Posts

What We Know about the Climate Change–Hurricane Connection

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SCIENTIFIC  AMERICAN The Island of St. Maartin during hurricane Irma. Ministry of Defense, Netherlands. Some links are indisputable; others are more subtle, but the science is improving all the time. Story here.

Waterton National Park, Canada remains under evacuation as wildfire grows to 8,500 hectares

CBC news Weather forecast calls for high winds on Saturday and Sunday, which is a concern for firefighters. Story here.

Battle Begins to Restore Protections for Greater Yellowstone Grizzly Bears

ECOWATCH A conservation group is suing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, challenging the  agency's rule stripping grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem of Endangered Species protections. Story here.

As Planet Rages With Fires and Storms, Ire Aimed at Murderous Climate Denialism

CommonDreams "It is past time to call out Trump and all climate deniers for this crime against humanity. No more treating climate denial like an honest difference of opinion." Story here.

Want to save the bees? Dig up your lawn!

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POPULAR   SCIENCE Plus some bee-utiful photography. STORY HERE. RELATED:  Pesticide increases probability of bumblebee extinction. Will New Research From Europe Nudge Canada Toward a "Neonic" Ban? Bumble bees forage on chives in a  Manitoba garden.  PinP  photo.

Does God Love Storm Victims? (Letter)

Below is a letter I submitted to the weekly newspaper, the Neepawa Banner today. =============== Dear Editor, I am puzzled by a recent column in the weekly newspaper, the Neepawa Banner by Rev. Neil Strohschein, entitled “A Christian response to natural disasters.” I find your conclusion that God loves the victims of such storms, cries out for further explanation.  Who or what is making these storms in the first place, then? Is it not God? Because the faithful believe God is all-powerful, do they not?   If it is not Him, who/what is it, then? Does He not have the power to prevent such calamities? If He does not, does that not make Him less than all-powerful?   And if it is Him, please explain to me how raining down such massive misery and destruction on his flock can possibly be an act of love?   While you do not address this following point in your column, it is one which, IMHO, also cries out for a response from the religious. It is customary in the fa

The unprecedented drought that's crippling Montana and North Dakota

theguardian It came without warning, and without equivalent. Now a flash drought is fuelling fires and hurting the lives of those who work the land. Story here.

Attention, Manitobans! (And beyond.) Important meeting! PLEASE ATTEND!

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Liberals struggling to reverse Harper's cuts to climate science

NATIONAL OBSERVER Are Harper-style funding cuts to science beginning to be felt again, even under the Liberals’ watch? Story here.

More all-time heat records broken as California broils

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Los Angeles Times Wildfire in California, July, 2017. Photo by  BLM. California’s history-making heat wave set new all-time records for the second day in a row. Story here.

Human attitudes toward climate change. Smart? Or just plain dumb! (Editorial)

by Larry Powell Despite historic weather calamities descending upon Earth with breathtaking frequency and ferocity, the root-causes of our planetary crisis continue to be avoided like sacred cows. An analyst interviewed on TV yesterday did make some good (albeit now-familiar) points.   He pointed out how ordinary people have "stepped up" by helping their neighbours, after the fact. These are true heroes, he pointed out, correctly.   Then he went on to say, (altho they are rarely recogni zed as such.), so are policy-makers who come up with practical ways of lessening impacts, like smarter development which uses less concrete, further away from flood plains. He even mentioned "climate change," words rarely uttered in polite society.   So far, so good.   But he gave not a word of recognition to the most important part of all - the need to wean ourselves off fossil fuels and make a very rapid transition to a low-carbon society!   The world's clima