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Showing posts from December, 2011

CWB: Farmers Should Sue for Damages

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By John W. Warnock, The Leader-Post December 31, 2011 The Harper government has quickly pushed through legislation abolishing the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) single desk. This was done without... Combine in wheat field. PLT photo

The People's Corporation Loses the Common Touch

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If you like this blog, please consider making a donation. Thanks! Larry Dear Editor, It's sometimes referred to as "the people's corporation." I don't believe the CBC deserves that endearing title any longer. Just last night, we were treated to another spectacle on "The National." Each member of the high-profile "At-Issue" Panel, to one degree or another, pooh-poohed almost every question posed by viewers as part of a year-end special. No, they chimed, there is no serious gap between the rich and poor in this country. On the contrary, Andrew Coyne informed us, huge progress is being made in reducing poverty in Canada.  Rex Murphy seconded the motion, reminding us, we've actually never had it so good! (Rex seldom opens his mouth but to change feet!)  No, the Occupy Movement has had no real impact. (No one offered, of course, that this might be because blind, narrow and stupid politicians refuse to recognize good, new

‘Secret’ Environment Canada Study Warns of Oil Sands’ Impact on Habitat

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Postmedia News  22'11 - Mike De Souza OTTAWA — Contamination of a major western Canadian river basin from oil sands operations is a “high-profile concern” for downstream communities and wildlife, says a newly-released “secret” presentation... Details here. Courtesy of the Guardian

Santa, Give Our Farmers Some Love

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Laura Rance Wpg Free Press 12/24/2011 Some moisture, some better prices very welcome under the tree. Details here.

The True Spirit of Christmas is Alive and Well in Winnipeg!

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For a few years now, my stepdaughter, Coralee Crowe, has been involved with some friends, making blankets and distributing them at random to needy people in the City of Winnipeg at Christmas time. This year was no exception.  I decided it's time to put aside for awhile, the usual kinds of stories on this blog, (which some might consider "gloom & doomish,") so that my readers (and I) can be reminded, there's another world out there, where hope for a better future burns as brightly as ever.   And where people like Coralee never give up that hope. Coralee, your mom and I are proud of you!  If your objective this year was to make a difference in someone's life by your contribution to 100 Good Deeds, then consider your mission accomplished.     Below is Coralee's report to friends and family on how things went this year (2011).  Larry. == "Cael, myself, Terry and Heather headed out last evening to accom

Greg Selinger Strikes a Blow for Fire Safety - Shuts Down "Occupy Winnipeg!"

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If you like this blog, please consider a donation. Thanks! Larry PLT: Congratulations, Mr. Premier, I feel much safer now that you have evicted the three remaining protestors from the camp in Memorial Park. It was, after all, a firestorm waiting to happen - perhaps enveloping your place of business - the provincial legislature - if not much of the capitol, itself! (Sarcasm intended.) Might we now expect provincial authorities to move in on owners of million dollar homes and evict them under cover of darkness, if they do not have firewalls installed between their houses and attached garages?   Of course not. That would be ridiculous!  But is it any less ridiculous to bring down the heavy hand of government on the Occupiers and no one else? The inference here seems to be that any fire where there are a few tents - (perhaps $89 specials from Canadian Tire?) would represent a much larger hazard to public safety than the massive fire which recently destroyed the huge home in Li

The Home of "Canada's Reindeer" is Being Destroyed. They Need Your Help!

Please donate generously to this Nature Canada cause. =====  PLT; If there were any justice in this world,  it would be the tar sands corporations (and their mindless investors) who are paying the bill to help our caribou. Afer all, who else (apart from our hollow, compliant politicians) is responsible for denuding vast areas of precious boreal forest,  depriving these bautiful, vulnerable animals of critical habitat!

The 20 Worst Wall Street Banks Funding Our Filthiest Polluters

Dec 13, 2011 Alternet A new study identifies the top 20 "climate killer" banks by the amount of financial support they give the coal industry. Details here. PLT: Please also read, "How Ethical are Canada's Ethical Funds?"

Greenpeace's Year in Pictures (Video)

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Durban: Where the Climate Deniers-in-Chief Ran the Show

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Mark Hertsgaard -The Nation - 12/21/11 A different and more dangerous breed of climate denier commanded the stage at the recently concluded international negotiations in Durban, South Africa. Details here. Courtesy of Alternet

Study Documents Nigerian Children Died From Families’ Gold Mining

Environmental Health News Large numbers of infants and toddlers have died from lead poisoning in Nigerian villages where their parents process gold ore inside their family compounds, according to a report… Details here.

A Dirty Salvage Operation

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 BULLIT MARQUEZ / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Residents retrieve a car which was washed away in Friday's flash flooding in southern Philippines Monday. With funeral parlors overwhelmed, authorities organized the first mass burial of unidentified victims who were swept to their deaths in one of the worst calamities to strike the region in decades.

Does Politics Trump Science in the Obama White House?

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Politico - Dec 15 '11 President Barack Obama turned it into a campaign-trail talking point: He would end the Bush administration’s “war on science.” Read more: Smog over New York.

Lax Federal Monitoring Putting Canadians at Risk: Environment Commissioner

By Jason Fekete, Postmedia News December 13, 2011 OTTAWA — The public safety of Canadians is increasingly at risk because the federal government is failing to monitor and enforce its regulations on dangerous goods and decades-old oil and gas pipelines, Canada's environment watchdog warns in a new report. Details here.

White Christmas? Dream on: Environment Canada says Snow Less Likely Over Time

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By: Michelle McQuigge, The Canadian Press - 12/12/2011 TORONTO - Dreaming of a white Christmas may be a holiday tradition, but Canadians are more likely than ever to wake up instead to the dreary brown reality wrought by climate change, Environment Canada said Monday. Details here. The shrinking Columbia Icefield, an important source of meltwater for Canada's prairie rivers. PinP photo.

A Stunning and Disturbing Tableau of Mother Earth - a Must-See Video!

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Canada's "Law and Order" Prime Minister (Letter to the Editor)

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If you like my blog, please consider a donation. Thanks! Larry Dear Editor, If Stephen Harper is so keen on becoming a "law and order" Prime Minister, why does he seem to have so little regard for the law, himself? Since coming to power about six years ago, his government has been riddled with a litany of dirty tricks, domestic and international crimes. The most recent is his scandalous decision to withdraw from the Kyoto Accord, a legally binding, international agreement to limit human emissions of greenhouse gases, which are causing catastrophic climate change. (Have you noticed Manitoba's tragic and terrible flooding lately?) Even China put Canada to shame at the recent climate talks in Durban, showing a willingness to "step up" and show some environmental leadership while Harper showed none. His "operative" at the talks, Peter Kent (who I now refer to as our "Minister of Environmental Destruction"), once again proved, neither o

Ancient Climate Record Points Toward Potential Rapid Climate Changes

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ScienceDaily (Dec. 8, 2011) — New research into Earth's paleoclimate history by NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies director James E. Hansen (l.) suggests the potential for rapid climate changes this century, including multiple meters of sea level rise, if global warming is not abated. Details here. PLT: Dr. Hansen is one of those rare birds - a scientist/activist! Here, he is shown being arrested at demonstrations at the White House, protesting against the Keystone XL pipeline. We need more like him!

Climate Conference Approves Landmark Deal

By ARTHUR MAX, Associated Press DURBAN, South Africa (AP) — A U.N. climate conference reached a hard-fought agreement Sunday on a complex and far-reaching program meant to set a new course for the global fight against climate change for the coming decades. Details here. ====== PLT: Canada continues playing its role as a dinosaur, leading us further into world isolation as a climate criminal. Even China has showed more leadership there than we did! Shame!

Homeless Family Occupies Foreclosed Home in Brooklyn (Video)

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Carbon Dioxide Emissions Break Growth Records

CBC News Dec. 5 - '11 Emissions rebound fast from global financial crisis, driven by developing world. Details here.

Hotter, Drier, Meaner: Trends Point to a Planet Increasingly Hostile to Agriculture

By Douglas Fischer - De. 5'11 The Daily Climate   A host of data – from sediment cores to ongoing drought in East Africa to computer models – point to one conclusion: Our increasingly hotter, drier planet is going to be a tough place to farm. Details here.

On Climate, Canada is a Rogue State

Nov 29th, 2011 Marc Lee · Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives On Sunday, CTV leaked Canada’s intentions to pull out of the Kyoto treaty process on climate change. What is significant about Kyoto is that it is a legally binding... Details here.

Is Canada's Environment Minister Bullying Poor Countries at the Climate Talks?

Mike De Souza, Postmedia News December 3, 2011 DURBAN, South Africa — Signs of progress emerged Saturday at international climate change negotiations as thousands took to the streets urging global leaders to step up their efforts. Details here.

Three Quarters of Climate Change is Man-Made

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 Quirin Schiermeier - 04 December 2011 - Nature Independent study quantifies human influence  on global warming.  Details here. Lk. Manitoba PLT photo

Once Again, The National "Afflicts the Afflicted and Comforts the Comfortable!" (Letter)

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If you like my blog, please consider a donation.Thanks!Larry Dear Editor, I think the CBC should change its name from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to the Canadian Business Corporation. Boy, has Big Oil ever found a friend in important branches of our national broadcaster! While there are, mercifully, some notable exceptions (such as "The Current" and "Quirks & Quarks," - radio programs who actually tell the truth about climate change), The National still lags far behind, with its pro-industry bias still out there for all to see.  Lately, the Corporation has found a new "darling" in the likes of David Wilkins, a former US Ambassador to Canada. Wilkins now gets his paycheques from the Canadian oil industry!  David Wilkins, (l.) "ambassdor-for-hire"    But The National didn't see fit to mention that when he led the newscast the other night, spouting his pro-oil, anti-science propaganda. Ironically, the Radio