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Showing posts from September, 2014

WWF Report: Global Wildlife Populations Down by Half Since 1970

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CBC News Opportunity to 'develop sustainably' must be seized, says the Director of the World Wildlife Fund.  Details here . Pine grosbeak (f.) Larry Powell -  P in P photo:  Susceptible to habitat loss from logging operations that destroy their preferred coniferous forests. 

Alberta Ranchers to Conserve Huge Tract of Native Grassland

Canadian Press CALGARY - Southern Alberta ranchers have banded together to preserve a huge swath of almost untouched native grassland that some call a prairie Serengeti. Story here.

Cause of California Drought Linked to Climate Change

National Science Foundation Extreme atmospheric conditions responsible for drought more likely to occur in current global warming. Story here.

Tell the Environmental Protection Agency (US): Stop Dow’s Deadly Duo of Agent Orange and Roundup Herbicides

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Organic Consumer's Association Crop-duster in Manitoba. P in P photo. What’s more poisonous than Dow’s 2,4-D “Agent Orange” herbicide or Monsanto’s Roundup? Story here.                    (See r elated, below:)  New GMOs Doctors Are Warning Against. (Video). "Do Manitoba's Elected Politicians Care About the Health of Their People? A Food Safety Advocate Wonders...The politicians are "no-shows" at a series of summer speaking events." 

Real Solutions From Agriculture at the People's Climate March

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Common Dreams On the day before the People’s Climate March —what’s being billed as the largest mass climate demonstration in history—the Organic Consumers Association  (OCA) hosted a day of workshops as part of the NYC Climate Convergence . The final workshop was entitled “Now that the U.S. supports Climate-Smart Agriculture, is reform of our climate-dumb food system possible?” Story here. P in P  photo. OCA’s message? Industrial agriculture is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions—and its counterpart, organic regenerative farming and ranching, offers not only a way to reverse global warming, but a way to have better soil, better health, more justice for farmers, and a proven path for feeding the world. 

Peoples' Climate March (Video)

The Biggest Climate March Ever!

Avaaz.org Months ago, our community decided on a crazy goal -- the largest mobilisation on climate change in history. This week, it actually happened. Story here.

US Department of Agriculture says Unapproved Genetically-Modified Wheat is Found Again, This Time in Montana

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Canadian Press Unregulated genetically modified wheat has popped up in a second location in the United States, this time in Huntley, Montana, the Agriculture Department said Friday.   Story here. Wheat field. P in P photo.

Cost of Lowering Lake Manitoba Could Reach $450 Million

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Manitoba Co-Operator Flooding in Manitoba, 2011. P in P photo. The province hopes the federal government will provide financial assistance as outlet channels move forward. Story here.

Before Honey Bees Are Extinct - Please STEP UP AND SIGN!

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Avaaz.org Manitoba bee hive. P in P photo. We only have days -- send a quick message to the heads of the environment and agriculture departments that President Obama has tasked to come up with a plan for bees. Details here.

Minister of Agriculture Refuses to Release the Annual Report of the Canadian Wheat Board.

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Manitoba Co-Operator PinP photo. The Friends of the Canadian Wheat Board suspects the report is too politically sensitive to be made public. Story here.

"The Invasive Species Council of Manitoba," Canada, Declares (another) War on Weeds

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Manitoba Co-Operator P in P photo. New weed spotters’ workshops are designed to educate public and raise awareness. Story here. Related: "Dangerous Ditches.   Manitoba’s 'war on weeds' comes complete with powerful herbicides, questionable spraying practices and collateral damage."

The Coming Climate Revolt

OpEd News - Chris Hedges We have undergone a transformation during the last few decades -- what John Ralston Saul   calls a corporate coup d'etat in slow motion. We are no longer a capitalist democracy… Story here.

New GMO Pesticide Doctors Are Warning Against

The Dr. Oz Show Click here to watch this "must-watch" video! Related: "Do Manitoba's Elected Politicians Care About the Health of Their People? A Food Safety Advocate Wonders...The politicians are "no-shows" at a series of summer speaking events." 

Blogger Responds to Accusations from CropLife Canada (Letter)

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Dear Editor, So, I see the head of CropLife Canada, Ted Menzies, thinks I used "inflammatory" language in a recent story I wrote. It posed this question. "Is agriculture's toxic hold on nature turning into a death grip?" The story went on to quote scientific studies which link "neonicotinoids," a group of insecticides, to widespread declines in populations of both honeybees and songbirds. ("Neonics" are made by some of the world's biggest chemical companies that he now represents.) Excuse me, Mr. Menzies, if my headline sounded "inflammatory." But, if Canadians themselves are not yet "inflamed" by the impact your products are having on our natural world, perhaps it's time they should be! Every school kid must know by now what a calamity it would be if we lose our pollinators. Bees make our lives universally sweet while helping produce one of every three spoons-full of food we put in our mouths!  So

As Climate Change Debate Heats Up, UN Experts Warn ‘We Are Running Out of Time’

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United Nations News Service The United Nations weather agency today voiced concerns over the surge of carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere, which has reached a new record high in 2013, amid worrying sings that oceans and biosphere seem unable to soak up emissions as quickly as they used to.   Story here. The oceans of the world absorb massive amounts of heat,  delaying the worst effects of climate change on land. P in P photo.

Manitoba Bee Mortality Down

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Manitoba Co-Operator Bee mortality in Manitoba varied greatly from region to region last winter, but most honey producers saw improvements. Story here. P in P photo.

U.N. Pushes Climate-Smart Agriculture – But Are the Farmers Willing to Change?

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INTER PRESS SERVICE Is this climate-smart agriculture? Farmin' North American style! KARNAL, India, Sep 17 2014 (IPS) - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expected to make a strong pitch to world political leaders at the U.N. Climate Summit in New York on Sep. 23 to accept new emissions targets and their timelines. Story here.

Does Farming Contribute as Many Nutrients to Our Waterways as Sometimes Believed? A Unique Manitoba Project Suggests, Maybe Not!

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Manitoba Co-Operator Ducks in a nutrient-rich river  in Manitoba.  P in P  photo. Ultimately, storing water on the land isn’t just about flood control, it’s about capitalizing on available nutrients as well. Story here.

The Planet Just Had Its Warmest August On Record

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The Huffington Post P in P photo This past August was the warmest since records began in 1881, according to new data released by NASA. The latest readings continue a series of record or near-record breaking months. May of this year was also the warmest in recorded history. Story here.

Blogger Strikes a Nerve With the Top Gun in Canadian "Agri-Biz"

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by Ted Menzies, President of CropLife Canada. In response to Larry Powell’s Aug. 19 article,  "  New Studies Show Farm Chemicals Are Affecting More Than Bees. Bird Populations are Declining, Too. Is Modern Agriculture's Hold on Nature Turning Into a Death Grip?"  and his letter to the editor on Sept. 5 regarding the lack of replies ; Ted Menzies, President of CropLife Canada.  Inflammatory language such as that expressed in the article "Is agriculture’s toxic hold turning into a death grip?" creates a false impression that is both unfair to farmers and inaccurate. Farmers overwhelmingly choose to grow genetically-improved varieties of corn, canola, soybeans and other crops due to the numerous benefits they offer, such as increased yields, which allows more food to be produced on the same amount of land. The plant science industry is committed to the responsible use of its products. Neonicotinoid seed treatments use a ver

Canada PM to Miss UN Climate Summit

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The Hill Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper won't be attending the United Nations climate summit in New York this month. Story here.

Earth’s Ozone Layer is Recovering, Scientists Say

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The Boston Globe WASHINGTON (AP) — Earth’s protective but fragile ozone layer is beginning to recover, largely because of the phase-out since the 1980s of certain chemicals used in refrigerants and aerosol cans, a U.N. scientific panel reported Wednesday in a rare piece of good news about the health of the planet. Story here.

Trees Are Dying From ‘No Obvious Cause’ In Rocky Mountains, Report Says

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Climate Progress. "Jasper," a Rock Mountain national park in Alberta, Canada. "P in P" photo. The Rocky Mountain forests that traverse the West are under unprecedented danger from climate-related impacts according to a new report from the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) and the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization. The Rockies include national parks like Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Glacier National Park, and are facing a “triple assault — tree-killing insects, wildfires, and heat and drought — that could fundamentally alter these forests as we know them.” Story here.

Health Canada's "Vitamin Police" Begin Raiding Health Food Retailers

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Citizens for Choice In early 2012 Health Canada's Natural Health Products Directorate (NHPD) had  already spent over one billion dollars of taxpayer's money regulating an  industry that was on record as having caused zero deaths. Two and a half  years later, the taxpayer's bill is still climbing.but the death toll  isn't. It's still zero! Yet, as of September 1st, in the name of safety, Health Canada has sent out inspectors to force all products not possessing a  natural product license off health retailer shelves. "P in P" photo

Audubon's Birds & Climate Change Report

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314 Species on the Brink Shrinking & shifting ranges could imperil nearly half of North American birds within this century.  Story here. A robin caught in a freak storm in Manitoba.                                                                                                                                                         Barn swallows.  Yellow-headed Blackbird s , a familiar sight in western North America,  may be under threat before the end of the century. ( P in P photos)

Organic Food Council of Manitoba screening of ‘Open Sesame: The Story of Seeds’

The Park Theatre — 698 Osborne St., Winnipeg Sunday Sep 21 at 6:00pm . “Movie followed by a panel discussion, including the filmmaker.” Tickets $10 online, $12 at door. For more info or to buy tickets visit the Canadian Organic Growers website .

Photos Capture Amazon Tribe As They Beat And Strip Illegal Loggers

Huffington Post The Ka'apor Indians, a tribe of indigenous Brazilians living in the northeast region of the country's expansive rainforest, have begun taking up arms against illegal loggers who are threatening their homeland. On one of their recent searches for loggers, they were joined by Reuters photographer Lunae Parracho, who documented the scene when they reportedly found a number of the men. Story here.

Mt. Polley Debacle: The Canadian Province of British Columbia is Miles behind US on Mine Danger Info

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Public here (in BC)  barred from records which are freely available in US to help avert disasters. Story here. Related: Massive Canadian Mining Waste Spill Was Nearly 70 Percent Larger Than Previous Estimates

40 Percent of Countries with Largest Shale Deposits Face Water Stress

World Resources Institute Right now, dozens of countries around the world are deciding whether or not to develop their shale gas and tight oil resources (tight oil deposits are trapped in fine-grained sedimentary rock, including shale). It’s easy to understand why: shale gas could boost the world’s recoverable natural gas resources by 47 percent, cut greenhouse gas emissions compared to coal, create new revenue and jobs, and raise national energy supplies. However, extracting natural gas and tight oil from shale poses environmental risks , especially when it comes to water. Hydraulic fracturing requires up to 25 million liters of fresh water per well, meaning shale resources can be hard to develop where fresh water is hard to find—including in some of the world’s fastest-growing economies and populations. Details here.

Canada's Transportation Safety Board (TSB) Warns, Dangerous Crude Could Still Travel in Misclassified Tank Cars

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THE GLOBE AND MAIL The TSB is raising concerns that dangerous crude oil could still be travelling by rail inside misclassified tank cars, despite assurances from the federal government that the problem has been fixed. STORY HERE.

Do Manitoba's Elected Politicians Care About the Health of Their People? A Food Safety Advocate Wonders...

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The politicians are "no-shows" at a series of summer speaking events. by Larry Powell Organizers of a national speaking tour, designed to warn of the potential health impacts of genetically-engineered foods, had high hopes of winning the ear of governments when the tour arrived in Manitoba in July. The Co-ordinator for the "GE Foods and Health Cross-Canada Speakers Tour" in the province, Rose Stevens, personally sent e-mails to numerous Members of Parliament and MLAs in Manitoba. She invited them to attend  one of the seven events   held in the province that month.  Some sent regrets, without further explanation. Others said they had other commitments, without saying what they were. One said he was going to be out of the country for one of the dates, but didn't mention the others.   Several did not even respond.                                                                                                  Whatever their circumstance,   not one of t

Canada Largest Contributor To Deforestation Worldwide: Study

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The Huffington Post P in P photo. Add another black mark to Canada’s environmental image around the world: The country now leads the planet in the degradation of untouched forests, according to a study from Forest Watch.  Story here.

As Aircraft Emissions Skyrocket, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Looks Into Regulation For First Time

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CLIMATE PROGRESS Air travel is a carbon-intensive industry, and just like vehicles and power plants, its rising carbon pollution may soon be curtailed due to efforts from the Obama administration.  Story here.                                  P in P photo

Massive Canadian Mining Waste Spill Was Nearly 70 Percent Larger Than Previous Estimates

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CLIMATE PROGRESS Photo courtesy of "Cowichan Conversations." The mining waste spill that led to water bans for hundreds of British Columbians was almost 70 percent larger than previously estimated, according to the company in charge of the mine. Story here.

British Petroleum's Recklessness Caused Gulf Oil Spill, U.S. Judge Rules

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HuffingtonPost A U.S. judge has ruled that BP's recklessness caused 2010's   massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill , a move that could cost the  company billions. Earlier this week Halliburton, the company  in charge of sealing the completed Deepwater Horizon well that spewed millions of gallons of oil into the gulf, agreed to pay $1.1 billion to settle claims arising from its negligence. Story here.

Canadian Beekeepers Sue Bayer, Syngenta Over Neonicotinoid Pesticides

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CBC News Class action lawsuit seeks $400 million in damages. Story here. Honeybee hive. PinP photo. Please also read:   " Are Canada's Pesticide Regulators on the Take? Canadian authorities refuse to protect precious pollinators from known toxins. Is something crooked going on here? " "P in P" Promotes Canada's CHIEF BEE-KILLER - Ted Menzies, to CHIEF BIRD KILLER, as Well!

Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Energy Generation in Australia Jump Most in Eight Years After Carbon Price Axed

The Sydney Morning Herald Carbon emissions from the country's main electricity grid have risen since the end of the carbon tax by the largest amount in nearly eight years. Story here.

"Limit to Growth" Was Right. New Research Shows We're Nearing Collapse

TheGuardian Four decades after the book was published, Limit to Growth’s forecasts have been vindicated by new Australian research. Expect the early stages of global collapse to start appearing soon. Story here.

Government of Nova Scotia, Canada to Prohibit Hydraulic Fracturing

Government Of Nova Scotia Energy Minister Andrew Younger has announced, the government of Nova Scotia will introduce legislation this fall to prohibit high volume hydraulic fracturing for onshore shale gas. Story here.

Farm Pests' Global Advance Threatens Food Security

Ecologist Agricultural pests - viruses, bacteria, fungi, blights, mildews, rusts, beetles, nematodes, flies, mites, spiders and caterpillars - are spreading thanks to trade, travel and global warming, writes Tim Radford. The world faces a dire future of increased crop losses and growing insecurity. Story here.

The Last Gasp of Climate Change Liberals

OpEdNews - Chris Hedges The climate change march in New York on Sept. 21, expected to draw as many as 200,000 people, is one of the last gasps of conventional liberalism's response to the climate crisis. Details here.

Video Trailer for Naomi Klein's Newest Book - This Changes Everything. Capitalism vs. The Climate.