Massive B.C. coal mines are about to get a new owner. Why some are worried about Glencore’s record

THE NARWHAL

Coal mine at Tumbler Ridge, B.C.  Jeffrey Wynne,

    If the sale goes through, the company will inherit a contamination problem decades in the making, deepening uncertainty about a long-anticipated international inquiry into the region’s cross-border pollution. Story here.

Live zebra mussels found in Clear Lake at Riding Mountain National Park, says Parks Canada

MOTHER CORP NEWS

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Public engagement sessions to be held this winter: Parks Canada.

Governments fail again to protect against another invasive species. (Letter)

 re: Fast action needed on Clear Lake zebra mussels, Lake expert warns.(Brandon Sun, 24 Nov.)

Zebra mussels were first detected in Canada in the Great Lakes in 1988. 

                            

Just another faux pas (blunder) by our government(s).

The best time to act was more than 3 decades ago, when U of Wpg., Prof. Eva Pip warned the province of this pending invasion. She was deemed as an alarmist, irresponsible and unprofessional. Now we know different!  How sad.

Governments are very lackadaisical about situations on the horizon, that could become a threat and problematic, but are always ready and prepared to spare no effort to "shut the door" on such invasive species…..AFTER they have entered.

Why is that?….or haven't you noticed..... many will just say…"Who Cares".

John Fefchak.

Virden,MB.

Giant Sequoias Are in Big Trouble. How Best to Save Them?

YaleEnvironment360

by Jim Robbins

A Daniel G Rego photo.

California’s ancient sequoias — some of which have stood more than 1,000 years — are facing an existential threat from increasingly intense wildfires linked to climate change. But federal efforts to thin forests to reduce fire risks are drawing pushback from conservation groups. Story here.

GOOD NEWS! Some mangrove forests are rapidly expanding

 Royal Society Journals

A mangrove forrest, close up. Photo by Jeff Kelleway

     The expansions are occurring on low-lying islands of the Great Barrier Reef, creating new habitats and protecting coastlines from storms and sea level rise. They're also capturing carbon and helping tiny islands grow. Mangroves of the Howick Islands in the northern Great Barrier Reef have been mapped for the first time since 1974. The new maps show that the mangrove forests have extended at rates of up to five metres a year, adding over 10,000 tonnes of new biomass. Watch video, below.

Officials hid significant health risks of pesticide used on golf courses, sports fields

Canada's National Observer

 Story here. 

RELATED: Recent research contradicts a claim by the chemical giant, Bayer, that its newest bug-killer is safe for bees.

Diesel vehicles in oil sands operations contribute to regional pollution

EurekAlert

Wildfires, cigarette smoking and vehicles all emit a potentially harmful compound called isocyanic acid. The substance has been linked to several health conditions, including heart disease and cataracts. Scientists investigating sources of the compound have now identified off-road diesel vehicles in oil sands production in Alberta, Canada, as a major contributor to regional levels of the pollutant. Their report appears in ACS' journal Environmental Science & Technology.

Story here.