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Archives for May 2014

The Dark Side of Brazil: Police teargas Indians at anti-World Cup protest

May 30, 2014, www.survivalinternational.org | “Hundreds of Brazilian Indians are protesting against the World Cup this week, marching in the streets of Brasília and around the capital’s Mané Garrincha football stadium, calling for their lands and lives to be protected.”

Robert Brothersposted to‎GoodNews FortheEarth
INDIANS IN BRAZIL PROTEST SPENDING ON THE WORLD CUP GAMES
Millions spent on the world cup that should be spent protecting the Earth and tribal peoples. Hundreds of Brazilian Indians are protesting against the World Cup this week, marching in the streets of Brasília and around the capital’s Mané Garrincha football stadium, calling for their lands and lives to be protected.
For more info, see http://www.survivalinternational.org/news/10258?utm_source=Survival+International&utm_campaign=39b4195472-News_as_it_happens&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_241e47c256-39b4195472-86928917
May 30, 2014 GoodNews FortheEarth on Facebook Leave a Comment
Filed under: Earth Ceremonies, Native Peoples, Native Peoples, Land

Total shelves $11-billion Alberta oil sands mine

May 29, 2014 www.theglobeandmail.com | “The Joslyn oil sands mine has been shelved indefinitely, a result of rising industry costs that made the $11-billion project financially untenable.”

A $11 billion tar sands mine has been cancelled because there weren’t enough pipelines to ship their oil.
Total, the company behind the mine, planned to ship oil through Keystone XL, but without that pipeline and others like it, they had to pull the plug.
There’s much more to do, but this is a sign that yes, we can indeed stop the tar sands
May 29, 2014 GoodNews FortheEarth on Facebook Leave a Comment
Filed under: Business Policy, Climate, Economics, Energy - Polluting, Local Policy, National Policy, Oil

NRC rejects effort to move radwaste from pools; Macfarlane issues strong dissent

May 29, 2014, safeenergy.org | “The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has again sided with the nuclear power industry   (where have you heard that one before?) and rejected efforts by environmental/clean energy groups and five U.S. Senators to move high-level radioactive waste out of overcrowded, dangerous and poorly-protected fuel pools as soon as it is cool enough to be placed in dry casks.”

Robert Brothers shared a link.
NRC Won’t Protect Radwaste. Chair McFarlane Dissents.
safeenergy.org
Allison McFarlane, Chair of Nuclear Regulatory Commission sides with enviros, against her staff’s decision not to better protect Hazardous Radioactive waste.

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May 29, 2014 GoodNews FortheEarth on Facebook Leave a Comment
Filed under: Business Policy, Climate, Economics, Energy - Polluting, Materials, Nuclear

Zebras Surprise Scientists by Breaking Africa’s Migration Record

Zebras Surprise Scientists by Breaking Africa’s Migration RecordMay 29, 2014, www.care2.com | “Scientists have just discovered the longest-known terrestrial migration of mammals in Africa and surprisingly, it’s not in the Serengeti. It’s being completed by a population of zebras who have been traveling between Botswana and Zamibia without anyone noticing.”

Robert Brothers shared a link.
“Zebras migrate 300 miles in 109 million acre protected area
www.care2.com
Scientists have just discovered the longest-known terrestrial migration of mammals in Africa and surprisingly, it’s not in the Serengeti – it’s being completed by a population of zebras who have been traveling between Botswana and Zamibia…”
  • Kevin Village-Stone, and Connie Ashby like this.
May 29, 2014 GoodNews FortheEarth on Facebook Leave a Comment
Filed under: Animals, Animals & Plants

Scientist switches from developing GMOs to breeding organic cotton

Jane Dever, organic cotton breeder at Texas A&M AgriLife Research

May 29, 2014, www.non-gmoreport.com | “It’s rare that a plant breeder goes from developing genetically modified crops at a major biotechnology company to breeding varieties for organic and non-GMO farmers. Jane Dever, associate professor at Texas A&M’s AgriLife Research and Extension Center, is unique in having done just that. As global cotton breeding manager for Bayer CropScience, Dever put GM traits into cotton plants. Now she focuses on keeping GM traits out of organic cotton varieties. ”

Connie Ashby shared a link via Carolyn Heppner.
Scientist switches from developing GMOs to breeding organic cotton
www.non-gmoreport.com
Jane Dever developed GMOs at Bayer CropScience but now breeds organic cotton varieties at Texas A&M University’s…
May 29, 2014 GoodNews FortheEarth on Facebook Leave a Comment
Filed under: GMO Bans, GMO set backs, GMOs

Anti-Wolf Propaganda is Reversed

Kevin Village-Stoneposted to‎GoodNews FortheEarth
Thanks to the efforts of many, a revolting piece of anti-wolf propaganda is now off the air.

More than 80,000 Defenders supporters flooded Animal Planet with letters of outrage at their airing of “Man- Eating Super Wolves.” Posing as a “documentary” the piece makes false and damaging claims about the dangers wolves pose to humans.

At least four re-airings of the show have been pulled from the Animal Planet schedule. In place of a lurid and wildly misleading promo for Man-Eating Super Wolves, Animal Planet’s home page now features a piece called “Ten Reasons to Love Wolves.”

This would not have happened without the incredible support of the Defenders community and others who took the time on a holiday weekend to protest the show.

Thank you for all you do.

Sincerely,
Jamie Rappaport Clark
President

Photo: Thanks to the efforts of many, a revolting piece of anti-wolf propaganda is now off the air. More than 80,000 Defenders supporters flooded Animal Planet with letters of outrage at their airing of “Man- Eating Super Wolves.” Posing as a “documentary” the piece makes false and damaging claims about the dangers wolves pose to humans. At least four re-airings of the show have been pulled from the Animal Planet schedule. In place of a lurid and wildly misleading promo for Man-Eating Super Wolves, Animal Planet’s home page now features a piece called “Ten Reasons to Love Wolves.” This would not have happened without the incredible support of the Defenders community and others who took the time on a holiday weekend to protest the show. Thank you for all you do. Sincerely, Jamie Rappaport Clark President
 
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May 29, 2014 GoodNews FortheEarth on Facebook Leave a Comment
Filed under: Animals, Animals & Plants, Compassionate Actions, Endangered Species

USFS reinstates ATV ban on most roads

May 23, 2014, methowvalleynews.com | “In another policy reversal, the U.S. Forest Service has determined that all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are not permitted on most roads in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest.”

GoodNews FortheEarth shared a link.
“Wildlife like clean air and quiet, without all-terrain vehicles.
There are already plenty of places to drive, and our national forests will be healing for a long time from the clearcutting and roadbuilding spree of the 1970s to 1990s. Take a look with GoogleEarth sometime and you will see how rare areas without roads are.
USFS reinstates ATV ban on most roads | Methow Valley News
methowvalleynews.com
Few roads in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest are open to ATVs, now that the Forest Service has reaffirmed its…”
  • Connie Ashby, Rita Jacinto, Clara Yoshihara, Michelle Matsumoto, and Pamela Benda like this.
May 28, 2014 GoodNews FortheEarth on Facebook Leave a Comment
Filed under: Transportation

Feds Okay $1-Billion Los Angeles River Project

May 28, 2014, www.kcet.org | “The jury is in and the Los Angeles River’s future seems to be bright. After more than six months of intense lobbying by the city, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps) has announced that it will be recommending a more ambitious $1-billion plan to restore an 11-mile stretch of the Los Angeles River from downtown through Elysian Park.”

Heather Louise Parker shared a link.
Plans for revitalizing the LA RIVER move closer to reality! Anyone from LA? We need your signatures to show support…. http://www.lamyor.org/restore_the_la_river?recruiter_id=91995 ARTICLE HERE: http://www.kcet.org/socal/departures/lariver/confluence/arbor-study/feds-okay-1-billion-los-angeles-river-project.html
Office of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti
www.lamayor.org
Show your support for the full implementation of Alternative 20 to restore our Los Angeles River. The US Army Corps has recommended the $1.08 billion dollar plan. Now let’s bring it…
May 28, 2014 GoodNews FortheEarth on Facebook Leave a Comment
Filed under: Pollution, Protection, Restoration, Rivers & Wetlands, Water

China Announces Aggressive Action to Cut HFCs

May 28, 2014, www.enn.com | “China’s announcement follows two HFC agreements President Obama and President Xi negotiated last year, including an agreement to launch formal negotiations to reduce production and consumption of HFCs under the Montreal Protocol.   The 20 largest economies also endorsed phasing down HFCs under the Montreal Protocol last year, leaving accounting and reporting in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.”

GoodNews FortheEarth shared a link
“China Announces Action to Cut HFCs by the equivalent of 0.28 billion tonnes of CO2 by 2015
www.enn.com
The US also is taking strong action to reduce HFCs domestically, as is the EU. HFCs are super greenhouse gases hundreds to thousands of times more potent in their…”
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May 28, 2014 GoodNews FortheEarth on Facebook Leave a Comment
Filed under: Climate, Economics, Energy - Polluting, Energy - Renewable, International Policy, Local Policy, National Policy, Pollution

Rachel Carson: Google Doodle Honors Author of ‘Silent Spring’

Photo: #HappyBirthday biologist and conservationist Rachel Carson, who was born today in 1907! Her book “Silent Spring” helped set in motion the global environmental movement.May 27, 2014, news.nationalgeographic.com | “Tuesday’s Google Doodle honors the 107th birthday of Rachel Carson, the writer and environmentalist who warned of the widespread use of pesticides in her 1962 book Silent Spring.  Carson’s landmark book documented the dramatic impact of human-produced chemicals on the natural world and is widely credited with launching the modern-day environmental movement.”

Donna Benjamin shared National Women’s History Museum‘s photo.
Let’s keep her legacy alive…
#HappyBirthday biologist and conservationist Rachel Carson, who was born today in 1907! Her book “Silent Spring” helped set in motion the global environmental movement.
May 27, 2014 GoodNews FortheEarth on Facebook Leave a Comment
Filed under: Climate, Outdoor Programs, People, Profiles, Pesticides