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Showing posts from July, 2015

A Nuclear Shadow From Hiroshima and Nagasaki to Fukushima

In The Lancet's Series, a new lens is applied to events from Hiroshima and Nagasaki to Fukushima, for a better understanding of the health challenges faced by populations exposed to radiation from man-made disasters. Details here.

Conservative Insider Won Huge Contract to Build Harper’s Arctic Project

NATIONAL OBSERVER A hugely expensive public contract to build an Arctic research station —promoted by Prime Minister Stephen Harper —went to a joint venture that included a company run by a Conservative Party insider with close ties to Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq, the National Observer has confirmed. Story here.

Scientists Say Supposedly Miraculous Ingredients in Weed Killers Don't Actually Work

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Mother Jones A "crop-duster" doing its thing on a canola crop in Manitoba, Canada. PinP photo. In this article, journalist Tom Philpott illustrates once again, the “wild west,” unregulated nature of industrial agriculture. Story here.

European Mining Dispute Illustrates Risks of Corporate-Friendly Trade Deals

Common Dreams A Canadian corporation is seeking damages after being blocked from creating an open-pit mine over environmental concerns. Story here. Related: " Free Trade: Path to Prosperity - or Back Road to Corporatism?"

Celebrate the Life of Clare Powell in Regina on Sept. 13th!

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Those who knew Clare are welcome to attend this event to share their memories.  Thanks!  "Little Brother" Larry. Please also read: Progressives Lose a "Gentle Warrior."Clare Powell Dies in Regina at 81.

It Could Be Months Before We Know Why a Chinese-Owned Pipeline Burst in Alberta

thump The Nexen pipeline that spurted 5 million liters of thick, black bitumen emulsion into the northern Alberta wilderness could have been leaking for two weeks before it was discovered. Story here.

Condemnation After UK Lifts Ban on Bee-Killing Neonics

CommonDreams Temporary reversal on pesticide will allow farmers to access harmful chemicals for 120 days. Story here.

Health Professionals: be Prepared for Heatwaves

THE LANCET Heatwaves, periods of abnormally and uncomfortably hot and usually humid weather, are among the most dangerous natural hazards. Because of climate change, heatwaves are becoming increasingly frequent and intense, with 14 of the 15 warmest years on record all occurring in the 21st century. In 2003, the European heatwave resulted in deaths of more than 70 000 people. Story here.

Honeybees Show Evidence of Insecticide

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The New York Times PinP photo More than 70 percent of pollen and honey samples collected from foraging bees in Massachusetts contained neonicotinoids, a type of insecticide that has been linked to colony collapse disorder, researchers are reporting. Story here.

The Great Wildfire Debate Lights Up Editorial Pages in Manitoba.

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by Larry Powell For simplicity, I'm putting the series of events discussed below, in chronological order. First, I wrote the letter, immediately below,   published in the Brandon Sun, Neepawa Press and Roblin Review in recent weeks. ===== Forest fire smoke (from as far away as BC) over southern Manitoba.  PinP  photo. Dear Editor,  It's time to wake up and smell the smoke! As wildfires rage around us on the Canadian prairies, forcing thousands of poor souls from their homes, we click our tongues and complain about sore eyes and reduced visibility on the roads. (Trust me, reduced visibility is the least of our worries.)   We apparently lack the brain power to listen to and actually  hear  what the world's scientific community has been warning us about for over a generation. If we do nothing to curb our insatiable appetite for fossil fuels, we can expect more and worse heatwaves, droughts, wildfires and a host of other extreme weather events whic

Climate Scientist Warns Sea Levels Are Rising Faster Than We Thought

climateprogrerss Limiting climate change to 2°C is not going to protect us from devastating sea level rise, a new report has found. Details here.

2015 on Track to Be Hottest Year Yet - Smashing All Previous Records.

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Common Dreams PinP photo. ...and 2016 may likely be even hotter, scientists warn. Story here.

Canadians Entitled to “Realistic” Canadian Energy Strategy

Climate Action Network Premiers have agreed to a Canadian Energy Strategy that fails to strongly steer the country toward the clean, renewable energy system needed to cut carbon pollution and protect the climate. Details here.

Canada Joins in Fishing Ban in the Arctic Due to Sea Warming

The New York Times WASHINGTON — The United States and four other nations that border the Arctic Ocean pledged on Thursday to prohibit commercial fishing in the international waters of the Arctic   until more scientific research could be done on how warming seas and melting ice are affecting fish stocks. Details here.

Large Pipeline Spill in Alberta 'Stark Reminder' of Dangers of Tar Sands

Common Dreams Rupture near Fort McMurray may be one of province's largest. Story here.

Widespread and Early Heatwaves Impact Northern Hemisphere, UN Weather Agency Warns

UN News Service. Many parts of Europe have been impacted by a severe and unusually early heatwave since 27 June, the United Nations World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has said, warning of record-breaking temperatures and wildfires in North America and torrential downpours and widespread flooding in southern China. Story here.

Study: Global Warming Leads to Longer Flights, More Emissions

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Climate Central PinP photo Climate change is causing wind patterns to change over the Pacific Ocean, leading to longer commercial airline flight times and causing airplanes to burn more fuel and emit more greenhouse gases. Story here.

How Canada's Enviro-Minister Spent Her Day Not Attending a Climate Summit

NATIONAL OBSERVER What was so important that kept Leona Aglukkaq, an Inuk environment minister —the first ever to be appointed to a federal cabinet role — away from those talks? Story here. 

Nestlé is About to Suck the Canadian Province of British Columbia Dry - For $2.25 Per Million Litres.

Sum of  + Us And the government is helping make it happen! Please help spread the word about this outrage!

It's Time to Wake Up and Smell the Smoke! (Letter)

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by Larry Powell It's time to wake up and smell the smoke! Forest fire smoke (from as far away as BC) over southern Manitoba.  PinP photo. As wildfires rage around us on the Canadian prairies, forcing thousands of poor souls from their homes, we click our tongues and complain about sore eyes and reduced visibility on the roads. (Trust me, reduced visibility is the least of our worries.)   We apparently lack the brain power to listen to and actually  hear  what the world's scientific community has been warning us about for over a generation. If we do nothing to curb our insatiable appetite for fossil fuels, we can expect more and worse heatwaves, droughts, wildfires and a host of other extreme weather events which are  decidedly not positive,  in our future .  Our relentless burning of gas, oil and coal, apparently without a thought for tomorrow, produces greenhouse gases which trap the sun's heat and cause the earth's average temperature to increase. 

Forest Fire Smoke Invades Manitoba Skies

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Manitoba Co-Operator Smokey western MB.  PinP photo. Thick smoke from neighbouring forest fires has been lingering over Manitoba  but experts say it’s unlikely to impact plant growth. Story here.

Welcome to an Extreme, Warming World

by David Suzuki - Common Dreams My hometown, Vancouver, is in a rainforest, so we celebrate sunny days. People I talk to are enjoying the recent warm, dry weather , but they invariably add, "This isn't normal" — especially with all the smoke from nearby forest fires. Story here.

New Warnings After Vessel Breaks in 'Doomed' Shell Arctic Drilling Project

Common Dreams Workers find 39-inch hole in hull of Shell vessel meant to safeguard controversial drilling operation in vulnerable Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. Story here.

Creating Environmentally Literate Citizens

Manitoba Co-Operator A new educational site is being developed in Rivers, Man., with the goal of immersing youth in natural surroundings to instil the importance of environmental issues. Story here.

Nobel Prize-Winning Scientists Call For Action To ‘Minimize The Substantial Risks Of Climate Change’

Climate Progress Sixty years ago, Nobel laureates gathered on a tiny island in Western Europe and warned the world of the dangerous effects of nuclear weapons.  Last Friday, on the same island, 36 Nobel Prize winners took up another cause: climate change, which they said poses a “threat of comparable magnitude” to nuclear war . Story here.

Progressives Lose "A Gentle Warrior." Clare Powell Dies in Regina at 81.

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Eulogy by family, below. During his long and meaningful time here on Earth, Clare came to mean many things to many people. His life embraced family, journalism, broadcasting, activism, trade unionism and a dash of politics.