GreenWatch

B. McPherson This video is quite long, but it is a real eye opener about "organic prawns" The Blue Revolution is the set of lies told to the public about the sustainability of fish farming. It includes fables about the farming of shrimp and prawns as well. Industrialists that own the “farms” have been tireless in repeating the story. The open net fish farming industry has shown how disease is concentrated in the feed lot of the nets. Waste from the fish drops to the ocean floor and contributes to pollution. The overcrowded conditions require the heavy use of antibiotics to keep disease at bay. And often, that is not enough. Currently, on the west coast of British Columbia, millions of farmed Atlantic salmon have been killed because they are infected with a deadly virus. They promised us cheap fish if we accepted the farm leases in our clean coastal waters. Ever wonder what those farmed fish eat? They eat wild fish. Not salmon. The industry would claim...

B.McPherson This may be evidence of climate change or it may be a periodic disaster. Either way it hits the consumer and producer hard. The US Mid-West is facing its worst drought in 56 years and it is having a major impact on the soybean and corn yields.  The American Mid-West is the world’s largest supplier of corn and a leading supplier of soybeans. Both have been hit hard by the lack of rain this summer. Iowa has been the hardest hit of the states under extreme drought conditions. They share that unfortunate designation with Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and Indiana. Currently 35 states have counties that have been declared disaster areas. The corn and soybean futures have reached record high prices. The ripples from the failed crops will spread across N.America and also to the hungry in foreign countries. Corn and its processed products are found in much of the processed foods in the supermarkets. Corn is the principle food for feed lot cattle. The Ameri...

This was sent to me without attribution, but I thought it was too good to not post. Thank you to the wag who composed this. The only thing missing here are the Keystone Kops. Subject: We'll Fix That Right Away (Enbridge's famous words!)

B. McPherson Ordinary people are out of their homes and businesses are shut down. Who is responsible? Where is the radiation coming from? It the butane storage compromised? Grand Bayou, Louisiana is home to a brand new salty, murky lake. No one wants to take responsibility for the enormous sinkhole that has swallowed 100 foot long cypress trees. Bubbles have marred the surface of the bayou since May, but no answers came from the environmental investigations. Now there is diesel floating on the surface of the salty water. Natural gas pipelines cross this area, but the gas companies have had divers checking the pipes since bubbles were reported and they were intact.  Eyes have now turned to the Texas Brine Company which mines brine from a large underground salt dome. They use the sodium chloride for industrial purposes. The brine company has been ordered to drill an exploratory well to see if their brine claim has been compromised. Their estimate of time it will take –...

B. McPherson Changing weather patterns around the world are causing droughts and crop failures. The American mid-west which produces more corn and soy than any other country is facing the worst drought in 56 years. While the harvest isn’t in in the US, estimates are that it will be about 30% lower than usual. Already those bidding on corn commodities have pushed the price up by about 50%. Wheat crops in Canada are about normal with adequate rainfall in most areas except the Peace River area in the north which is dry. Drought in the Ukraine, Russia and Kazakhstan has curtailed grain in those countries. Argentina and Brazil are both experiencing drought conditions. India had disappointing rain yield from their monsoon season. The global food harvest may be as poor as 2008 when hunger drove many to agitate for subsidized food supplies. India curtailed the export of their lower grades of rice so that supplies could be available to their own residents. This year th...

These photos were taken July 2012 in the historic Turner Valley, Alberta B. McPherson Controversy over new oil pipelines is reaching boiling point in many circles. Heated debate is taking place over the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway and Keystone Pipeline proposals. Safety, disruption to landowners  and more are being weighed against the money to be made transporting and selling petroleum products. It got me thinking about the old pipelines. What happens to a pipeline when it is too old to use or not needed? It’s a bit of an Alice in Wonderland scene. The US laws and regulations are different from ours in Canada. The Pipeline and Gas Journal is a source of information about abandoned pipelines in Texas. Apparently a pipeline in Texas may be abandoned by a company, but it still retains ownership and may choose to reactivate the line at a later date. In the meantime, the right of way or easement is no longer maintained, but the through which the pipe extends is not ...

B. McPherson While Enbridge would like you to believe little damage was done at its oil leak in Grand Marsh, the evidence points to  far greater environmental damage. Light, toxic oil, kills. Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore speaking on a Vancouver Talk Show(CKNW), expressed his doubts about the sincerity of Enbridge’s commitment to safety. While the company was trying to “sell” the idea of the twinned Northern Gateway Pipeline to the public, they stated that they had learned much from the past and were committed to all the best safety measures. As opposition to the proposed Oil Sands pipeline mounted and finally the British Columbia Primier Christie Clark joined the majority, Enbridge has made an announcement that they would spend a further $500 million to beef up safety. This left even a federal minister wondering about why the commitment wasn’t made in the first place. “This project will not survive scrutiny unless Enbridge takes far more seriously their obliga...