No More Free Pass for the Mining Industry

ecojusticecanada

Canadians finally have the right to know whether mines are threatening their water with arsenic, mercury & other dangerous pollutants!
All mines - including mines & Alberta's tarsands - must now tell Canadians about the pollution they cause, thanks to a lawsuit by Ecojustice on behalf of MiningWatch & Great Lakes United. The free "reveal-nothing" pass these industries enjoyed is finally over, & citizens will now have a powerful tool to hold mining companies accountable.
"This is an incredible win that empowers people in every corner of the country," says lawyer Marlene Cachin. "Knowing where pollution occurs is absolutely key in planning for possible mining & tailings pond disasters. Without it, decision-makers, along with those who will suffer the consequences of these incidents, are left in the dark."
When information is published later this year, the public can learn exactly which chemicals are being left behind simply by exploring the online National Pollutant Release inventory. With tarsands releasing knkown human carcinogens, and gold mines releasing cyanide, this information deserves public scrutiny.
"Metal mines ae an enormous source of pollution. The amount of mining waste churned out in Canada in just one year is enough to bury the entire Greater Toronto area in 4 ft. of waste," says lawyer Justin Duncan.

CFIA won't quarantine hogs for H1N1

Staff - Manitoba Co-Operator - 7/27/2009

Any Canadian hog herds that come down with the pandemic strain of H1N1 won't face the same quarantines as one of the few herds in the world known to have caught the virus.
Click headline for full story.

Kichiro Sato

Warming Climate Threatens California Fruit And Nut Production

Science News
ScienceDaily (July 22, 2009) — Winter chill, a vital climatic trigger for many tree crops, is likely to decrease by more than 50 percent during this century as global climate warms, making California no longer suitable for growing...
Click headline here.

US Car Manufacturers Plough a Lonely Furrow on Biofuels

by George Monbiot, the Guardian, UK
The US Environmental Protection Agency wants to boost the ethanol blend in fuels in a misguided bid to cut emissions. Click headline for more.
Also read "Bursting the Ethanol Bubble" here.

A field of wheat, a main feedstock
for ethanol in Canada.Photo by L.P.

Gonzo Gastronomy: How the Food Industry Has Made Bacon a Weapon of Mass Destruction

By Arun Gupta, AlterNet. Posted July 23, 2009.

The confluence of factory farming, the boom in fast food and manipulation of consumer taste created processed foods that can hook us like drugs.
Click headline for more.

Suburban Sprawl at Heart of Water Debate

WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 2009 - by James Beddome, Leader, Green Party of Manitoba.

Winnipeg, and the surrounding communities, are presently beholden to the same old game of staged ideological political chicken between the city and the province, and unfortunately our water supply (imagine a barrel of water) is set to collide in between.

James speaks at a pro-water rally

on the steps of city hall on the eve
of the disastrous council vote.
More pics, below.

Organic Agriculture More Than Doubled Since 2000

by Alice McKeown/ July 23, 2009 - Worldwatch Institute
Click headline for full story.