PLANET IN PERIL

OpEdNews - Kenneth Eade The Monarch butterfly depends on milkweed to feed its larvae. Without milkweed, the Monarch will surely go extinct. Over the past 18 years, the Monarch population has been…. Story here.  

World Resources Institute The proposed U.S. commitment to tackling climate change in support of a new international climate agreement is a serious and achievable plan … story here.  

the guardian Stopping global warming at two degrees would create nearly half a million jobs in Europe and save over a million lives in China, analysis of emissions pledges says. Story here.

the guardian Brazil and Indonesia paid over $40bn in subsidies to industries that drive rainforest destruction between 2009 and 2012 - compared to $346m in conservation aid they received to protect forests, according to new research. Story here.

by Larry Powell Will it be even harder for us to protect our own environment now? It all began about a decade ago when “Bilcon Inc.,” a US company controlled by the Clayton family of Delaware, applied to expand a basalt mine and marine port in Digby County, Nova Scotia. (Basalt is a common rock used in road construction, concrete and other products.) But the site, which would cover over 150 hectares , happened to be in a key breeding area for vulnerable marine animals, including an endangered whale species. After the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans expressed concern that the rock-blasting associated with the operation might adversely affect the environment, a Joint Review Panel (JRP) was appointed to look into it. The company labelled this development as "rare, costly and time-consuming," but it went ahead anyway. The Panel conducted lengthy public hearings, calling a host of witnesses. Many expressed concern for tourism, air and water quality, t

CLIMATEPROGRESS The coldest place on Earth just got warmer than has ever been recorded. Story here.

inside climate news The Keystone has already divided the nation on the fundamental questions of how we should respond to climate change and what our energy future should look like. Story here.