Posts

Newfoundland record oil spill shows risks of offshore drilling, regulatory board says

 Details here

Killing Plants Is the Fastest Way to End the World

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TRUTHOUT A Manitoba corn crop ruined by a freak summer frost. A PinP photo. A  recently-published study has found that “climate change and human activity are dooming species at an unprecedented rate.” Story here.

The 'new abnormal' — California megafires explode with off-the-charts fury

The National Observer California is on the burning edge of climate breakdown. Story here.

Humanity Sleepwalks as Earth Burns.

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--> by Larry Powell This is the Ashcroft Reserve fire in BC in 2017. That was the worst year ever for wildfires in that province - until this year!  Photo by Shawn Cahill. As I write this, human bodies incinerated beyond recognition, are being pulled from the ruins of wildfires in California. More than a thousand people are either missing or confirmed dead, with property damage set to top several billions of dollars. Smoke from the fires has now enveloped San Francisco. President Trump blames "poor forest management,"and, after first threatening to withhold it, finally grants emergency aid. His critics take him to task for his lack of empathy for the victims. After visiting the fire zones, he continues, disgracefully, to deny the role manmade climate change is surely playing here. But what's worse, his absence of a heart (which has been evident for some time), or his actual  policies  which have shown him to be

Oreo maker linked to destruction of orangutan habitat in Indonesia

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Greenpeace Photo by  Evan-Amos Oreo products found on Canadian supermarket shelves list palm oil as an ingredient, the cultivation of which in Indonesia is a major driver of orangutan habitat loss Story here.

Is Warming Bringing a Wave of New Diseases to Arctic Wildlife?

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YaleEnvironment360 Rapid warming and vanishing sea ice in the Arctic has enabled new species, from humpback whales to white-tailed deer, to spread northward. Scientists are increasingly concerned that some of these new arrivals may be bringing dangerous pathogens that could disrupt the region’s fragile ecosystems.  Details here. White-tailed deer feed on hay-bales in Manitoba. A PinP photo.

Ragweed may expand its range northward with climate change

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Science Daily Hay fever allergy. Photo by championswimmer. A new predictive model developed by ecologists and climate scientists suggests that climate change may allow common ragweed to extend its growing range northward and into major northeast metro areas, worsening conditions for millions of people with hay fever and asthma. Details here.

The Olympics vs. the Wild Creatures of the Rainforests.

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Rainforest Action Network  The Borneo file-eared frog ( Polypedates otilophus ). Photo by Charlels J. Sharp. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics are likely built on the backs of endangered species. That’s because the very timber being used to build the Olympic venues is being sourced from Indonesia’s rainforests. So much for being “one of the most sustainable Olympics yet!” Details here.

Denying solutions is the new climate change denial

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Clean Energy Canada A new form of denial has risen from the ashes of the old: denying the solutions that empower us to minimize climate change. Details here.

Strathclair hog barn operator not in compliance with laws - Hogwatch Manitoba

Dear Editor, Politics, not law, are driving Yellowhead Council’s response to  Hog  Watch Manitoba’s revelations about a hog barn expansion  near  Strathclair.     (See B.G. story, here.) Claims that its “investigation” reveals the operator was “found to  be in compliance with laws and regulations” as reported in the  October 24   Brandon Sun   are false. Council’s informal plan to have taxpayers pay someone to count  the Maple Leaf-owned pigs at this so-called family farm is a  diversion designed to give the offender time to fix problems  documented by Hog Watch. Counting pigs helps them evade their  responsibility to regulate on the maximum number and type of pigs  a barn can hold.   Governments’ honour system has led to the approval of a new barn  without making sure there is sufficient capacity to stor e  manure.    Only after the barn was built, over a thousand pigs put in  it this spring, Hog Watch sounded an alarm and municipal 

Living Planet Report 2018 - Bad News for the World’s Wildlife.

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World Wildlife Fund We are pushing our planet to the brink. Human activity—how we feed, fuel, and finance our lives—is taking an unprecedented toll on wildlife, wild places, and the natural resources we need to survive.  On average, we’ve seen an astonishing 60% decline in the size of populations of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians in just over 40 years, according to WWF’s Living Planet Report 2018. Story here. Carnage on our roads is surely a significant factor as well. Maggots swarm over the carcass of an animal killed on the highway. Roadkill litters a busy highway in Manitoba as the wheels of commerce (and the carnage), keep on rolling. PinP photos.