Saskatoon Scientist Breaks Silence About Muzzling

CBC Radio

A retired federal researcher based in Saskatoon is going public with concerns Ottawa is muzzling scientists like her. Details here.

Not a Robin, But, I'll Take It!

Not exactly the harbinger of spring we look forward to most. I spotted this "gopher," actually a Richardson's ground squirrel, in a field near Roblin, (western) Manitoba today. PLT photo.

Top Water Specialist Ties Into Harper Government For Killing the Experimental Lakes Area (podcast)

CBC Radio - As It Happens

As we've discussed on the program this week, federal funding for the Experimental Lakes Area in northern Ontario will be cut off at the end of March. And scientists will not be allowed to conduct research at the facility this summer, even those with their own funding. David Schindler is the founding director of the world-renowned freshwater research facility. He is best-known for his research on phosphates, and on the environmental impact of the oilsands. Listen to the interview, here.

Backers of the Experimental Lakes Area Question Ottawa's Intentions

Winnipeg Free Press

Skeptics wonder about the sincerity of the federal government to get a new operator for ELA. Details here.

"Mystery" Malady Kills More US Bees, Heightening Worry on Farms

New York Times

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — A "mysterious" malady that has been killing honeybees en masse for several years appears to have expanded drastically in the 'States last year, commercial beekeepers say, wiping out 40 percent or even 50 percent of the hives needed to pollinate many of the nation’s fruits and vegetables. Details here.

PLT; I see researchers and the media insist on clinging to  the line that Colony Collapse Disorder is a "mystery." ("Quotation marks"are mine.) This is tragic since a main contributing factor is pesticides. Period. While this is acknowledged in the story, it never seems to occur to the brightest mind to simply ban the fucking ones we already know to be the worst offenders!  

• Please also read: "Chemical Giants, Regulators & Politicians Fiddle While Honeybees Die!" 
• "Honey Bee Losses in Manitoba." 

Worst-Case Climate Scenario May Backfire on Activists: Study

Huffington Post

WASHINGTON -- Climate activists' strategy of barraging people with information about the consequences of climate change could end up hurting the cause, according to a benchmark study released Thursday. Details here.