PLANET IN PERIL

Take this, David CameronQ

UN News Centre Upholding women’s human rights is essential if the response to the Zika health emergency is to be effective, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said today, following the advice to women by some governments to delay getting pregnant due to the possible link between the virus and neurological disorders affecting newborns. Story here.

bilaterals .org Rice has been at the centre of Japan’s economy and culture for centuries. But changes are afoot. There is growing concern among Japanese farmers that the country’s rice-producing capabilities are diminishing in the face of international trade pacts such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership. In fact, all local agriculture is in the spotlight as pressure mounts to increase local imports of overseas produce. Details here.

While the Trudeau government has gone ahead and signed the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal, there remains many uncertainties about what's in store for Canada. The Harper government first negotiated this deal in secret.  Now we have the Liberals agreeing to a deal that can 't be renegotiated!  Any concerns or changes raised in future consultations won't matter. We do know that the TPP will:

Sum    Of + Us Health Canada announced it's endorsing the continued use of Syngenta's Atrazine, a dangerous pesticide that has been banned in the European Union since 2004. PLEASE SIGN PETITION    HERE! RELATED:  "Are Pesticide Regulators on the Take?"   This Global News documentary delves into lies, corruption and evil-doing by the same, sweet people who make atrazine. Please watch!

NATIONAL OBSERVER TransCanada Corp put “substandard materials” in an Alberta natural gas pipeline that blew up in 2013, Canada’s pipeline regulator said, as it finally responded to a four-year old warning from a whistleblower with a new industry-wide safety order . Story here.

Common Dreams 'It’s not just a matter of producing enough, but making agriculture environmentally friendly and making sure that food gets to those who need it.' Story here. RELATED: "O rganic Producers Could See Net Profit Levels Of Up To $300 Per Acre"

NATIONAL OBSERVER Dust blown away from stockpiles left over after oil sands upgrading is very likely a key source of a cancer-linked pollutant commonly found in the northern Alberta region, concludes a new peer-reviewed study.  Story here.

by Larry Powell The publisher of the weekly newspaper, "The Banner" in the Town of Neepawa, Manitoba, Ken Waddell, printed an editorial before Christmas, denying a human cause for climate change. He also criticized methods proposed by federal and provincial governments to tackle the problem as "certifiably nuts." This prompted a letter of my own which challenged his conclusions. I found it odd that a person of faith, as he is often proud to communicate, could find it possible to believe in the truly fantastic stories of the Bible, yet could not find it within his own personal powers of reasoning to accept the now well-proven science of climate change. To his credit and that of the papers, my own letter appeared in the January 22nd edition, below.  Ken, I suspect that publishing this was not easy for you, as it was not the kind of letter you deal with often - touching, as it does, on both climate change and faith, the latter obviously being of great, personal

International Institute for Sustainable Development Non-trade provisions in the TPP, such as investment and intellectual property rights, threaten to heighten inequality.  It is time for Canada to say; this is a deal too far. Story here.

Sum    of  +us In just hours, Trade Minister Freeland will sign Canada on to the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The TPP is one of Stephen Harper’s biggest legacies. The sweeping "free" trade deal will let corporations sue governments in special courts for laws that might hurt their 'expected' profits, and it could severely damage our access to medication, internet freedom and workers’ rights. In short, it’s a massive corporate power grab.   But the TPP must still be ratified by Parliament. So w e still have a chance to stop it. PLEASE SIGN HERE. RELATED: "Free Trade. Pathway to Prosperity? Or Back Road to Corporatism?"