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Dark Ages Redux: American Politics and the End of the Enlightenment

by John Atcheson - Common Dreams We are witnessing an epochal shift in our socio-political world. Full story here.

TAKE ACTION to Protest Failed Global Ecological Leadership

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ACTION ALERT  PLEASE SEND, SHARE, LIKE, FORWARD! Rio+20: Protest Global Leaders Obama, Merkel and Cameron’s Absence By Ecological Internet June 18, 2012   http://www.ecoearth.info/shared/alerts/sendsm.aspx?id=rioplus20 PLT photo These major nations dawdle as Earth burns. Their failed leadership obstructs international efforts to protect our one collapsing biosphere while sustainably meeting all of humanity’s basic needs… Based upon ecological science, we know what must be done to sustain Earth’s life and human advancement: protect and restore primary forest and other intact ecosystems, immediately begin reducing emissions to avoid abrupt climate change based upon common but differentiated responsibilities, reduce inequitable consumption and population growth, and promote fairness in sharing of Earth’s dwindling abundance amongst all nations and their peoples… What could possibly be more important than ensuring Earth remains habitable, and all humanity’s basic needs

Robert Sopuck - Environmentalist or Hypocrite?

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Dear Editor,  I've been struck by the irony of recent, published pictures of my Member of Parliament, Robert Sopick. Smiling broadly, he is shown in one, presenting trophies to the winners of a fishing derby and, in the other, in beaming attendance at a sport fishing banquet (below) .  A few days later, the government Mr. Sopuck represents, rammed through the all-purpose budget bill which included the gutting of the Fisheries Act. Now, all the Act will allegedly "protect" are those fish that are part of "a commercial, recreational or aboriginal fishery." The old Act protected all fisheries, presumably because fish don't always stop abruptly at the boundaries they have been designated. How naive! As a recent article from a Canadian professor of environmental law suggests, if the fish don't "obey" the new rules imposed by Harper, they could find themselves in mortal danger of strip mines, oil spills, clear cuts and the other hazards

Non-Democratic Party Undermining Democracy

Changing Election Law Requires All-party Consultation 06/13/12 For Immediate Release: The Manitoba Government, at its own initiative and without consulting with the other political parties in Manitoba, is moving to completely rewrite election law in Manitoba. Typically amendments to the elections law are suggested by Elections Manitoba, the independent agency charged with overseeing elections, and then discussed at an all-party committee meeting before changes are made. Clearly the principles of democracy once held dear by the NDP have now been abandoned. The proposals before the legislature seek only to cement efforts to create a two party system in Manitoba. “The New Democratic Party of Manitoba should rename itself the Non-Democratic Party of Manitoba,” said Green Party of Manitoba Leader James Beddome. “We are outraged that this stealth attack on a fundamental issue of fairness is brought about by the same stealth tactics the Federal Conservatives are using in Ottawa,” Although on

Cows - Too Much of a Good Thing?

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North Carolina Considers Making Sea Level Rise Illegal

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By Scott Huler | May 30, 2012 Scientific American   According to North Carolina law, I am a billionaire. Full story here.

Harper Government Targeted Artist for her Green Conscience, Internal Documents Reveal

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Vancouver Observer Franke James, a Canadian artist and environmental advocate blacklisted by the Harper government, has obtained internal documents indicating BERNARD WEIL/TORONTO STAR   Canadian officials worked behind the scenes to discredit her work. Full story here.

Update: Election Fraud Legal Cases

Council of Canadians. Tories attack Council of Canadians’ involvement in election fraud court cases In the latest twist of the election fraud scandal, lawyers representing the Conservative MPs fr om the seven ridings involved in the citizen-led legal challenges to overturn election results have filed motions to throw out the cases. The initial legal ski rmishes are now underway, and important developments are expected before the end of June. The Council of Canadians is supporting court challenges to overturn election results by nine electors who allege that they received a fraudulent call advising them of a change in their polling location, that these calls were made to other electors, and that this lowered the voter turnout to a degree that affected the outcome of the election. Several affidavits have been filed in support of these applications, including one from Frank Graves of EKOS Research, whose firm surveyed voters and concluded that there were

It's Time to Fight the Status Quo

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By Bill McKibben  - Solution Climate protest, Regina, SK. 2009. PLT photo My solution is: get outraged. Full story here.  

Stop Enbridge

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A Local Manitoba Government Seems Set to Ignore Concerns Over a Planned Sewage Lagoon

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Dear Editor, It looks like my local government, the RM of Shell River, is pressing ahead with secret plans for a sewage lagoon with no intention of looking at alternatives. It's now been a month since a Manitoba company, Blue Diamond Technologies, briefed a meeting of the RM Council. Blue Diamond has invented a system to treat and purify both hog and human waste, using a patented chemical process. Company officials are confident their technology is cleaner, greener, less stinky and even cheaper (possibly much cheaper) than an old-style lagoon! (See "Company offers new way to deal with human waste" in the May 29th edition of "The Review," p. 9. Please read!)   Just today, one of those officials told me,   they are  still waiting to hear back from the RM, in terms of doing a follow-up or taking a closer look! My elected representatives also seem just as determined as ever to keep information about the new lagoon from the public. They have