Conservationists say the decision by the Obama administration to allow drilling in the Beaufort Sea repeats Bush era mistakes...
- Ed Pilkington in Anchorage, Alaska - guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 20 October 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
US gives Shell Green Light for Offshore Oil Drilling in the Arctic
Federal Funding for Farmers' Markets
Winnipeg Free Press - By: Staff Writer - 28/11/2009 The federal government will spend...
(l.p. photo)
Friday, November 27, 2009
Climate Rage
By Naomi Klein - November 11th, 2009 - Published in Rolling Stone
One last chance to save the world—for months, that's how the United Nations summit on climate change....
One last chance to save the world—for months, that's how the United Nations summit on climate change....
The Story of Stuff (Video)
Watch this amazing video, "The Story of Stuff - How the World Works."
It pretty much tells it all. l.p.
It pretty much tells it all. l.p.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Genetically Engineered Crops = Increased Pesticide Use
November 2009 - Charles Benbrook, Ph.D.
Chief Scientist -
The Organic Center
Genetically-engineered corn, soybeans, and cotton now account for...
Genetically-engineered corn, soybeans, and cotton now account for...
Millions of indigenous people continue to farm and raise animals the ancient way, the organic way.
Nov. 26 -'09 - Organic Consumers' Asn.
4,200 Years of Farming on the Colorado Plateau
On the Colorado Plateau farming has been an unbroken cultural tradition for at least 4200 years. The Navajo, Zuni, Apache, Hopi, Paiute and Tewa have cultivated the most diverse annual crop assemblage in the New World north of the Tropic of Cancer.
The Wayana's Cultivated Eden
The farming system of the Wayana society of French Guyana is based on diverse and flexible cultivation, with characteristically high biodiversity. Organic agriculture and permaculture form a rich, biologically complex system of food production, complimented by wildcrafting, fishing, and hunting. In Wayana, there is no artificial separation between cultivated and wild areas, which is the basis for what we call permaculture.
The Milpa System and 20,000 Varieties of Corn
Few regions in the world have an organic farming system as sustainable and productive as the traditional milpa or "three sisters" organic corn fields of Mexico and Central America. The Mayan milpa tradition is the planting of heirloom varieties of corn in mounds or raised beds, intercropped with biologically complimentary species such as beans and squash, fertilized through natural processes, weeded, harvested and hulled by hand and tended individually. The ancient milpa tradition, in fact, has produced traditional varieties that are healthier and more pest-resistant than modern chemical and water-intensive hybrid and GMO varieties. There are over 20,000 varieties of corn in Mexico and Central America. In southern and central Mexico approximately 5,000 varieties have been identified. In one village in Oaxaca, researchers have identified 17 different micro-environments where 26 varieties of corn are growing. Each variety has been cultivated to adapt to elevation levels, soil acidity, sun exposure, soil type, and rainfall. Unfortunately Monsanto's genetically engineered corn - forced on Mexico by the Bush, Clinton, and Obama administrations - has begun to contaminate traditional Mexican corn varieties, while industry and consumer-induced global warming has spawned drought, pestilence, flooding, and killer hurricanes.
Andean Terraced Potatoes, With Thousands of Varieties
In the Andean region of South America, generations of farmers have domesticated thousands of potato varieties. Today, farmers cultivate up to 50 varieties on their farms. In the biodiversity reserve of the Chiloé archipelago in Chile, local people cultivate about 200 varieties of native potato. They use farming practices transmitted orally by generations of mainly women farmers. A long list of cultural and agriculture treasures from the Inca civilization has been carefully preserved and improved over centuries to guarantee living conditions over 4000 meters above sea level. Although grassroots opposition has stopped Monsanto's attempted invasion on the Andes and other regions of the Americas with its genetically engineered potatoes, constant vigilance and struggle will be required.
One of the most important and sustainable features of Andean agriculture is the terracing system used to capture water and prevent soil erosion. Terraces allow cultivation on steep slopes and in different altitudes. From a range of 2800 to 4500 meters, three main agricultural systems can be found: maize is cultivated in the lower areas, potato mainly at medium altitudes. Above 4,000 meters the areas are mostly used as rangeland, but can still be cultivated with high altitude varieties as well. In the high plateau, around Lake Titicaca, farmers dig trenches (called "sukakollos") around their fields. These trenches are filled with water, which is warmed by sunlight. When temperatures drop at night, the water gives off warm steam that serves as frost protection for several varieties of potato and other native crops, such as quinoa.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Activists Target "World of Coca-Cola"
Nov.25-'09 - By Matthew Cardinale - IPSATLANTA, Georgia, Nov 24 (IPS) - Activists from the U.S. and Colombia are targeting the World of Coca-Cola museum, located...
Climate Destroyer Shut Down by Activists in Indonesian Rainforest
Nov.25 - '09 - Greenpeace
With just 12 days before the critical UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen, our activists are taking...
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Mankind Using Earth's Resources at Alarming Rate
Nov. 24, 2009 - Agence France Presse
WASHINGTON - Humanity would need five Earths to produce the resources needed if everyone lived as profligately as Americans...
WASHINGTON - Humanity would need five Earths to produce the resources needed if everyone lived as profligately as Americans...
Monday, November 23, 2009
Antarctic Ice Loss Vaster, Faster Than Thought: Study
Monday, 23 November 2009 - the Independent - UK
The East Antarctic icesheet, once seen as largely unaffected by global warming, has...
The East Antarctic icesheet, once seen as largely unaffected by global warming, has...
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Manitoba Extends Stubble-Burning Permit Requirement
Staff - MB Co-Operator - 11/19/2009Photo courtesy of ChrisD.ca
The War on Soy: Why the 'Miracle Food' May Be a Health Risk and Environmental Nightmare
By Tara Lohan, AlterNet. Posted No. 21, 2009.Vegetarians aren't the only ones who should be concerned; there's soy in just about...
Soy fields encroachinig
on the Amazon jungle.
Courtesy of Mongabay
Friday, November 20, 2009
The Tragedy of Drive-'Thrus'
A favourite spot for millions of North Americans - the "Drive-thru." Often with their motors running, occupants eat/drink in their vehicles, even tho they could just as quickly (esp. when it's busy) park, actually turn off their motors & be waited on in the comfort of the restaurant. Estimates on the number of tonnes of greenhouse gasses needlessly produced in this way, are not available. l.p.
New Trends Report: Fuel Economy Increases as CO2 Decreases
November 20, 2009 - EPA
Report tracks a five-year upswing in fuel efficiency
WASHINGTON - For the fifth consecutive year, EPA is reporting an increase in fuel efficiency with a corresponding decrease in average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions for new cars and light duty trucks. This marks the first time that data for CO2 emissions are included in the annual report, “Light-Duty Automotive Technology, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and Fuel Economy Trends: 1975 through 2009”.
“American drivers are increasingly looking for cars that burn cleaner, burn less gas and won’t burn a hole in their wallets,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “We’re working to help accelerate this trend with strong investments in clean energy technology – particularly for the cars and trucks that account for almost 60 percent of greenhouse gases from transportation sources. Cleaner, more efficient vehicles can help reduce our dangerous dependence on foreign oil, cut harmful pollution, and save people money -- and it’s clear that’s what the American car buyer wants.”
For 2008, the last year for which EPA has final data from automakers, the average fuel economy value was 21.0 miles per gallon (mpg). EPA projects a small improvement in 2009, based on pre-model year sales estimates provided to EPA by automakers, to 21.1 mpg.
The report confirms that average CO2 emissions have decreased and fuel economy has increased each year beginning in 2005. Average CO2 emissions have decreased by 39 grams per mile, or 8 percent, and average fuel economy has increased by 1.8 mpg, or 9 percent, since 2004. This positive trend beginning in 2005 reverses a long period of increasing CO2 emissions and decreasing fuel economy from 1987 through 2004, and returns CO2 emissions and fuel economy to levels of the early 1980s.
The report also provides data on the CO2 emissions, fuel economy and technology characteristics of new light-duty vehicles including cars, minivans, sport utility vehicles, and pickup trucks.
The latest CO2 emissions and fuel economy values reflect EPA’s best estimates of real world CO2 emissions and fuel economy performance. They are consistent with the fuel economy estimates that EPA provides on new vehicle window stickers and in the Fuel Economy Guide. These real world fuel economy values are about 20 percent lower, on average, than those used for compliance with the corporate average fuel economy program under DOT.
More information on the trends report: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/fetrends.htm
R348
Report tracks a five-year upswing in fuel efficiency
“American drivers are increasingly looking for cars that burn cleaner, burn less gas and won’t burn a hole in their wallets,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “We’re working to help accelerate this trend with strong investments in clean energy technology – particularly for the cars and trucks that account for almost 60 percent of greenhouse gases from transportation sources. Cleaner, more efficient vehicles can help reduce our dangerous dependence on foreign oil, cut harmful pollution, and save people money -- and it’s clear that’s what the American car buyer wants.”
For 2008, the last year for which EPA has final data from automakers, the average fuel economy value was 21.0 miles per gallon (mpg). EPA projects a small improvement in 2009, based on pre-model year sales estimates provided to EPA by automakers, to 21.1 mpg.
The report confirms that average CO2 emissions have decreased and fuel economy has increased each year beginning in 2005. Average CO2 emissions have decreased by 39 grams per mile, or 8 percent, and average fuel economy has increased by 1.8 mpg, or 9 percent, since 2004. This positive trend beginning in 2005 reverses a long period of increasing CO2 emissions and decreasing fuel economy from 1987 through 2004, and returns CO2 emissions and fuel economy to levels of the early 1980s.
The report also provides data on the CO2 emissions, fuel economy and technology characteristics of new light-duty vehicles including cars, minivans, sport utility vehicles, and pickup trucks.
The latest CO2 emissions and fuel economy values reflect EPA’s best estimates of real world CO2 emissions and fuel economy performance. They are consistent with the fuel economy estimates that EPA provides on new vehicle window stickers and in the Fuel Economy Guide. These real world fuel economy values are about 20 percent lower, on average, than those used for compliance with the corporate average fuel economy program under DOT.
More information on the trends report: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/fetrends.htm
R348
Note: If a link above doesn't work, please copy and paste the URL into a browser.
Statisticians Reject Global Cooling
By SETH BORENSTEIN - The Associated Press - Oc 26-'09
WASHINGTON — Have you heard that the world is
now cooling instead of...
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Biotech Crops Cause Big Jump in Pesticide Use-Report
Tue Nov 17, 2009 - By Carey Gillam
KANSAS CITY, Nov 17 (Reuters) - The rapid adoption by U.S. farmers of genetically engineered corn, soybeans and cotton has promoted...
KANSAS CITY, Nov 17 (Reuters) - The rapid adoption by U.S. farmers of genetically engineered corn, soybeans and cotton has promoted...
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Why Bees Vanish
ISIS Press Release 16/11/09
***************
A film that tries to get to the bottom of
the mystery of the disappearing bees with some success
Sam Burcher
l.p. PinP photo
The Vanishing of the Bees [1] is the cinematic equivalent of “Watch with Mother” about the importance to the planet of the honeybee. It patiently unravels the mysterious Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) implicated in the mass disappearance of honeybees from their hives across the world. Bees have one of the most important jobs in nature. Without their busy pollination of plants and flowers we would lose one in every three bites of the food that we eat (see Box 1).
approximately one third of hives have collapsed over the last two years. These losses are attributed to CCD and account for the loss of around 800 000 colonies in 2007 and a staggering 1 million colonies in 2008. A Steering Committee has been set up to monitor the progress of CCD [5]. Bee losses have also been reported around the world in Argentina, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Greece and Spain.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Bees are big business, and their industry, worth billions of dollars, is teetering on the brink of collapse. In the USA, commercial beekeepers transport hives around the country so that the bees can pollinate apples, blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, oranges and pumpkins. The annual Californian almond bloom demands almost all the commercial bees to pollinate the nut harvest. Since CCD has decimated the native bee population, the importation of bees from Australia to pollinate food crops has become the norm. The prime suspect in CCD is the introduction of a relatively new class of pesticides called neonicotinoids [6] (see Mystery of Disappearing Honeybees SiS 34). Neonicotinoids are systemic pesticides that remain in the leaves, pollen and nectar throughout the plants lifecycle. The link to CCD was first noticed in France where honeybee losses were observed and honey production dropped from 40 000 to 25 000 tons between the years 1995-2001. These events occurred after a particular neonicotinoid called imidacloprid was applied as a seed dressing to sunflower crops [7] (see Requiem for the Honeybee SiS 34).
Bayer CropScience, the manufacturer of neonicotinoids with silly names such as “Gaucho” and “Poncho” say that imidacloprid is safe. Despite this, Gaucho is now banned in Italy, France,
Germany and Slovenia, but not in the USA, Canada, or the UK. In 2008, the American Beekeepers Federation officially refuted bad beekeeping practices being blamed for the
decline of the honeybee by bringing a civil law suit against Bayer, which is still ongoing. They are not alone. A German organization called Coalition against Bayer Dangers is suing
the company for marketing dangerous pesticides and thereby causing the mass death of bees all over the world [8]. An annual turnover of nearly 800 million Euros makes neonicotinoids one of Bayer's most important products. "This is the reason why Bayer, despite serious environmental
damage, is fighting against any prohibitions," says Coalition spokesman Philipp Mimkes. Bayer AG, the parent company of Bayer CropScience is responsible for the development of the drug heroin (diacetylmorphine) which was sold as an over the counter cough medicine under the Bayer trademark up until World War I [9]. Concern about the relationship between the chemical corporations and the environmental agencies is described in the film as, “The fox guarding the hen house.” For example, the only scientific research submitted to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the safety of neonicotinoid sprays was done by Bayer’s own toxicologist. This research took the form of a three day trial of imidocloprid, which was fed to the bees in a sugar solution. No tests were required on the bee brood in its developmental stage, or on the pollen, or on honey, and the results of the feeding trial were revealed at
Bayer’s discretion.
Read the rest of this article here: http://www.i-sis.org.uk/WhyBeesVanish.php
======================================
If you like this original article from the Institute of
Science in Society, and would like to continue receiving
articles of this calibre, please consider making a donation
or purchase on our website
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cutting edge science, and to promoting social accountability
and ecological sustainability in science.
If you would like to be removed from our mailing list
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===========================================
CONTACT DETAILS
The Institute of Science in Society, PO Box 51885, London
NW2 9DH
telephone: [44 20 8452 2729] [44 20 7272 5636]
Foe email details, see http://www.i-sis.org.uk/contact.php
MATERIAL ON THIS SITE MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM WITHOUT EXPLICIT PERMISSION. FOR PERMISSION, PLEASE CONTACT ISIS at
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***************
A film that tries to get to the bottom of
the mystery of the disappearing bees with some success
Sam Burcher
-----------------------------------------------------
Box 1
Box 1
What you need to know about bees
********************************
The UK bee economy is worth £165 million annually [3]. The British Beekeeping Association (BBKA) estimates that it would require 30 million humans to take over the job of pollinating British crops. DEFRA (The Department of Food and Rural Affairs) claim that CCD has not yet hit the UK. However the BBKA’s survey says that thirty three percent or one in three of the UK’s 240 000 beehives were lost in the winter and spring of 2008. This compares to a previous annual average of five to ten percent losses. Buglife-The English Conservation Trust - has published a report which says that neonicotinoids do damage honeybee health. Buglife, ISIS, The Soil Association and The Pesticides Action Network (PAN) have all called for a suspension of all products containing neonicotinoids in outdoor environments [4]. Worldwide bees pollinate some ninety commercial crops including fruits, vegetables and alfalfa, a major food source for cattle. In China, in the province of Sichuan, pear trees have been pollinated by hand after the overuse of pesticides in the 1980’s wiped out the honeybee population. In the USAapproximately one third of hives have collapsed over the last two years. These losses are attributed to CCD and account for the loss of around 800 000 colonies in 2007 and a staggering 1 million colonies in 2008. A Steering Committee has been set up to monitor the progress of CCD [5]. Bee losses have also been reported around the world in Argentina, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Greece and Spain.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Bees are big business, and their industry, worth billions of dollars, is teetering on the brink of collapse. In the USA, commercial beekeepers transport hives around the country so that the bees can pollinate apples, blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, oranges and pumpkins. The annual Californian almond bloom demands almost all the commercial bees to pollinate the nut harvest. Since CCD has decimated the native bee population, the importation of bees from Australia to pollinate food crops has become the norm. The prime suspect in CCD is the introduction of a relatively new class of pesticides called neonicotinoids [6] (see Mystery of Disappearing Honeybees SiS 34). Neonicotinoids are systemic pesticides that remain in the leaves, pollen and nectar throughout the plants lifecycle. The link to CCD was first noticed in France where honeybee losses were observed and honey production dropped from 40 000 to 25 000 tons between the years 1995-2001. These events occurred after a particular neonicotinoid called imidacloprid was applied as a seed dressing to sunflower crops [7] (see Requiem for the Honeybee SiS 34).
Big Pharma plays a big part in bee decline
*******************************************
*******************************************
Bayer CropScience, the manufacturer of neonicotinoids with silly names such as “Gaucho” and “Poncho” say that imidacloprid is safe. Despite this, Gaucho is now banned in Italy, France,
Germany and Slovenia, but not in the USA, Canada, or the UK. In 2008, the American Beekeepers Federation officially refuted bad beekeeping practices being blamed for the
decline of the honeybee by bringing a civil law suit against Bayer, which is still ongoing. They are not alone. A German organization called Coalition against Bayer Dangers is suing
the company for marketing dangerous pesticides and thereby causing the mass death of bees all over the world [8]. An annual turnover of nearly 800 million Euros makes neonicotinoids one of Bayer's most important products. "This is the reason why Bayer, despite serious environmental
damage, is fighting against any prohibitions," says Coalition spokesman Philipp Mimkes. Bayer AG, the parent company of Bayer CropScience is responsible for the development of the drug heroin (diacetylmorphine) which was sold as an over the counter cough medicine under the Bayer trademark up until World War I [9]. Concern about the relationship between the chemical corporations and the environmental agencies is described in the film as, “The fox guarding the hen house.” For example, the only scientific research submitted to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the safety of neonicotinoid sprays was done by Bayer’s own toxicologist. This research took the form of a three day trial of imidocloprid, which was fed to the bees in a sugar solution. No tests were required on the bee brood in its developmental stage, or on the pollen, or on honey, and the results of the feeding trial were revealed at
Bayer’s discretion.
Read the rest of this article here: http://www.i-sis.org.uk/WhyBeesVanish.php
======================================
This article can be found on the I-SIS website at
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/
If you like this original article from the Institute of
Science in Society, and would like to continue receiving
articles of this calibre, please consider making a donation
or purchase on our website
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/donations.
ISIS is an independent, not-for-profit organisation
dedicated to providing critical public information on
cutting edge science, and to promoting social accountability
and ecological sustainability in science.
If you would like to be removed from our mailing list
unsubscribe at http://www.i-sis.org.uk/unsubscribe
or email unsubscribe@i-sis.org.uk
===========================================
CONTACT DETAILS
The Institute of Science in Society, PO Box 51885, London
NW2 9DH
telephone: [44 20 8452 2729] [44 20 7272 5636]
Foe email details, see http://www.i-sis.org.uk/contact.php
MATERIAL ON THIS SITE MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM WITHOUT EXPLICIT PERMISSION. FOR PERMISSION, PLEASE CONTACT ISIS at
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/contact2.php
Transnationals Contribute To HUNGER
Farmers provide SOLUTIONS
Press release - La Via Campesina (Rome, 15th of No.'09)
Press release - La Via Campesina (Rome, 15th of No.'09)
Nursing a baby in a wellness clinic. (The Nestle corporation has a long and dubious history of discouraging women to breast-feed, so they can peddle their own baby formula and pad their bottom line.)
La Via Campesina is appalled by the arrogance of the private sector and especially Nestlé in pretending to...
Sunday, November 15, 2009
APEC Leaders Douse Hopes on Climate Pact
SINGAPORE (AFP) - Asia-Pacific leaders on Sunday buried hopes a key UN meeting next month would forge...
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Monsanto Wins Legal Battle, May Lose War
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION - By: Laura Rance - 14/11/2009
A few farmers in Ontario are learning the hard way after being found guilty of infringing on Monsanto's...
A few farmers in Ontario are learning the hard way after being found guilty of infringing on Monsanto's...
Manitoba's Green-Energy Projects are Sucking Wind
Winnipeg Free Press - By: Mary Agnes Welch - 14/11/2009
High hopes for wind die down....
High hopes for wind die down....
Did Big Oil Win the War in Iraq?
As U.S. and British oil companies sign contracts with the Iraqi government, is it time to declare Big Oil...
Burying Carbon Dioxide in Underground Saline Aquifers: Political Folly or Climate Change Solution?
TORONTO , Sept. 23 /CNW/ - Multi-billion dollar programs backed by the Alberta and Canadian governments to bury....
Friday, November 13, 2009
Important Forum on GMOs
 | |
|
Lucy Sharratt, Coordinator
Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN)
Collaborative Campaigning for Food Sovereignty and Environmental Justice
431 Gilmour Street, Second Floor
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K2P 0R5
Phone: 613 241 2267 ext.6
Fax: 613 241 2506
Join the Global Rejection of GE Wheat! www.cban.ca/GEwheat
Donate today to support the campaign www.cban.ca/donate
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Feds' Biofuel Fund Backs Sask. Ethanol Maker
MB Co-Operator - N0.11'09A federal biofuels incentive fund has followed through on...
(This will be the largest "wheat-ethanol" plant in North America.) Please also read "Bursting the Ethanol Bubble."
Wheatfield photo by l.p.
First Turbine Lowered Into Bay of Fundy
NOVA.SCOTIA (CBC) - Nov. 12'09
A turbine that will test the potential of tidal power was installed...
A turbine that will test the potential of tidal power was installed...
Shooting Itself in the Foot, Brazil Spreads Concrete Through the Rainforest
Stephanie Brault - Council on Hemispheric AffairsDepletion of the Amazon Rainforest is not a new concern...
Deforested area for
agricultural in State
of Mato Grosso, Brazil.
(flickr photo by leoffreitas)
Earth's Worst Climate Change Laggards. Guess Who?
USA Coal VS Canada Tar Sands? - America's dirty little secret
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/americas-dirty-little-secret/article1331242/
Influence wielded by coal-producing states - 25 of them - is the big reason the U.S. is a climate-change laggard
Jeffrey Sachs - Sachs is a professor of economics and director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University.
=======================================
TAR SANDS - Canada's Mordor - Council of Canadians
http://www.canadians.org/energy/issues/tarsands/index.html
“To me, the tar sands are Canada’s Mordor. The air is foul, the water is being drained and poisoned and giant tailings ponds line the Athabasca river” – Maude Barlow, Council of Canadians Chairperson and Senior Advisor on Water to the President of the UN General Assembly
=======================================
Canada's Sorry Climate Change Policies - Sierra Club Canada
http://www.one-blue-marble.com/canada-and-climate-change.html
“Under Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Conservative government, Canada has become an international pariah at climate change summits.”
The US Blows Up its Clean Energy Future
By Nell Greenberg, AlterNet. Posted November 5, 2009.
Coal River Mountain can be a wind farm that provides 85,000 households with electricity, creates 700 long-term green jobs but inside it is being...
Mountaintop Removal site
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Plan for Bhopal Tours Causes Outrage
By Sonma Laxmi, in Bhopal
11 Nov 2009 - Telegraph.uk.com
Survivors of the world's worst industrial disaster in India's Bhopal city are astonished by plans to throw the site open...
Conservatives Set to Spin Copenhagen Climate Conference
Posted: 10 Nov 2009 06:02 PM PST
Ottawa - Sierra Club Canada has learned that Minister Jim Prentice has established a Climate Change War Room.....
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Why We Need More Organic Beekeepers
By Makenna Goodman, Chelsea Green Publishing. Posted November 6, 2009.Bees teach us how to live our life in...
l.p. photo
EPA Study Reveals Widespread Contamination of Fish in U.S. Lakes and Reservoirs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - November 10, 2009
WASHINGTON – A new EPA study shows concentrations of toxic chemicals in fish tissue from lakes and reservoirs in nearly all 50 U.S. states. For the first time, EPA is able to estimate the percentage of lakes and reservoirs nationwide that have fish containing potentially harmful levels of chemicals such as mercury and PCBs.
“These results reinforce Administrator Jackson’s strong call for revitalized protection of our nation’s waterways and long-overdue action to protect the American people,” said Peter S. Silva, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Water. “EPA is aggressively tackling the issues the report highlights. Before the results were even finalized, the agency initiated efforts to further reduce toxic mercury pollution and strengthen enforcement of the Clean Water Act – all part of a renewed effort to protect the nation’s health and environment.”
The data showed mercury concentrations in game fish exceeding EPA’s recommended levels at 49 percent of lakes and reservoirs nationwide, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in game fish at levels of potential concern at 17 percent of lakes and reservoirs. These findings are based on a comprehensive national study using more data on levels of contamination in fish tissue than any previous study.
Burning fossil fuels, primarily coal, accounts for nearly half of mercury air emissions caused by human activity in the U.S. , and those emissions are a significant contributor to mercury in water bodies. From 1990 through 2005, emissions of mercury into the air decreased by 58 percent. EPA is committed to developing a new rule to substantially reduce mercury emissions from power plants, and the Obama Administration is actively supporting a new international agreement that will reduce mercury emissions worldwide.
The study also confirms the widespread occurrence of PCBs and dioxins in fish, illustrating the need for federal, state and local government to continue efforts to reduce the presence of these harmful chemicals in our lakes and reservoirs and ensure that fish advisory information is readily available.
It is important that women of child-bearing age and children continue to follow the advice of EPA and the Food and Drug Administration on fish consumption as it relates to mercury. This study is also a strong message to state and local governments to redouble their efforts in looking for opportunities to reduce mercury discharges, as well as developing fish advisories, especially to reach those in sensitive and vulnerable populations.
Results from the four-year National Study of Chemical Residues in Lake Fish Tissue show that mercury and PCBs are widely distributed in U.S. lakes and reservoirs. Mercury and PCBs were detected in all of the fish samples collected from the nationally representative sample of 500 lakes and reservoirs in the study. Because these findings apply to fish caught in lakes and reservoirs, it is particularly important for recreational and subsistence fishers to follow their state and local fish advisories.
EPA is conducting other statistically based national aquatic surveys that include assessment of fish contamination, such as the National Rivers and Streams Assessment and the National Coastal Assessment. Sampling for the National Rivers and Streams Assessment is underway, and results from this two-year study are expected to be available in 2011. Collection of fish samples for the National Coastal Assessment will begin in 2010.
US Pressure Distorts Key Oil Figures - Whistleblower
Published on Tu. No. 10, 2009 by The Guardian/UK - by Terry Macalister
The world is much closer to running out of oil than official estimates admit, according to a whistleblower at the...
The world is much closer to running out of oil than official estimates admit, according to a whistleblower at the...
Koalas 'Could Face Extinction' - Researchers
BBC - Oct. 10 - '09 - Australia's koalas could be wiped out within 30 years unless urgent action is... photograph by koala.net
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Oil Spill Contaminates N.S. River
CBC - Sun Nov 8
An oil spill in Nova Scotia on Sunday has contaminated the Little Sackville River...
An oil spill in Nova Scotia on Sunday has contaminated the Little Sackville River...
Snows Of Kilimanjaro Shrinking Rapidly
ScienceDaily Nov. 3 '09 The remaining ice fields atop famed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania could be gone within....
Ecojustice applauds proposed Canadian Environmental Bill of Rights
Shared by: R. Turgano - Ecojustice - November 5, 2009
OTTAWA - Private members bill will address ‘civil rights issue of our generation’...
OTTAWA - Private members bill will address ‘civil rights issue of our generation’...
Mould, Slime Found at Listeria-Stricken Meat Plant
Sun Nov 8 - By Steve Rennie, CP
OTTAWA - A top-to-bottom scrubbing after a deadly listeriosis outbreak apparently didn't fully...
A woman works to sterilize meat processing and
OTTAWA - A top-to-bottom scrubbing after a deadly listeriosis outbreak apparently didn't fully...
A woman works to sterilize meat processing and packaging equipment at the Maple Leaf Foods plant
in Toronto. Photograph by: Mark Blinch, Reuters
in Toronto. Photograph by: Mark Blinch, Reuters
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Crimson Crime in Denmark
Want to stop this animal genocide? Click here to sign a petition
(At bottom, please also read emails I sent regarding this issue. l.p.)
(Narrative source, below, unknown)
Denmark is a big shame.
The sea is stained in red and in the mean while it's not because of the climate effects of nature. 
It's because of the cruelty that the human beings (civilised human) kill hundreds of the famous and intelligent Calderon dolphins.
This happens every year in Feroe iland in Denmark. In this slaughter the main participants are young teens.
WHY?
To show that they are adults and mature.... BULLLLsh
In this big celebration, nothing is missing for the fun. Everyone is participating in one way or the other, killing or looking at the cruelty "supporting like a spectator"
Is it necessary to mention that the dolphin calderon, like all the other species of dolphins, it's near instinction and they get near men to play and interact. In a way of PURE friendship
They don't die instantly; they are cut 1, 2 or 3 times with thick hocks. And at that time the dolphins produce a grim extremely compatible with the cry of a new born child.
But he suffers and there's no compassion till this sweet being slowly dies in its own blood
Its enough!
We will send this mail until this email arrives in any association defending the animals, we won't only read. That would make us accomplices, viewers.
Take care of the world, it is your home!
=====
Editor's note: If they really want to prove their manhood, perhaps they should try the same thing with sharks! l.p.
===
Email #1;
=====
Gail Shea,
Minister of Fisheries and Oceans
Government of Canada
Dear Honourable Ms. Shea,
Would the Government of Canada consider using its good offices to
speak out about the inhumane and destructive practice of slaughtering
endangered and defenseless dolphins off a Danish island each year?
Perhaps this could be done through the United Nations and/or Canada's representative(s) at a Law of the Seas conference?
I hope you will visit the site (see active link below) for more details of this shameful practice.
I would appreciate a response at your earliest convenience.
Yours truly,
Larry Powell
=====
Email #2
====
Dear Peter, (Mansbridge),
I wonder if The National would consider covering the annual slaughter of defenseless and endangered dolphins (see photo attached) which apparently happens each year off a Danish Island (see active link below for details).
Secondly, perhaps Rex could provide us with another commentary in support of this ritual, as he did for the Newfoundland seal hunt. (I'd recommend he looks at the numerous photos of this event before he does this.)
Yours truly,
Larry Powell
====
NDP says Tories balk at backing CWB at WTO
Manitoba Co-Operator - Nov '09
The federal NDP's international trade critic says the Conservatives' refusal to back a motion of support for supply management and the Canadian...
The federal NDP's international trade critic says the Conservatives' refusal to back a motion of support for supply management and the Canadian...
7 Signs That the Market for Green Transport Is Exploding in the US
By Tara Lohan, AlterNet. Posted September 30, 2009.
More and more Americans are finding other ways to get around in greener...
More and more Americans are finding other ways to get around in greener...
Friday, November 6, 2009
Timor Spill Creates 'Sea of Oil' - Compared to Exxon-Valdez!
By Najad Abdullahi in Kuala Lumpur - Aljazeera
Conservationists Fight Proposed Amazon Road
by Ben Block on October 29, 2009 - Worldwatch Institute
Leaders of conservation groups from the United States and South America are requesting that international donors end their support for...
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Farmers Set Fire to Imported Sugar in Uttar Pradesh
Sun Nov 1, 2009
LUCKNOW (Reuters) - Farmers in India's biggest cane-producing state set fire to part of a goods train...
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
The Tar Sands - the Dirty New Gold Rush That is Blackening Canada’s Name
November 4, 2009 - Ben Webster - TimesOnline
A giant mechanical digger gouges out a chunk of topsoil...Editor's note: Aerial photos
of the tar sands
like this one are now being
touted as works of art!
Our callousness toward the
natural world is surely now
complete. l.p.
Worldwatch Report: Global Environmental Change: The Threat to Human Health
Global Environmental Change: The Threat to Human Health Author: Samuel S. Myers, MD, MPH
Climate Negotiators Grow Impatient at Lack of Leadership From America (& Canada,too?l.p.)
UN and EU pile pressure on US to set ambitious carbon cuts...
- guardian.co.uk, Monday 2 November 2009
Radio Program (Podcast) on Family Farms
Listen to a one-hour program on CBC Radio's, "The Current" about the assault on Canada's family farmers by agribusiness.
Go to:
http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/
scroll down & click on "Pt.2 - War in the Country."
Thanks!
l.p.
Go to:
http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/
scroll down & click on "Pt.2 - War in the Country."
Thanks!
l.p.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Lizards, Rodent and Tree Frog Join Over 17,000 Others on Endangered Species List
By: Frank Jordans, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS - 3/11/2009
GENEVA - A rare Panamanian tree frog, a rodent from Madagascar and two lizards found only in the Philippines are among...
GENEVA - A rare Panamanian tree frog, a rodent from Madagascar and two lizards found only in the Philippines are among...
Our Degrading Landscape - by Larry Powell
Man's mark on Planet Earth can now be seen at every turn. Not only does an increasing human population put greater demand on finite natural resources, each one of us seems to need, or want ever-more of what we already have.
(l.p. photos-click to enlarge.)
(l.p. photos-click to enlarge.)Nov.'09 - Five years later, the trees in the background of the same field (above) are being logged. The future of the field itself, where wild crocuses bloom in profusion each spring, is unknown.
For some time now, more and more landowners throughout southwestern MB (not necessarily this one) have been signing agreements with Louisiana Pacific, a foreign-owned multinational corporations to supply it with logs. The company lied to authorities when it was first granted its license in the '90s, saying there were enough trees in its initial license area in the Duck and Porcupine Mountains to last "for a hundred years." If this were the case, why does it have to go further and further afield for its raw products?Toxic Contaminants: The Other Scourge
By Neena Bhandari
SYDNEY, Nov 2 (IPS) - As the world focuses on the impact of climate change, little attention is being paid to yet another...
Stop the Crisis, Change the Food System!
Mon, November 2, 2009 - La Via Campesina
From November 13th to 17th, more than 400 delegates (number determined by available funding*) from 70 different countries representing small scale food producers....
From November 13th to 17th, more than 400 delegates (number determined by available funding*) from 70 different countries representing small scale food producers....
Sunday, November 1, 2009
How Foraging Albatrosses Put Plastic On The Menu in an Ocean of Plastic
ScienceDaily (Oct. 29, 2009) — The North Pacific Ocean is now commonly referred to as the world's largest garbage...
What Lies Beneath the Rainforest?
The Independent - UK - Saturday, 31 October 2009
You want the Amazon to survive? Then pay us not to pump the oil, says Ecuador. Huw Hennessy in Quito reports on a bold initiative...
You want the Amazon to survive? Then pay us not to pump the oil, says Ecuador. Huw Hennessy in Quito reports on a bold initiative...
Activist's Message: End Needless Waste of Food
The Herald-News - October 31, 2009
JOLIET -- Vandana Shiva is giving new meaning to the old metaphor, "You reap what you...
Global Warming Cycles Threaten Endangered Primate Species
ScienceDaily (Oct. 29, 2009)
Two Penn State University researchers have carried out one of the first-ever analyses of the effects of...
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Are hungry kids a priority for the Harper government? by Larry Powell The forum (for the riding of Dauphin - Swan River - Neepawa) w...
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by Larry Powell Planet In Peril has sorted through some of the confusion surrounding the absence of Robert Sopuck, the Conservative M...
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Larry Powell Powell is a veteran, award-winning journalist based in Shoal Lake, Manitoba, Canada. He specialize in stories about agriculture...