PLANET IN PERIL

POPULAR  SCIENCE Recently, media reports emerged of water leaking into the entryway of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. The facility is designed to be a backup for other seed banks all over the world. In an e-mail, the Norwegian Government, confirmed that the leaks happened last fall, during a time of high temperatures and unusual rainfall in the area. Story here.

The Western Producer Farmers in central and northern Alberta should brace for drought this summer, according to AccuWeather. Story here.

The Western Producer Farmers in certain areas of southern Manitoba need four to five weeks of ideal weather or they won’t be planting a crop this spring. Story here. Flooded farm fields near Portage La Prairie,   Manitoba. PinP photo.

New Scientist A new prediction says 2017 and 2018 will see major Lyme  disease  outbreaks in new areas.  This could lead to lifelong  consequences ,  so where's the vaccine?   Story here.

Winnipeg Free Press The U.S. National Weather Service says there is more than an 80 per cent chance of major flooding along the Red River near the Manitoba border in the coming months.  Story here. Grand Forks, ND in 1997 Ken Gardner,  U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

CBC news Manitobans are no strangers to floods. Here, campers make the most of soggy  conditions in Neepawa, 2014. PinP photo. The City of Brandon is already preparing for potential spring flooding. Story here.

EcoWatch Records tumble in infernos in Chile. Details here.

comonews.com It's not the first place that comes to mind when you think of having a white Christmas. Story here.

Manitoba Co-Operator The big white combine took a heavy toll in Manitoba this year. Story here.

Manitoba Co-Operator As the water keeps rising, cattle producers question pump- operation guidelines around The Pas. Story here.  

THE WESTERN PRODUCER Northern Alta. producers are in particularly bad shape, but fields unharvested across Prairies. Story here.

Manitoba Co-Operator Backyard chickens in Manitoba.  PinP  photo. Hog manure pits also reported swamped by floodwaters. Story here.

Manitoba Co-Operator Too much rain and uneven crop staging made it difficult for farmers to apply fungicides at the optimum time. Story here.

CBC News Cherry-faced Meadowhawk..... Sympetrum internum.... female Copyright © 2016 PinP (Not one of the "new winged beasts." Just an attractive dragonfly found in Manitoba. 😊) A Winnipeg biologist has had not one, but two chance encounters with winged insect critters this summer that aren't supposed to be in Manitoba. Story here.

Manitoba Co-Operator A crop of field peas in the UK. Photo by  David Lally . Manitoba pea growers are getting a reminder of why they backed away from the crop in the first place. Story here .

Chicago Tribune A ferocious wildfire had swallowed up many homes as it spread across 40 square miles of mountain and desert east of Los Angeles. Exactly how many, however, and to whom they belonged, remained uncertain. Story here.

THE WESTERN PRODUCER Persistent rain is prompting concerns that prairie farmers will add to a glut of low quality milling wheat that is already weighing on world markets. Story here.

CommonDreams 'It looks like a war zone.’ Story here.

UN News Centre Some 23 million people in southern Africa are in need of urgent support to be able to produce enough food to feed themselves… Story here.

The Buffalo News Tractors plow through clouds of dust. Crops fail to germinate. Dairy cows aren’t producing milk. They can’t even eat and sleep in the heat. Story here.