Organic Science Cluster. An investment of $6.5 Million will bring together scientists from every industry to develop more efficient and profitable processes for organic farmers.

Agriculture Minister Jerry Ritz had this to say about the program: “Demand for organic products is growing and this Government wants to help our hardworking Canadian farmers capture as much of this market as possible,” said Minister Ritz. “By creating this all-star team, we can maximize the investment and focus Canada’s organic expertise on the research that shows the most promise in delivering a profitable, competitive edge to farmers.”

While this is a step in the right direction, it would also be helpful to organic farmers if they were privy to the same tax cuts and subsidies that conventional farmers have access to. Hopefully this is next on the agenda.

Environmental groups, premiers of various provinces, and representatives from oilsands companies are all invited to meet with the third-ranking member of President Obama’s administration next week in Ottawa. It is likely that the consultation comes ahead of a major energy policy bill stateside in the fall.

Oillsands producers are quick to point out that they have improved environmental considerations considerably in the past couple of years, but it is likely that any new US policy would call for more than a carbon tax 0n oil produced in Alberta, one of the “big wins” tar sands companies like to play up.

Pelosi is in town for a G8 speakers conference, but the high-level meetings about energy policy are attracting more media attention than the G8 speakers conference would normally drum up. Pelosi, as a major figure in Obama’s administration, is conceivably on a fact-finding mission to determine which measures should be in place for a bill that calls for cleaner sources of energy.

Included on the agenda are various environmental groups, including Environmental Defense. Rick Smith, their CEO, stated that “We work on all pollution issues in Canada, but we focus on tarsands because tarsands stands out for operating in the loosest possible regulatory climate. It is a sector growing by leaps and bounds without paying adequate attention to what it emits.”

90% of US strawberries are grown in California, where highly toxic methyl iodide will be used as a soil fumigant on berry farms statewide shortly. This, despite protests from more than 50 Nobel laureates and various other health advocates. This alone is a vital, new reason to purchase organic strawberries. Here are some more:

-organic strawberries have higher antioxidant activity
-organic strawberries have higher shelf life
-overall sweeter taste and more strawberry than water (what scientists call “dry matter”)

Lastly, if you can’t afford organic, at least go local. If you are in Ontario, for example, the only reason that you are purchasing California strawberries over Ontario ones is the lower cost to your supermarket because of subsidies that make imported berries cheaper than locally grown ones. Speak to your produce manager in your store and insist on local berries being sold right alongside California ones.

In 2001, Bjorn Lomborg published a book called The Skeptical Environmentalist. In it, he postulated that global warming may not be occurring since short-term data were being used to substantiate long-term changes in climate. His book, and this basic premise, have collectively been clarion calls for climate change skeptics.

Lomborg has now released another book, Smart Solutions to Climate Change, in which he calls for clear action on climate change and postulates cost-efficient methods to do so. Lomborg defends himself against being a “flip-flopper” as stating that he never disputed climate change itself, only the statistical methods that were being used to evaluate it.

In any case, this reversal in the attitude of a key climate change denier is a step in the right direction, and it sure won’t hurt his book sales either.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that it is considering a letter-based grading system for cars based on their fuel economy. Sippers like the Prius would receive an A- grade, while gas burners like the Ferrari would merit a D. The new grading system is being proposed by the President.

“New fuel economy labels will keep pace with the new generation of fuel efficient cars and trucks rolling off the line, and provide simple, straightforward updates to inform consumers about their choices in a rapidly changing market,” said EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson.

The auto industry has mixed emotions about the proposed grading system. Forced to accept new fuel efficiency standards along with bailout money, they are already retooling to meet environmental demands placed on the industry. They don’t like the “pass and fail” mentality of the letter grading system, as stated by Dave McCurdy, the president and CEO of the Auto Alliance, a group representing the interests of the auto industry.

As Reported By: Reuters

For once, some great environmental and economic news. BC is currently enjoying the fruits of a sockeye salmon run the likes of which have not been seen for a hundred years. Apparently there are currently so many salmon jumping in the Fraser River that they could be landing right in the fishermen’s boats. 25 million are expected to run up the river this season, the best numbers the Pacific Salmon commission has seen since 1913, and a blessing considering the dry run that fishermen had last year.

As Reported By: Reuters

A study independent of industry or government input by the University of Alberta has found that pollution of the Athabasca River in Alberta by toxins is a direct result of oilsands production. This counters the findings of a joint industry and government panel, the Regional Aquatic Monitoring Program, that the toxins in the river were from natural sources.

The study contrasted Athabasca River samples from mining areas with water samples drawn from undeveloped sites close to the McMurray geological formation, which is the source of most of the oil. If the pollution was truly from natural sources, the levels of cadmium, lead, mercury, nickel and thalium, among others, would have been just as bad at either sample site.

The study was headed by researchers from the University of Alberta and contributed to by Queen’s University and Oceana, a non-profit group that promotes water quality issues. The goal of the study was to test RAMP’s claims in a 2009 report that “”water quality was similar between [test] stations located within and outside oil sands development and when compared to conditions prior to development.” Based on the disparities found, the researchers would like Environment Canada to take over water quality monitoring in the area. Yeah, that may be a good idea.

And hey, if you feel like doing something about it and finding out more, we found another great anti-tar sands group: Tar Sands Watch, sponsored by the Polaris Institute. Very meaty stuff on that site.

In a move that shows that the UK remains at the forefront of green thinking, the British telcom company O2 recently introduced a cellphone ranking system that rates the “green” of various cellphones. The rating works on a scale from one to five, with items like the environmental footprint of the company and materials used in the construction of the phone being taken into account.

According to 02′s scheme, the most leafy phone available is the Sony Ericcson Elm, with a rating of four out of five. Apple, however, has chosen to pick up its ball and go home, and has excluded itself from the voluntary rating scheme, likely knowing that they can’t take top prize. RIM will begin participating in the scheme next year. Come on Apple – you can’t win at everything!

Hopefully, we’re not being premature in stating that BPA will be banned in Canada in 8-10 weeks. According to this report in the Toronto Star, and our government’s chilly attitudes towards lobbyists in the American chemical industry, we are well on their way there. Let’s not jinx it by being “emotional zealots” about the issue, as the American chemical industry accuses bloggers like ourselves as being.

If we do end up banning BPA, the world will once again look to Canada as forerunners in environmental issues leadership. Sure, the Conservative government is likely throwing us a bone in order to mitigate the tarsands issue, but hey, we’ll take what we can get.

Next thing on the agenda: genetically modified foods. While we may not be able to get them all off the market, we can pressure for more subsidies to organic farms in Canada. Did you know that most organic farms do not qualify for tax relief programs that conventional farms can claim because they do not follow conventional farming methods? Let’s give our organic farmers a chance by cutting them the same breaks that factory farm conglomerates currently enjoy.

You can avoid genetically modified foods at the supermarket with a handy iPhone app from the Institute for Responsible Technology. Their site also offers a lot of insightful research into GMO’s and their possible impact on human health.

Everything You HAVE TO KNOW about Dangerous Genetically Modified Foods from Jeffrey Smith on Vimeo.