The Conscious EarthThe Conscious EarthEarth-centred news for the health of air, water, habitat and the fight against global warming Articles
Ambrose Dividing Canada Over Kyoto
2006-12-22 15:13:01 In the latest spin effort by the two time defending Fossil of the Day award winner, Cana dian Environment Minister Rona Ambrose used her speech at the UN Climate Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, to try to convince the world that Kyoto is being used by opposition parties to divide Canada .Ms Ambrose cites the Tory Clean Air Act - legislation so thoroughly criticized by Canadian media and opposition parties that she can no longer talk about it in her own country - as proof of the Conservative's commitment.Fortunately, the international community is not buying her line any more than Canadians are. French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin responded to Canadian inaction by urging the European Union to impose a punitive import tax on goods from countries such as Canada that refuse to sign on to a tougher second phase of the global warming deal. Dominique de Villepin said countries that do not commit to new targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions should not be allowed to benefit by avoidi... More About: Nada , Rose , Over
Sign the "Millions Against Monsanto" Petition
2006-12-22 15:13:01 Monsanto has reaped enormous profits from selling products that harm the environment and risk human health. Now the Organic Consumers Association has launched the Millions Again st Monsanto campaign. You can help make their goal of 1,000,000 signatures a success by adding your name to the petition. In the 1960s, Monsanto supplied millions of gallons of Agent Orange to the US military effort in Vietnam causing massive health impacts and over 150,000 birth defects. More recently, they have used the courts to bully farmers and to oppose citizen's rights to protect themselves against the dangerous effects of pesticides. A few of their products and actions include:Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) - rBGH is banned in Canada but used through the US. It causes severe suffering in cows while creating a risk of breast and colon cancer in people.Pesticides: Monsanto has consistently opposed the efforts of Canadian municipalities to restrict the use of pesticides in their communities, despit... More About: Lion , Petition , Monsanto , Sign
Green Sell Out Attacks Activist
2006-12-19 15:12:01 Patrick Moore, one time co-founder of Green peace but now an anti-green spin campaigner, is attacking one of fish farming's most dedicated and credible researchers.Biologist Alexandra Morton has been testing and reporting on the impact of sea lice on the pink and chum salmon runs in the Broughton Archipelago for over five years. Her findings have been consistently proved by independent scientists, and this month her work was given further backing. New research shows that the wild salmon population is being devastated by sea lice from fish farms, with 95 per cent of young wild salmon that migrate out to sea dieing after swimming through lice plumes from infected farms.Unfortunately, like global warming, the potential for profits have drawn a host of PR professionals who are only too willing wade into the fish farming front lines with half-truths and attack campaigns.Enter Patrick Moore, who has forged his new career by leveraging whatever remians of his green reputation for the ben... More About: Sell , Attacks , Tacks , Attack
Australian Court Blocks Coal Mine on Climate Grounds
2006-12-19 15:12:01 This is a story dating from a couple weeks ago but well worth bringing to attention.A court in New South Wales Australia , has ruled that a proposed coal mine must take into account its impact on climate change in its environmental assessment before being allowed to go forward. The ruling could impact a wide range of Australia's mining, energy and manufacturing industries, as well offer a lesson to Canadian business leaders.The ruling occurred despite the fact that Australia has not ratified Kyoto, and was made on the strength of Australia's existing public interest laws - something that will become an increasing factor as evidence grows about the harmful human impacts of unchecked global warming. Such precedents have already occurred here in Canada as well.Three years ago BC Hydro planned to build the GSX pipeline, an underwater natural gas supply line to run along the floor of the Georgia Strait to Vancouver Island where it would fuel gas powered electricity generation. A fede... More About: Coal Mine , Climate , Ground , Australian
Harper Plans Green Sham III
2006-12-16 15:10:11 After a year of a environmental hype followed by September's announcement of a oil friendly, non-action "approach" to the environment, Stephen Harp er is planning to reshuffle cabinet in a renewed pitch to paint the Tories as a viable green option.One of the first changes is expected to be a major reshuffling of the cabinet starting with the ousting of Environment Minister Rona Ambrose. In less than a year of heading the Harpe r government's environmental portfolio, Ambrose has been targeted in three separate lawsuits for failing at-risk species, failed to sell Harper's Clean Air Act to voters, and has made Canada a laughing stock on the international stage for actively opposing action on global warming. But I thought the Chronicle said it best:Ambrose is generally thought to have been ineffective in flogging the Conservatives? clean air plan.But more to the point, she's been ineffective in guiding policy in the wake of a renaissance of environmental awareness.With Dion casting ... More About: Green , Plans , Plan
So Called PM Tackles Perceived Threat to His Job
2006-12-16 15:10:11 The clip says it all. Without further adieu, the visionary environmental platform of Stephen Harper.Source: Cherniak on Politics More About: Call , Calle , Threat
Three Gorges Drives Dolphin to Extinction
2006-12-16 15:10:11 The Baiji, the rare freshwater dolphin of China's Yangtze River, has been declared extinct after a six week expedition failed to find any remaining signs of the species.The dolphin had existed for 20 million years but was pushed to extinction in recent decades through habitat degradation, increased shipping traffic, pollution, over-fishing and ecosystem impacts of the Three Gorge s dam project further up river."The baiji is functionally extinct. We might have missed one or two animals but it won't survive in the wild," said August Pfluger, a Swiss naturalist involved in the expedition. "We are all incredibly sad."The loss represents the first time in decades that the world has lost a first large aquatic mammal to extinction. The last was over half a century ago when the Caribbean monk seal was killed off by hunting and over-fishing. More About: Drive , Dolphin , Extinct , Extinction
Toronto to Recycle 70% of All Garbage
2006-12-13 15:08:06 Mayor David Miller of Toronto has unveiled bold new recycling and air quality targets that would divert 70% of the all city garbage away from landfills by 2010, and reduce smog causing pollutants by 20% over the next six years. He has also announced his intention to develop a comprehensive plan to reduce greenhouse gases in the city. Details of the plan include:expanding the green bin program to include apartments and condominiums.adding to waste allowed in recycling boxes.enlarging blue boxes to make recycling easier.building a composting plant.developing incentives to encourage the construction of "green" buildings.building community recycling centres for reusable goods such as mattresses or electronic components.Potential "congestion" fees on vehicles entering the downtown core like those implemented in London, England.Currently about 40% of the city's garbage is being diverted from landfills. More About: Cycle , Garbage , Recycle
Host "An Incovenient Truth" House Party
2006-12-13 15:08:06 On December 16th, Al Gore and the team behind An Inconvenient Truth are asking the public to host a viewing of the DVD at their homes and then join a national conference call with the former VP where he will be discussing global warming solutions and taking online questions.At the time of this post 1601 groups had signed up for the event. To host your own party visit algore.com and register. You can also visit the site to search for parties in your area.WHAT: Host or join a house party to watch An Inconvenient Truth, then join in a conference call with Al Gore, who will talk about the film and take questions live online. WHEN: Saturday, December 16th, 7PM Eastern HOW: Go to http://www.algore.com/ to sign up. More About: House , Party , Part
Ambrose Demands Audit of Dead Programs
2006-12-13 15:08:06 In colossal waste of tax payer dollars - and another clear signal that the Tories intend to do nothing to curb greenhouse gas emissions - Federal Environment Minister Rona Ambrose has asked the Audi tor General to review the Liberal climate change initiatives that her Conservative Party has already cancelled.The Minister made the announcement before the Commons environment committee, where she faced criticism for providing conflicting statements concerning the previous Liberal government and federal climate programs. Included among these was a statement that the Liberal's wasted $100 million on international emissions credits and then later backtracking saying that no credits have been purchased. She was also accused of ignoring an internal assessment by Natural Resources Canada indicating that the Liberal climate change initiatives were in fact working.The news confirms a Conservative government that is staunchly opposed to addressing global warming, while brazenly providing false... More About: Demands , Programs , Rose , Prog
Elk Return to BC's Lower Mainland
2006-12-13 15:08:06 Elk are alive and well in the Lower Main land of BC for the first time in a century, following the transplanting of two separate populations two years ago, the BC Ministry of Environment is reporting.Roosevelt elk introduced at Pitt River have multiplied from a herd of 23 animals to 40 in just two years, while a second herd at the top of Indian Arm has grown from 20 to 27 animals in a single season. Conservation officers are pleased with the success and now want to explore the possibility of reintroducing elk this winter in the Ashlu Creek/Elaho River area of the Squamish watershed, and to upper Stave Lake north of Mission.Subsistence hunting led to the disappearance of elk from the Lower Mainland in 1900. More About: Land , Return , Turn
BC Accepts Four Bids for Park Development
2006-12-13 15:08:06 In July, the BC Liberals announced its intention to accept development applications for permanent lodges and other infrastructure inside 12 Provincial Park s. They have now received applications for developments in four parks - Mount Robson, Elk Lakes, Maxhamish Lake and Cape Scott.Details about the nature of the development have been difficult to come by. However, the Western Canada Wilderness Committee is reporting that the development in Maxhamish Lake will be a privately developed fly-in fishing lodge.To date, 13 conservation groups including the The B.C. Wildlife Federation, which represents about 30,000 hunters and anglers in the province, have joined in condemning the Liberals policy. More About: Development , Men , Four , Develop
Green Party Enviro Platform
2006-12-13 15:08:06 This week, Elizabeth May and the Federal Green Part y announced their environmental platform. Titled GP2 (read GP squared) the plan provides sharp focus and action items on climate, air and water quality, reductions in toxic chemicals, bolstering our national parks and boosting Ottawa's scientific capacity.A major focus of the platform is their climate change plan. Echoing Al Gore's proposal in his NYU speech last week, the Green's propose a tax shifting program that would see personal income taxes drop while taxes on carbon producing industries and activities are ramped up. The resulting tax burden would be neutral. The result is a progressive platform that avoids the socialist trappings that the NDP remains embroiled in.The plan also addresses one of my lingering doubts about Ms. May's leadership, namely, her ties to Brain Mulroney. In addition to her past political dealing with Mulroney, May Prior to becoming leader of the Greens Elizabeth May played a significant role in... More About: Plat , Form
NSTA's Truth is Full of Holes
2006-12-10 15:06:05 The incriminating evidence regarding the National Science Teachers Association's relationship with big oil, and their refusal of 50,000 free copies of An Inconvenient Truth , is mounting in the face of public pressure and media scrutiny.In an impeccably cited article at the Huffington Post, Laurie David, author of the op-ed that began the scandal, outlines new information about the NSTA, their Executive Director Gerald Wheeler, and the organizations relationship to big oil. Among the new evidence coming to light is:1. Despite the fact that the NSTA said their 2001 policy prohibits them from distributing An Inconvenient Truth to its members, in 2003 they shipped 20,000 copies of a 10 part video funded by oil giant ConocoPhillips.2. In a clear conflict of interest, the NSTA's Gerald Wheeler is listed as the Executive Producer of the ConocoPhillips film.3. The NSTA has recently pulled online content from their website demonstrating partnerships with the American Petroleum Institute a... More About: Full , Hole , Holes , Ruth
Responsible Tar Sands Time Has Come
2006-12-10 15:06:05 Stéphane Dion has an eye towards ending the perverse subsidization of Alberta's tar sands industry. The industry has been benefiting from tax breaks and subsidies totaling $1.4 billion throughout booming crude oil prices and record corporate profits, but Dion's energy and climate change plan would change this by allowing the tax breaks to continue only if tar sands projects go carbon neutral.Dion proposes linking tax breaks to greenhouse-gas emissions and water usage. Those projects that demonstrate they are ?carbon neutral and/or provide significant water usage improvements...based on third-party verification? would retain the 100-percent capital-cost allowance. Others would not qualify.The move would be both timely and visionary while offering the business community an opportunity to become world leaders in solving global warming. A recent report from the Pembina Institute, a not-for-profit environmental research organization, places the cost of making tar sands operations ca... More About: Time , Sand , Come , Sands
One Step Forward, Two Steps Back for Amazon
2006-12-10 15:06:05 This week's widely published good news from the environmental front lines was the Brazilian state of Pará's decision to protect 15 million hectares (an area the size of Illinois) of the Northern Amazon . What was less intensively covered was a report from Peru revealing that their government has now signed away more than 39 million hectares of their remaining Amazon to oil and gas interests - an area equal to the size of California.Until recently, Peruvian petroleum projects were resulting in massive quantities of contaminated wastewater, totaling 1 million barrels per day, being dumped directly into local rivers. Protests by aboriginal groups ended with new agreements to inject the contaminated water back underground as oil is extracted, but the threats to the water system continue.Of the 39 active operations currently underway, all but 8 were launched in past three years. That rate of expansion is expected to continue, and will inevitably cause more water diversions, greater de... More About: War , Back , Step , Ward
California Heat a Case Study in Un-Sustainability
2006-12-10 15:06:05 California continues to be held in the grips of a devastating heat wave. For ten straight days temperatures have soared above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, with the heat related death toll now up to 38.Adding to this is the continued failure of the state's power system, with blackouts affecting 50,000 homes and businesses on Tuesday, down from 1,000,000 over the weekend.Alongside the human strain are the rotting carcasses of thousands of dead cattle that have also succumbed to the record breaking heat, most of which remain decomposing in the fields because disposal facilities are overwhelmed by the volume of remains that need to be processed.The story is similar throughout Europe where 40 have died in the past two weeks, and continued high temperatures are straining both power supplies and crops. Nuclear power stations in France and Spain have been forced to cut back production because river water normally used to cool reactors is now too warm, and low water levels in the Po River have ... More About: California , Study , Heat , Sustainability , Cali
California Ponders Historic Restoration
2006-12-10 15:06:05 The Hetch Hetchy valley, which in the eyes of many rivals Yosemite in sheer drama and beauty, was flooded in the 1920s to supply water and power to Cali fornia residents. Now environmentalists are bolstered by a recently released government report stating that the restoration of the valley would be both viable and potentially desirable.The dismantling of the dam in Hetch Hetchy would represent a symbolic act of renewal while providing an invaluable learning opportunity to test best practices for environmental reclamation in a living, breathing laboratory.At the moment we really don't know what exactly will work best unless we give it a go,' said Joy Zedler, an ecologist at the University of Wisconsin, who has created a phased restoration plan. Scientists hope to learn much about how to restore a landscape from what is likely to be little more than a moonscape of mud when first revealed. That knowledge will boost reclamation projects around the world. Zedler believes they will amas... More About: Historic , Pond , Stor
British Government Tables New Climate Bill
2006-12-10 15:06:05 Bowing to pressure from opposition parties and environmental campaigners, the British government will table a new long-term climate change bill for inclusion in next month's Queen's speech. Despite the new initiative, green campaigners remain critical as the new bill is not expected to include the legally binding reduction targets they have been pushing for. Instead of the mandatory annual decreases in greenhouse gases of 3% that are being called for, the bill is expected to set specific targets for each decade - a move consistent with other European Union targets. Ideally, there is probably a happy middle ground to be found. Legally binding annual cuts in greenhouse gases are undesirable for the same reason balanced budget legislation is a poor fiscal policy. They unduly restrict the responsiveness of governments to unforeseen needs and emergencies. Unexpected events do and will occur and can often push a nation into debt for a given year, whether that debt is measured in dol... More About: Government , Climate , Tables , Men
Ta Da! Tory Clean Air Plan Unveiled
2006-12-07 03:04:01 And it's a complete crock. As predicted by the Conscious Earth and throughout the media and environmental community for months, the Clean Air Act has proved to be nothing but hot air and offers no results for decades and no plan on how to achieve any. Instead of action, the Tories plan approach will tie Canada lockstep to the world's worst polluter and climate destroyer while offering no progress in addressing global warming.The intention will be to synchronize Canadian regulations with those of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.That was the message from Rona Ambrose and the Federal Tories today. In summary, emissions will steadily increase until intensity based targets go into effect in 2010, at which point emissions will continue to increase as soaring oil and gas production wipes out whatever efficiency gains are actually put in place. No plan on decreasing smog nor greenhouse gases was given. Today's announcement instead promises to "seek" reductions, but not until... More About: Lean , Plan , Tory , Veil
ScottishPower Will Pay for Students to See the "Truth"
2006-12-07 03:04:01 In an interesting follow-up to last weeks news of the National Science Teachers Association's rejection of 50,000 free copies of An Inconvenient Truth , Scott ishPower , a major windfarm developer and operator of a coal fired power plant, has stated that they are "prepared to commit tens of thousands of pounds" towards ensuring every student in Scotland sees the film.Granted, a windfarm developer obviously stands to gain from more climate friendly policy, but that ignores the fact that they stand to be liable for the greenhouse gases produced at their coal fired power plant. That aside, the most interesting part of the story is the response from Scotland's school system and government who, unlike the NSTA, is endorsing and seeking to support the initiative."The film certainly puts across a view about how the environment could be affected in the coming years, and climate change is something that is already being looked at in many areas of the curriculum." - David Eaglesham, general-s... More About: Student , Students
Lead Free Plasma TVs from Panasonic
2006-12-06 03:03:01 Panasonic has become the first plasma TV manufacturer in the US market to feature lead-free plasma display panels.Leveraging a new technology that eliminates the need for lead oxide glass, the electronics giant reports that they have been able to remove all of the roughly 70 grams of lead that go into the manufacture of a typical 37" screen. Spread across their production line, the new screens will result in the worldwide reduction of close to 300 metric tons of lead ? the approximate weight of two 747 commercial airliners - each year.The announcement was praised by The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), with their senior scientist, Noah Horowitz, stating ?NRDC is very supportive of Panasonic?s longstanding record of consistently delivering some of the most environmentally friendly products in the market. Panasonic?s leadership in this area is noteworthy and we challenge the rest of the TV industry to implement similar improvements to their products.?For those purchasing a ... More About: Plasma , Sonic , Free , Panasonic , Lead
Al Gore on Oprah Today
2006-12-06 03:03:01 For those who can catch it today, Al Gore will be on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Visit Oprah's site for a video preview as well as tips you can bring into your own home to help stop global warming. You can also check your local listings for show times here. More About: Today
UN to Set Post Kyoto Cuts in 2008
2006-12-06 03:03:01 Delegates at the international conference on climate change have agreed to set a timetable to cut greenhouse gas emissions after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012 during meetings in 2008 . The announcement came on the last day of the two week conference in Nairobi, Kenya. Among the provisions for the timetalbe is an agreement not to force mandatory cuts in the greenhouse gas emissions of developing nations like China - a move that is fair will likely cause continued resistance from President Bush in cutting US emissions. More About: Post , Cuts
Values Hoist Dion to Victory
2006-12-06 03:03:01 On Saturday, Stéphane Dion became the unlikely winner of a Liberal leadership race where youth and a progressive new vision took centre stage over old school Liberal cronyism.That assessment may seem both lofty and harsh, but the uncomfortable truth facing both Michael Ignatieff and Bob Rae is that they surrendered early leads with both the public and Liberal party members because they sacrificed their campaign?s early message of renewal and change by revealing themselves to be more interested in Liberal power than a change in the status quo.Meanwhile, the Liberal machinery did its work as it has for decades as the establishment lined its support behind the two front runners. But with typical Liberal arrogance, everyone ignored the fact that Dion and Kennedy carried more combined support than either one of the front runners, and baselessly assumed that the votes from the third and fourth place candidates would spill upward into their camp. When Gerard Kennedy emerged to throw his ... More About: Victory , Values , Value , Victor , Tory
Al Gore in the Conservative Crosshairs
2006-12-06 03:03:01 Proving their deftness with manipulation and hypocrisy, the Conservative propoganda machine is continuing to fire on all cylinders in its relentless and manufactured assualt on Al Gore and the movie that has catapulted global warming into the forefront of human awareness.In a USA Today column widely cited by conservative websites and blogs, Peter Schweizer compiles a largely distorted and baseless assualt on the credibility of Al Gore. Rather than recognizing the success of his impact on the global warming debate, and his personal leadership in embracing a carbon neutral lifestyle, Mr. Schweizer instead attempts to paint Mr. Gore as an environmental hypocrit by focusing on three irrelevant details of his personal consumption habits and the peripheral environmental impacts of his business and investments. As with most right wing smear efforts, the article entirely misses the point. Al Gore is championing action against global warming, not recycling, not sustainable mining, and not ... More About: Cross , Hair
Refuting Global Warming "Skeptics"
2006-12-06 03:03:01 As the months go on the idea that their exists "doubt" about the scientific consensus on the reality of global warming continues to surface. That was most recently seen on The Conscious Earth in a small handful of comments in the post "An Inconvenient Truth Squeezed from Classrooms".If there is such thing as a credible global warming skeptic, they would need to meaningfully confront two powerful facts before their opinions can be taken seriously:1) That a comprehensive review of all peer reviewed scientific studies through the past decade found every one of them confirmed that global warming is occuring and human made greenhouse gases are to blame. And,2) That despite overwhelming scientific consensus, more than half of all news media articles surveyed give as much support to climate change 'skeptics' as they do to sound climate science. This represents both the widespread corruption of our news media, and dismal level of critical thinking in our public discourse. Both will nee... More About: Global Warming , Skeptic , War , Global , Skeptics
Native Loggers Threaten Clayoquot Sound
2006-12-06 03:03:01 Seven years after the old growth forests of Clay oquot Sound were protected and internationally recognized as a UN Biosphere Reserve, the deal that guaranteed its future has been swept aside to allow the logging of 90,000 hectares in eight valleys.Perhaps most disturbingly, the company set to log the area is a native controlled business that was set up following the Clayoquot deal to act as stewards of the Biosphere - Iisaak Forest Resources....that memorandum -- which gained the logging company unprecedented environmental endorsement in return for agreeing not to log untouched watersheds -- appears now to be in dispute.Key environmental officials who negotiated the memorandum said yesterday they were shocked to learn that a planning body, the Clayoquot Sound Central Region Board, has approved plans to log more than 90,000 hectares in eight valleys. The plans open the way for logging in Ursus Valley, Clayoquot River Valley and other watersheds, where up to 60 per cent of the timber ... More About: Logger , Threat , Native
VoW: Australia Builds 1,600 ft. Solar Tower
2006-12-06 03:03:01 Video of the Week - Australia n power company EnviroMission, is set to become the world's leader in renewable energy technology through their proposed Solar Tower project - a $225 million green power experiment to construct a 1,600 foot tower with enough generating capacity to fuel 100,000 homes.Instead of relying on solar cells, the tower acts like a giant greenhouse. The sun's energy is harnessed to create warm air currents that will drive a series of power generating turbines inside the tower. Located under the glaring sun of the Australian outback, the 50 megawatt pilot project will stand taller than Chicago's Sears Tower and sit 260 feet in diameter at the base. The capacity for the technology is far greater though, and has gained the attention of Chinese investors.In 2002, Xiang Jiang Industrial became EnviroMission's second largest shareholder and plans to build a 200 megawatt tower in Shanghai, China.Below is the demo video for the project. More About: Stra , Build
Stop North American Deep Integration
More articles from this author:2006-12-06 03:03:01 Update 9:57pm: Thanks to Berlynn for tracking down the link to the Crag & Canyon Article. Click here to view.Major media outlets continue to ignore the ongoing plans for the deep integration of North America n economies, currency and security, despite widely available information on the secret meeting of leading government officials, corporations and military agencies earlier in the month in Banff, Alberta, attended by Donald Rumsfeld.Mysteriously, (or perhaps predictably), the single North America n news source that originally covered the event, the Banff Crag & Canyon, seems to have pulled their story offline.Closed door meetings on deep integration pose a huge risk to national independence and progressive values. It will fall to the online and blogging community to drive the debate and stand up for the rights of citizen's - from Canada, Mexico and the United States - who wish to preserve our rights to democracy and sovereignty, who oppose the deep integration of our three nations,... More About: Integration , American 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
|
 |
|
 |
