America's (& Canada's?) Real Criminal Element: Lead

MotherJones
New research finds Pb is the hidden villain behind violent crime, lower IQs, and even the ADHD epidemic. And fixing the problem is a lot cheaper than doing nothing. Full story here.

Please also read: "The Grime Behind the Crime" by George Monbiot

Shale Gas: Myth and Realities

By Andrew Nikiforuk, Today, TheTyee.ca 

Nikiforuk tackles top claims fracking industry uses to reassure public. First in a series. Full story here.

How First Nations and Eco-Groups Won Over Shell in B.C.

Toronto Star
Was it the petition with 100,000 signatures and intractable First Nations and environmentalists that forced Shell Canada Ltd. to back off a project to drill for coal-bed methane gas in a pristine B.C. wilderness? Full story here.

Photo Credit: Sacred Headwaters

Revealed: How the FBI Coordinated the Crackdown on Occupy

The Guardian
New documents prove what was once dismissed as paranoid fantasy: totally integrated corporate-state repression of dissent. Details here.

Annus Horribilis

George Monbiot - the Guardian
2012 was the worst year for the environment in living memory. Details here.

Nebraska Drought Likely To Worsen In 2013

Huffington Post
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraskans should expect the impact of the drought to worsen next year if the current dry forecast for the winter holds up. Details here.

Canada Approves (another) Pesticide Against Wireworms in Crops

Manitoba Co-Operator
An "ag chem-maker's" potato, vegetable and fruit insecticide has been cleared to enter the cereal and soybean growers' market in Canada. Details here.
Please also read: "Field of Nightmares. Ottawa embraces the widespread use of Roundup by letting corporate seduction trump scientific evidence."


Bumblebees. PLT photo