PLANET IN PERIL

Dear Editor,                                                                                          Many Manitobans are upset that the federal election is happening at the same time as major flooding threatens their homes, businesses and farms.  Red River Valley - 1997 - Natural Resources CA After all, who wants to be distracted from the stressful job of protecting your livelihoods and families by yet another political campaign and trip to the polls? In a saner world, there would actually be candidates on the ballot from the two major parties we could vote for, who would be attacking the root causes of the catastrophic flooding so they don't get worse in the future. These candidates would already know that these events are on the rise in both frequency and intensity, due to climate change. Climate change is anthropogenic. If that is too big a word for you, Stephen, or you, Michael, it just means, it is caused by human beings. That's because we

Canadian Biotechnology Action Network Update. Thursday, April 7, 2011: The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) issued a statement to clarify that it has no plans to research genetically modified (GM) wheat. Details here.

Fiona Harvey guardian.co.uk 4 Apr'11 By sealing up cells full of contaminated pollen, bees appear to be  attempting to protect the rest of the hive.  Details here.      

AlterNet Dear Friend, I'm writing to ask you to support an incredibly important film, one that will save lives and thwart what may be the most destructive pair of brothers in American history. A $50 gift today will get you listed as  a "producer" plus this exclusively designed Shepard Fairey t-shirt  with the Koch-topus logo https://bnf.actionkit.com/donate/kb_donation_alternet  By now you have probably heard of the nefarious Koch Brothers. They are two super wealthy radical conservatives who are spreading their billions to crush working people, destroy the environment, undermine health care, demean immigrants, avoid responsibility for their own death and destruction, and the list goes on. Already the Koch's have paid $30 million in fines for 300 oil spills, and invested $34 million to support groups who are trying to steal rights away from teachers,fireman, police, nurses -- our neighbors and friends. We have to get the truth about the Koch's to million

AlterNet / By Brendan Smith and Jeremy Brecher Poll-oriented groups say that public opinion surveys prove Americans care most about jobs and lack the capacity to act on some distant threat. But here's where they're wrong. Details here.

Geneva, 5 Apr '11 (WMO)  Depletion of the ozone layer- the shield that protects life on Earth from harmful levels of ultraviolet rays - has reached an unprecedented level over the Arctic this spring… Full story here.

BY Jim Harding THE SASKATCHEWAN CONNECTION  Published in R-Town News on April 1, 2011 (Please also read - "Uranium City - a Legacy of Cancer.") The Fukushima’s nuclear reactors which are steadily contaminating Japan’s atmosphere, seashore, watersheds, food chains and making millions of Japanese into nuclear refugees are owned and operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co. or Tepco.  Tepco  has Saskatchewan connections. The Globe and Mail describes Tepco as “one of (Cameco’s) largest customers for uranium used to fuel nuclear power plants”, and there is little doubt that much of the radioactive contamination threatening Japan comes from uranium fuel mined in northern Saskatchewan. And Tepco is directly involved in this mining; since the 1990s it has been Cameco’s partner in the massive Cigar Lake mine, which has itself had serious “accidents” and is years behind its production schedule due to recurring underground flooding.  Cameco has taken a big hit since

Zachary Shahan - PlanetSave Apr 4  '11 Climate change is sometimes portrayed as a victimless crime, but it’s not. Full story here.

PUBLISHER'S COMMENT: In view of the ongoing nuclear crisis in Japan, I've decided to "recycle" one of my old stories, below. I wrote it while working as a journalist with CBC Radio in Regina, SK in the late '80s. It chronicles years of cancer, a virtual "epidemic" among workers at the uranium mine at Uranium City, in the extreme north end of that province. If nothing else, it might provide an insight into the fact that it is not just the power plant phase of the nuclear system which is problematic. Keep in mind, given that Saskatchewan was a leading player in uranium production, the fuel rods melting down in Japan may well have been made from Saskatchewan uranium.   I even sent it to George Monbiot, hoping to help convince him to turn away from his recent and ill-advised conversion to all things nuclear. He has not responded!  ==== 1984 - by Larry Powell Please also read,  "How is Saskatchewan Involved in Ja

A mystery lurks in Lake Winnipeg. And it's  one which science is only now waking to. Watch video here. (Runs about 45 mins.)