PLANET IN PERIL

by George Monbiot The UK’s national parks should be redesignated as ecological disaster zones. A lecture to the UK National Parks conference, by George Monbiot, 14th October 2015 This is my ferocious attack on the dire state of the UK’s national parks, and my ideas for how they could be improved. (See Video, below.)

theguardian  The blaze, which has burned for two months on indigenous land and spread across 100km at its peak, is suspected to have been started by illegal loggers. Story here.

CommonDreams More than a dozen are feared dead, with scores missing, after tailings dams owned by some of the biggest mining companies in the world burst. Story here.

  Dear Editor, Re; The phony tainted milk scare (Margaret Wente, Globe & Mail, October 29, 2015).  In her preamble, Ms. Wente suggests that  “we need to blow the whistle on junk science”.  I agree, but we need to do the same on junk journalism, which is exemplified by her article. My understanding is that journalism’s first obligation is to tell the truth (i.e. the whole truth, and not half-truths & tainted opinions; as is the case with Ms Wente’s piece).  For example, she states that: The (bovine) growth hormone, also known as rBST, which stimulates the cow’s milk production, is  “the same hormone that is naturally produced in the cow’s pituitary gland.”  Further:  “Milk from treated cows is virtually identical to other milk.”   And:  “ there aren’t any effects of  rBGH on human health”.   These statements are not true; in fact, Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone  (rBGH or rBST) is a genetically engineered drug, originally developed by Monsanto, which la

New York Times The New York attorney general has begun an investigation of Exxon Mobil to determine whether the company lied to the public about the risks of climate change or to investors about how such risks might hurt the oil business. Story here.

CommonDreams 'President Obama has sold the American people a false bill of goods,' says Friends of the Earth. Story here.