World Will Completely Miss 2010 Biodiversity Target

John Mulrow | Apr 22, 2010 - Worldwatch Institute

Species classified by...

Jury Tells Bayer to Pay Ark. Rice Farmers $48M

TOM PARSONS - Source: AP News - Apr 15, 2010

Jury awards Ark. farmers $48M in lawsuit...

Bolivian President Blames Capitalism for Global Warming

COCHABAMBA, Bolivia, April 20, 2010 (ENS)

Bolivian President Evo Morales said capitalism is to...

Pres. Morales - (Photo courtesy ABI)

Texas Water Wars

By Billie Greenwood - Allvoices - Fort Stockton : TX : USA - Apr 20, 2010

“Right of Capture” sparks new battle over endangered Rio Grande...

Shacks May be Iced

By: Sean Ledwich - Wpg. Free Press - 20/04/2010

St. Clements seeks ban after fishers leave 'pigsty'...

EDITOR'S NOTE: Our assault on Mother Earth goes well beyond the climate change we are causing with our greenhouse gas emissions. Scandalous! l.p.

Trade deal to eliminate right to save seeds?

Canadian Biotechnology Action Network - Apr. 19 - 2010

Trade deal to eliminate right to save seeds?

MEDIA RELEASE – For Immediate Release

April 19, 2010

Trade Justice Network releases secret draft of Canada-European Union free trade agreement, makes demands of Canadian and European governments

Ottawa, April 19 – As the third round of Canada-European Union free trade negotiations commence the newly formed Trade Justice Network today publicly released the draft text of the proposed Canada-European Union Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) – the most significant bilateral trade negotiation since the NAFTA. The network is raising serious concerns about the agreement’s potential impact on public and environmental policy, and public services in both Canada and Europe, among other issues, and has outlined a set of demands that must be met before negotiations are allowed to continue.

Controversial provisions in the draft text would open Canada’s telecommunications sector to full foreign ownership, stop municipal governments from implementing local or ethical procurement strategies, and require a burdensome necessity test for prudential financial measures designed to help governments mitigate or avoid banking and financial crises. The text also presents a direct attack on Ontario’s Green Energy Act, and it would virtually eliminate the rights of farmers to save, reuse and sell seed, providing biotech, pharmaceutical, pesticide, seed and grain companies powerful new tools to essentially decide who should farm and how.

Canadian negotiators have also included a controversial investor-state dispute mechanism like the one in NAFTA. The Chapter 11 dispute process has allowed and encouraged large multinationals to sue North American governments for compensation against public health and environmental policies that limit corporate profits.

The Trade Justice Network has outlined a list of 11 demands that its members feel must be met in any trade deal with Europe. These include: a comprehensive impact assessment of the deal on the economy, jobs, poverty, gender, human rights, farmers, culture and the environment; a fundamental protection for public services and expansion of social policy; a recognition of and protection for the right to use public procurement as an economic development tool, and of the right to regulate in the public interest based on the precautionary principle; a commitment to strengthen labour and environmental protections and make them as binding, if not more binding, than investor guarantees, and a recognition of the primacy of Indigenous Rights over corporate rights in Indigenous lands, territories and waters.

The Trade Justice Network will hold a series of public forums over the course of the week to further discuss the proposed trade deal while official negotiations are taking place in Ottawa. Forums are scheduled to take place in Ottawa (April 19), Montreal (April 20) and Toronto (April 21).

For more information on the public forums (times and locations), or to learn more about the Trade Justice Network and read the civil society declaration on the CETA, visit: www.tradejustice.ca.

A full copy of the consolidated draft negotiating text has been posted on the Trade Justice Network website as well and is now available.

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For more information: Stuart Trew, Council of Canadians (647) 222-9782; Angelo DiCaro, Canadian Auto Workers (416) 606-6311.

Lucy Sharratt, Coordinator
Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN)
Collaborative Campaigning for Food Sovereignty and Environmental Justice
431 Gilmour Street, Second Floor
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K2P 0R5
Phone: 613 241 2267 ext.6
Fax: 613 241 2506
coordinator@cban.ca
www.cban.ca

Your actions worked! MPs voted for Bill C-474! (it will now be studied by the Agriculture Committee.)
For more updates and action http://www.cban.ca/474
Donate today http://www.cban.ca/donate

Critics of GM Crops Vindicated Over Time

by Laura Rance - Winnipeg Free Press - Apr. 17-2010

A GM canola field in Manitoba. l.p. photo

Multinationals control seed supply...

NASA Sees Rapid Spread in Greenland Ice Loss

A new international study finds that ice...
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EDITOR'S NOTE: Look at the surveillance photos on this site and see what you think.
Has NASA been "photo-shopping" again? I DOUBT IT! This is real, folks! l.p.

First Nations Take Oil Sands to Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of Canada has...

News Release Bill C-474

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Dear Friend,

Thank you very much for your support of my Private Members Bill (PMB), C-474 - An Act respecting seeds regulations (analysis of potential harm). I have taken the liberty of providing you with my news release on this issue.

Sincerely,

Alex Atamanenko, MP
BC Southern Interior

NDP Agriculture critic

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

APRIL 15, 2010

HISTORIC NDP GMO Bill PASSES CRUCIAL VOTE

Law would protect farmers by ensuring export markets are considered before GMO approval

OTTAWA – A private members bill to protect farmers by calling for an analysis of potential harm to export markets prior to approving new genetically engineered seeds has passed second reading in the House of Commons. Bill C-474, proposed by New Democrat Agriculture Critic Alex Atamanenko (BC-Southern Interior), will move to committee for further study.

“Despite intense lobbying efforts by the biotech industry and the Conservative government to nip this bill in the bud, the opposition parties voted instead to protect the economic interests of farmers,” said Atamanenko. “I couldn’t be happier that Parliament has made this historic decision.”

This is the first time a bill to change the rules on GMOs has passed second reading in the House.

Atamanenko believes that the government‘s science-only approach to how GMO’s are regulated is irresponsible because it completely ignores market considerations.

“It was the government’s lax regulatory process that allowed GE Triffid flax to shut out Canadian flax exports from its key markets and hurt farmers,” explained Atamanenko. “For the first time, Parliament has a chance to seriously consider a regulatory mechanism that will ensure farmers are never again faced with rejection in our export markets because we allow the introduction of GE technologies that they have not approved.”

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World's 4th Largest Lake is Now 90% Dried Up

Brian Merchant, Brooklyn,
NY Apr 5 2010 - treehugger

Photo by Yes magazine