PLANET IN PERIL

Nation of Change Former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) official Jess Rowland may have to testify over claims that he covered up evidence that glyphosate , the main ingredient in Monsanto ‘s top-selling herbicide Roundup , could cause cancer. Details here.

the guardian The threat posed to bees by neonicotinoid pesticides is greater than perceived in 2013 when the EU adopted a partial ban, new report concludes. Story here. PinP photo Please also read how the EPA is disgracefully bowing to pressure from industry in the fight to protect bees, here.

Friends of the Earth Health Canada’s PMRA has announced imidacloprid, one of the oldest and most widely used neonicotinoid pesticides,  is being taken off the market .  A Manitoba honeybee colony.  PinP  photo.   It’s been found in just about every water body and it’s considered harmful to aquatic species and to creatures such as birds dependent on the aquatic species. Unfortunately, the PMRA is proposing a long 3-year phase-out. With your help, we want to accelerate this phase-out. PinP: Oddly enough,  Health Canada did not even consider risks to pollinators in this re-evaluation. That will happen in a separate "risk assessment."    Health Canada Release The environmental assessment showed that, in aquatic environments in Canada, imidacloprid is being measured at levels that are harmful to aquatic insects. These insects are an important part of the ecosystem, including as a food source for fish, birds and other animals. Based on currently available info

CBCnews Competition recognizes post-secondary schools working to improve sustainability. Story here. Honeybee on blossom. Wikimedia Commons photo.

Manitoba Co-Operator The lightning rod for resentment won’t be there to kick around anymore. Story here.

The Huffington Post The Food and Drug Administration, under public pressure to start testing samples of U.S. food for the presence of a pesticide that has been linked to cancer, has some early findings that are not so sweet. Story here.

+SumOfUs These two companies joining into one mega-corporation is truly the stuff of nightmares. DONATE HERE.

Nation Of Change To the horror of farmers across America’s farm belt, hundreds of thousands of crop acres have been adversely impacted by the apparent misuse of the drift-prone herbicide dicamba onMonsanto’s Roundup Ready Xtend soybean and cotton plants. Story here.

Winnipeg Free Press To the surprise of many, the recently elected provincial government has reopened the public debate on Manitoba’s regulations on cosmetic pesticides. Story here.

EcoWatch Brazilians demonstrate against aerial spraying of a pesticide.  Marcello Casal Jr/ABr Did you know that American companies are legally permitted to manufacture dangerous pesticides for export—even after the chemicals have been banned in the U.S.? There are policies that create a "circle of poison"; toxic chemicals traveling around the world, ironically imported back to the U.S. through foodstuffs we eat. Story here.

CommonDreams       Bumblebees on chives.  PinP  photo. The negative effects that have been reported before, scale up to long-term, large-scale, multi-species impacts that are harmful.   Story here.

EARTHJUSTICE Earthjustice and a broad coalition of partners have been fighting for years to convince the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to ban an entire class of poisonous neurotoxic pesticides. Every year, these pesticides, called organophosphates, poison farmworkers and others who come into contact with them in communities near agricultural fields. STORY HERE.

THE WESTERN PRODUCER Photo by WildBoar A map will show where glyphosate resistant kochia has been found in Manitoba. Story here.

EcoWatch Malta has begun the process of banning glyphosate , the main ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup. Story here. Crop Duster in Manitoba.  PinP  photo.

John Bennett Honeybee photo by Joydeep Enough is enough.  With your help we’re heading to court to get bee killing pesticides off the market. Story here.

Friends of the Earth Honeybee photo by  Joydeep Neonicotinoid pesticides have been linked to mass bee die-offs and declining pollinator populations. Story here.

EcoWatch Glyphosate , the controversial main ingredient in Monsanto ’s Roundup and other herbicides, is being connected to Lake Erie’s troubling algae blooms,  which has fouled drinking water and suffocated and killed marine life in recent years. Story here.

GLOBAL POSSIBILITIES Court rules organic farmers can sue conventional, GMO farmers whose pesticides ‘trespass’ and contaminate their fields. Story here.

AgroNews It's hard to find an herbicide like glyphosate . It’s cheap, highly effective, and is generally regarded as one of the safest and most environmentally benign herbicides ever discovered. But a report last year that glyphosate could cause cancer has thrown its future into jeopardy. Now the European Union faces a 30 June deadline to reapprove its use, or glyphosate will not be allowed for sale. Here's a quick explanation of the issues. Story here.