Posts

Riding Mountain National Park “Sans” Ski is Fine by Me!

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CPAWS Mar 28'12 Holly Postlethwaite True to my Canadian heritage, I love winter.  As soon as the first snowfall hits, I look forward to the crystal white... Details here. PLT photo

Joe's Story - How Agribusiness and its Political Servants Robbed One Good Man of His Quality of Life

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by Larry Powell   His name is Joe Leschyshyn (above), a first-generation Canadian of Ukrainian descent. Some of his indigenous friends (who can't handle his hard-to-pronounce last name) know him endearingly as "Joe the Crow." Joe is 72 now. While he'll likely never be rich or famous, his refusal to accept injustice lying down, has made him distinctly well-known in certain circles, at least. So it would be a mistake to call him "ordinary." For the pain and suffering he has come to endure at the hands of factory hog barns and uncaring governments, and the courage and tenacity he has shown in the face of it all, are anything but. "I have been fighting these barns since 1996," Joe writes, "and blame the governments that allowed these to be built with no plan, impact or risk studies, open-house or self-policing policies." Joe was born in Chatfield, in the Interlake region of central Manitoba and left home when he was

A Spring That Can’t Wait

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Mar 23'12 - Planetsave As the corruption in our system continues unabated and the interminable Republican primary season continues its buffoonery of ‘solutions’ for our failing state, there is some highly unusual behavior taking place independent of either. Details here. PLTphoto

A Rural Manitoba Municipality Makes Quiet Plans for a Sewage Lagoon - Does the Reeve Have a Conflict?

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Dear Editor, I recently learned I may be getting a new "neighbour" -  a sewage lagoon.  The municipal plow prepares a way to the site for the drill truck. (l.)              The grader and truck on the site.(below)   The drilling begins. PinP photos The Rural Municipality of Shell River sent in a drill truck a week or two ago to sink holes less than a mile upwind of my retirement home in the country, north and west of Roblin. The test results will determine whether the site is suitable for such a project. Apparently, it could cost millions of dollars, especially if a liner has to be installed to prevent leakage.* Turns out, the "quarter" is owned by the Reeve, Albert Nabe. It's also within a couple of miles of some six farm homes nearby, mostly downwind as well. I was disappointed that no one from the RM council had given me a "heads-up" about this. I heard about it, instead, from a private individual at a social even

Michael Pollen's Food Rules (Video)

Michael Pollan's Food Rules from Marija Jacimovic on Vimeo .

Planet Under Pressure Conference

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London - UK - A major international conference focusing on solutions to the global sustainability challenge - International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme. Details here.

Ethical Oil: The Puppet Rap (Video)

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Please also read: "EthicalOil.org Exposed,"here. <p><p><p>PleasePlease asl </p></p></p>

Climate Change Could Spawn Mass Migrations, Study Says

Huffington Post - Mar 13 - 2012 MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Asian Development Bank is warning countries to prepare for influxes of people fleeing natural disasters as climate change exacerbates rising sea levels, soil degradation and seasonal flooding. Full story here.

Excellent Turn-Out For Roblin Farmers’ Market Public Meeting

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Eleven people interested in vending during the 2012 season attended a planning meeting on March 12. Roblin Farmers’ Market invited customers and potential vendors to voice their interest, concerns, and dreams to long-time members Irene Mitchell and Tamela Friesen. Eleven people attended, including folks desiring to sell vegetables, breads, baked goods, crafts, pastured beef, pastured chickens for meat and eggs, greenhouse tomatoes and peppers, and massage therapy. “We were ecstatic to see such a boost to the number of potential vendors. We’ve been hoping to expand our collective offering and involvement for several years.” Friesen noted. The Market hoped to find out what customers were looking for in a local market, as well as to encourage more diversity of product and vendors for the 2012 season. “While there are additional rules surrounding selling meat or egg products, there are provisions to make that possible. Vendors will explore options to make this niche product available to c

Farmer says Sow-Stall Phaseout not as Costly as Claimed

Dear Editor,                      The sad reality for hundreds of thousands of sows is that the cost of getting rid of gestation crates (sow stalls) is being used as an excuse to prolong the cruel practice.   Market conditions for raising pigs in a factory setting are changing as Laura Rance pointed out in her February 23, 2012 editorial “The economics of animal welfare.”  People are increasingly less prepared to tolerate the inhumane way pregnant gilts and sows are confined in 2 foot by 7 foot crates on concrete slatted floors most of their lives.   The Manitoba Pork Council says producers are willing to adjust to changing market conditions.  But not until 2025, claiming that it will cost $1 million per existing operation to convert from sow stalls to group housing.    Manitoba Agriculture and Food web-posted 2010 cost of production figures for a 500 sow farrow to finish operation show that a new gestation building costs $23.10 per square foot. Total building cost

Canada's Top Ten Weather Stories for 2011

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                                           A Year in Review  - Environment CA   A soggy field in western MB - spring, 2011. PLT photo.   From the death and destruction following the Japanese earthquake/tsunami to extreme weather in the United States that killed more than 1,000 people through the course of the year, Mother Nature seemed to be on the warpath. Full story here.