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First Nations Elder Loses Patience With the Modern Food System.

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"Look at this, our food is laced with poison - exactly what we had been saying. Our industrial world is killing us. No wonder people are dying. The cost of doing mass production is our souls and health of our nations." This is Dave Daniels, Elder on Long Plain First Nation, Manitoba and specialist in wild plants and herbal medicines.  He was reacting to a recently-released finding  by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. In studies conducted in '15 & '16, the federal food watchdog discovered traces of glyphosate, "a probable carcinogen," (World Health Organization) in almost 30% of food samples tested. To better understand Mr. Daniel's story and his anger, please watch the video, below.

Wilder Fires and Rising Waters, Climate Impacts Coming to America's Door

Common Dreams Pair of new studies show how American climate refugees will 'reshape' population landscape of the nation. Story here.

Help The "Bumblers!" Take Part in the "Great Canadian Bumble Bee Count!" PLEASE READ ON!

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Meet the Yellow-banded Bumble Bee. It is one of six wild bee species determined to be “critically at risk” in Canada. Continent-wide, as many as one-third of bumble bee species are in decline.These are important pollinators whose disappearance would not only be a blow to natural biodiversity of species, but to the production of food for us and other living creatures, as well. Want to be part of the solution? Help Friends of the Earth by taking part in “The Great Canadian Bumble Bee Count.” Just click here to find out how. 

'Payout Time': Exxon Seeks Waiver From U.S. Sanctions to Drill in Russia

Common Dreams "Exxon applied for waiver from sanctions on Russia. Among departments who must approve: State Department, run by company's ex-CEO" Story here.

Climate change causes glacial river in Yukon to change direction

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cbcnews Glacier retreated so much that its meltwater switched course, in an event not documented in modern times. Story here. The Kaskawulsh glacier from which the river in question used to flow - in a different direction. 2014 Photo by  Gstest

Province of Manitoba, Canada amending big pile of manure regulations

Winnipeg Free Press The Pallister government plans to amend regulations governing the safe disposal of hog manure in Manitoba. It released a discussion paper Thursday, kicking off a 45-day public consultation period. Story here.

What’s Changed on the Ground Since the Mount Polley Mine Disaster?

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THE TYEE Highland Valley Copper Mine, Logan Lake, BC Not enough, say critics, who call for a judicial inquiry into the state of mining regulation in BC. Story here. 

Imperial Metals: drop your mine project in BC's Clayoquot Sound. PLEASE SIGN PETITION!

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+SumOfUs The company responsible for the worst  mining disaster in Canadian history wants to build a new open-pit copper mine   in the heart of the pristine rainforests of Clayoquot Sound. PLEASE SIGN! Clayoquot Sound - Vancouver Island. Photo by  Adam Jones, Ph.D.

Slice of Greenland ice melts into oblivion

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climate news network Eastern Greenland. Photo by  Algkalv   Coastal glaciers in terminal decline as Greenland ice runs into the ocean and threatens to raise sea levels by the end of the century. Story here.

Chronicling the Misdeeds of my Member of Parliament. (Opinion)

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by Larry Powell While he has never gotten my vote, Robert Sopuck managed to climb aboard the tide of rural populism in 2010, becoming a loyal team player for Stephen Harper and MP from the Dauphin/Swan River/Neepawa riding, where he remains to this day. He's a member of the Conservative Party of Canada which I've lovingly re-named, "The Cynical Party of Canada." Sopuck's latest transgression (now making the rounds on social media), captures him insulting the Green Party Leader, Elizabeth May in the House by suggesting she can't handle numbers. The Speaker ordered him to apologize (which he did sullenly and reluctantly).  Above is the newspaper ad Sopuck is running at Easter. (So much for separation of church and State.) This is the same MP who:   has supported in the House, the brutal practise of "shark-finning" where sharks (often endangered species) are harvested for their fins only & thrown back alive into the ocea n:  spoken

Glyphosate Grabs Headlines Again - and Not in a Good Way.

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by Larry Powell A field of durum wheat. (Wikimedia Commons) The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has detected the weedkiller glyphosate in almost thirty percent (29.7%) of food products it tested over the past two years.  The foods were; fresh and processed fruits and vegetables, grains, beverages, beans, peas, lentils, soy beans and children’s food. While small amounts were found in all of the food groups tested, the CFIA concludes, levels were only high enough to be of concern to human health in 1.3 percent, overall. The grain tested  (wheat and barley), had more  Glyphosate above the acceptable standard (3.9%)  than any other food group.  Less than one percent (.2% - .6%) of bean, pea, lentil and juice samples tested above the acceptable limit. While traces of the herbicide were found in all food groups tested, none of the fruits, vegetables, soy products or infant food were found to exceed the acceptable limit.   The agency says, where levels were unacce