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by Alys Granados

As part a two-year initiative to bring awareness to bat conservation, research, and education, the United Nations Environment Programme declared 2011 and 2012 the “Year of the Bat”. Many bat species are threatened by habitat loss and deforestation, as illustrated in North America. However, in northeastern Canada and the United States, a recently discovered disease called White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) has had a devastating effect on bat populations, with the potential to cause local extinctions.

WNS is caused by a fungus (Geomyces destructans) that forms as a white area around a bat’s nose, wings, and/or ears. It was discovered in 2006 in New York state and has since spread to other states in the northeast. In 2010, infected bats were found in Ontario and...

By Dan McDermott, Chapter Director

Premier Dalton McGuinty’s commitment to enact a Great Lakes Protection Act (GLPA) was the one new environmental commitment put forward by the Liberals during last fall’s election. The environmental community responded positively to the pledge while noting that the funding component mentioned by the Premier was a modest one. It was also noted that the commitment contained no specifics as to what McGuinty saw as priority Great Lakes issues.

Skepticism regarding the promised legislation increased somewhat in the context of the Throne Speech reference to the GLPA. The promised target date of 2015 was a red flag on several levels as the Government’s minority reality brought into question their commitment to bring forward this bill within their current mandate. As well, environmental advocates remembered the Premier’s earlier bold commitment to phase out all Ontario coal-fired electricity generators by 2007. After...