Deepwater Horizon disaster altered building blocks of ocean life

The Guardian

Oil spill disaster reduced biodiversity in sites closest to spill, report finds, as White House rolls back conservation measures. More here.

In a High-Stakes Environmental Whodunit, Many Clues Point to China

The New York Times

 The largest Antarctic ozone hole ever recorded on September 24, 2006. NASA.

Last month, scientists disclosed a global pollution mystery: a surprise rise in emissions of an outlawed industrial gas that destroys the atmosphere’s protective ozone layer. More here.

Palm oil ‘disastrous’ for wildlife but here to stay, experts warn

The Guardian

The deforestation it causes is decimating species such as orangutans and tigers - but the alternatives could be worse, finds authoritative report. More here.

Pikas in Peril

UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

Photo by Rémi Bigonneau

UBC scientists say mammal threatened by climate change. More here.

BP Canada spews thousands of litres of toxic mud during offshore drilling incident near Halifax

NATIONAL

OBSERVER

BP Canada has spewed out 136,000 litres of a toxic mud into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Halifax during deepwater offshore exploratory oil drilling, a federal regulator says. More here.

The Natural Gas Industry Has a Leak Problem

The New York Times

Fracking in the Bakken formation of North Dakota. Photo by Joshua Doubek

The American oil and gas industry is leaking more methane than the government thinks — much more, a new study says. Since methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, that is bad news for climate change. More here.

Canadian scientists discover Neonics are being ingested by free-ranging animals

Science News.

A pair of wild turkeys in Manitoba. A PinP photo.

Researchers at the University of Guelph, Ontario have found residues of the insecticides in the livers of wild turkeys, providing evidence that this common agrochemical is being ingested by free-ranging animals. More here.

Canadian study finds a pesticide-free way to combat mosquitos and West Nile

UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO

Researchers at the University of Waterloo may have discovered a new, pesticide-free way to limit mosquito populations in some area and reduce the spread of the West Nile virus. Story here.

A more detailed version of this study can be found here.

Toxic legacy of Giant Mine found in snowshoe hares

TheNarwhal

Researchers find arsenic levels in animals living near mine 20 to 50 times greater than those living away from it. More here.

African Swine Fever could be in Germany in 4 years

PIG PROGRESS

A research team has concluded that the viral disease - often considered the most deadly of all hog infections - spreads west at a speed of around 200 km per year. More here.

The ear of an infected hog. ASF causes a condition called petechia - red or purple splotches due to bleeding into the skin. Photo credit - USDA

RELATED: "In Hogs We Trust" - Part 3 - The consequences of animal diseases, worldwide.

Diversion tactics: how big pharma is muddying the waters on animal antibiotics

The Guardian

Antibiotic use on farms is a major cause of human drug resistance. Yet slick social media campaigns – funded by the multi-billion-dollar industry – are confusing and complicating the issue. Story here.

A Canstock Photo image.