PLANET IN PERIL

Since the individual Minister at the heart of this story is back in his job after an absence of a dozen-or-so years, I feel it appropriate to re-post my blog story from 2014. After all it's now been well over a decade, not just a couple of years, since he made me the promise he never kept.  by Larry Powell   Manitoba's Minister of Agriculture, Ron Kostyshyn, (below), lies . Way back in September of 2012  (now more than 1 1 years ago) , Kostyshyn  promised he would read a peer-reviewed article I had co-authored.  Entitled   "Field of Nightmares,"  i t appeared in the well-respected Canadian journal "Alternatives - Canada's Environmental Voice." It documented much of the research which has been done, linking the popular herbicide "Roundup" to adverse effects on the health of livestock, wildlife, crops and even humans. It also placed the official position of the Government of Canada on the record, which was ,  it was "aware of the research, b

YaleEnvironment360 by Jim Robbins A  Daniel G Rego  photo. California’s ancient sequoias — some of which have stood more than 1,000 years — are facing an existential threat from increasingly intense wildfires linked to climate change. But federal efforts to thin forests to reduce fire risks are drawing pushback from conservation groups. Story here.

  Royal Society Journals A mangrove forrest, close up. Photo by Jeff Kelleway        The expansions are occurring on low-lying islands of the Great Barrier Reef, creating new habitats and protecting coastlines from storms and sea level rise.  They're also capturing carbon and helping tiny islands grow.  Mangroves of the Howick Islands in the northern Great Barrier Reef have been mapped for the first time since 1974. The new maps show that the mangrove forests have extended at rates of up to five metres a year, adding over 10,000 tonnes of new biomass.   Watch video, below.

EurekAlert Wildfires, cigarette smoking and vehicles all emit a potentially harmful compound called isocyanic acid. The substance has been linked to several health conditions, including heart disease and cataracts. Scientists investigating sources of the compound have now identified off-road diesel vehicles in oil sands production in Alberta, Canada, as a major contributor to regional levels of the pollutant. Their report appears in ACS' journal  Environmental Science & Technology . Story here.

MOTHER CORP NEWS Silica sand. Photo by  ರವಿಮುಂ Springfield councillor says survey results will be shared with council, provincial election candidates. Widespread opposition persists in southeastern Manitoba to an Alberta-based company's proposed plan to mine for pure silica sand in the rural municipality of Springfield, two local councillors say. Story here.

                                MiningWatch CANADA Last week, the Government of Manitoba released the Critical Minerals Strategy: Driving Sustainable Growth. For years, Manitoba’s environmental community has been raising the alarm about the short and long-term implications of mining on the environment and the health of mining-adjacent communities. There is a need for a more thoughtful and detailed strategy that meaningfully addresses the environmental concerns and interests of the public and Indigenous communities.  DETAILS HERE.