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Showing posts from January, 2016

Let’s Protect Ontario’s Moose, Wolves, and Coyotes!

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Humane Society International Canada PinP photo. The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (OMNRF) has introduced a proposal to relax restrictions on the killing of wolves and allow the unlimited killing of coyotes across most of Ontario in an ill-informed effort to enhance moose populations. PLEASE SIGN!

Energy East Pipeline Would Cross 828 Bodies of Water in Quebec

CBC News Proposed crude oil pipeline would also cut through 69 municipalities in the province. Details here.

Danger! The Trans Pacific (UNFAIR Trade) Partnership Coming!

Sum    Of + Us We've just heard that police are making intimidating visits to organisers of this week's TPP march in New Zealand.  It has a huge chilling effect on our ability to express our rights.  You can fight back.   Donate here. PLEASE ALSO READ: "Free Trade. Pathway to Prosperity or Back Road to Corporatism?" 

Want to Find Out How to Invest in Sustainable Agriculture? Read On!

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Earth Institute Increased investment in agriculture is critical. In a world confronting anticipated increases in food demand arising from a growing world population and changing diets, as well as potential decreases in food supply due to climatic changes and water scarcity, agricultural investment will prove crucial to addressing food security needs in the future. Story here.                     Two huge tractors and seeders,  probably worth about $2M, stand ready to begin work in Manitoba, Canada. PinP photo.

Venezuela’s Food Revolution

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New Internationalist That South American country has fought off big agribusiness and promoted agroecology, explains Nick Dearden. More here. North America, on the other hand, embraces "Big Ag,"  with its warts, excesses, hazards and all. PinP photo.

Agency Allowed Dangerous Pesticides on Crops For Years, Says Audit

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NATIONAL OBSERVER A potato-harvester in central Manitoba.  Commercial potato producers are known for their  heavy and frequent use of pesticides. PinP photo. Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency allowed the agricultural industry to continue using an “unacceptable” pesticide on potato crops for more than a decade after concluding it had high acute toxicity, said a new audit tabled in Parliament on Tuesday. Details here. RELATED:  "Agency Allowed Dangerous Pesticides on Crops For Years, Says Audit" "Are Pesticide Regulators on the Take?"

Will Canada's New 'Climate Test' for Pipelines Have Sharp Enough Teeth?

CommonDreams As pipeline approval process faces overhaul, new federal audit shows "systemic" failings within Canada's National Energy Board. More here.

Meet the Wolves Targeted in B.C.'s Controversial Kill

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NATIONAL OBSERVER A cousin of the wolf, the coyote. PinP photo. Some are being targeted to be shot from helicopters as part of a controversial government effort to protect a dwindling caribou population.  More here.

Mumbo-Jumbo Jets

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Georges Monbiot - the Guardian PinP photo. I see the people on trial for occupying a runway at Heathrow as democratic heroes. More here.

While Global Temperatures Rise, the Poor Burn Faster

   THE Nation In order to rebalance the world’s ecology, we’ll have to rebalance its wealth. More here .

Roundup-Ready Alfalfa Goes Wild in the US West

ECOLOGIST A USDA study shows that a GM alfalfa has gone wild in alfalfa-growing parts of the West. More here

NASA Warns Lawmakers to Act Now, After Record-Smashing Year of Global Warming

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NATIONAL OBSERVER Weird cloud formations in Manitoba. PinP photo. Announcing that 2015 was the hottest year on record, NASA issued a warning to policy makers that they need to act on climate change. More here

Outcry Over the Austerity Crisis in Flint, Michigan Grows

  THE Nation Details of how Flint’s water was contaminated, and of how pleas for help were neglected, are leading to calls for inquiries, arrest, resignation. More here.

Shock Figures to Reveal Deadly Toll of Global Air Pollution

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the guardian Burning trees in Manitoba, Canada. PinP photo. World Health Organisation describes new data as ‘health emergency’, with rising concern likely to influence decision over Heathrow expansion. Story here. RELATED: "It's Time to Wake Up and Smell the Smoke."

Number of England's Marine Conservation Zones Nearly Doubles

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the guardian But leading marine conservationist warns that MCZs are ‘paper parks’ and will offer wildlife no real protection from destructive dredging and trawling. More here. Pelicans in Manitoba,  Canada. PinP photo.

American Billionaire Set to Open Cape Breton (Canada) Coal Mine

NATIONAL OBSERVER While other Canadian provinces phase out coal, Nova Scotia is defiantly preparing to open its first coal mine since the last one closed in 2001 - this one under the ownership of a secretive American billionaire with ties to the Carlyle Group and Jeb Bush. More here.

The Great Contaminated Outdoors (Greenpeace Video)

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Scorched Earth Conservation in the UK

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By George Monbiot - the Guardian. National park authorities inflict mass destruction on wildlife and habitats, then call it conservation.  MORE HERE. Human fascination with burning is alive and well on Canadian farms, too. PinP photo.

Hazardous Chemicals in Pristine Nature

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Greenpeace It's ironic to think that companies who depend on nature for their business, willingly release dangerous chemicals into the environment.  More here.     

Warming Could Mean Major Thaw For Alaska Permafrost

Climate Central If you’d asked permafrost researcher Vladimir Romanovsky five years ago if he thought the permafrost of the North Slope of Alaska was in danger of substantial thaw this century because of global warming, he would have said no. Not any more.  More Here. RELATED:  Only “Heroic Efforts” Will Spare Earth’s Mighty Boreal Forest From the Worst Ravages of Climate Change - Experts.

The World-Class Experimental Lakes Area - Grieviously Wounded by the Harper Regime - Struggles Back to its Feet.

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International Institute for Sustainable Development. 2014-2015 was a great year for IISD Experimental Lakes Area (IISD-ELA). This was the world-class freshwater research institute's first year under new management, and the team was happy to get back to research as well as focus on expanding the outreach and educational opportunities at the site.  Tests conducted on the Experimental Lakes result in solutions  which save others,  like the one above. PinP photo. The annual report includes highlights from some members of staff and the board, as well as some stats from our first year and stunning images of our 58 beautiful lakes and their watersheds. Download the report here.

Bernie Sanders is First to Sign 'Fix Democracy' Pledge Rejecting Fossil Fuel Cash

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CommonDreams "It's time for Hillary Clinton and anyone with serious White House aspirations to match Sander's leadership," says Greenpeace. More here.

Study Finds Canadian Beef’s GHG Footprint Shrunk Over 30 Years

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Manitoba Co-Operator PinP photo Efficiencies in cattle production and feeding have allowed Canada’s beef industry to produce the same weight in beef as 30 years ago with smaller breeding herds, less land — and smaller greenhouse gas (GHG) output. More hear.

One Of The World's Top Bee Scientists Has Been Suspended for Publishing Research on Bee-Killing Pesticides. (Donations Requested)

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Sum    Of + Us PinP photo. Jonathan Lundgren was an award-winning scientist for 11 years with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But once he started publishing data linking pesticides to bee and butterfly die-offs, he was ordered to stop talking. Help Jonathan by  donating!

B.C. Government Formally Opposes Kinder Morgan Pipeline Expansion

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National Observer Pipe stored on a railway siding in Manitoba. PinP photo. British Columbia has put its foot down on Kinder Morgan’s controversial Trans Mountain pipeline expansion . More here.

So You Think You Have Control Over Your Children's Environmental Education? THINK AGAIN!

by Larry Powell Every loving parent, I'm sure, would like to be able to guide their kids in a way that best equips them to deal with the environmental challenges which lie ahead - foremost among them being climate change and the greenhouse gases so prodigiously produced by the transportation sector (cars). This "criminally-negligent" car commercial (& others like it), shows how soulless multinationals like "Chevy" can seduce young minds while conveniently ignoring the fact that their products are a main culprit in endangering the futures of these same children with their pollution! You'd never know it by watching this kind of crap. So where does that leave our kids in terms of being instilled with the best "eco-wisdom" possible? DUMB AS POSTS. THAT'S WHERE .  Here's a thought. Why not force the Chevy's of the world to include a warning with every car ad whether on TV, Radio or print. It would inform viewers/readers that th

'Case is Made' for Anthropocene Epoch

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BBC NEWS A huge farm sprawls across the southern slopes of the Duck Mountains in Manitoba, Canada.   PinP  photo. An international scientific panel  which has been tasked with defining the so-called Anthropocene, says humanity's impacts on Earth will be visible in sediments and rocks millions of years into the future.  More here .

EU Scientists Begin Review of Ban on Pesticides Linked to Bee Declines

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the guardian Risk evaluation could pave the way for a rolling back of the hard won EU-wide ban on three neonicotinoid pesticides. More here. Other insects are lesser, but still significant pollinators. Like this common "Hoverfly." PinP photo.

Keystone XL Company Takes Legal Action After Obama 'Overstepped Authority'

the guardian TransCanada launches two challenges as it argues president violated Nafta, saying it is seeking to recover $15bn spent in push for pipeline’s approval. More here.

A Greenpeace Video. Please Watch

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State of Emergency Declared Over Huge Los Angeles County Methane Leak

Question More California Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency over a large Southern California gas leak in Los Angeles County, which has led to months of protests and the displacement of thousands of families .  More here. Watch a video of the blowout here.

An Assessment by the US Environmental Protection Agency Finds Common Pesticide Harms Bees

CommonDreams Friends of the Earth calls for agency to suspend bee-toxic pesticides. More here.

Earth is Experiencing a Global Warming "Spurt"

Climate Central Cyclical changes in the Pacific Ocean have thrown earth’s surface into what may be an unprecedented warming spurt , following a global warming slowdown that lasted about 15 years. More here.

First Big El NiƱo Storms Hit California, Bring Hope of Easing Historic Drought

San Jose Mercury News After a year of hype and hope, El NiƱo's punch is finally arriving in California, bringing a series of storms to soak the Bay Area and most of the rest of the drought-stricken state through this week and probably into next. More here.

The Largest Release of Methane Blowing Into The Californian Sky: (Video)

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RELATED:   A single gas well leak is California's biggest contributor to climate change 

China to Halt New Coal Mine Approvals For Next 3 Years, Local Media Reports

Think Progress China will not approve any new coal mines for the next three years, according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency. More here.

'Unlawful Pollution': Volkswagen Charged With Crimes Against Climate

Common Dreams U.S. Department of Justice files civil suit on behalf of Environmental Protection Agency.   More here.

For the Love of the Land: Keeping the Peace River from the Site C BC Hydro Dam

Dancing With Decolonization When we arrived to camp we found new "no trespassing" signs (not ours) posted on trees and an eviction notice posted by hydro on to the shack. More here. RELATED:  "They're Killing the Peace River Valley in BC Now."

Ten Weather Extremes That Defined Hottest Year Ever Recorded

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CommonDreams PinP photo. From droughts to floods to mega-storms, extreme weather over the past 365 days raises disturbing questions about future of climate chaos. More here.

Canadian Polar Bear Expert Awarded Lifetime Achievement Prize

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    CANADIAN G eographic A scientist who has spent more than 40 years studying the behaviour and ecology of Arctic marine mammals and is one of the world’s foremost polar bear experts, Ian Stirling, has been awarded the $50,000 Weston Family Prize for Lifetime Achievement in Northern Research . More here.