U.N. Pushes Climate-Smart Agriculture – But Are the Farmers Willing to Change?

INTER PRESS SERVICE

Is this climate-smart agriculture? Farmin' North American style!

KARNAL, India, Sep 17 2014 (IPS) - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expected to make a strong pitch to world political leaders at the U.N. Climate Summit in New York on Sep. 23 to accept new emissions targets and their timelines. Story here.

Does Farming Contribute as Many Nutrients to Our Waterways as Sometimes Believed? A Unique Manitoba Project Suggests, Maybe Not!

Manitoba Co-Operator

Ducks in a nutrient-rich river 

in Manitoba. P in P photo.

Ultimately, storing water on the land isn’t just about flood control, it’s about capitalizing on available nutrients as well. Story here.

The Planet Just Had Its Warmest August On Record

The Huffington Post

P in P photo

This past August was the warmest since records began in 1881, according to new data released by NASA. The latest readings continue a series of record or near-record breaking months. May of this year was also the warmest in recorded history. Story here.

Blogger Strikes a Nerve With the Top Gun in Canadian "Agri-Biz"

by Ted Menzies, President of CropLife Canada.

In response to Larry Powell’s Aug. 19 article, " New Studies Show Farm Chemicals Are Affecting More Than Bees. Bird Populations are Declining, Too. Is Modern Agriculture's Hold on Nature Turning Into a Death Grip?" and his letter to the editor on Sept. 5 regarding the lack of replies;

Ted Menzies, President of CropLife Canada. 

Inflammatory language such as that expressed in the article "Is agriculture’s toxic hold turning into a death grip?" creates a false impression that is both unfair to farmers and inaccurate. Farmers overwhelmingly choose to grow genetically-improved varieties of corn, canola, soybeans and other crops due to the numerous benefits they offer, such as increased yields, which allows more food to be produced on the same amount of land. The plant science industry is committed to the responsible use of its products. Neonicotinoid seed treatments use a very small amount of pesticide and place it directly where it needs to be to protect the crop, thereby reducing the risk to non-target organisms, such as bees, and the environment. 

Pesticides, whether used on conventional or organic farms, undergo a rigorous scientific review and assessment by Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency – this includes its persistence and impact on aquatic insects and birds. Pest control products are only approved for use once a scientific evaluation demonstrates no harm to human health, future generations or the environment.

Agriculture in Canada has never been more sustainable than it is today and part of the reason is the use of innovative products — like neonicotinoid seed treatments. Our industry welcomes questions about our products and looks forward to future opportunities to set the record straight about their safety and our deep commitment to working with all stakeholders to continue to ensure a sustainable future for agriculture.

Ted Menzies

President, CropLife Canada 

Canada PM to Miss UN Climate Summit

The

Hill

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper won't be attending the United Nations climate summit in New York this month. Story here.

Earth’s Ozone Layer is Recovering, Scientists Say

The Boston Globe

WASHINGTON (AP) — Earth’s protective but fragile ozone layer is beginning to recover, largely because of the phase-out since the 1980s of certain chemicals used in refrigerants and aerosol cans, a U.N. scientific panel reported Wednesday in a rare piece of good news about the health of the planet. Story here.

Trees Are Dying From ‘No Obvious Cause’ In Rocky Mountains, Report Says

ClimateProgress.

"Jasper," a Rock Mountain national park in Alberta, Canada. "P in P" photo.

The Rocky Mountain forests that traverse the West are under unprecedented danger from climate-related impacts according to a new report from the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) and the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization. The Rockies include national parks like Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Glacier National Park, and are facing a “triple assault — tree-killing insects, wildfires, and heat and drought — that could fundamentally alter these forests as we know them.” Story here.

Health Canada's "Vitamin Police" Begin Raiding Health Food Retailers

Citizens for Choice

In early 2012 Health Canada's Natural Health Products Directorate (NHPD) had already spent over one billion dollars of taxpayer's money regulating an industry that was on record as having caused zero deaths. Two and a half years later, the taxpayer's bill is still climbing.but the death toll isn't. It's still zero! Yet, as of September 1st, in the name of safety,
Health Canada has sent out inspectors to force all products not possessing a natural product license off health retailer shelves.

"P in P" photo

Audubon's Birds & Climate Change Report

314 Species on the Brink
Shrinking & shifting ranges could imperil nearly half of North American birds within this century. Story here.

A robin caught in a freak storm in Manitoba.                                                                                                                                                         Barn swallows. 

Yellow-headed Blackbirds, a familiar sight in western North America, 

may be under threat before the end of the century. (P in P photos)

Organic Food Council of Manitoba screening of ‘Open Sesame: The Story of Seeds’

The Park Theatre — 698 Osborne St., Winnipeg

Sunday Sep 21 at 6:00pm. “Movie followed by a panel discussion, including the filmmaker.” Tickets $10 online, $12 at door. For more info or to buy tickets visit the Canadian Organic Growers website.

Photos Capture Amazon Tribe As They Beat And Strip Illegal Loggers

Huffington Post

The Ka'apor Indians, a tribe of indigenous Brazilians living in the northeast region of the country's expansive rainforest, have begun taking up arms against illegal loggers who are threatening their homeland. On one of their recent searches for loggers, they were joined by Reuters photographer Lunae Parracho, who documented the scene when they reportedly found a number of the men. Story here.