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World's food supply under 'severe threat' from loss of biodiversity

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The Guardian Plants, insects and organisms crucial to food production in steep decline, says UN. Story here. A display of harvesting "might" in Canada. 

African swine fever (ASF) would be a disaster

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There is a ‘clear risk’ the swiftly spreading disease could come here, says leading swine health vet By Alexis Kienlen FOLLOW Reporter Alberta farmer -  February 11, 2019 These red spots are typical of African swine fever.   A Wikimedia photo. There is a real risk that the African swine fever virus could enter Canada — and if it did, it would be catastrophic, says one of the country’s leading swine health experts.

Mexico’s monarch population booms

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Science Magazine IN SECTION: NEWS IN BRIEF Edited by Jeffrey Brainard Opens in modal lightbox Monarch butterflies clustered at a reserve in  Mexico. PHOTO: BIOSPHOTO/ALAMY STOCK   PHOTO Viewable Image - mexicos monarch population booms Image Caption Monarch butterflies clustered at a reserve in Angangueo, Mexico.   PHOTO: BIOSPHOTO/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO Every winter, monarch butterflies in Canada and the northeastern and midwestern United States flock to the pine and fir forests of central Mexico to hibernate, covering trees and turning hectares of forest orange and black. This year, the butterfly population overwintering in Mexico more than doubled, according to World Wildlife Fund Mexico, which helps lead the annual count. The butterflies covered 6.05 hectares of forest, up from 2.48 last year. It’s the largest wintering area since the winter of 2006–07. This famous group of migrating monarchs has been struggling in recent years, with an all-time low arriving

Human Hunting Is Driving the World’s Biggest Animals Toward Extinction

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Smithsonian.com "Moose may soon disappear completely from some parts of Manitoba, Canada, where   the population has dropped by as much as 57 percent ." Source CPAWS MB. A PinP photo. A new analysis found that 70 percent of Earth’s largest creatures are decreasing in number, while 59 percent are at risk of extinction. Story here.

The Hidden Environmental Toll of Mining the World’s Sand

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YaleEnvironment360 By far the largest mining endeavour globally is digging up sand, mainly for the concrete that goes into buildings. But this little-noticed and largely unregulated activity has serious costs — damaging rivers, wreaking havoc on coastal ecosystems, and even wiping away entire islands. Story here. Sand mining in the Netherlands. Photo by GeraldM at Dutch Wikipedia ========== Guess what folks? This already questionable practise is set to start up, big-time, here in my home province of Manitoba, too! And this one is for the even more disreputable purpose of FRACKING! You didn't know? Not surprising. Read on and weep. l.p. RELATED:  Frack Sand Mining Coming to Manitoba and Soon. Consultation or Coercion – You Tell Me Is a controversial “frac sand mine”about to go ahead on the east side of Manitoba's Lake Winnipeg without proper consent? by Don Sullivan.

Ramped up efforts needed to protect the world's inland waters

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ScienceDaily The Birdtail River meanders past a big gravel-mine in western Manitoba, Canada. A PinP photo. Surface water protection is well below global targets in over half of the world's countries, according to a new study. Story here.  

‘The devastation of human life is in view’: what a burning world tells us about climate change

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The Guardian Houses burn in the monster "Fort Mac" fire in Alberta, CA. IMAGE CREDITS:  TWITTER, INDIATODAY . I was wilfully deluded until I began covering global warming, says David Wallace-Wells. But extreme heat could transform the planet by 2100.  Story here.

Doug Ford appoints his new Chief Climate Advisor.

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Photo by Laval U, Canada.

Out of the mouths of babes. A teenager delivers a powerful message to the world's richest. (Video)

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Factory Farms Pollute the Environment and Poison Drinking Water

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TRUTHOUT The polar opposite of a factory farm. A pig herder in Romania. Photo by  PetrS. Hog waste can contain potentially dangerous pathogens, pharmaceuticals and chemicals.  Story here. RELATED:                                                     "In Hogs We Trust."   A critique of Manitoba’s “runaway” hog industry. By Larry Powell. Part 1 - Antibiotic Overuse. Part 11 - The price we pay for corporate pig$.   Part 111 - From Malaysia to Manitoba - the global magnitude of livestock diseases. Part 1V - The health and environmental costs of an expanded hog industry. Part V - What’s behind Manitoba’s drive to expand?  

Buckle Up Folks - Getting to the East Side of Lake Winnipeg is Going to be a Lot More Dangerous by Road.

by Don Sullivan Story here. Jack Pine I would encourage you all to take a few minutes out of your day today and email the Manitoba Minister of Sustainable Development at; minsdev@leg.gov.mb.ca and se nd a similar email that I have sent below. If necessary copy and paste the one that I sent below and add your name. Dear Minister of Sustainable Development, I am writing to address an urgent matter and seek clarification from you on this matter regarding File: 5991.00 - Canadian Premium Sand Inc. - Wanipigow Sand Extraction Project. In its Environmental Act Proposal Submission, Canadian Premium Sand (The Company), indicates that they will, prior to receiving a Class 2 Licence for the entire project, undertake site clearing and infrastructure construction sometime in February/March 2019. ( EAP submission Part 1 Executive Summary) The Company will need to receive works permits issued under the Crown Lands Act under Section 7(1)(c). For the record I am strongl