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The European Union will soon ban a suspected carcinogenic fungicide which remains in use in Canada today. Ottawa remains silent.
by Larry Powell The European Food Safety Agency (EFSA), a branch of the European Union, has declared that chlorothalonil "may cause cancer in humans." Several of the agency's findings were based on tests with lab rats. But it obviously believes their metabolisms are sufficiently similar to ours to place chlorothalonil in "carcinogenicity category 1B - may cause cancer in humans." Chlorothalonil is the active ingredient in several agricultural fungicides used to treat mildew, blight and mold in many crops. According to the newspaper, The Guardian, it is the most widely-used pesticide in all of the UK and the the most popular fungicide in the U.S. It's been used, worldwide, since the '60s. A project based at Simon Fraser University, CAREX, reports that 581 tonnes of chlorothalonil were sold in BC alone in 2010 and 1,121 ton
A Professor at the University of Saskatchewan (Canada) is calling for the killing of Canada's entire population of wild pigs - by Larry Powell
Dr. Ryan Brook, Associate Professor in the College Agriculture and Bioresources at the University of Saskatchewan . Dr. Ryan Brook says such a drastic and aggressive move would be justified because the animals can carry deadly disease such as African Swine Fever. ASF entered China, the world's largest hog producer, some time ago, forcing major culls of domestic animals there. It is feared the disease could spread to North America and that wild pigs could prove to be carriers and infect commercial swine herds in the US and Canada. It is believed such an eventuality would devastate the pork industry on this continent. Dr. Brook suggests the wild animals could be captured in nets dropped from helicopters, then killed with bolt guns. He claims big ground traps and human ground crews could effectively catch and kill entire groups. Wild pigs in winter. A Pexels photo. He adds, while he respects sports hunters, their methods are not effective at controlling wild hog numbers.
When development and conservation clash in the Serengeti
University of Copenhagen - SCIENCE NEWS A proposed new road could disrupt the migration of animals like this in the Serengeti. Photo by eismcsquare. New or upgraded roads in the Greater Serengeti Ecosystem around Serengeti National Park will not reduce growing pressure on the ecosystem, a study shows. Story here.
Beat the Heat: Canada's French-fry potatoes in climate change trouble
Canadian Science Publishing After PEI, Manitoba is Canada's largest potato-producing province. Over 1200 million pounds are processed here each year on about 80 thousand acres. A PinP photo. Desiccating summer heat, brought on by climate change, could have adverse effects on Canada's potato industry. In a recent study, researchers examined the heat stress response of 55 potato varieties to estimate how they might fare under changing climate conditions. The news is not good. Details here.