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Has Business as Usual for the Tar Sands Come to an End?

Environmental Defence Dear Larry, The first cut is the deepest . Business as usual for the tar sands industry has come to an end. Today, we can all celebrate a huge victory. President Obama has agreed to delay the construction of TransCanada’s proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline in order to further review its potential impacts, including climate change. This shows the importance of standing up for the clean energy future we want. Just 3 days ago, 12,000 Americans showed up at the White House to urge President Obama to stick by his pledge to reduce dependence on oil. Please take a minute to send a thank you note to President Obama.    Canada needs to pay attention to this message. There is no such thing as “business as usual” for the tar sands industry any longer. The longer Canada delays getting serious about reining in tar sands pollution and transitioning to a clean energy economy, the more of this type of controversy we should expect.   The delay announced today

U.S. Seeks new Keystone Pipeline Route

(Reuters) - The United States said on Thursday it will study a new route for the Keystone XL Canada-to-Texas oil pipeline, delaying any final approval beyond the U.S. 2012 election and sparing U.S. President Barack Obama a politically risky decision during an election year . Details here. Please also read: U.S. Delays Decision on Pipeline Until After Election - (The New York Times)  

Keystone XL Pipeline Decision to Be Investigated

New York Times - Oc 8'11 WASHINGTON — The State Department’s inspector general will conduct a special investigation of the handling of the pending decision on the proposed Keystone XL pipeline in response to reports of improper…. Details here.

Thousands of Protesters Encircle White House, Close in on Tar Sands Industry

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Alternet - Nov 7 “We don’t know how many people it takes to encircle the White House, but we’re about to find out,” Bill McKibben told a crowd of over 12,000 gathered in Lafayette Square on Sunday       Photo: KAREN BLEIER/AFP               afternoon. Details here.

Are Global Honey Bee Declines Caused by Diesel Pollution?

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ScienceDaily                                                                                      Scientists are investigating a possible link between tiny particles of pollution found in diesel fumes and the global collapse of honey bee colonies. Details here.   PLT photo   Please also read: Cure for Honeybee Colony Collapse?

The 1% Have a Stranglehold on Politics: New Al Jazeera Documentary Sheds Light on the Koch Brothers (Video)

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Climate Change Causes Tree 'Migration'

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Earth Times - 04 Nov 2011 Global warming is causing a strange phenomenon in tree species. Details here. (PLT photo)

Ain't This the Truth! (Cartoon)

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Huge Chunk of Antarctic Ice Sheet Set to Break Free

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Christian Science Monitor - Nov 5 A 300-square-mile portion of the Pine Island Glacier is expected to break off in the next few months, creating a massive Antarctic iceberg. The glacier is contributing to sea-level rise. Details here.  A close-up view of the crack spreading across the ice shelf of Pine Island  Glacier captured by the Digital Mapping System (DMS) aboard NASA's DC-8  October 26, 2011. REUTERS/NASA/DMS/Handout

Jump In Greenhouse Gases Is Biggest Ever Seen - U.S. Department Of Energy

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Huff  Post Green - SETH BORENSTEIN  WASHINGTON — The global output of heat-trapping carbon dioxide jumped by the biggest amount on record, the U.S. Department of Energy calculated, a sign of how feeble the world's efforts are at slowing man-made global warming. Details here.   (Above) Big trucks, motors running, wait  for their Big Macs at a Macdonald's  "drive-thru" in Winnipeg. (PLT photo.)

7 Billion and Counting: Welcome to a Planet With Population Overload and Resources in Crisis

Scott Thill / AlterNet  The definition of overpopulation has less to do with raw numbers of people than their relationship with the planet's sustainable resources. Details here.