Leftnews.org » Environment

Organic outperforms conventional farming on all counts

Jeff — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:51:36 +0000

By Jane Williams | Rabble.ca | A longitudinal study by the Rodale Institute shows that organic farming can produce yields as high as conventional and in fact does better in some conditions.

Northern Calif. scientists say parasitic fly could explain collapse of honey bee colonies | The Washington Post

Faiz — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 01:29:13 +0000

“The latest study, published Tuesday in the [open access] science journal PLoS ONE, points to the parasitic fly as the new threat to honey bees. It’s another step in ongoing research to find the cause of the disease. Researchers haven’t been able to pin down an exact cause of colony collapse or find a way to prevent it.”

The CBC Radio program – As It Happens – interviewed the lead researcher about this curiosity driven, accidental discovery. Skip forward to the 13:20 mark to have a listen.

Debate Persists on Deadly Flu Made Airborne | The New York Times

Faiz — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 20:45:52 +0000

“Dr. Fouchier’s research group had taken one of the most dangerous flu viruses ever known and made it even more dangerous — by tweaking it genetically to make it more contagious. … The discovery has led advisers to the United States government, which paid for the research, to urge that the details be kept secret and not published in scientific journals to prevent the work from being replicated by terrorists, hostile governments or rogue scientists. … Dr. Fouchier said it would be easier to weaponize other germs. Which ones? He would not answer.”

Canada to withdraw from Kyoto Protocol

Jeff — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 01:18:33 +0000

Canada will formally withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, the minister of the environment has said. | BBC

Less Than Zero: the One Percent, the President, and the Fate of the Earth in Dewey and Durban’s Dark Shadows

Jeff — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 13:03:14 +0000

A lengthy article by Paul Street on climate change, U.S. inaction, and corporate denialism. | Znet

CANADIAN YOUTH EJECTED FROM COP17

Jeff — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:38:15 +0000

Turn their backs on Canadian government during opening speech

Climate summit sees Canadian strike on Kyoto treaty | BBC

Faiz — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 20:45:24 +0000

“[J]ust a few hours after talks began in the Durban conference hall, Canadian environment minister Peter Kent was confirming to reporters in the capital Ottawa that its involvement with Kyoto was over.”

Unravelling Carbon Markets

Jeff — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:52:56 +0000

by Larry Lohmann |The carbon market creates new asset classes (and opportunities for accumulation) at a time of profit crisis. It is part of a ‘new phase of accumulation’ that is also reflected in – to take two other prime examples – the trends in public service commodification described in Ursula Huws’ chapter in this year’s Socialist Register, and the growing global trade in ‘ecosystem services’ generally.

It’s Official. Stephen Harper is Privatizing Our Water

Jeff — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:13:49 +0000

From Nauresistance.org

Fred Magdoff and John Bellamy Foster: A `realistic’ answer to the ecological crisis

Jeff — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:27:34 +0000

By Liam Flenady | Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal | Resolving the ecological crisis is incompatible with capitalism. We must build a movement that works against capitalist logic with the aim to overcoming it in favour of a properly sustainable and egalitarian form of society. This is the contention persuasively presented by Fred Magdoff and John Bellamy Foster in their recently published book What every environmentalist needs to know about capitalism.

South Africa: Power to the people

Jeff — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 13:45:25 +0000

Bobby Peek tells how the struggle for environmental rights is intertwined with the one over access to energy | Red Pepper

Marxism and ecology (video): John Bellamy Foster at Marxism 2011

Jeff — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 09:40:13 +0000

Hydrogen made by enzyme is faster and cheaper

Jeff — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 09:47:39 +0000

By Hamish Pritchard Science Reporter BBC | Scientists have shown how an enzyme from a microbe can produce hydrogen from water more quickly and cheaply.

Facing Up to the Real Cost of Carbon

Jeff — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 09:15:20 +0000

by Frank Ackerman and Elizabeth A. Stanton | “Our research incorporates an up-to-date understanding of climate risk and uncertainty, and finds that the true cost of carbon emissions could be almost $900 per ton today, and more than $1,500 by 2050.”

How Climate Change Became A ‘Liberal Hoax’

Jeff — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:14:24 +0000

Noam Chomsky speaking about how there has been a concerted (and successful) public relations campaign to convince the public that climate change is a liberal hoax

Stiglitz and Austerity: The Evils of Bad Criticism

Jeff — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 15:15:04 +0000

In his misleadingly titled essay “The Evils of Unregulated Capitalism,” Joseph Stiglitz critiques ongoing austerity measures for an incriminating reason: austerity will deprive the U.S. and the E.U. of the “robust growth” that is required for a healthy global economy. Yet, notably, Stiglitz never questions the ruinous consequences or sources of the growth he so heralds. | Joshua Sperber

Japan Reactor-Core Damage Worse Than Thought – Bloomberg

Graham — Thu, 12 May 2011 17:59:46 +0000

–Sounds bad, eh?

Human intelligence and the environment

Jeff — Sat, 07 May 2011 15:05:54 +0000

By Noam Chmsky | International Socialist Review | It may be that intelligence is a kind of lethal mutation. Look at what we are doing to our environment.

How nuclear apologists mislead the world over radiation | Helen Caldicott | Environment | guardian.co.uk

Graham — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:32:59 +0000

–Some information on nuclear issues.

Video: Japan threat level on par with Chernobyl – The Globe and Mail

Graham — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 13:31:05 +0000

–The issues continue.