PLANET IN PERIL

by Jim Harding In 1972 the book Limits to Growth was published. This year, forty years later, the book The End of Growth came out. Full story here.

by Danny Dimwit ROBLIN, MB:  Wow! Sure has been windy lately, huh? We had two big trees blow down right beside our own house near Roblin late one night back in July. The top 8 or 10 feet of 6 others were ripped off and came crashing down at the same time. I even had a heart attack after cleaning up the mess in my yard. (Needed open-heart surgery - bypasses, the whole 9 yards!) (Later, I talked to a lady who had a bit of a heart attack, too, while cleaning up a campground near Portage, further to the east. She said a big wind kind of like a tornado had passed through!) The storm at our place (I think they called it a plow wind), damaged our sun porch, buckled our garage door and damaged our car. Cost a couple of thou to fix. As bad as it was, other poor souls in our neck of the woods also suffered damage from the wind which could have been even worse. We saw trees down everywhere, including some on top of houses and trailers in Roblin. Did you? Word is,

Government of Manitoba News Release. Hot, dry conditions and high winds are driving grass and brush fires in several areas including fires near the communities of St. Malo, Richer, Milner Ridge and Vita. For latest conditions, check here. Firefighters battle a raging brush fire that is threatening  homes in Winnipeg.   WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)                   FIRE UPDATE New Travel Restrictions Introduced The Office of the Fire Commissioner, Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship, and the Manitoba Emergency Measures Organization continue to support municipalities and fire departments with fires in southeast Manitoba. Hot, dry conditions and high winds are driving grass and brush fires in several areas including fires near the communities of St. Malo, Richer, Milner Ridge and Vita.  Non-essential personnel are asked to avoid these areas as conditions are changing quickly. Municipal and provincial staff are also working with the municipalities of Grahamdale and St. Lau

By Brian Bienkowski The Daily Climate As harvest season gets underway, farmers find drought-stressed crops are susceptible to toxins and contaminants, further reducing yields. Details here. By Charles Abbott WASHINGTON

                                         Planetsave A new report by the Sustainable Fisheries Group (SFG) has confirmed the suspicions held by many researchers that the thousands of fisheries that there isn’t much data on, that’s nearly 80 percent of the world’s fisheries, are in steep decline but could potentially recover to a degree if they are properly managed. Full story here. Photo credit:  Ecology Action Centre.

By Andrew Nikiforuk, Today, TheTyee.ca An insider ties poor weld inspections to rising rate of ruptures. Part two of a Tyee investigation. Full story here.

Reuters Beehives, Fort Whyte Centre, Winnipeg MB. Photos by PinP. If it were a novel, people would criticize the plot for being too       far-fetched – thriving colonies disappear overnight without leaving a trace, the bodies of the victims are never found.   Full story here.    

Minister declares week of Dec. 22-29 "Organic Week" in Manitoba.  Chemical-free veggies, fresh from a MB garden. PLT photo Manitoba's Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, Ron Kostyshyn, (l.) enjoyed a 4-course, gourmet organic meal with organic producers and retailers at an intimate Winnipeg restaurant last evening. Fusion Grill is long known for its support of fresh, local and organic food.  Mr. Kostyshyn promised the guests his government would attempt to "raise the profile" of organic agriculture in the province. He then signed a declaration, proclaiming Sept. 22-29th as "Organic Week in Manitoba." (The week just passed was National Organic Week.) I was there, too, representing PLT and enjoying delicious dishes, ranging from roast heirloom squash to pumpkin crème brulee. Please also read: "Manitoba Proclaims Organic Week," here. After the feast,  I took the opportunity to "corner" the Min

Vancouver Sun Health Canada said Thursday it will take action if its review of a new study that found Canadian-grown genetically modified corn is linked to…. Full story here. PLT photo Please also read: France Says No to Genetically Modified Crops, No to Fracking  

Vancouver Sun VANCOUVER - A coalition of conservation groups is suing the federal environment minister to try and force Ottawa to protect endangered and threatened species along the proposed route of the Northern Gateway pipeline. Full story here. Southern mountain caribou (l.) one of the "at-risk" species. Photo from Nature Conservancy of Canada. Photograph by: Canada-World

Winnipeg Free Press A coalition of health and environmental groups is hoping the Manitoba government will impose strict regulations and ultimately full-out bans regarding the use of cosmetic pesticides.... Details here. Photo credit: Cosmetic Pesticide Ban Manitoba