PLANET IN PERIL

NATIONAL OBSERVER PinP photo. Nebraska regulators approved passage of TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline Monday, clearing the last major regulatory hurdle for the controversial $10-billion project but creating a new wrinkle by choosing an alternative route for the pipeline. STORY HERE.

the guardian EU votes to reauthorise the pesticide, ending a bitterly fought battle that saw 1.3 million people sign a petition calling for a ban. STORY HERE. A Wikimedia Commons photo. RELATED:  Field of Nightmares  -  Ottawa continues to embrace the widespread use of Roundup on Canadian farms by letting corporate seduction trump scientific evidence.

ScienceDaily Shrinking glacier cover could lead to increased volcanic activity in Iceland, warn scientists in a new report. Story here. The Mayon volcano, Philippines.1984. Photo by  C.G. Newhall

Science Daily Due to climate change, more and more methane is bubbling up from lakes, ponds, rivers and wetlands throughout the world. The release of methane -- a potent greenhouse gas -- leads to a further increase in temperature, thus creating a positive feedback loop (also known as a 'vicious circle'). Story here. Methane bubbles from the La Brea Tar Pits - Los Angeles.  Photo credit -  KimonBerlin

The Price We Pay For A$$embly-line Pork by Larry Powell Here is an important update to this story. The dollar cost to Manitobans of a deadly hog disease is being revealed. Yet key details regarding its magnitude remain secret. A Planet in Peril (PinP) exclusive.  Taxpayers in Manitoba had better get ready to dig deeper. Our provincial government has just relaxed the rules so the hog industry can expand. And, given past history, more corporate welfare will, surely, soon be flowing again into the trough for producers.   I’ve compiled a probably-incomplete history of largesse which has already been bestowed upon factory barn operators in just the past ten years.   I think you’ll agree, the numbers are impressive.   I'll begin with HyLife Foods.   It’s located on the outskirts of the small, central Manitoba town of Neepawa, where I used to live.  HyLife describes itself as “the largest pork processing company in Canada.” (“Pork processing” is actual

CommonDreams 'With their horrible safety record, today's spill is just the latest tragedy caused by the irresponsible oil company TransCanada.' Story here.