Crop destroying caterpillar rapidly spreading across Africa; maize production endangered

AgroNews

New research announced by scientists at CABI (Center for Agriculture and Bioscience Information) confirms that a recently introduced crop-destroying armyworm caterpillar is now spreading rapidly across Mainland Africa and could spread to tropical Asia and the Mediterranean in the next few years, becoming a major threat to agricultural trade worldwide. Story here.

Manitoba "crop-duster." PinP photo.

Judge Orders Trump's EPA Pick to Release Emails by Tuesday

EcoWatch

The Oklahoma County Court on Thursday found Trump's U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) nominee Scott Pruitt in violation of the state's Open Records Act. The Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) filed a lawsuit against Pruitt for improperly withholding public records and the court ordered his office to release thousands of emails in a matter of days. Story here.

Scientists have just detected a major change to the Earth’s oceans linked to a warming climate

The Washington Post

A large research synthesis, published in one of the world’s most influential scientific journals, has detected a decline in the amount of dissolved oxygen in oceans around the world — a long-predicted result of climate change that could have severe consequences for marine organisms if it continues. Story here.

A Mexican beach. 

PinP photo.

The upside to climate change

TheWestern

Producer

Prairie farmers in Canada can play a vital role in feeding the world if temperatures rise, says a researcher. Story here.
RELATED: Consistent negative response of US crops to high temperatures in observations and crop models

PinP photo.

Stop Trump From "Blessing" a "Marriage" (between Monsanto and Bayer) Made in Hell. PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION!

AVAAZ

This is urgent! Trump is ready to bless a merger between chemical giants Monsanto and Bayer to create a $100 billion agribusiness beast designed to dominate our earth's food system. PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION!!!

Coastal wetlands excel at storing carbon

EurekAlert!

New analysis supports mangrove forests, tidal marshes and seagrass meadows as effective climate buffers. Story here.

Coastal wetlands at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, Massachusetts. Credit: Kelly Fike/USFWS

Don't let Trump force construction of Dakota Access: Help cut off the money for the project! PLEASE SIGN!

Don't let Trump force construction of Dakota Access: Help cut off the money for the project! Dear Larry, The Army Corps of Engineers just greenlighted the Dakota Access Pipeline. The Corps was supposed to conduct an Environmental Impact Statement. It was supposed to accept comments from people like you.  But two weeks ago Donald Trump signed an executive action to speed up the project. Now the Corps is in Trump’s pocket. You can still resist Trump and this pipeline by cutting off the funding to complete it. Wall Street giants Citigroup and Wells Fargo are part of a group of banks who provided a $2.5 billion loan for the project. We need you to tell the banks to stop the pipeline! Don’t let Trump force construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline! Tell Citigroup and Wells Fargo to pull their loans for the project.

Danny Dimwit's Advice to the Nation on "Poppalation Growth."

by Danny Dimwit

Wow! Sekkund place! That’s awfl!

I just herd on the raydeeo that the people poppalation in Australia is growin kwikker there than here in Kanada! We need to hang our heds, folks! Shoor, we still have at least a millyun more fokes now than we had five yeers ago. But that’s not good enuff! All the big shots runnin Kanada keep tellin us (and they should no), that we need more peeple so we can have more, what do they call it, eekonomik growth? 

Heck, I can still look out my window here in town and see trees, grass, open spaces and sometimes even a heard of dear. Why in the heck aren’t they puttin up more billdings out there? Gets kinda tiresum lookin at nothin but…nacher. And I even herd some kinds of animals are akshully breedin as fast as we are. Kant have that! We need to get crackin! Sounds like there is still some habbatat out there that needs plowin down.

Blogger Warns of Creeping "Trumpism" (Letter)

Dear Editor,

It’s like a train wreck in slow-motion.

Just when you think Trump has made the worst possible choice for his cabinet, he announces another who’s even worse. 

Rick Perry, the wacka-doodle ex-Governor of Texas, is a sad example. Perry couldn’t remember the name of one of the government departments he pledged to eliminate when he tried to run for President four years ago. Now, Trump has named Perry to head it!  (It’s the department of Energy. You know, the “trivial” one responsible for the U.S. nuclear program!) 

Making America Ungovernable

Chris Hedges

Donald Trump's regime is rapidly reconfiguring the United States into an authoritarian state. All forms of dissent will soon be criminalized. Civil liberties will no longer exist. Corporate exploitation, through the abolition of regulations and laws, will be unimpeded. Global warming will accelerate. A repugnant nationalism, amplified by government propaganda, will promote bigotry and racism. Hate crimes will explode. New wars will be launched or expanded. Story here.

Massive hurricane-force Atlantic storm to push abnormally mild air toward North Pole

The Washington Post

A gigantic, powerhouse winter storm is charging through the North Atlantic and promises to flood the high Arctic with abnormally mild air. Arctic temperatures have blown past previous record highs in recent months, and this surge of (relative) warmth is just the latest in a long series that has amazed scientists. Story here.