PLANET IN PERIL

The Observer - UK Ministry report says 'green' cars contribute significantly to air pollution and lung diseases. Details here.

Trevor Herriot's Blog.  PLT photo Manitoba Pasture-Users band together to keep pastures under public ownership.  Details here. Please also read: "Pasture News of the Week" for more background.

Toronto Star Canada, the land of abundant fresh water, has little need for desalination technologies to quench the thirst of its citizens.  This makes it all the more amazing that Canadians are behind some of the most innovative new approaches to taking salt out of seawater, the need for which is expected to rise substantially over the coming years. Details here .

Huffington Post - If you could do it nonstop, it would take you six days to walk from Henry David Thoreau's Walden Pond to President Barack Obama's White House. For the Sierra Club, that journey has taken much longer. For 120 years, we have remained committed to using every "lawful means" to achieve our objectives. Now, for the first time in our history, we are prepared to go further. Full story here. PLT: It's about time!

By Dennis Gruending Edgar Schmidt, a senior lawyer in the federal Department of Justice, has taken a courageous and highly unusual step. Details here.

The Current Farm machinery threatened by flood water in Manitoba. PLT photo. A decade ago, the insurance industry's biggest payouts to homeowners were for fire or theft. But for the past five years or so, damage payouts related to heavy rain and high winds are more common, just one very concrete example of the consequences of rising temperatures. Today, we're asking about what's changing ... and what has to change in agriculture, business, construction and infrastructure to accommodate what Environment Canada says will be a hotter, wetter nation.  Listen here. PLT: Once again, The Current has made a valuable and important contribution to the conversation about climate change. Missing from the piece, sadly, is the rather significant fact that we humans are behind it all and that we are also capable of finding a solution, if we only possessed the wisdom and the backbone!

by John Fefchak - Virden, MB Family members were excited when a large box arrived at their house. A relative in the tropics had told them to expect a gift in the mail. A week passed. The phone rang. It was the relative. "How did you like the gift that I sent"? “We really enjoyed it ,” replied a family member. "It was delicious!” "WHAT?" exclaimed an angry voice. “You ate the parrot?  That was a very expensive bird. It could speak both official languages! It wasn't meant to be eaten!” "Too Bad" replied the family member. “It should have spoken up and said something.” Like the parrot, have we humans waited too long to speak up, too?

Syracuse Post-Standard Oswego, NY -- Lake Ontario is the most stressed of the five Great Lakes, a new study that maps environmental threats to the lakes shows. Details here.

Grass Notes Awakening Graham Powell Photography The Harper government is putting more than 2 million acres of community pastures up for sale in western Canada, including Manitoba.  These pastures represent one of the largest reserves of remaining native prairie in North America and home to a significant number of endangered species.  Prairie crocus - PLT photo The fact that public hearings are being held into this decision, has been hailed as good news by some observers. Please click here, read on, then come back and tell PLT's "comment section" what you think!

Living on Earth The third National Climate Assessment of the US government finds humans unquestionably responsible for recent climate disruption... Full story (& podcast) here. The shrinking Columbia Icefields  of  the Canadian Rockies. PLT photo

The Manitoba Co-Operator Top court's decision won't affect plans for class-action: Details here. Wheat Board supporters demonstrate at  "Occupy Winnipeg" Oct. 2011. PLT photo.