Leonardo DiCaprio (UN Messenger of Peace) at the Opening of Climate Summit 2014

Will Climate Change Kill Outdoor Hockey In Canada?

University of Washington Conservation

Youngsters skate on an outdoor rink in Manitoba. 

Larry Powell PinP photo.

Take anything from Canadians, anything at all—anything except hockey. Story here.

The Wreck of the Kulluk

The New York Times

In 2005, Royal Dutch Shell, then the fourth-largest company on Earth, bought a drill rig that was both tall, rising almost 250 feet above the waterline, and unusually round. Story here.

PinP: This is not an easy read, but well worth the time and effort. An epic and disturbing tale of folly at sea.

A Cinematic Insight Into the Kind of Country Canada Embraces as a "Free Trade Amigo"

RELATED:  "Free Trade: Path to Prosperity - or Back Road to Corporatism?"

Federal Tax Relief Program for Some Cattle Producers in Western Canada - Another Price to Pay For Climate Change Inaction?

By: The Canadian Press

PinP photo.

EDMONTON - The federal government is giving some livestock producers in Western Canada a bit of tax relief. Producers in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and B.C. who faced forage shortfalls due to extreme weather will be allowed to defer tax on their cattle sales for 2014.  Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz says eligible producers in designated areas can defer income tax on the sale of their breeding livestock for one year in order to help replenish that stock.

Pope Francis’s Edict on Climate Change Will Anger Deniers and US Churches

The Guardian

Pontiff hopes to inspire action at UN meeting in Paris in December after visits to Philippines and New York. Story here.

Important Coming Event - Please Attend if You Can!

"Gunslinging" Canadian MP Tries to Soften Gun Rules Even Further - With Remarkably Bad Timing.

Dear Editor,

A tragic thing happened in my province on Christmas eve. A Winnipeg woman was shot with a pellet gun and suffered,  according to police,  a "life-altering injury." A pellet gun is a weapon my Member of Parliament, Robert Sopuck (CPC - Dauphin/Swan River/Marquette - above) is convinced is "literally, not a firearm." Scant weeks before this unfortunate incident, Mr. Sopuck had introduced a private members bill to amend the Criminal Code. Its purpose - "to clarify that low-velocity rifles such as BB guns and air rifles should not be considered firearms.” 

And a bit before that, the Supreme Court had declared that they were so, firearms! 

A Canadian City Once Eliminated Poverty And Nearly Everyone Forgot About It

Huffington Post
On a December afternoon, Frances Amy Richardson took a break from her quilting class to reflect on a groundbreaking experiment she took part in 40 years earlier. Story here.

Related: A Town in Manitoba, Canada Without Poverty. An Experiment With Basic Income (Video)

Global Warming Will Cut Wheat Yields, Research Shows

theguardian

Combining wheat in Manitoba, Canada. 

Larry Powell PinP photo.

Production of wheat – one of the world’s most important staple crops – is set to fall by 6% for every 1C rise in temperature, say scientists. Story here.

Fracking Fumes: Where There's a Well, All is Not Well

Inside Climate News

After analyzing 24 scientific studies, the Natural Resources Defence Council finds plenty to worry about, from birth defects to deadly effects. Story here.

Related: Fracking Dealt Another Setback by Quebec Report