What 'enormous' wetland loss is costing the Canadian province of Manitoba

CBCnews

Scientists, conservation groups want more movement from Pallister government on wetland protection. Story here.

Great Blue heron.

Hecla Island, MB

PinP photo.

Scientists Say 2016 Is Hottest Year Ever Recorded

EcoWatch

Climate scientists are all but assured that 2016 was the hottest year ever recorded. If that sounds familiar, 2014 and 2015 were also the hottest years since record-keeping began in 1880. Story here.

'Climate Change' Deleted From Wisconsin DNR Website

EcoWatch

Whoever is managing Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources website must be wearing out the delete key. The word "climate" has been quietly stripped from the department's webpage dedicated to explaining the state's response to climate change, Raw Story reported. Story here.

Trump and Trudeau: An Odd Couple That Scares the Hell Out of Environmentalists

NewRepublic

Both leaders want the Keystone XL pipeline—and just might get their wish. Story here.

FACING THE CHANGE: 5 CANADIAN COMMUNITIES THREATENED BY CLIMATE CHANGE NOW

CBC radio

An island crumbling into the ocean. A city that could go up in flames. A traditional lifestyle at risk. STORY HERE.

A farm yard near Yorkton, SK, circa 2010. PinP photo.

Canada May Move to Protect Declining Monarch Butterfly as Endangered Species

Centre for Food Safety

PinP photo.

 The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada released a report today recommending that the monarch butterfly be protected as an endangered species due to population decline and ongoing threats to the butterfly’s epic migration. Previously, in Canada, the monarch was classified as a species of special concern; now the minister of the Environment and the Canadian Endangered Species Conservation Council have nine months to decide whether to add the butterfly to the endangered species list. Story here.

In historic move, China announces ban on ivory trade by end of 2017

Nation of Change

More than 20,000 elephants were killed for their ivory last year, leaving only about 415,000 remaining. Story here.

Global Cheetah Population 'Crashing,' Raising Risk of Species Extinction

CommonDreams

Just 7,100 cheetahs remain around the world. Story here.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife photo.

Growing mega-cities will displace vast tracts of farmland by 2030, study says

theguardian

Cropland losses will have consequences especially for Asia and Africa, which will experience growing food insecurity as cities expand. Story here.

Scientists are trying to save the climate from toxic cow burps

The Washington Post

Earth has a cow problem. Story here.

USDA photo

El Niño on a warming planet may have sparked the Zika epidemic, scientists report

The Washington Post

In a world characterized by rising temperatures, deforestation and other human influences on the environment, the spread of infectious disease is a hot topic. Many recent studies suggest that environmental changes can affect the transmission of everything from malaria to the Zika virus — and it’s increasingly important to understand these links, scientists say. Story here.