A Mine, a Movement And a Town Divided

The Tyee

In Mexico, local resistance to Canadian mining companies is growing as the industry booms. Full story here.

Related: CONFLICT DOGS CANADIAN MINING ABROAD

Save the Bees! Let Home Hardware and Lowe's Know You Won't Take it Anymore!

Larry,

Home Depot and Lowe’s still haven’t committed to stop selling the pesticides that are killing the bees -- and now it’s time to up the pressure.

A new report by our allies at Friends of the Earth reveals that more than half of the “bee-friendly” home garden plants sold at stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s actually contain bee-killing pesticides called neonics -- with no warning to consumers!

Nearly 125,000 of us have asked Home Depot and Lowe’s to stop selling pre-poisoned plants and bee-killing pesticides. But so far, neither company has responded. Now, we need to up the buzz to protect the bees.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    PLT photo

Soil: Our Climate Ally Underfoot (Video)

Keystone XL's Ugly Toll on America's Endangered Species

Huffington Post

Much of the debate over the Keystone XL pipeline has rightly been focused on the staggering damage it'll do to our climate. Details here.

Western Prairie Fringed Orchid. 

Photo Credit - US Fish & Wildlife

Related story: 

Unsung Victims of the XL Pipeline: 

Beyond the Birds and the Bees

The Xerces Society

Effects of "neonic" insecticides on agriculturally important beneficial insects. Details here.

Unidentified pollinator. PLT photo. 

Apple Turnover - How This "Supercool" Tech Giant Plays Fast & Loose With the Environment

George Monbiot

Apple offers 21st Century technology – with 19th Century ethics. Full story here.

Writer Knocks Manitoba Government for "Disgusting" Response to Arsenic Issue

Dear Editor:

Complacency about water safety thrives in Manitoba.

What are we putting into our water ?

PLT photo

We are putting toxic waste (poison) into our water. Toxic = dangerous, immediate or long term effects. In the absence of scientific research, no one should simply claim those products are safe and acceptable, then allow them to be discarded into a water source.

There is absolutely no legitimate government interest

fulfilled, by allowing arsenic, lead and other contaminants 

into a water source. Yet, that is exactly what is happening!

The town of Virden, Manitoba, for instance, has been issued 

a  licence by the province  to dump arsenic taken from the 

water treatment plant, into a surface water source, which

downstream, enters into the Assiniboine River.

The questions then that need to be answered are:

Why does government, the province of Manitoba 

condone and permit such a disdainful action?

Why are the long-term health risks from chronic exposure

to arsenic being ignored? Why are we being valued

as subjects, used in an experimental laboratory?

Why is this human impact allowed?

Why are people being complacent and not speaking

out on this travesty and mockery to our personal health 

and the health of water, the life blood of all living creatures.?

This is a shameful and disgusting act against humans

and our most precious resource. It's time that the

public retaliated; put aside its complacency, and 

started voicing  its opposition to the province. 

The government's lack of moral and humane principles 

must be challenged.  Arsenic is a deadly poison and warrants 

extreme respect, not defensive political bafflegab.

John Fefchak.

Virden. MB.          24 Sept. 2013
Related: "Keep Arsenic out of the Water at Virden, Manitoba, Canada! An Open Letter to Manitoba's Minister of Environment"