PLANET IN PERIL

Winnipeg Free Press SASKATOON - Researchers say a changing climate in Saskatchewan will mean more tornadoes and more rain, but also milder winters. Details here. A twister 36 kilometres east of Regina.  (Submitted by Kathy Rosenkranz)

Planetsave The Canadian fossil fuel giant Transcanada is encountering increased resistance from the “Tar Sands Blockade” in eastern Texas. Details here. PLT: Given the bullying tactics of this stinking company, is it any wonder resistance is increasing? Surely the power of The Corporation over the people is now absolute. That a Canadian-based corporation is involved, in this case, makes this Canadian nauseous. If I get the chance, I will throw up on its CEO. 

The Globe and Mail PLT photo Millions of Canadians have been fed a bunch of B.S. by those whose responsibility it is to prevent, contain and explain such public health disasters. Full story here.

San Francisco Chronicle Pesticides pervade the environment, from the air we breathe to the food we eat, and they are making children sicker than they were a generation ago, a new report warns. Details here. Please also read: "Field of Nightmares" exploring the dark side of Roundup.   Crop-duster in western Manitoba, CA. PLT photo  

 DARA - a Madrid-based humanitrian group. The Human Toll of Inaction Could Exceed 100 Million Deaths Between Now and 2030 Alone! •Climate change and the carbon economy as estimated here are responsible for 5 million deaths each year today and cause illness in tens of million people globally comparable to the third leading cause of preventable death with a similar societal impact as tobacco use (see: Health Impact Climate/Carbon) • The carbon economy claims the largest share of this impact, in particular due to toxic air pollution, at over 4.5 million deaths a year today  • Climate change is estimated to be responsible for 400,000 deaths each year, particularly due to hunger and communicable diseases in the lowest-income countries 

Consumer Reports magazine: November 2012. Our findings show a real need for federal standards for this toxin. Full story here.

Common Dreams.  Photo credit: Quicksilver Dwindling fish size and stock may lead to food insecurity. Details here.

by Jim Harding Industrial-agricultural contaminants and Regina’s poorly treated sewage are degrading the Qu’Appelle Valley lake chain. This is a microcosm of a much larger… Full story here. Please also read, Lake Winnipeg Predicament a Human Creation, (a letter to the editor by John Fefchak).

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