Here’s some top headlines from this week in environmental news…enjoy!

Canada Preserves Arctic Wilderness for Whales, Bears, and Birds
The Canadian government has announced that it will protect more than 450,000 hectares (1,737 square miles) of Arctic wilderness in the Nunavut Territory by establishing three new National Wildlife Areas on the northeast side of Baffin Island. “This is great news for Canada’s birds, biodiversity and the cause of wilderness preservation,” said Julie Gelfand, president of Nature Canada.

First Africa Carbon Forum Fosters Clean Climate Projects
To help Africa obtain its fair share of climate emissions reduction projects under the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism and satisfy a growing interest in a carbon market on the continent, the International Emissions Trading Association on Wednesday launched the first all Africa Carbon Forum at Le Meridien Preisdent Hotel in Dakar.

Energy Star Claims Not Met In Consumer Reports’ Tests
Lax standards and out-of-date test protocols that are not independently verified weaken the federal Energy Star program used to identify energy efficient appliances, according to a report in the latest issue of “Consumer Reports” magazine published Tuesday. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says it “stands by the integrity of the Energy Star program.”

U.S. and Canada Collaborate on Arctic Sea Bed Mapping
A joint Canada-U.S. scientific expedition this fall will map the unexplored Arctic sea floor where the U.S. and Canada may have sovereign rights over oil and gas resources and control over activities such as sea bed mining. Both countries will use the resulting data to establish the outer limits of the continental shelf, according to criteria in the Convention on the Law of the Sea.