Posts

How to make global food systems more sustainable

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TheConversation Barley in western Canada. PinP photo. Last October, movie director James Cameron and his wife Suzy Amis Cameron  launched an organic pea protein operation in Saskatchewan . Once it is up and running, this facility will be  the top producer of organic pea protein  in North America. More here.

Avoid Gulf stream disruption at all costs, scientists warn

TheGuardian How close the world is to a catastrophic collapse of giant ocean currents is unknown, making halting global warming more critical than ever, scientists say. More here.

Gulf Stream current at its weakest in 1,600 years, studies show

TheGuardian Warm current that has historically caused dramatic changes in climate is experiencing an unprecedented slowdown and may be less stable than thought - with potentially severe consequences. More here.

California’s Dwindling Snowpack: Another Year of Drought, Floods, Wildfires and Mudslides?

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ECOWATCH The Sierra Nevada range near Reno. Ken Lund  from Reno, Nevada, USA California is likely facing another year of water woes. The Sierra Nevada snowpack, which supplies up to a third of California's water, is exceptionally meager this year. Experts found around half as much snow on the mountains as they typically would in early April, when the snowpack is historically most voluminous. Story here.

Are we ready for the deadly heat waves of the future?

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ScienceNews When days and nights get too hot, city dwellers are the first to run into trouble. More here. Jeroen Moes from  Florence, Italy.

Climate change is wreaking havoc on delicate relationship between orchids and bees

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ScienceDaily The first definitive demonstration of climate change upsetting the vital interdependent relationships between species has been revealed. More here. Photo by  Bjƶrn S.

Carbon taxes can be both fair and effective, study shows

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ScienceDaily Flooding in Iowa. Several different carbon-pricing approaches would help reduce emissions, and some would be fair as well, researchers report. More here.

Battle for the future of Parma ham - a tale of corporate spin & animal suffering.

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THE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM A PEXALS photo. How "Parma" ham became a battleground for the future of Italian food . Story here.

Vancouver Island rainforest stands are becoming as rare as white rhinos

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The Province Part of the remaining stand of rainforest on Vancouver Island. Photo by Jason Holinger. For millennia, Vancouver Island was mostly covered by spectacular, globally rare ancient rainforest. Many trees were 1,000 years old or older. Indigenous peoples co-existed with the rainforest using many of its plants and animals without destroying it. Shortly after the arrival of Europeans, logging began in earnest. In less than 100 years, the majority of the ancient trees have been logged. Story here.

Conflicts Force Up Global Hunger Levels

IPS Interpress Service UN-IPS: Largely driven by conflict, the number of hungry people has dramatically increased around the world, reversing decades of progress, according to a new report. Story here.

"In Hogs We Trust." Part IV The environmental costs of intensive livestock operations.

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Last October, just before the provincial government relaxed regulations to allow for many more hogs to be produced in this province, George Matheson, Chair of the industry group, “Manitoba Pork,”  testified  before a legislative committee.  In an astonishing display of corporate hype, Matheson seemed to think he could, with a single statement, obliterate years of solid scientific research, conducted in his own province. “Hog manure is not getting into our rivers and lakes,” he declared. “The vast majority…about 85 per cent, is injected into the soil of farmland or immediately incorporated into the soil. This method of application essentially stops manure from running off the land. I cannot overemphasize this point. This means manure does not get into rivers and lakes. In fact, it is illegal for manure to leave a field.”    In her long career with the University of Winnipeg’s biology department,  Dr. Eva Pip  (below) has come to a dramatically different conclusion. Af