New Studies Show The Oceans Are Acidifying at the Fastest Rate in 300 Million Years. Should We Be Concerned?

Washington Post

The results, published this week in Nature Climate Change, aren’t exactly encouraging: “Our analysis demonstrates that the groups studied - corals, molluscs, echinoderms, crustaceans and fishes - are all impacted negatively, albeit differently, even by moderate acidification.” Details here.

American Authorities Work to Ensure There is no "Lac-Mégantic Disaster" on Their Doorstep

Bloomberg News - U.S. rail-safety regulators began a “Bakken blitz” of inspections of crude oil tank cars this week as they seek to prevent a railroad disaster in the U.S. similar to July’s fatal inferno in Quebec. Full story here.

Canada Becomes an Environmental Pariah on the International Stage Once Again!

Winnipeg Free Press - by Gwynne Dyer

In 2007, oil drillers found a reservoir of an estimated 846 million barrels of heavy crude in Yasuni National Park, in Ecuador's part of the Amazon. But the park is home to two indigenous tribes that have so far succeeded in living in voluntary isolation -- and it is listed by UNESCO as a world biosphere reserve. A single hectare of Yasuni contains more species of trees than all of North America. Details here.

Climate Name Change (Video)

Rising Ocean Acidity Will Only Worsen Global Warming

Nature News

The slow and inexorable increase in the oceans’ acidity as they soak up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere could itself have an effect on climate and amplify global warming, according to a new study. Details here.

A Mexican beach. PLT photo.

Canada's Voluntary Census Already Damaging Reliability of Statistics, Harm is ‘Cumulative’

the HillTimes

There’s less reliable information for small towns, rural Canada. Details here.

Yosemite Fire Swallows Everything in its Path

B.C. Worries Oil Spill Would "Overwhelm" Resources

Canadian Press

Officials in British Columbia have privately warned that the province lacks the ability to manage oil spills from existing and future oil traffic, and even a moderate spill would overwhelm their ability to respond, documents show. Full story here.

Nestlé's Extraction of Groundwater Near Hope Riles First Nations

Vancouver Sun

Chiefs want compensation for removal of water from their traditional territories. Details here.

Rising Temperatures, Rising Food Prices

by Lester Brown

A wheatfield in Manitoba, Canada. PLT photo

Agriculture as it exists today developed over 11,000 years of rather remarkable climate  stability. It has evolved to maximize production within that climate system. Now,  suddenly, the climate is changing. Details here.

These are Dark Days for Bearers of Truth

"It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong." -Voltaire Common Dreams Bradley Manning: 35 years in military prison. Edward Snowden: Political refugee in Russia. Looks like Voltaire is more timely than ever. Whistleblowers and journalists are being hunted down in all corners of the globe for exposing grave and illegal government activities—the targeting of innocent civilians on the battlefield, massive surveillance operations, torture. They are being pursued for bringing you the truth.