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Researchers Rethink 'Natural' Habitat for Wildlife

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Science Daily Bull moose with budding antlers.  PLT photo. Protecting wildlife while feeding a world population predicted to reach nine billion by 2050 will require a holistic approach to conservation that considers human-altered landscapes such as farmland, according to researchers. A new study finds that a long-accepted theory used to estimate extinction rates, predict ecological risk and make conservation policy recommendations is overly pessimistic. The researchers point to an alternative framework that promises a more effective way of accounting for human-altered landscapes and assessing ecological risks. Full story here.

As Canada Dawdles, Denmark Shows the World How to Stop Mass-Medicating Animals

The Saskatoon Star Phoenix Unlike Canada, Danish farmers must record every single dose of antibiotic they use. Details here.

‘Extreme Levels’ of Monsanto’s Roundup Herbicide Found in Soy Plants

EcoWatch A new study led by scientists from the Arctic University of Norway has detected “extreme levels” of Roundup, the agricultural herbicide manufactured by Monsanto, in genetically engineered (GE) soy. Full story here. Related:  Field of Nightmares  -  Ottawa continues to embrace the widespread use of Roundup on Canadian farms by letting corporate seduction trump scientific evidence.

Another Showdown with PM Harper. Can you Chip In $5 Today?

Forest Ethics ForestEthics Advocacy and a group of concerned citizens are seeking legal counsel to knock the Kinder Morgan pipeline project in B.C. right off its tracks. Full story here.

Unnatural Gas

Winnipeg Free Press Towering flames atop oil wells break the inky darkness in the badlands on North Dakota's Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. The flares of natural gas set grass fires on the prairie where Theodora Bird Bear's ancestors hunted buffalo and create a driving hazard on rural roads. Full story here.

Canadian Economy Will Lose Billions to Climate Change: TD Bank

thestar.com By 2050, as much as $43 billion could be sapped from the Canadian economy because of natural disasters. Full story here.

Free Trade: Pathway to Prosperity - or Back Road to Corporatism?

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by Larry Powell As globalization reaches a frenzied pace, free trade agreements  (FTAs)  between nations are coming thick and fast, too.  Now, a knowledgable source with impressive credentials is sounding the latest cautionary note about "CETA,"   the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement which  Prime Minister Harper and the European Union signed ,  in principle last year.  Howard Mann   PhD (1988): London School of Economics. Master of Laws LL.M. (1984): London School of Economics. Bachelor of Civil Law (1982): McGill University.   Senior International Law Advisor to the  IISD. Photo credit – Sue Danahy, Ottawa A Canadian expert in international law, Howard Mann, (above)  is lending an important new voice to a now-familiar chorus  of alarm about " CETA,"  in particular.    For decades, large corporations have been using provisions within existing free trade agreements to sue sovereign nations who pass certain l

Grain, Trains and Autocrats: Farmers Pay the Price for Dismantling Wheat Board

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Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives There is a direct correlation between the loss of the farmer-elected Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) and the current rail transportation boondoggle. Details here.

Strong Support Shown for Bees! More Needed!

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Wow! In just a week, enough of us chipped in to fund the world's first people-powered study on what's killing our bees. Let's build on this and create a massive global offensive to take on the chemical companies -- pledge below: Dear friends,  Billions of bees are dying , and it's causing an environmental holocaust that threatens all of us. Most scientists agree  pesticides are to blame, but pesticide companies are funding junk science  that gives politicians an excuse to delay taking action. If enough of us pledge,  we could launch a people-powered, totally independent study  that finally challenges big pharma. Click to pledge what you can:  $3      $5      $10      $20      $40 Pledge another amount .   Right now,  billions of bees are dying . Already, there are nowhere near enough honeybees in Europe to pollinate the crops, and in California -- the biggest food producer in the US -- beekeepers are losing 40% of their bees each year.  We're in the

Manitoba’s First Glyphosate-Resistant Weed Confirmed

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Manitoba Co-Operator The good news is, the weed was found at only two sites out of 283 surveyed last fall. Details here. Artist; Paul Hoppe

Is Fear a Useful Tool in Communicating Climate Change Issues?

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Lk. Manitoba - 2011 - PLT photo. Listen to this excellent debate on CBC Radio's, The Current , here.