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Have Our Servants Become Our Masters?

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by Larry Powell There was a time when coal, oil and natural gas served us well; powering our vehicles, heating and cooling our homes, generating our electricity and keeping our industries going. While they may still be doing all of those things, there’s been a huge, even sinister shift over the generations since the industrial revolution of the 19 th century. The  Lac - Mégantic  Disaster.  Edmonton Journal photo World populations have skyrocketed, along with our expectations. Our lust for more and more of the things these fossil fuels can give us - electronic gadgets, power boats and quads - has turned into a life-threatening addiction.  Conservation and moderation are now dirty words. Consumption is the new religion – with no thought for tomorrow.  Sadly, even our schools and churches are doing little to counter this kind of mindset! Parents  are even drilling it into their children, at home.  Make no mistake. Fossil fuels, which once served us well,

Environmentalists Say Alberta Government Keeping Them Out of Oilsands Hearing

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Edmonton Journal Alberta environmentalists argued in court Thursday that the provincial government is keeping them out of hearings on a proposed oilsands development at least partly because of their concerns about the industry. Details here.  

Are Weeds Healthier Than Farmed Veggies?

Mother Jones Here's why you might consider replacing that romaine salad with dandelion greens. Full story here. Please also read; Dangerous Ditches -  Manitoba’s “war on weeds” comes complete with powerful herbicides, questionable spraying practices and collateral damage.

Population Growth Increases Climate Fear

San Francisco Chronicle "The combination of climate change and 9 billion people to me is one that is just fraught with potential catastrophes," said… Full story here.

Golden Rice: No Silver Bullet

Organic Consumers Association The biotech industry is trying to revive Golden Rice in the consciousness of the public, even though it still remains a largely theoretical product. In the absense of any real news on a crop that hasn't gained traction in more than a decade, the move looks more like an act of desperation than a legitimate defence of biotechnology. Details here.

Is Global Warming Really Slowing Down?

Mother Jones Skeptics say global warming is over. They're wrong. Full story here.

No Thanks to Canada's Prime Minister, Stephen Harper And His "Wrecking Crew," Resurrection of the Priceless Experimental Lakes Area Again Looks Promising

The Province of Manitoba is distributing this news release on behalf of the Government of Manitoba and the International Institute of Sustainable Development. News Release September 2, 2013 MANITOBA TO HELP ENSURE CONTINUED OPERATION OF EXPERIMENTAL LAKES AREA WITH LONG-TERM FUNDING TO IISD, FRESHWATER RESEARCH  - - - ELA Research Invaluable in Saving Lake Winnipeg:  Premier The Manitoba government is providing the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) ongoing, secure funding as the organization takes over operation of the Experimental Lakes Area (ELA), Premier Greg Selinger announced today.  The new, more than $6 million, six-year agreement includes $900,000 to be dedicated to funding freshwater research and technology at the ELA.   "The ELA will be invaluable to helping us solve the complex issues surrounding the health of Lake Winnipeg and basin waterway challenges," said Selinger.  "Stable long-term funding is critical for the nationally and

Bayer Sues EC for Saving Bees

Sum of +  Us Larry, Wow.  Bayer has just sued the European Commission to overturn a ban on the pesticides that are killing millions of bees  around the world. A huge public push won this landmark ban only months ago -- and we can't sit back and let Big Pesticide overturn it while the bees vanish. Bayer and Syngenta, two of the world's largest chemical corporations, claim that the ban is "unjustified" and "disproportionate." But clear scientific evidence shows  their products are behind the massive bee die-off that puts our entire food chain in peril.  Just last month, 37 million bees were discovered dead on a single Canadian farm. And unless we act now, the bees will keep dying.  We have to show Bayer now that we won't tolerate it putting its profits ahead of our planet's health.  If this giant corporation manages to bully Europe into submission, it would spell disaster for the bees. Sign the petition to tell Bayer and Syngenta to drop the

New Studies Show The Oceans Are Acidifying at the Fastest Rate in 300 Million Years. Should We Be Concerned?

Washington Post The results, published this week in Nature Climate Change , aren’t exactly encouraging: “Our analysis demonstrates that the groups studied -  corals, molluscs, echinoderms, crustaceans and fishes   - are all impacted negatively, albeit differently, even by moderate acidification.” Details here.

American Authorities Work to Ensure There is no "Lac-Mégantic Disaster" on Their Doorstep

Bloomberg News - U.S. rail-safety regulators began a “Bakken blitz” of inspections of crude oil tank cars this week as they seek to prevent a railroad disaster in the U.S. similar to July’s fatal inferno in Quebec. Full story here.

Canada Becomes an Environmental Pariah on the International Stage Once Again!

Winnipeg Free Press - by Gwynne Dyer In 2007, oil drillers found a reservoir of an estimated 846 million barrels of heavy crude in Yasuni National Park, in Ecuador's part of the Amazon. But the park is home to two indigenous tribes that have so far succeeded in living in voluntary isolation -- and it is listed by UNESCO as a world biosphere reserve. A single hectare of Yasuni contains more species of trees than all of North America. Details here.