Waterbirds affected by low water, high salt levels in lakes

ScienceDaily

A recent study shows food sources for migratory birds decline with low water levels and high salt content in lakes. Story here.

The American avocet. 

Photo credit - US Fish & Wildlife.

Climate change promotes the spread of mosquito and tick-borne viruses

ScienceDaily

The  mosquito that carries the Zeka virus.

Scientists find that global warming has allowed disease-bearing insects to proliferate, increasing exposure to viral infections. Story here.

A smallholder farmer describes her thriving pig+crop farm in Africa

ILRI - The International Livestock Research Institute

Photo by ILRI

Emma Naluyima is a smallholder farmer and private veterinarian in Uganda who has integrated crop growing and livestock raising to build a thriving, profitable and environmentally friendly farm enterprise for her and her family. More here.

Historical lead exposure may be linked to 256,000 premature deaths from cardiovascular disease in adults in the USA each year

THE LANCET

New estimates suggest that 256,000 premature deaths from cardiovascular disease - including 185,000 deaths from ischemic heart disease - in the USA may be linked to historical lead exposure in middle-aged and older adults (people currently aged 44 years or over). This according to an observational study following 14,300 people for almost 20 years, published in The Lancet Public Health journal. More here.

Increasing tree mortality in a warming world

ScienceDaily

Source:: Tropical Trees. Author: Paul Hamilton.

Trees in the tropics, especially important for the planet, face increasing threats.  More here.

Invasive Group A strep cases rising in Canada, But the reason is a medical mystery

CBC News

A year after losing both legs and an arm, a Winnipeg mom has no idea why infection struck. More here.

RELATED? Could the Manitoba government’s return to a deregulated hog industry actually contribute to a world health crisIs?

Big Step Forward on Agricultural Pesticides in Quebec, Canada.

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment.

A "crop-duster" in Manitoba. PinP photo.

The Government of Quebec has imposed a ban on five pesticides that are commonly used in the agricultural sector – three neonicotinoid pesticides (neonics), atrazine and chlorpyrifos. More here.