University of Manitoba Becomes Home to "One of the Worst Corporate Citizens on the Planet:" U of M Student

Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN). Nov 23 - '10

Protestors were on hand this morning for the official opening of the Monsanto Canada’s new $12 million Canola Breeding Centre at at the University of Manitoba. One student,  Alon Weinberg, says there is little to celebrate with the opening. In his words, "Monsanto’s operations poison the environment with chemicals, steal from farmers their age-old right to save seeds and threaten biodiversity by proliferating genetically engineered crops."

Is GMO canola out of control in Canada?  

Check out the PDF here, produced by the CBAN.

National Conservation Group Slams Proposed Alberta Parks Act for "Setting the Clock Back 40 Years"

No. 22 '10 Canadian Parks & Wilderness Society

www.kananaskis.com

Calgary -- The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society’s national board of trustees is voicing outrage...

EDITOR'S NOTE: In response to CPAW's request, I wrote a letter to Alberta's elected officials which is reproduced, directly below. After that, you will see a response from an Opposition member in Alberta. l.p.

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Dear Mr. Chase,

Having lived in Calgary for 10 years, I had the opportunity to visit many of your beautiful parks.
I would plead with you to take pity on their vulnerability and err on the side of conservation, not 

 exploitation.
I plead with you, please withdraw this Parks Act Bill!
Sincerely,
Larry Powell

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Dear Larry,

Thank you very much for speaking out about Bill 29. With your permission, Mr. Chase would like to table your letter in the Legislature as being opposed to Bill 29 and your email will become part of the permanent record of the Legislature.

 I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,

Debbie Puppato,
Constituency Assistant

HARRY CHASE, MLA
Shadow Minister for Children & Youth Services; Education; Advanced Education & Technology; Tourism, Parks & Recreation
Calgary Varsity Constituency

Air Pollution in Chinese Capital Called "Crazy Bad!" Diplomatic Blunder or Some Frank Honesty?

guardian.co.uk No 22 - '10

An unexpected phrase in US embassy's hourly pollution tweet for Beijing, gives its followers cause for amusement and concern.

Climate Change and Disease Will Spark New Food Crisis, says UN

By Sean O'Grady, THE INDEPENDENT 18 Nov '10

A food crisis could overtake the world in 2011...An ethanol plant in Manitoba, converting food into fuel, with the help of government subsidies. 

l.p.photo

Poll Suggests Harper Government Out of Step With Canadians

Council of Canadians - Nov. 22 - '10

Unavoidable Climate Change: We've Passed the Point of No Return

 AlterNet / By Peter Gleick - Nov 20 '10

How bad it gets depends on how much longer we fail to act.

                            

Are Hypocrites and Opportunists Taking Over Our Lives?

Dear Editor,

 When a hollow man like Jim Prentice can don a phony cloak of "green," take on a sacred trust as this nation's "Minister of the Environment," then hightail it off to a cushy job with "CIBC" (which is helping to bankroll the Alberta tar sands, the world's dirtiest energy project), be afraid. Be very afraid. 

Jim Prentice, Climate Criminal

  

Dead ducks in an Albrta tar pit. (Vancouver Sun photo)

As Prentice skulks off into the night with visions of money bags dancing in his head, he gets a pat on the back from Stephen Harper and a free pass from a polite media.

Fish caught near tarpits - Jason Franson CP

Preoccupied with political "process," "strategy" and "positioning," news outlets obviously no longer believe they have any duty to actually hold the ethical behaviour of our leaders up to any kind of public scrutiny. That would just be wrong! Instead, they pontificate on how the balance in the cabinet might now be affected or, if Prentice might now be positioning himself to become Prime Minister!

(Remember my reference to "hypocrites and opportunists? I rest my case.) 

One newspaper fit for fish-wrap actually referred to this traitor as the "epitome of public service" and a "capable" leader! Yet this is the same climate criminal who, while in office, did squat on the carbon file, the most important if the climate change genie is to be put back in the bottle. Squat. Nothing. 
What can be done?

Before the story of Prentice's departure broke, it hadn't really occurred to me that companies involved directly in tar sands extraction, along with big banks who lend money to them, would even qualify as "ethical" fund investments. (And who would?)


The Don of Canada's Climate Criminals
Upon checking my own, I discovered, with dismay, that they included both!

So I have now personally set the wheels in motion to divest myself of any financial holdings I may have in the development of that despicable project known euphemistically as "the oil sands."   

If you want to be remembered as a friend of Mother Earth, rather than one who stood by while the Harpers and Prentices of the world acted as accomplices in her demise, I hope you'll do likewise.

Larry Powell is a blogger and activist near Roblin, in western Manitoba. 

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A couple more climate crooks. Sen. Duffy (l.) & Sen. Wallin (r.).

Also conveniently neglected by Prentice/Harper et al in this scenario are the indigenouse people living downstream from this incredibly destructive project. Here is an excerpt from a submission by the Indigenous Environmental Network. l.p.


"Fort Chipewyan, which is located on the shore of Lake Athabasca and downstream from numerous tar sands mines, has been described as ‘ground zero’ for the devastation caused by Alberta’s oil boom. A local doctor has raised concerns over alarmingly high rates of what should be very rare bile duct cancers in the town, as well as reported abnormal rates of immune-system related conditions. A study commissioned by the Alberta Health Services confirmed in 2009 that there were indeed elevated cancer rates in the community.
"High levels of dangerous toxins in the Athabasca River have been found in areas downstream from tar sands developments. A study in 2007 commissioned by the local health authority of Fort Chipewyan revealed high levels
of arsenic, aluminium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, lead, phosphorous, selenium, titanium, and phenols in the water. It found high levels of arsenic, cadmium, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and resin acids in the sediment, as well as high levels of mercury in tested fish."
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COMMENTS:
Larry - I read your letter. This is a shameful act. And replacing the environment Minister, we have none other than Mr. Baird. Now that is a joke.


JOHN FEFCHAK
Virden, MB