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Climate Change May Not Only Be Causing More Mega-Fires, Those Very Fires May, in Turn, be Worsening Climate Change!

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May 10-'11 Food & Agriculture Organization scrape TV  FAO calls for wildfire emissions monitoring and comprehensive fire management strategies.  Details here.

Divisive Dams Approved in Patagonia, Chile

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International Rivers - 9/5/11 Coyhaique, Chile - A five-dam hydroelectric scheme that locals fear will destroy the character of one of Chile's most important wild regions was approved today.  Details here.

Manitoba's Flood Picture Remains Challenging

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Manitoba News Release - May 8, 2011 - FLOOD BULLETIN #38 - Manitoba Water Stewardship reports: *    A three-day unstable weather system is expected to bring widespread rain ranging from 20 to 50 millimetres across the entire southern Manitoba watershed.  The Assiniboine River, just below the Shellmouth Dam. Due to recent rain, soils have a reduced capacity to retain water and any further rain will likely run off into streams and rivers.  *Communities along the Assiniboine River between Portage la Prairie and Headingley are advised that water levels along the river will be increasing in approximately two to four days.  The unprecedented flows are a result of last week's weekend storm, the timing of the melt from the storm and additional rainfall forecast for this week.   *Water levels on the Assiniboine River at the First Street Bridge in Brandon are 1,182.17 ft., an increase of 0.87 ft. since yesterday.  *    Protective dikes in Brandon are being raised another t

Evacuations Possible in Brandon Due to Rising River

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Winnipeg Free Press - 05/6/2011 Faulty gauge led to innaccurate water level readings. Details here. Water thunders over the Shellmouth Dam spillway, upstream of Brandon in late April, with the reservoir behind it at near capacity. (l.p. photo)

Probe Demanded After Worst Alberta Oil Spill in Four Decades

 By Darcy Henton, Calgary Herald May 5, 2011 Read more here.

An Update on Manitoba's & Saskatchewan's (Climate-Spawned?) Flooding

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-by Larry Powell In the community of Eriksdale, north of Winnipeg, flooding is now threatening homes, the hospital and personal care home.  A farm home near Yorkton, SK, isolated by floodwaters. A flood warning is in effect for the Dauphin Lake Basin, including Parkland and the Duck Mountains, especially once the snow melts & there's lots of that yet to come. Runoff from Riding Mountain has already increased the flows of the Valley, Vermillion and Ochre Rivers significantly. The Turtle River has risen by over a meter (4 ft) since Monday!  Runoff from both the "Ducks" and Riding Mountain are adding significantly to the flow of the Assiniboine River. Because of a swollen Assiniboine, points downstream, St. Lazare, Brandon, Portage and Winnipeg are still under a continuous and prolonged flood watch. Conditions on the Assiniboine have been affected by the same blizzard and heavy rains which struck a wide area last weekend. The huge Lake of the Prairies near th

UN Targets Widely-Used Pesticide Endosulfan for Phase-Out

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Geneva, 3 May 2011   Representatives from 127 Governments meeting in Geneva last week agreed to add endosulfan to the United Nations' list of persistent organic pollutants to be eliminated worldwide. Details here.