PLANET IN PERIL

OpEd News - Chris Hedges We have undergone a transformation during the last few decades -- what John Ralston Saul   calls a corporate coup d'etat in slow motion. We are no longer a capitalist democracy… Story here.

The Dr. Oz Show Click here to watch this "must-watch" video! Related: "Do Manitoba's Elected Politicians Care About the Health of Their People? A Food Safety Advocate Wonders...The politicians are "no-shows" at a series of summer speaking events." 

Dear Editor, So, I see the head of CropLife Canada, Ted Menzies, thinks I used "inflammatory" language in a recent story I wrote. It posed this question. "Is agriculture's toxic hold on nature turning into a death grip?" The story went on to quote scientific studies which link "neonicotinoids," a group of insecticides, to widespread declines in populations of both honeybees and songbirds. ("Neonics" are made by some of the world's biggest chemical companies that he now represents.) Excuse me, Mr. Menzies, if my headline sounded "inflammatory." But, if Canadians themselves are not yet "inflamed" by the impact your products are having on our natural world, perhaps it's time they should be! Every school kid must know by now what a calamity it would be if we lose our pollinators. Bees make our lives universally sweet while helping produce one of every three spoons-full of food we put in our mouths!  So

United Nations News Service The United Nations weather agency today voiced concerns over the surge of carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere, which has reached a new record high in 2013, amid worrying sings that oceans and biosphere seem unable to soak up emissions as quickly as they used to.   Story here. The oceans of the world absorb massive amounts of heat,  delaying the worst effects of climate change on land. P in P photo.

Manitoba Co-Operator Bee mortality in Manitoba varied greatly from region to region last winter, but most honey producers saw improvements. Story here. P in P photo.

INTER PRESS SERVICE Is this climate-smart agriculture? Farmin' North American style! KARNAL, India, Sep 17 2014 (IPS) - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expected to make a strong pitch to world political leaders at the U.N. Climate Summit in New York on Sep. 23 to accept new emissions targets and their timelines. Story here.

Manitoba Co-Operator Ducks in a nutrient-rich river  in Manitoba.  P in P  photo. Ultimately, storing water on the land isn’t just about flood control, it’s about capitalizing on available nutrients as well. Story here.

The Huffington Post P in P photo This past August was the warmest since records began in 1881, according to new data released by NASA. The latest readings continue a series of record or near-record breaking months. May of this year was also the warmest in recorded history. Story here.

by Ted Menzies, President of CropLife Canada. In response to Larry Powell’s Aug. 19 article,  "  New Studies Show Farm Chemicals Are Affecting More Than Bees. Bird Populations are Declining, Too. Is Modern Agriculture's Hold on Nature Turning Into a Death Grip?"  and his letter to the editor on Sept. 5 regarding the lack of replies ; Ted Menzies, President of CropLife Canada.  Inflammatory language such as that expressed in the article "Is agriculture’s toxic hold turning into a death grip?" creates a false impression that is both unfair to farmers and inaccurate. Farmers overwhelmingly choose to grow genetically-improved varieties of corn, canola, soybeans and other crops due to the numerous benefits they offer, such as increased yields, which allows more food to be produced on the same amount of land. The plant science industry is committed to the responsible use of its products. Neonicotinoid seed treatments use a ver

The Hill Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper won't be attending the United Nations climate summit in New York this month. Story here.

The Boston Globe WASHINGTON (AP) — Earth’s protective but fragile ozone layer is beginning to recover, largely because of the phase-out since the 1980s of certain chemicals used in refrigerants and aerosol cans, a U.N. scientific panel reported Wednesday in a rare piece of good news about the health of the planet. Story here.