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Water is Our Most Precious Resource

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by John Fefchak Canada has more lakes than the rest of the world combined. Water is the life blood of all living things. It just seems we have so much fresh water in Canada, we don't  look after it, as we know we should. (U.S. and Canada need to  reduce algae bloom on Lake Erie, WFP 29 Aug) It is clear that governments have ignored the basic principles of water stewardship for too many years in the pursuit of narrow economic interests. Lake Winnipeg has become a horrid reminder of devastation, that we are  leaving our children and their children to bear alone. Now Lake Erie has a sickness that has returned. So many of our Lakes have become diseased. The name of this disease is 'human complacency.' Slime on a Lake Winnipeg beach near  Gimli. PLT photo.

Food Crisis Fears Prompt UN Wake-Up Call to World Leaders

UN Conference on Trade & Development Wake up before it is too late: Make agriculture truly sustainable now for food security in a changing climate. Full story here. Read Guardian story here.

Family From Turtle Mountain in Southwestern Manitoba Says Crop-Dusting Spray Made Them Ill

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CBC Radio Woman says she had allergic reaction to pesticide sprayed on canola field. Details here. A "crop-duster" similar to the one said to be involved in this latest incident. PLT photo. Related:  Family Believes it was Poisoned by Crop Spray Are Crop Sprays Making Us Sick?

CDC Study on Superbugs Does Not Reflect Well on Factory Farming Methods

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Centers for Disease Control -  Threat Report 2013 This report, Antibiotic resistance threats in the United States, 2013,  gives a first-ever snapshot of the burden and threats posed by the antibiotic-resistant germs having the most impact on human health.  Each year in the United States, at least 2 million people become infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics and at least 23,000 people die each year... Details here. Related:  CDC Reveals Scary Truth About Factory Farms and Superbugs Could Antibiotics Actually be Killing You?

World 'Not On Track' To Prevent Warming - UN Climate Official

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Huffington Post Appealing directly to the world's voters to pressure their politicians into taking tougher action against the buildup of greenhouse gases, a top climate official with  the United Nations says, international leaders are failing to fight global warming. Details here. A brooding skyline in Manitoba, CA. PLT photo.

Help Coming for the Greater sage-grouse

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Larry, It took nearly two years of legal wrangling, but it looks like the federal government is finally prepared to introduce emergency protections for Canada’s endangered Greater sage-grouse. The announcement, made this morning, is a welcome breath of fresh air to a case that’s been mired in secrecy, delays and procedural roadblocks. In fact, our efforts may well have helped set another important legal precedent. To our knowledge, this is the first time Ottawa has explicitly stated its intention to introduce emergency protections for an endangered species. Thank you. None of this would have been possible without you.  Thanks to your support, we were able to bring forward a series of legal challenges that have forced the federal government to act. But as I told CBC’s  The National  (10 p.m. local), we know all too well that the devil will be in the details and that our work is far from done.  We’re still waiting to learn  when  the emergency order will be implemented and 

Dangers Pesticides Pose To Workers Force Farmers To Look For Alternatives

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Fox News Latino California's $2.3 billion strawberry industry edging toward non-chemical alternatives to pesticides.  Details here. Organic strawberries in Manitoba. PLT photo