by Lester Brown A wheatfield in Manitoba, Canada. PLT photo Agriculture as it exists today developed over 11,000 years of rather remarkable climate stability. It has evolved to maximize production within that climate system. Now, suddenly, the climate is changing. Details here.
"It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong." -Voltaire Common Dreams Bradley Manning: 35 years in military prison. Edward Snowden: Political refugee in Russia. Looks like Voltaire is more timely than ever. Whistleblowers and journalists are being hunted down in all corners of the globe for exposing grave and illegal government activities—the targeting of innocent civilians on the battlefield, massive surveillance operations, torture. They are being pursued for bringing you the truth.
action alert! A brave whistleblower released news that a Tar Sands spill in Alberta, Canada is "unstoppable," leaking into pristine lands around Cold Lake. The public must know about this! Allow the Media into Tar Sands Spill Sites please share it helps!
The Tyee One of Canada's top constitutional lawyers is taking the Conservative government to court over increasing restrictions on who can speak at energy board hearings -- and what they are allowed to say. Details here.
The Independent Water quality was once a source of pride for a town in the shadow of an arms factory. Now, 500 cancers have been diagnosed. Details here.
E&E Publishing In comments released yesterday by the State Department, TransCanada Corp. acknowledged a possibility that opponents of Keystone XL have long used against the project: The heavy oil sands crude that would run through the controversial pipeline, if spilled in water, could sink below the surface. Details here.
Seattle Times. Once home to about 150 glaciers, Glacier National Park now has 25. A trip through the park feels like being witnesses to an execution, writes editorial columnist Jonathan Martin. Details here.
Dear Larry, There is only a week left to have your say on Taseko’s proposed open-pit mine at pristine Fish Lake, a sacred place of ceremony and gathering for the Tsilqhot’in people and the heart of a watershed that supports unique rainbow trout, at-risk grizzly bears, and sustainable local economies that respect the ecosystem. Take action.
by John Fefchak Dear Minister Mackintosh. Your department staff says it's OK to get rid of arsenic into a surface water source. However, this only leads to more questions that need answers. (Photo, l. courtesy of Food & Water Watch)
Mother Jones First, the good news: The annual " dead zone " that smothers much of the northern Gulf of Mexico—caused by an oxygen-sucking algae bloom mostly fed by Midwestern farm runoff—is smaller this year than…Now, for the bad news... Details here.