PLANET IN PERIL

Hog Watch Manitoba (Winnipeg May 17) - A citizens group which monitors the hog industry in Manitoba, has cautioned the provincial government,  if it goes ahead with its apparent plans to expand production,  not to repeat the mistakes of the past. In a recent meeting with three cabinet ministers, Hog Watch Manitoba    (HWM) reminded them how “technical review committees,” which used to “oversee” the construction of both hog barns and lagoons designed to hold the waste, overlooked errors in the planning. These errors were so serious, they eroded both the public’s trust of the industry and in government policies relating to it. HWM is deeply concerned about the Consultation paper recently released about proposed changes to the Livestock Manure and Mortalities Management Regulation. Fred Tait, member of the HWM Steering Committee, says “We fear that if implemented, it will simply enhance the mistakes of the previous administration.” HWM urges the government to implement the

My New Book-"Artemis Flies to the Rescue" by Ingrid Alesych. Read more here.

The National Observer Cambridge Bay - Nunavut.  Photo -  CambridgeBayWeather The federal government's research on privatizing Canada's major airports appears to be missing something important. Story here.

Associated Press When researchers traveled to a tiny, uninhabited island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, they were astonished to find an estimated 38 million pieces of trash washed up on the beaches. Story here. What's left of an albatross chick (found on another remote island) after  ingesting bottle caps & other plastic debris.  

The Washington Post The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has curtailed work on a natural-gas pipeline in Ohio after the owner, Energy Transfer Partners, reported 18 leaks and spilled more than 2 million gallons of drilling materials.  Story here.

by Larry Powell Is the potent "trio" of war,  climate change and religion taking a toll on the world’s most vulnerable? Famine, drought and food insecurity have plagued Yemen, the poorest country in the Arab world, even before the outbreak of open warfare there in 2015. Since then, thousands have died in the conflict. Millions more face famine and imminent death from drought and starvation. Saudi Arabia has been bombing its little neighbour for some time now, in a conflict fed by sectarian hatred. Some of it has to do with which of the warring factions within the country believe in which branch of Islam, Sunni or Shi'ite. (Or which subdivision of which branch.)  As in much of the rest of the world, religion and war are paramount - at the pinnacle of what it apparently means to be "human."  This photo depicts a Yemeni fighter praying (in the 1960s.) Photo by  Dr. Ulrich Middendrop But the World Health Organization (a branch of the UN) says the w

Dear Larry - We just witnessed history. Yesterday’s BC election was a MAJOR breakthrough for Greens. The BC Green Party have re-elected their leader, Andrew Weaver, as well as two new MLAs. Sonia Furstenau has won in Cowichan Valley, and Adam Olsen has won in Saanich North and the Islands.

NATIONAL OBSERVER Tri Vo, a resident of Gatineau, Quebec, peered out at the flooded landscape from a back porch door,  barricaded by sandbags and water pumps. Story here. The Montreal suburb of Cartierville. Photo by "Exile on Ontario St."

SumOfUs It has been two years since a deadly spill contaminated La Pasión River and destroyed the livelihoods of communities in Guatemala. The corporation responsible, REPSA, has yet to take real steps to address the environmental and social damages it has caused. PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION!

Huffington Post There's a sick feeling of déjà vu for those of us in Manitoba these days. Here's why. Story here.