PLANET IN PERIL

Winnipeg Free Press - By: Bruce Owen - 2/12/2010  Heavy rainfall, snow lead premier to sound the alarm. Flooding in the Red River Valley - 1997 Courtesy of the Gov't. of Manitoba

by Jay Walljasper - yes!  Nov 29, 2010 It’s become a cliché that Portland is America’s most livable... EDITOR'S NOTE: As cities like Toronto and Winnipeg elect (& re-elect) loonies as their mayors, it's refreshing to note that there remain pockets of sanity somewhere on this continent! I am reminded of a quote from H.G. Wells, who once said, "Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race." l.p.

San Francisco, CA – November 30, 2010 – Centre for Food Safety. Genetically Engineered Sugar Beet Seed Crop Must be Removed! Finds Government and Monsanto rushed to illegally plant herbicide resistant crop. Cdn. Biotechnology Action Network Press Statement, December 1, 2010: Yesterday a US federal district judge ordered Monsanto's genetically engineered sugarbeet seedlings be uprooted. This is the first court-ordered destruction of a GE crop in the US. The decision (November 30, 2010) follows a challenge from farmer and environmental groups based on the risks of contamination. The judge noted that non-GE crops were at risk and that the US Department of Agriculture, by allowing September plantings, tried to circumvent his prior ruling that the sugarbeets were illegal, pending an environmental assessment. Below is a letter from CBAN to Canadian sugar company Lantic, and a press release from US group Center for Food Safety which represented groups in the legal challen

Manitoba News Release - November 30, 2010 ======= Action Also Aimed at Reducing Greenhouse-gas Emissions: Selinger A unique pilot project at Netley-Libau Marsh, supported by $150,000 in provincial funding, will explore ways of preventing pollutants from getting into Lake Winnipeg while at the same time reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, Lk. Wpg. Greenpeace Photo Premier Greg Selinger announced today. "In partnership with the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the University of Manitoba, we are announcing funding to support the further development of a green,  bio-energy project which builds on actions we have already taken," said Selinger. "This is a made-in-Manitoba solution to help Lake Winnipeg by keeping pollutants out, while at the same time providing a green solution to offset coal use." The project will see the harvest of about 200 hectares of marsh grasses.  Research has shown that pollutants, such as phosphorus, are stored

Brought to you by the Post Carbon Institute.

George Monbiot - the Guardian - Nov 26 '10 What does zero look like to you? Is it: ====== Still more large "conventional" homes go up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, CA with little thought given to their sustainability.  l.p. photos 

Please check out this interesting video here!

November 26, 2010 - The Council of Canadians Please also read:  Blackfire mine shut down over environmental concerns  EDITOR'S NOTE: It's stories like this which remind me of one of the reasons I started this blog in the first place. Disgusting, rotten things go on in this world which too many mass media, including those in my own country, are too cowardly to even shine a light on. But the cowardice isn't limited to the media.  A bill in the House of Commons, designed to clamp down on Canadian-based mining companies who commit acts abroad similar to this one, was recently defeated. Some Honourable Members, representing mining constituencies, apparently afraid they would offend their voters if they supported it, stayed away when the vote was taken! Such courage! Such principle! l.p.

Mike Hudema - Greenpeace - November 23, 2010 Faced with the grim realities of...

Earlier this week, we let you know about a proposed new Alberta's Parks Act that would have set a dangerous precedent for provincial parks.  You wrote in, and Cindy Ady, Alberta's Minister of Tourism, Parks and Recreation listened -- she is withdrawing the legislation . Public opposition was key to the decision, said the Minister: “What I have heard throughout debate on Bill 29 is that people are passionate about parks, and I respect that passion”. THANK YOU for writing! Your letters made the difference. While we celebrate this victory, there's still work to do – Alberta intends to introduce new legislation in the spring, after public consultation. CPAWS will continue to push for legislation that puts the ecological integrity of parks first. Here's what you can do now: Thank the Minister -- write a quick note Donate to CPAWS CPAWS has worked relentlessly against Bill 29 since it was introduced on November 4th.  We’ll continue to speak out for the protecti