What a Scientist Didn't Tell the New York Times About His Study on Bee Deaths

By Katherine Eban, Fortune - October 8'10

EDITOR'S NOTE: Please read this article carefully. It's yet another sordid tale of corporate dirty deeds and media sloppiness..scandalous in the extreme. Shame on you Bayer CropScience! Shame on you, New York Times! l.p. 

COMMENT:"A chemical company-Bayer-funds the research, and 'surprise'..the conclusion is:  bees are not dying off because of chemicals. Isn't that nice!" Margaret

Manitoba Funds Buy-Local Campaign

Manitoba Co-Operator - Staff - 10/19/2010 

Work on a "Buy Manitoba" branding campaign...

Have We Really Solved the Mystery Behind the Shocking Die-off of Bees?

Grist.org / By Tom Laskawy

The New York Times essentially called it 'case closed' on Colony Collapse Disorder, but there is good reason to be wary about their reporting.

 photo by l.p.

 EDITOR'S COMMENT: My sentiments exactly!  The degree to which media, even of the stature of the New York Times, seem prepared to bend over backwards to avoid singling out the role of pesticides, is truly disturbing. Even the group representing Canadian beekeepers seems engaged in the same game. The Bayers and Monsantos of this world truly do have powerful allies!  l.p.

Federal Government Failing to Enforce Laws in Oilsands

Simon Dyer — Pembina Institute - Oct. 20, 2010

You could be forgiven...

A thick layer of tar & a thin film of oil/bitumen

reflecting a late summer sunset on the Albian Sands Muskeg River Mine tar pond. Photo by beautifuldestruction.ca

Climate Change Hits Home (Video)

Latest Bee Loss Figures Show Canada Doing Better

by Larry Powell  

 The group representing beekeepers in this country says 21 percent of honey bee colonies in Canada were lost over the winter of 2009-10.

The Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists (CAPA) says, of the 611,972 "over-wintered" colonies, 128,463 were dead or unproductive by spring. 

According to these latest CAPA figures, belatedly released just this past Friday, this represents 1.4x the long-term winter loss rate for Canada. 

The Association describes this as a substantial improvement over the previous three-year period during which losses averaged 32.6%.

CAPA credits beekeepers' effective use of mite control products in the improvement in colony losses. It adds, "extension professionals" also attribute such improvement to a new mite-control product called "Apivar," approved for use last fall.

CAPA tempers its optomitic message with this note of caution, however.

"Though encouraging, it is too early to determine whether this decline in mortality constitutes a sustained improvement in colony health."
 
Among the provinces, Nova Scotia recorded the highest losses, at 41.9%, while nearby Prince Edward Island had the lowest,  just 16.7%.

(My own province, Manitoba, lost 25.6% and the neighbouring province, Saskatchewan, 20.5%.)

One region of the country, Vancouver Island, however, recorded disastrous losses, way worse than the rest of the country. There, beekeepers lost up to 76% of their colonies! Some were wiped out, altogether!

CAPA notes that most beekeepers there used an anti-mite control which the mites may have developed resistance to.

Honeybee Disease - a Breakthrough?

OnEarth By Sharon Levy - October 7, 2010

After years of mystery, a team of researchers has undercovered new...

l.p. photo