Agriculture: The Unlikely Earth Day Hero

For over 40 years, Earth Day has served as a call to action, mobilizing individuals and organizations around the world to address these challenges. This year Nourishing the Planet highlights agriculture—often blamed as a driver of environmental problems—as an emerging solution. Details here.

A Reprieve For The Mekong - Xayaburi Dam Delayed

International Rivers - Apr 21 '11
Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia have now agreed that the decision on the Xayaburi Dam be deferred and elevated to the Ministerial level. The decision brings a much needed, if temporary, reprieve to the mighty Mekong River. Details here.

Please also read: Dam Construction Is Set to Destroy the 'Mother of all Rivers' 

Manitoba rolls out its new electric vehicle policy

By: Staff Writer Wpg Free Press Apr 21 - '11

The Manitoba government rolled out its new electric vehicle policy today to get more clean energy cars on the road.
Energy and Mines Minister Dave Chomiak said the province will also sign another memorandum of understanding with Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada to use the province as a testing ground for its i-MiEV electric vehicle.
Mitsubishi has already signed a deal to develop electric-powered buses with New Flyer.
Koji Soga, president and CEO of Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada said his company was delighted to be working with the province.
The company is bringing two of its i-MiEVs to the province for testing.
The province is also creating an advisory committee on how electric transporation can be safely and economically introduced to the province.
Chomiak said electric vehicles will never be mass-produced in Manitoba, but that the province can be involved in the developing the techology for reliable electric transporation.

Who Benefits from GM Seeds?

*by Sam Burcher -

Agroecology Offers Real Solutions to World Hunger After Decades of GM Hype

The Via Campesina (the Peasants’ way) is emerging as a potentially powerful international movement mobilizing resistance against the GM Corporations, which have consolidated their agro-chemical companies into just five major global players; Monsanto, Bayer, BASF, Syngenta and Dupont.

A recent report by the Friends of the Earth (FOE) ¹ has highlighted the struggle between the two forces for control of the seeds. On one side are the 1.5 million members of the Via Campesina, who are demanding food sovereignty or the right to grow healthy food from local, time-honoured seeds.  On the opposing side are the mega Corporations, which have gained so much power through patents on GM seeds.

Bill McGibben Speaks to Power Shift 2011 - a Must-See Video!

Canada Has More to Offer the World Than Oil

Eric Swanson at Apr 15, 2011 DOGWOOD Initiative
Enbridge CEO Patrick Daniel has been getting a lot of attention lately while pushing his view that his Northern Gateway oil supertanker proposal for B.C.’s coast presents a profound choice. We couldn’t agree more. Details here.

Manitoba Floods Close Main Highway Artery Into the 'States - Is THIS Climate Change?

by Larry Powell - In its latest flood bulletin, the Government of Manitoba has announced it has closed a key access road between Winnipeg and North Dakota, PTH 75, (l.) "as a result of rising floodwater."   

                           

The flooding is already covering a larger area of the province than ever before. And flood levels in the Red River Valley are expected to top leves in 2009, the 2nd worst flood in the province in 150 yrs.    

There have been hundreds of rural road closures, states of emergency and evacuations of both residences and personal care homes.         

                

Two deaths have been attributed to the flooding.    

                                    

 Ice jams on the Assiniboine River west of Winnipeg yesterday caused the water to rise almost 2 meters (6ft). The jams have now moved out, sending water downstream. And that is expected to raise water levels of 30 cm (1 ft) going into Winnipeg. 

The Town of Melita (in the southwest of the province) has declared a state of local emergency.  Work is ongoing on the Melita dike to protect the community. 

The Assiniboine Valley at St. Lazare 

A section of the ring dike at St-Lazare will be raised by approximately 30cm as a precautionary measure in preparation for high flows from the Qu'Appelle River expected later this week.     

 This bridge, (r.) near the confluence of the Qu'Appelle and Assiniboine Rivers at St. Lazare, had very little "freeboard" beneath it, when I visited there yesterday (Sunday) and the crests haven't even arrived yet!

A second peak is expected over the weekend along the Qu'Appelle River. Part of PTH 41 is expected to close because of high waters.

Due to high flows on the Assiniboine, the Portage Diversion has been operated at or near maximum  capacity for the last three days. 

 

This is the normally docile Boggy Creek, now swollen and rushing toward Lake of the Prairies, on the Assiniboine River near Roblin. (All photos & video by l.p.)

PUBLISHER'S COMMENT: Is it global warming?

I put that question to the chief climatologist at Environment Canada, Dave Phillips. I had sent him a news account out of the States. In it, climate scientists suggested a link between the extreme blizzards which struck the eastern seaboard in the previous two winters, ("Snowmageddons") and climate change. As they explained, that's because a warmer atmosphere can hold a lot more precipitation - hence, more intense rainfalls/snowfalls. So I asked Mr. Phillips whether this might be the case in this country, as well. Here is his response, in an email to me on March 14th. l.p.

======

 Hello Larry:
 
Thank you for your question and reference to the newspaper article. (...That article...) focused on weather in the United States but the circulation pattern described in the piece is also influencing the weather here in Canada.  For example what the writer says about the Red River in North Dakota applies equally so in Manitoba and most Canadians in Atlantic Canada will say this winter has been especially difficult with its parade of storms.  I think that climate is having the same effect on our extremes as in the United States.  What is especially becoming evident in recent years is the increased variability of the weather and that likely is associated with altered climate.  More so there seems to be an increase in the frequency of heavy rainfalls.  We are seeing that in Canada.  More of our flooding events come from intense rainfalls than snow and and ice melting events which were the big flood producers of the past.  Just last month a seminal ariticle appeared in Nature linking rainfall intensity with anthropogenic climate change.  Again, I think if you look for them there are changes in the frequency, intensity and duration of extreme weather events in Canada just as there are in the United States.
Thanks for your interest Larry.
 
David Phillips