North Dakota Went Boom

New York Times Magazine

It’s hard to think of what oil hasn’t done to life in the small communities of western North Dakota, good and bad. It has minted millionaires, paid off mortgages, created businesses; it has raised rents, stressed roads, vexed planners and overwhelmed schools; it has polluted streams, spoiled fields and boosted crime. Full story here.

US Energy Secretary Steven Chu Resigns, Chastises Climate Deniers And Clean-Energy Critics

Huffington Post

In a wide-ranging and sometimes defiant letter to staff announcing his resignation on Friday, Energy Secretary Steven Chu, while highlighting his agency's achievements over the last four years, blasted critics of the administration's investment in the renewable energy market, suggesting that opponents were living in the "Stone Age." Details here.

Harper Names Top Adviser!

Paths Less Traveled would like to congratulate Wiarton Willy on his appointement as Stephen Harper's Chief Advisor on Climate Change!

 PLT photo

EU Stands Strong Against Canadian Tar Sands Lobbying

Climate Action Network Canada

The European Commission's plan to label dirty fuel could throw a curve ball in Canada's mission to diversify tar sands exports. Full story here. 

State Waters Might See More Oil-Tanker Traffic

Seattle Times

Oil-tanker traffic is expected to increase in Washington waters under an expansion proposal by a Canadian pipeline company. Full story here.

PLT: It just never stops, does it? The oil creeps continue to spread their poison like a deadly cancer. Do they ever sleep?

Could Hockey Become an Endangered Sport?

by David Suzuki

Photo Credit: kris krüg

One benefit of the National Hockey League strike: it gave people time to play outside on real ice! But outdoor skating could face the same difficulties as the NHL – a drastically shorter season or outright cancellation. Research from Montreal’s McGill and Concordia universities shows global warming is already having an effect on outdoor rinks in Canada

“Many locations across the country have seen significant decreases in the length of the OSS [outdoor skating season], as measured by the number of cold winter days conducive to the creation of rink ice,” their study states. “This is particularly true across the Prairies, and in Southwest Canada, which showed the largest (and most statistically significant) decreases in the calculated OSS length between 1951 and 2005.”

Diesel Fumes More Damaging to Health Than Petrol Engines

The Observer - UK

Ministry report says 'green' cars contribute significantly to air pollution and lung diseases. Details here.