Monday, July 25, 2011

Climate Change Cartoon

Melting Arctic Ice Releasing Banned Toxins, Warn Scientists

Damian Carrington guardian.co.uk - 24 July 2011
Unknown amount of trapped persistent organic pollutants poses threat to marine life and humans as temperatures rise. Details here.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Climate Change Threatens to Spoil Ontario’s Signature Wines

Globe & Mail Jul 23-11
Ontario’s wine makers are fighting to protect their grapes against Mother Nature’s wrath. Details here.

"P in P" Takes a Former Ambassador to Task for Bullshit Comments on the Keystone XL Pipeline

Below is an email I sent to "The House" this morning. It followed a very disturbing interview this CBC Radio show did with two former Ambassadors. One, Derek Burney (former Canadian ambassador to the US), dismissed opponents of the climate-killing project, the XL pipeline, as violently emotional.
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Dear Ms. Elliott, (Host)

Derek Burney's argument that opposition to the tar sands pipeline in to the US is spurred by "violent emotion" is outrageous. Sadly,  it reveals that he is nothing more than another cheerleader for dirty energy, with dollar signs where his heart should be.Where's the violence, Mr. Burney? 

I haven't heard of any environmentalists blowing anything up to support their case. Has he? Is it emotion that the Alberta tar sands are huge emitters of greenhouse gases which are feeding catastrophic climate change? It seems to me there is mounting science - not emotion - behind this conclusion. Is it emotion that the tar which will travel through this misguided project is very corrosive and needs to be forced under heat and pressure, increasing the risk of spills? Tell me I'm wrong, Mr. Burney. Unless you do, you have nothing more to tell me, or anyone else for that matter!
Larry Powell,
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Footnote: According to Wikipedia, Burney is also a Director of TransCanada Pipelines Limited, proposed builders of the pipeline. Gee, what a surprise for him to be taking the position he is taking! No vested interest there! 
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Please read the happy ending to this tale of woe here.





Friday, July 22, 2011

Say NO to the Keystone XL Tar Sands Oil Pipeline (Video - Natural Resources Defense Council)

The US Secretary of State must decide by year's end whether to allow construction of a massive pipeline carrying dirty tar sands oil from Alberta all the way to the Texas Gulf coast. Watch the video and find out more of the disturbing facts.

Heat, Drought, Famine All Part of Coming Increase Of Climate-Related Disasters

Alternet - Jul 22-11
Climate change will "exponentially" increase the scale of natural disasters -- so when are we going to take this threat seriously? Details here.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

White House Pact with Industry to Push Genetically Engineered Plants

CommonDreams.org - 07/21/11 
High-Level Working Group Shielding Plan to Force GE Crops onto Wildlife Refuges. Details here.

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

CANADA'S                                                                                                                                ...