Plans for an Immense Canal Could Spell Catastrophe in Nicaragua and Elsewhere.

Common Dreams

Group of scientists says massive earth-moving project already underway threatens irreversible harm. Story here.

Tech-Savvy Indian Women Farmers Find Success With "Sim Cards."

INTER PRESS SERVICE

MAHABUBNAGAR, India: “My profits have increased from 5,000 to 20,000 rupees (80-232 dollars) each season,” declares  a smallholder farmer participating in a mobile technology scheme to create awareness among rural women. Story here.

Crime In North Dakota’s Oil Boom Towns Is So Bad That The FBI Is Stepping In

ClimateProgress

Canadian pump jacks work the same geological 

formation as North Dakota. PinP photo.

High levels of crime in North Dakota’s oil fields have prompted the FBI to set up shop in the region.  Story here.

Infrastructure Boom Threatens World's Last Wildernesses

theguardian

Spread of new roads in developing nations is a greater danger than the dams, mines, oil well or cities they connect, as they open up untouched habitats to poachers, illegal loggers and land speculators, study says. Story here.

Canadian Government Pushing First Nations to Give up Land Rights For Oil And Gas Profits

The Guardian

Harper government organized private meetings between oil firms and Indigenous chiefs to try and gain support for oil and gas pipelines and other investments located on their lands, documents reveal. Story here.

Why Do Many Reasonable People Doubt Science?

National Geographic

We live in an age when all manner of scientific knowledge—from climate change to vaccinations—faces furious opposition. Some even have doubts about the moon landing. Story here.

Some California Farmers Will Get no Federal Water, Meaning Fields Could go Unplanted

Winnipeg Free Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - For a second straight year, the federal government said Friday it won't send any of its reservoir water to the Central Valley, forcing farmers in California's agricultural heartland to again scramble for other sources or leave fields unplanted. Story here.