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A popular farm fungicide, now banned in Europe as a suspected carcinogen, remains in widespread use in Canada today.

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 The European Union halted sales of all crop fungicides containing the active ingredient, chlorothalonil this spring. The move followed advice from its Food Safety Agency (EFSA) that  chlorothalonil   "may cause cancer in humans." Canada,  on the other hand, re-approved the same product just over  a  year ago. Hard numbers on amounts still being applied in this country  are hard to come by. But official government documents show  it continues to be approved for use in no less than 29  crop protection products.  by Larry Powell A ground sprayer in Manitoba. Stats Canada says farmers in that  province apply fungicides  "more frequently"  than their counterparts  in any other province, " possibly due to its large potato sector." A  PinP  photo. Chlorothalonil  is the active ingredient in  several agricultural fungicides used  to treat mildew, blight and mold in many food  crops.                                                     It's

Thirty years of unique data reveal what's really killing coral reefs

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Science News Study is world's longest record of reactive nutrients, alga concentrations for coral reefs.  Story here. Bleached coral. Photo by NOAA.

The Uninhabitable Earth

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New York Intelligencer.  Famine, economic collapse, a sun that cooks us:  What climate change could wreak — sooner than you think.   Story here. Photo by Oxfam.

The Guardian view on the climate emergency: a dangerous paralysis

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The Guardian The closer the prospect of disaster becomes, the less the government manages to do.    Story here. A PinP photo.

Don’t believe carbon pricing really works? Just ask B.C.

PEMBINA institute Carbon tax holds key to clean innovation. Story here.  

Seismic lines in Alberta's boreal forest boost methane emissions, according to UCalgary study

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                                                                        UToday Newly discovered emissions would increase Canada's national reporting of greenhouse gases.  Story here. Photo by Roland "Roly" Roesler. Photographer's Note This is an aerial view of the Northern Alberta landscape, somewhere between Athabasca and Swan Hills. It consists of numerous shallow lakes, muskeg, and the typical vegetation including spruce, willow and poplars. The typical patterns of the vegetation are determined by the consistence and composition of the semi-solid soil underneath.  The parallel lines that scar the landscape are seismic lines used for oil and gas exploration, and they cover good part of the province. Seismic exploration is somewhat similar in principle to radar, and even more similar to the ultrasound used in medical facilities. Straight, parallel stripes up to 10 m wide are cleared with bulldozers, and drilling equipment follows th

Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming

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Alternatives Journal Having an awareness of the worst possible climate change scenarios can be motivating rather than paralyzing, argues David Wallace-Wells. The climate crisis has the potential to bring people together in the massive efforts required to mitigate the disaster. Story here.