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How animal waste is helping turn China's lakes green

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The Guardian                                    Lest we North Americans feel smug, this image shows                                                           one of countless "eutrophied" sloughs in Manitoba,                                                                                              on the Canadian prairies .                                                                                                                            A PinP   photo.      Animal husbandry is contaminating China's water and has been linked to bright-green lakes, a phenomenon know as eutrophication.  More here.   Related: In Hogs We Trust -  Part 1V - The health and environmental price we Manitobans will pay for an expanded hog industry.

Bad News for Crops! Global Warming = More & Hungrier Bugs!

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PHYS ORG A corn rootworm.  Public Domain . Crop losses for critical food grains will increase substantially as the climate warms, as rising temperatures increase the metabolic rate and population growth of insect pests, according to new research. More here. Most harm will befall crops in the temperate zone (shown in green). 

The more pesticides bees eat, the more they like them

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PHYS  ORG Bumblebees forage on organic chives. Another PinP photo. Bumblebees acquire a taste for pesticide-laced food as they become more exposed to it, a behaviour showing possible symptoms of addiction. More here.

How does agriculture affect vulnerable insect-eating birds?

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The American Ornithological Society A tree swallow. A PinP photo. Aerial insectivores--birds that hunt for insect prey on the wing--are declining across North America as agricultural intensification leads to diminishing insect abundance and diversity in many areas. A new study from  The Condor: Ornithological Applications  looks at how Tree Swallows' diets are affected by agriculture and finds that while birds living in cropland can still find their preferred prey, they may be working harder to get it.  More here. Related:   New Studies Show Farm Chemicals Are Affecting More Than Bees. Bird Populations are Declining, Too. Is modern agriculture's hold on nature becoming a death grip?

Officials Worry Yet Another Lethal Pig Disease May be Coming to Canada

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by Larry Powell The Manager of the "Canada West Swine Health Intelligence Network"  warns, now that African Swine Fever (ASF) has been confirmed in China, the risk of it spreading to North America, has increased.  Dr. Jette Christensen, veterinary epidemeologist. Dr. Jette Christensen (above) describes ASF as "a serious and trade-limiting viral infection." Speaking on the industry-sponsored radio program, "Farmscape," she assured listeners, if  the Canadian industry follows import regulations, "they should be safe." But she also warns that the virus can survive for months outside the host in pork products. The swelling around the kidneys and the muscle hemorrhages shown here are  typical of pigs with  African swine fever.  Karen Apicelli USDA Dr. Christensen warns Canadian producers, that workers they hire, could bring the disease home with them after vacationing in China or Eastern Europe. And they should even be car

Livestock Producers Temporarily Allowed to Cut Hay & Graze Animals on Crown Land

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News release - Gov't. of Manitoba Cattle graze on parched pasture. A PinP photo. Livestock producers will temporarily be allowed to cut hay and allow animals to graze on Crown land not normally designated for agricultural use due to dry conditions across parts of the province, Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler announced today. More here.

'No grass': Europe's livestock sector stricken by drought

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PHYS.ORG A parched crop in the Netherlands. Photo by  Rasbak "Our cows hav been living off hay cut in June, there isn't any grass," says a French farmer who, like his counterparts across much of northern Europe, is wondering how he will feed his animals this winter.    More here.