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Manitoba's Climate Change Chickens.

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An Editorial - by Larry Powell I call them Manitoba's "climate chickens." Premier Selinger and Finance Minister Struthers had a golden opportunity to tackle this province's climate change woes bravely and effectively. And, they blew it.   Backyard chickens       Climate chickens During the last election campaign, they (and the other major parties) seemed to conspire to keep climate change off the table, altogether. Their lips were sealed, even tho the evidence was staring them in their faces. Now, apparently, they've been dragged kicking and screaming to the next level - recognizing that it is happening , after all.  At long last,  In his budget speech, for example, Struthers concedes,  "Our climate is changing, bringing an increased frequency of major flooding." ( Apparently, flood-fighting costs in this province have jumped, four-fold over the past 15 years compared to the previous 15.)  And so, they claim, they need more money to pay

Climate Change Clearly the Culprit in the Alberta Flooding - CBC Radio Podcast.

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PLT: The CBC Radio program, "The Current," interviewed a UN climate expert on the flooding in Alberta this morning. (Ironically, he is from Canmore, one of the hardest-hit communities in the province, himself.) He laid out the climate change connection to the disaster in no uncertain terms. But, like so many others, he did not mention humanity's role in the very creation of this horrible "new normal." Below is a copy of an email I subsequently sent to "The Current" after hearing the interview. Dear Erika, I listened with interest to your excellent interview this morning with the UN scientist, Bob Sanford, commenting on the serious flooding in Alberta. His assessment that climate change was behind the profound changes we are seeing    in hydrologic cycles , worldwide was, I thought, "bang-on." At least as far as it went. He emphasized the need to "adapt" to "the new normal" by building better infrastructure,

One in Eight Bird Species Threatened With Extinction

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CBC News Canada's birds in better shape than most, study says, but situation still dire.  Details here. Birds like these rose-breasted grosbeak have declined by 10%  since1970 in part due to the loss of mature forests through logging & invasive species like the pine beetle.  (Source: Birdlife International) Barn swallows nest under a  bridge in Manitoba. PLT photos. Related:  Changing climate poses severe risks to birds, Utah waterfowl

India Now Has its Own "Monsanto Protection Act!"

Tonu - Tony Mitra Bt. Cotton enters India through the backdoor.  Details here.

Zama City Spill: Canadian Environmental Agency Waited 11 Days To Tell Public

Huffington Post Alberta's environmental regulatory agency   waited 11 days to tell the public about what many are calling the biggest wastewater spill in recent North American history . Details here.

Gagged by Big Ag

Horrific abuse. Rampant contamination. And the crime is…exposing it? Details here.

Benefits of Community Pasture on the Canadian Prairies Misunderstood

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Western Producer Should we not look beyond mere “price”  and protect ongoing “value?”  Full story here. Goats graze on a community pasture.  Courtesy  of Trevor Herriot's Grass Notes.

Bee-Killing Pesticides Could Also Harm Butterflies, Mice And Birds, Study Claims

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Daily Express PESTICIDES which have been linked with the decline in bees could also harm other wildlife such as butterflies, mice and partridges, it has emerged. Full story here. Swallowtail butterfly. PLT photo

Oilsands Tailings Cleanup Far Behind Schedule

CBC Alberta's energy industry has found that cleaning up oilsands tailings is much harder than it thought. Details here.

Al Gore Says Obama Must Veto 'Atrocity' of Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline

the guardian Former vice-president says oil pipeline is 'really a losing proposition' and demands climate plan promised at inauguration. Details here.

Dirty Energy Ushers Us Into New, and Disturbing, Territory in Canada

350 or bust How much more damage to our land, water, and climate are we willing to tolerate before we just say noto this economic system of death? Details here.