PLANET IN PERIL

Hog Watch Manitoba (Winnipeg May 17) - A citizens group which monitors the hog industry in Manitoba, has cautioned the provincial government,  if it goes ahead with its apparent plans to expand production,  not to repeat the mistakes of the past. In a recent meeting with three cabinet ministers, Hog Watch Manitoba    (HWM) reminded them how “technical review committees,” which used to “oversee” the construction of both hog barns and lagoons designed to hold the waste, overlooked errors in the planning. These errors were so serious, they eroded both the public’s trust of the industry and in government policies relating to it. HWM is deeply concerned about the Consultation paper recently released about proposed changes to the Livestock Manure and Mortalities Management Regulation. Fred Tait, member of the HWM Steering Committee, says “We fear that if implemented, it will simply enhance the mistakes of the previous administration.” HWM urges the government to implement the

Eco Watch Machinery sits ready to plant another field of "neonic" seeds in Manitoba. PinP photo. After evidence of pesticides killing off pollinators surfaced in 2016, scientists went on a quest to see if pesticides were seeping into anything else. Now, in an unprecedented study, the U.S. Geological Survey and University of Iowa reported findings of neonicotinoids —a class of pesticide used to kill off insects—in treated drinking water, marking the first time these chemicals have ever been identified. Story here. ==== In Canada, the propensity of "neonics" to get into ground and surface water has been known for some time. Please read "New Studies Show Farm Chemicals Are Affecting More Than Bees. Bird Populations are Declining, Too. Is modern agriculture's hold on nature becoming a death grip?"  

The Hill Times The recent release of the Canadian budget is a real opportunity for our current government to send a message to the rest of the world - that, despite the current political climate, we take our environment seriously.  Story here. Lake Superior, Minnesota. EPA photo.

+SumOfUs Larry, Huge news -- the government in  Ontario, Canada just issued a moratorium to block Nestlé  from sucking up water from a small community experiencing drought conditions!  Thanks  to tireless work from grassroots groups and with support from over 168,000 SumOfUs members  who spoke out, submitted public comments and donated to blanket the airwaves with radio ads,  corporate giant Nestlé has been stopped in its tracks.  But the fight to stop Nestlé from bullying local communities isn’t over. The state of  Michigan is weeks away from deciding on a plan to charge Nestlé just $200  for a permit to double the amount of groundwater it can take to bottle and sell at a  massive profit.  Residents in Evart, Michigan need your help to stand up to Nestlé once again. Tell the State of Michigan to say no to this massive corporate giveaway. Stop Nestlé now. Our original email from last month: Nestlé's at it again. This time, it  wants to suck up  10

CommonDreams Advocates hope new investigation will spur action from community leaders, as aid and attention have been slim. Story here.

CommonDreams What's more, the biggest food company in the world gets to pump that water at no cost. Story here.

CBC News  'It's beautiful but severely impacted in terms of water loss.’ Story here. Gros Beak Lk. Wood Buffalo Park. Ansgar Walk photo.

MotherJones Right in time for tourist season, polluted runoff is fouling coasts on both sides of the Sunshine State.    Details here.

Earth. We Are One. The Story of Stuff Project, a campaign group, has just announced the pursuit of legal action towards Nestlé.  The lawsuit is over the extraction of groundwater in California as Nestlé has been doing, illegally, for its arrowhead brand.  This is considered to be a key contributor to the drought crisis within the state. More here.

Commmon Dreams 'Without shareholders expecting profits, public systems are less likely to cut corners on service,' says Food & Water Watch. Details here.

Common Dreams U.S. communities are shifting toward keeping their water infrastructure public, and that’s a good thing. But stopping water privatization is only the first step. Details here.

Greenpeace Canada In the days just prior to the Paris climate summit, the Quebec government quietly posted a devastating report on the ongoing ecological impacts from the oil spilt during the Lac Mégantic disaster. Entitled Train tragedy in Lac-Mégantic: Impact on fish communities of residual petroleum contamination of the Chaudière River , it details the ongoing impact of the oil that is still in the river system. Story here.

Sum    Of + Us Children are being rushed to the hospital with irreversible brain damage. The federal government has declared a state of emergency, and dangerous water contamination is causing residents to go blind, develop skin lesions, lose hair and even their memory -- just from bathing in their own homes. PLEASE SIGN!

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

  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.

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.

CBC News Clear Lk. MB.  PinP  photo. Canadian lakes and those that are ice-covered in winter are warming twice as fast as others. Story here.

TheDailyClimate Acidification is not just for oceans—the Great Lakes could acidify, too, as our carbon emissions increase. Here's why you should take note. More here.

bilateral.org PinP  photo During the secret negotiations of the free trade agreement between the European Union and Canada known as CETA, the European Commission always maintained that water would be excluded from the treaty, and that the choice on how to manage services related to the production and distribution of drinking water by the public authorities would not be questioned. But a careful reading of the consolidated text of CETA shows that the reality is different. Details here.