Saturday, September 10, 2011

Give Farmers the Vote

Bruce Johnstone, Regina Leader-Post 910/11
Regardless of the results of the Canadian Wheat Board's plebiscite, which are expected Monday, the federal government says it will ignore them and….Details here.

"The House" Apologizes Over an Interview on the Keystone Pipeline

by Larry Powell

This morning,"The House" apologized over an interview done on that CBC Radio program on July 23rd. In the interview, Derek Burney, once Canada's ambassador to the US, sung the praises of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline and attacked critics in the environmental movement as "emotional" and even "violent."
















In the process of responding to that interview, I discovered Burney is a Director of TransCanadaPipelines, the company building the project. He did not disclose this in the course of the interview.

After complaining twice to the CBC ombudsman, I received an apology from "The House," yesterday, saying it was unaware of Burney's vested interest at the time. It ran this clarification on its program this morning (Sept 10th).

"On July 23rd we aired a conversation with former ambassadors Derek Burney & Gordon Giffin about Canada-US relations. Part of the discussion was about the Keystone XL pipeline project. We failed to inform you that Derek Burney sits on the board of Trans Canada, the company behind the project. We apologize for that."

And below is a copy of the response I received yesterday from the senior producer of "The House" &, in turn, my answer to him.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Extreme Wildfires & Drought Strike Texas, a Stronghold of Climate-Deniers

Zachary Shahan - Planetsave - Sept. - '11
If you haven’t heard, Texas has been fighting massive wildfires this week. Details here.




A Texas National Guard helicopter flies 
through smoke this week near Bastrop. 
Photo by Staff Sgt. Malcolm McClendon
http://wildfiretoday.com/

Thursday, September 8, 2011

EU Court Puts Limits on Modified Honey

ABC News
Honey that contains traces of pollen from genetically modified crops needs special authorization before it can be sold, the European Union's top court said Tuesday, Details here.

PLT honeybee photo

Al Gore: Obama Isn't "Relying on Science"

CBS News
Al Gore has posted a note entitled "confronting disappointment" in which he takes President Obama to task for "[bowing] to pressure from polluters" in ordering the Environmental Protection Agency not to seek a tightening of air-quality standards. Details here.


A Canadian pulp mill
PLT photo

Nobel Peace Prize Laureates Urge Obama: Reject Keystone XL Tar Sands Oil Pipeline

Nobel Women's Initiative
Archbishop Tutu and the Dalai Lama call on President to build clean energy legacy. Details here.


Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Manitobans Urged to Vote "Green"

Winnipeg Free Press - 09/7/2011

The Green Party of Manitoba wants you to hear what they have to say.
Details here.

James Beddome, Leader, Green
Party of Manitoba (PLT photo)

Tar Sands Pipelines: Our Moment of Truth Featured

Rafe Mair - The Common Sense Canadian
I reflect. We are, I think, at the moment of truth. Either we stop these pipelines or the environmental movement becomes…. Details here.

Drought Intensifies in U.S. South, No End in Sight

Manitoba Co-Operator - Kansas City | Reuters

Triple-digit heat breaks records, prolongs misery...Details here.

Rupture in Planned US Pipeline Could Release 7m Gallons of Oil (Tar?), Study Warns

Environmental engineers say pipeline operators TransCanada Corp have significantly underestimated the chances of a Keystone XL spill. Details here.
guardian.co.uk
PLT: Apparently we are to believe spills 
like that of another company, into the Yellowstone R. recently, 
simply won't happen quite as much with Keystone! 
yeah, right!

Health Canada probes claim that government officials helped pesticide company overturn a ban

CANADA'S                                                                                                                                ...