A Wildlife Reserve in Gambia, Africa seems poisoned

Green Wall Warriors

Villagers of Gunjur in the Gambia, thought they already had experienced the worst as they found out today that their wildlife reserve Bolong Fenyo seems to be poisoned by the Chinese Golden Lead Factory….Story here.

Making the Switch: From fossil fuel subsidies to sustainable energy

IISD - International Institute for Sustainable Development

This report estimates fossil fuel subsidies to be around USD 425 billion. Such subsidies represent large lost opportunities for governments to invest in renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainable development. Story here.

Is "The Machine" Destroying Everything? (Video)

Compassion in World Farming.

RELATED: Calls to reform food system. "Factory farming belongs in a museum." 

Beaten with chains, hung by the neck: Canadian cows left behind by the law

NATIONAL

OBSERVER

For the first time in Canadian history, three former dairy workers have been sentenced to jail time for malicious animal abuse as a result of hidden-camera footage by an animal protection group. Details here.

A close call. Turns out the Svalbard seed vault is probably fine

POPULAR

 SCIENCE

Recently, media reports emerged of water leaking into the entryway of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. The facility is designed to be a backup for other seed banks all over the world. In an e-mail, the Norwegian Government, confirmed that the leaks happened last fall, during a time of high temperatures and unusual rainfall in the area. Story here.

$10,000 Reward Offered to Find Killer of Famous Yellowstone White Wolf

Care 2 petition

For years, the wolf known as “White Lady” delighted visitors who were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of her when they visited Yellowstone National Park. Story here.

Greenpeace asks Alberta regulator to halt Kinder Morgan Canada IPO

REUTERS

Pipe loaded on train. PinP photo.

Environmental group Greenpeace on Thursday asked the Alberta securities regulator to halt Kinder Morgan's initial public offering (IPO) of its Canadian business until the company disclosed climate-related risks to potential investors. Story here.

Sea level rise will double coastal flood risk worldwide

theguardian

Waves crash against the wall at the end of Nauru International Airport's runway. 

Rising sea levels pose a serious risk coastal erosion for small Pacific island countries, Photo: Matt Robertson / DFAT

Small but unstoppable increases will double frequency of extreme water levels with dire consequences, say scientists. Story here.

Trees in eastern US head west as climate changes

nature

Trees like the magnolia will likely be affected. Photo credit - Wikipedia.

Breaking from the general poleward movement of many species, flowering trees take an unexpected turn. Story here.

Related:  Canada’s forests in a changing climate

Experts fear ‘quiet springs’ as songbirds can’t keep up with climate change

The Washington Post

A rose-breasted grosbeak, one of the species-at-risk due to global warming. PinP photo.

In 1962, Rachel Carson warned that pesticides, particularly DDT, would lead to springs without birdsong, as she wrote in her book “Silent Spring.” Carson's forecast kick-started an environmental movement and was instrumental in the Environmental Protection Agency's decision to ban the pesticides 10 years later, so her descriptions of deathly quiet did not come to pass. Story here.

Hog Watch Reps Caution Government Ministers to Treat Industry Expansion With Caution - Lake Winnipeg Health at Risk

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 recommendations made by the Clean Environment Commission(CEC) in their 2007 report on Environmental Sustainability and Hog Production in Manitoba. “The CEC recommended reviews of the phosphorus application provisions in manure and further research into phosphorus in soils which has not been done” says Vicki Burns of HWM.  “Why are we using taxpayers’ money to fund the Clean Environment Commission if we’re not going to pay attention to their recommendations?” she asks. "The health of our lakes, including Lake Winnipeg, is at risk."

The cabinet ministers at the meeting were, The Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Sustainable Development and Minister of Indigenous and Municipal Affairs.

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For further information contact:

Fred Tait – 204-252-2153

Janine Gibson – 204-434-6018  creativehealthconsulting@gmail.com

Vicki Burns - 204-489-3852 or   vickiburns@mts.net