Beaten with chains, hung by the neck: Canadian cows left behind by the law

NATIONAL

OBSERVER

For the first time in Canadian history, three former dairy workers have been sentenced to jail time for malicious animal abuse as a result of hidden-camera footage by an animal protection group. Details here.

A close call. Turns out the Svalbard seed vault is probably fine

POPULAR

 SCIENCE

Recently, media reports emerged of water leaking into the entryway of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. The facility is designed to be a backup for other seed banks all over the world. In an e-mail, the Norwegian Government, confirmed that the leaks happened last fall, during a time of high temperatures and unusual rainfall in the area. Story here.

$10,000 Reward Offered to Find Killer of Famous Yellowstone White Wolf

Care 2 petition

For years, the wolf known as “White Lady” delighted visitors who were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of her when they visited Yellowstone National Park. Story here.

Greenpeace asks Alberta regulator to halt Kinder Morgan Canada IPO

REUTERS

Pipe loaded on train. PinP photo.

Environmental group Greenpeace on Thursday asked the Alberta securities regulator to halt Kinder Morgan's initial public offering (IPO) of its Canadian business until the company disclosed climate-related risks to potential investors. Story here.

Sea level rise will double coastal flood risk worldwide

theguardian

Waves crash against the wall at the end of Nauru International Airport's runway. 

Rising sea levels pose a serious risk coastal erosion for small Pacific island countries, Photo: Matt Robertson / DFAT

Small but unstoppable increases will double frequency of extreme water levels with dire consequences, say scientists. Story here.

Trees in eastern US head west as climate changes

nature

Trees like the magnolia will likely be affected. Photo credit - Wikipedia.

Breaking from the general poleward movement of many species, flowering trees take an unexpected turn. Story here.

Related:  Canada’s forests in a changing climate

Experts fear ‘quiet springs’ as songbirds can’t keep up with climate change

The Washington Post

A rose-breasted grosbeak, one of the species-at-risk due to global warming. PinP photo.

In 1962, Rachel Carson warned that pesticides, particularly DDT, would lead to springs without birdsong, as she wrote in her book “Silent Spring.” Carson's forecast kick-started an environmental movement and was instrumental in the Environmental Protection Agency's decision to ban the pesticides 10 years later, so her descriptions of deathly quiet did not come to pass. Story here.