PLANET in PERIL - WHERE SCIENCE GETS RESPECT.
DENIED HER NATURAL INSTINCTS T0 ROOT & FORAGE, THIS YOUNG SOW GOES MAD, BITING THE STEEL BARS THAT CONFINE HER.
Residents of developing nations may soon be struggling with yet another challenge -malnutrition fueled by the decline of pollinators around the world. Details here.
A report by the Montpellier Panel – an eminent group of agriculture, ecology and trade experts from Africa and Europe – says about 65 percent of Africa’s arable land is too damaged to sustain viable food production. Story here.
"American Sniper" lionizes the most despicable aspects of U.S. society -- the gun culture, the blind adoration of the military, the belief that we have an innate right as a "Christian" nation to exterminate the "lesser breeds" of the earth, a grotesque hyper-masculinity that banishes compassion and pity, a denial of inconvenient facts and historical truth, and a belittling of critical thinking and artistic expression. Many Americans, especially white Americans trapped in a stagnant economy and a dysfunctional political system, yearn for the supposed moral renewal and rigid, militarized control the movie venerates. These passions, if realized, will extinguish what is left of our now-anemic open society. Story here.
Prairie farmers may have a new problem on their hands - "Weed palmer amaranth," a formidable threat to crops which seems to scoff at attempts to control it with herbicides. Story here.
Fred Springborn of Michigan State University stands next to palmer Amaranth,
a large and aggressive weed new to that state. Photo credit - MSU.
Western leaders' responses to King Abdullah's death serve as a reminder that Saudi Arabia, with its wealth and geopolitical influence, is a perpetual exception to the west's emphasis on human rights. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper praised him as a 'strong proponent of peace' in the Middle East. Story here.
Almost 3 million gallons of saltwater drilling waste spilled from a North Dakota pipeline earlier this month, a spill that’s now being called the state’s largest since the North Dakota oil boom began. Story here.
Climate change threatens the genetic diversity of the world's food supply, and saving crops and animals at risk will be crucial for preserving yields and adapting to wild weather patterns, a U.N. policy paper said on Monday. Story here.