PLANET IN PERIL

Winnipeg Free Press Canadian democracy is under threat from its own government. Details here.

Murray Dobbin's Blog One of the many things that Hugo Chavez, the charismatic and revolutionary president of Venezuela contributed to the world was his demonstration for people everywhere the difference between democracy and liberal democracy.  Details here.

Manitoba’s “war on weeds” comes complete with powerful herbicides, questionable spraying practices and collateral damage.  by  Larry Powell Leafy Spurge. Photo Credit;  Idaho Weed Awareness Committee Many governments in North America believe, a good way to ensure successful food production, is to help farmers keep plants out of their fields which can cut into their yields and their profits. To achieve this, potent weedkillers, some with unsettling safety records, are often pressed into service  to destroy these "weeds" in ditches before they can spread to adjacent fields and food crops.  For most lawmakers, this must seem a natural extension of a chemical system of agriculture which has come to dominate the developed - and, increasingly - the developing world, as well. As a result, those who might have liked to chose a different path,  are being increasingly marginalized.  Manitoba is no exception.  According to  an official statement  from the province, "Noxio

BBC Manitoba honey bees. PLT photo The UK government should suspend the use of a number of pesticides linked to the deaths of bees, a committee of MPs has said. Full story here.

Photo Credit:  Kevin Pluc The federal government recently  pulled out of an important global  treaty: the  UN Convention to  Combat Desertification . It’s aimed  at fighting drought, a problem that  affects almost  30 per cent of Earth’s  land surface and threatens the  well-being of more than a billion  people worldwide, including in our  Prairie provinces.   Every year, the cumulative effects of overgrazing, over-cultivation,  deforestation,  poor irrigation and increasing extreme weather events  – including those that  cause drought – permanently degrade close to  10 million hectares  of land.  This has led to a creeping loss of places  where food can easily be grown.  

INTER PRESS SERVICE Manitoba sunset. PLT photo WASHINGTON (IPS) - A confluence of factors could make 2013 the most fruitful opportunity in years for potentially major action on climate change, according to a leading voice on climate change policy, the British economist Nicholas Stern. Full story here.

United Nations The United Nations says it's 'regrettable' that the Government of Canada is withdrawing from the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) , the only legally binding instrument that addresses desertification, land degradation and drought. Details here. Related story:  Desertification Too Important For Canada To Ignore - Suzuki

CBC News Alberta scientist calls for research on fish malformations in Lower Athabasca River. Details here.

CBC News Chat over beer generates lower-cost way to make hydrogen from water. Details here.

CBC Radio A retired federal researcher based in Saskatoon is going public with concerns Ottawa is muzzling scientists like her.  Details here.

Not exactly the harbinger of spring we look forward to most. I spotted this "gopher," actually a Richardson's ground squirrel, in a field near Roblin, (western) Manitoba today. PLT photo.