CBCnews 4 chimney swift chicks were rehabilitated after falling from building at Lower Fort Garry. Story here. Other Swifts seen here in a chimney.  Photo by  Greg Schechter from San Francisco, USA

Nation of Change Living within a 1/2 mile of these production facilities is clearly correlated with negative health impacts. Story here. PinP photo.

CBC news Smoke from Alberta fire was so massive the plumes created their own environmental system. Story here. Near "Fort Mac" spring '16. Photo by  DarrenRD

CBC news Fishing lines killed at least 2 whales, and 2 others were freed by rescuers.  Story here. We destroy our kindred creatures in ways that are varied and wondrous. This northern right whale was run over by a ship. Photo by NOAA.

CBC news Canadians drink a lot of Florida juice, but hurricane has destroyed this year's crop. Story here. A familiar breakfast - with a familiar beverage. Photo by  Kklerks

The Winnipeg SUN A group that fears relaxed hog rules will heighten water pollution has united to fight against the proposed changes. Story here.

ScienceNews As governments decide what to do about air quality, studies connect an array of health problems to dirty air. Story here.

the guardian North Carolina’s hog industry has been the subject of litigation, investigation, legislation and regulation. But are its health and environmental risks finally getting too much? Story here.

|NATIONAL OBSERVER The White House has issued a denial after a Montreal meeting heard some unexpected comments suggesting the U.S. administration was softening its stance on climate change. Story here.

RELATED: PinP reviews the book - "The Sixth Extinction - an unnatural history."

Nation of Change "Whether this is a question of negligence or intent, it is completely unacceptable for government bodies to pass off industry analysis as their own." Story here. A crop-duster sprays pesticides  on a crop in Manitoba.   PinP photo.

    Canadian  Cattlemen Animal Health: Ingestion of plastics has become a common killer. Story here.

EcoWatch The Air Force has dispatched big spray planes to control pests which they claim pose a health risk to rescue workers around Houston. Sadly, those "pests" include the good ones, like bees. Story here.

World Wildlife Fund                    Burrowing owl.                                   Great Blue Herron. Bobolink. (PinP photos.) The fate of wildlife in Canada is in our hands. WWF -Canada’s Living Planet Report Canada shows that wildlife is on a troubling decline. It’s time to come together and turn things around. Story here.

ScienceDaily Quantitative analysis has evidenced the acceleration system of melting ice: dark water surfaces absorb more heat than white ice surfaces, thus melting ice and making more water surfaces in the Arctic Ocean. Details here.

NATURE|NEWS Geological processes send more meltwater from glaciers and ice sheets to Earth's mid-latitudes. Story here. Greenland. Photo by Uffe Wilken

The Western Producer Damage has been reported to farms and ranches on the perimeter of Waterton Lakes National Park as a wildfire continues to burn in southwestern Alberta. Details here.

CommonDreams The devastating consequences of human superiority over nature. Story here. The remains of a rare northern right whale run over by a ship.  NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries photo. Related: The Sixth Extinction - an Unnatural History - a Book Review

SCIENTIFIC  AMERICAN The Island of St. Maartin during hurricane Irma. Ministry of Defense, Netherlands. Some links are indisputable; others are more subtle, but the science is improving all the time. Story here.

CBC news Weather forecast calls for high winds on Saturday and Sunday, which is a concern for firefighters. Story here.

ECOWATCH A conservation group is suing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, challenging the  agency's rule stripping grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem of Endangered Species protections. Story here.

CommonDreams "It is past time to call out Trump and all climate deniers for this crime against humanity. No more treating climate denial like an honest difference of opinion." Story here.

POPULAR   SCIENCE Plus some bee-utiful photography. STORY HERE. RELATED:  Pesticide increases probability of bumblebee extinction. Will New Research From Europe Nudge Canada Toward a "Neonic" Ban? Bumble bees forage on chives in a  Manitoba garden.  PinP  photo.

Below is a letter I submitted to the weekly newspaper, the Neepawa Banner today. =============== Dear Editor, I am puzzled by a recent column in the weekly newspaper, the Neepawa Banner by Rev. Neil Strohschein, entitled “A Christian response to natural disasters.” I find your conclusion that God loves the victims of such storms, cries out for further explanation.  Who or what is making these storms in the first place, then? Is it not God? Because the faithful believe God is all-powerful, do they not?   If it is not Him, who/what is it, then? Does He not have the power to prevent such calamities? If He does not, does that not make Him less than all-powerful?   And if it is Him, please explain to me how raining down such massive misery and destruction on his flock can possibly be an act of love?   While you do not address this following point in your column, it is one which, IMHO, also cries out for a response from the religious. It is customary in the fa

theguardian It came without warning, and without equivalent. Now a flash drought is fuelling fires and hurting the lives of those who work the land. Story here.

NATIONAL OBSERVER Are Harper-style funding cuts to science beginning to be felt again, even under the Liberals’ watch? Story here.

Los Angeles Times Wildfire in California, July, 2017. Photo by  BLM. California’s history-making heat wave set new all-time records for the second day in a row. Story here.

by Larry Powell Despite historic weather calamities descending upon Earth with breathtaking frequency and ferocity, the root-causes of our planetary crisis continue to be avoided like sacred cows. An analyst interviewed on TV yesterday did make some good (albeit now-familiar) points.   He pointed out how ordinary people have "stepped up" by helping their neighbours, after the fact. These are true heroes, he pointed out, correctly.   Then he went on to say, (altho they are rarely recogni zed as such.), so are policy-makers who come up with practical ways of lessening impacts, like smarter development which uses less concrete, further away from flood plains. He even mentioned "climate change," words rarely uttered in polite society.   So far, so good.   But he gave not a word of recognition to the most important part of all - the need to wean ourselves off fossil fuels and make a very rapid transition to a low-carbon society!   The world's clima

EcoWatch “We still get overwhelmed because extreme weather is by its nature peculiar.” Story here. Port Arthur, Texas as a result of Harvey.  SC National Guard

Common Dreams From major hurricanes and flooding to droughts and fires, the refusal to accept the science of global warming is getting very expensive. Story here. Ashcroft Reserve wildfire in BC, Canada, seen across Loon Lake. Shawn Cahill

Dallas News WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump declared a national day of prayer on Sunday as the Gulf Coast reels from Hurricane Harvey, following the lead of Texas, where on Thursday, Gov. Greg Abbott declared Sunday a day of prayer. Story here. RELATED: Texas official declines aid offer from Quebec, asks for prayers instead.

Common Dreams All our eyes have been glued to the devastation that is Hurricane Harvey. Here in New Jersey, we are still waiting on the help we were promised to fully recover from Superstorm Sandy, so we know the road home will be long and full of challenges. Story here. Pearland, Texas. Hurricane Harvey. Brant Kelly photo.