"People are Dying." A must-see video about the importance of addressing the climate crisis.

A Professor at the University of Saskatchewan (Canada) is calling for the killing of Canada's entire population of wild pigs - by Larry Powell

Dr. Ryan Brook, Associate Professor in the College Agriculture
and Bioresources at the University of Saskatchewan.

Dr. Ryan Brook says such a drastic and aggressive move would be justified because the animals can carry deadly disease such as African Swine Fever. ASF entered China, the world's largest hog producer, some time ago, forcing major culls of domestic animals there. It is feared the disease could spread to North America and that wild pigs could prove to be carriers and infect commercial swine herds in the US and Canada. It is believed such an eventuality would devastate the pork industry on this continent.

Dr. Brook suggests the wild animals could be captured in nets dropped from helicopters, then killed with bolt guns. He claims big ground traps and human ground crews could effectively catch and kill entire groups.

Wild pigs in winter. A Pexels photo.

He adds, while he respects sports hunters, their methods are not effective at controlling wild hog numbers. That's because they tend to fragment populations and make them harder than ever to capture. He says a plan to eradicate Canada's wild pig population is urgently needed and requires co-operation on a national and international scale.

Dr. Brook was speaking on the radio program "Farmscape," sponsored by the hog industry in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. 

RELATED: In Hogs We Trust - Part 111 - From Malaysia to Manitoba - the magnitude of livestock diseases, worldwide.

Frack sand mine in Manitoba, Canada endangers climate and First Nation (Video)

Cyclone Idai shows the deadly reality of climate change in Africa

The Guardian - opinion.

Volunteers distribute donated goods to those in need.
Photo by Columbus Mayhunga/VOA
Vain promises and empty slogans have got us nowhere. Fossil-fuel extraction must end before more lives are lost. Details here.

Climate change affecting fish in Ontario lakes, study reveals

PHYS ORG

A lake in northwestern Ontario. Photo by PinP.

Warmer temperatures are having a ripple effect on food webs in Ontario lakes, according to a new University of Guelph study. Story here.

When development and conservation clash in the Serengeti

University of Copenhagen - SCIENCE NEWS

A proposed new road could disrupt the migration of animals like this in the Serengeti.
Photo by eismcsquare.

New or upgraded roads in the Greater Serengeti Ecosystem around Serengeti National Park will not reduce growing pressure on the ecosystem, a study shows. Story here.

Beat the Heat: Canada's French-fry potatoes in climate change trouble

Canadian Science Publishing

After PEI, Manitoba is Canada's largest potato-producing province. 
Over 1200 million pounds are processed here each year on about 80 thousand acres. 
A PinP photo.
Desiccating summer heat, brought on by climate change, could have adverse effects on Canada's potato industry. In a recent study, researchers examined the heat stress response of 55 potato varieties to estimate how they might fare under changing climate conditions. The news is not good.  Details here.

It’s Time to Start Calling Evangelicals What They Are: The American Taliban

Church & State - By J.C. Weatherby 
I have said for years, the Christian Right is really seeking to establish a theocracy in the US - at least throughout the deep south.  Story here.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria widespread in Ontario waterways

Canadian Science Publishing

It turns out antibiotic-resistant bacteria are far more ubiquitous than previously thought. A new study published in the Canadian Journal of Microbiology tested the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in four aquatic environments in southern Ontario—and found them everywhere. Story here.

RELATED:  "In Hogs We Trust" - Part 1 - Antibiotic Overuse.

Enormous Painted Lady Migration in California

Daily Kos

A painted lady.

Things are shaping up for 2019 to be another massive migration year for Painted Lady butterflies.  Story here.

Sharp rise in Arctic temperatures now inevitable – UN

The Guardian

Icebergs in the high Arctic. Photo by Brocken Inaglory.

Temperatures likely to rise by 3-5C above pre-industrial levels even if Paris goals met. Story here.

RELATED: Only “Heroic Efforts” Will Spare Earth’s Mighty Boreal Forest From the Worst Ravages of Climate Change - Experts.