Climate accountability legislation a historic moment for Canada

PEMBINA

INSTITUTE

A power pylon wrecked by severe weather. A Manitoba Hydro photo.

 

Pembina Institute reacts to the passage of Bill C-12, key to delivering on climate targets. Story here.

When corporate interests trump the human right to clean drinking water - a case of concern in Manitoba, Canada.

by Don Sullivan - Canadian Dimension 

Don Sullivan (above) is the spokesperson for What The Frack Manitoba, the former director of the Boreal Forest Network and special adviser to the government of Manitoba on the Pimachiowin Aki UNESCO World Heritage site. He's a research affiliate with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and a Queen Golden Jubilee medal recipient.

Two corporations, both Alberta-based, are in the midst of seeking Government of Manitoba approval to build and operate silica sand mines and processing facilities that would extract and process some 2.6 million tonnes of silica sand per year. Story here.

RELATED:

"Is Manitoba's Brokenhead River about to become a dumping ground for an Alberta-based sand-mining company?"

Superbug fears as British supermarket pig farms escalate use of antibiotics

THE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM

Hog producers on the Canadian prairies (AB,SK & MB) were feeding more antibiotics to their herds in 2018 than 2017. (Source - CIPARS)

The use of certain antibiotics deemed critical to human health has surged on British pig farms supplying major supermarkets, prompting fresh concerns about the rise of antibiotic-resistant superbugs. Story here.

RELATED:

WILL THE WORLD’S ADDICTION TO INDUSTRIAL LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION BRING AN END TO THE AGE OF THE “MIRACLE DRUG?”

Global Call Goes Out to End Destruction of Canada's Ancient Forests

Common Dreams

Old growth forest in BC. Photo by Nadine Reynolds.

More than 100 prominent individuals throughout Canadian society, along with a handful of international supporters, urged British Columbia Premier John Horgan on Friday to fulfill his campaign pledge to immediately protect the region's imperiled old-growth forests, which continue to be logged despite scientific warnings against further destruction. Story here.

Most rivers in the world run dry -- now and then

Science Daily

It's not uncommon for the Oak River, which flows through southwestern
Manitoba, CA., to stop flowing at this control dam. A PinP photo.

A new study found that between 51-60% of the 64 million kilometres of rivers and streams on Earth that they investigated stop flowing periodically, or run dry for part of the year. It is the first-ever empirically grounded effort to quantify the global distribution of non-perennial rivers and streams. The research, which was published today in Nature, calls for a paradigm shift in river science and management. Story here/

World May Already Have Hit Arctic 'Tipping Point'; Scientist.

Common Dreams

In summer, some polar bears do not make the transition from their winter residence on the Svalbard islands to the dense drift and pack ice of the high arctic, where they would find a plethora of prey. This is due to global climate change which causes the ice around the islands to melt much earlier than previously. The bears need to adapt from their proper food to a diet of detritus, small animals, bird eggs and carcasses of marine animals. Very often they suffer starvation and are doomed to die. The number of these starving animals is sadly increasing. A Wickimedia Commons photo.

'Urgent' action is needed, atmospheric scientist Markus Rex said. 

Story here.