The North Pole is an insane 36 degrees warmer than normal as winter descends

The Washington Post

Political people in the United States are watching the chaos in Washington in the moment. But some people in the science community are watching the chaos somewhere else — the Arctic. Story here.

The tragic reason seabirds keep mistaking ocean plastic for food

The Washington Post

Each year, millions of tons of plastic waste end up in the ocean, where it often goes straight into the bellies of hungry birds, sea turtles and other marine animals. This is a big concern for scientists, who are still investigating the possible consequences for the marine ecosystem — but until now, researchers weren’t completely sure why so many animals were mistaking the plastic for food in the first place. Story here.

Thousands of Dead Orangutans

Orangutans are being shot, starved, and burned into extinction by ruthless palm oil plantation expansion. We’re demanding that PepsiCo stop fuelling the demand for irresponsibly sourced palm oil, which is killing the orangutans. Will you chip in CA$2? DONATE CA$2 NOW DONATE CA$5 NOW DONATE CA$10 NOW OTHER AMOUNT Dear Larry, Thousands of orangutans in Borneo are killed every year -- shot, starved, and burned to death as their rainforest home is destroyed. Unless action is taken to protect them, they will likely be extinct in ten years. It's all because of a ruthless effort by the palm oil industry to deforest as much of the island as possible to make room for their destructive palm oil plantations. As their habitat burns, orangutans go hungry. Many starve, while others leave the forest in a desperate search for food and are then often shot by palm oil plantation workers. The only way that orangutans will be saved is if big food corporations like PepsiCo stop buying palm oil from producers that are destroying the orangutans' habitat. Will you chip in CA$2 to help turn up the pressure on PepsiCo before it's too late? Yes, I'll chip in CA$2 to help save the orangutans from the destructive palm oil industry. Yes, I'll chip in CA$5 to help save the orangutans from the destructive palm oil industry. Yes, I'll chip in CA$10 to help save the orangutans from the destructive palm oil industry. Already, almost half of Borneo's forests have been destroyed, as industrial palm oil has taken over the island. And this summer, the Bornean orangutan was designated as critically endangered--that means it's just short of complete extinction.

Tell President Obama: Stop the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Dear Larry, Tell President Obama: Stop the Dakota Access Pipeline! As you read this, thousands of Indigenous Peoples are camped along the banks of the Missouri River in North Dakota. They’re fighting to protect their land and water from the construction of the Dakota Access oil and gas pipeline. And it’s up to the President to decide.

Protect the Bees! PLEASE SIGN!

Dear Larry, Tell the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Protect the rusty-patched bumblebee! It’s been a long and disappointing week. Donald Trump was elected to be our next President. Our planet is in real trouble. But even as we face the prospect of a Trump White House, there are still many ways you can help protect the planet. Right now, one of our crucial wild bees -- the rusty-patched bumblebee -- is on the brink of extinction. And you can help save it!

We Can't Let This Happen

Larry, In a matter of weeks, the Canadian government will approve or deny the Kinder Morgan tar sands pipeline. This decision could put the B.C. coast and our fragile climate at risk.  We’ve heard that the decision is coming soon and that the government is leaning toward approving the pipeline. There’s not a moment to lose. We can’t let this happen. It’s time to scale up our resistance. Sign the petition to send Trudeau a message: climate leaders don’t build pipelines! Just last week, the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement came into force. The Trudeau government wants us to believe that we can meet our new climate targets and build new tar sands pipelines. But you and I know that’s not true. More than eighty-five tribes and First Nations are standing up to tar sands expansion, and we are standing with them.  Time is running out. The decision on Kinder Morgan is due in a few weeks. But together we can turn the tide and stop this devastating project.  Add your name to the petition to stop Kinder Morgan. http://bit.ly/2ePuTWG In solidarity, -Mike Mike Hudema Climate & Energy Campaigner, Greenpeace Canada

We don't accept any money from companies or governments so we can be independent and challenge anyone who threatens the planet or peace. To help us keep fighting climate change, defending our oceans and protecting ancient forests, please make a donation. Thank you! If you no longer want to be in the loop with the latest news from these emails, we'll be sad, but you can unsubscribe here. Greenpeace Canada, 33 Cecil Street, Toronto, ON M5T 1N1 This email was sent to: planetwatch1@yahoo.ca

This Story Will Make You Angry

Dear Larry, This is a story of an arrogant government agency more dedicated to helping pesticide manufacturers to profit than doing its job to protect human health and the environment. It’s a story that will make you angry. It proves beyond a doubt that pesticide management in Canada must be fixed. Here’s our story. It starts three years ago. Back in 2013, Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) was faced with the evidence of catastrophic bee kills by neonicotinoids used to coat corn and soy seeds.  Honey beekeepers were finding millions of dead and dying bees during spring planting. No one knows how many millions of wild bees were also killed on contact since no one was counting wild bees. The European Union had just decided to ban the use of three neonicotinoids until more research has done on their impact on bees - thiamethoxam, clothianidin and imidacloprid. Faced with millions of dead bees and the important precautionary steps by the European Union, PMRA announced it was launching a three-year review of bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides. “Right on!” we said. But then the PMRA broke our hearts by quietly re-registering clothianidin in July 2013. How can you be concerned enough to review a pesticide and re-register it “conditionally” at the same time? How is that reasonable? So Friends of the Earth followed the rules and filed a Notice of Objection in September 2013. We were clear that this product should be taken off the market until the review was done. So we filed. Nothing was heard for 6 months when we received a letter saying our objection had enough science to be considered. The two more months passed and the PMRA said it would get back to us in the fall of 2014. We had reasonable expectations based on what the Pest Control Products Act says – that the Health Minister may establish a panel to review a decision in response to an objection if there is evidence of "scientifically founded doubt." It took over 1000 days – nearly three years – before we heard back from the PMRA! When the PMRA makes a decision, you and I have 60 days to react. Too late? Too bad! You can’t participate. When a pesticide company wants an approval, the PMRA gives it to them within 285 to 655 days. This is called PMRA’s standard of service. But when you and I question the PMRA, it takes over 1000 days. As if that’s not bad enough, PMRA told us in July that rather than follow the rules and establish a “review panel” of independent scientists it had conducted its own preliminary review in secret and determined no action was required. The PMRA investigated its own decision to re-register clothianidin, denied public participation and disallowed our objection. PMRA said it contacted independent scientists but didn’t disclose who or what the scientists had to say. Critically, we were denied an opportunity to testify! We don’t let the police investigate themselves anymore but apparently it’s alright to have pesticide regulators investigate themselves and their decision to allow inadequately tested bee-killing pesticides to be spread on millions of acres! Where is the justice? Why would you and I trust these regulators? “Canadians need to have faith in their government’s honesty and willingness to listen. I expect that our work will be informed by performance measurement, evidence, and feedback from Canadians,” said Prime Minister Trudeau in his mandate letter to Health Minister Philpott. Yet, her Pest Management Regulatory Agency continues to behave in the same arrogant anti-democratic manner it did under the Harper Government. It gets worse. Next month, the PMRA is about to release the results of their in-house review with US EPA of the three neonics: thiamethoxam, clothianidin and imidacloprid. Join us in demanding Health Minister Philpott take immediate steps to fix pesticide regulation in Canada. We made progress this year. Getting rid of “conditional registrations” of pesticides was a great victory, but the arrogance of the PMRA demonstrates we have a lot more work to do. Our Bee Cause Campaign relies entirely on your individual donation.  So please make your contribution today. Sincerely yours, Beatrice Olivastri CEO Friends of the Earth Canada John Bennett Senior Policy Advisor Friends of the Earth Canada

Copyright © 2016 Friends of the Earth Canada, All rights reserved. unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences  Visit our website: www.foecanada.org Our mailing address: 200 - 251 Bank Street Ottawa, ON K2P 1X3 Canada

RELATED: 

• Are Pesticide Regulators On the Take? Canadian Authorities Refuse to Protect Precious Pollinators From Known Toxins. Is Something Crooked Going on Here?

• Plight of the Humble Bee