Link: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/06-0

Patenting seeds has led to a farming and food crisis - and huge profits for US biotechnology corporations.Corporations defined a problem - and for them the problem was farmers saving seeds. They offered a solution, and the solution was to make it illegal for farmers to save seed - by introducing patents and intellectual property rights [PDF] on those very seeds. As a result, acreage under GM corn, soya, canola, cotton has increased dramatically.

Link: http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/29-2

It could be much more difficult than we thought to feed everyone in a warmer world.A study released Sunday afternoon finds that wheat crop yields could plunge due, in part, to climate change. Extreme temperatures are already cutting wheat yields in India (Narinder Nanu/AFP) The study, published in Nature Climate Change, researchers warn that current projections underestimate the extent to which hotter weather in the future will accelerate this process. Extreme heat causes wheat crops to age faster and reduce yields, the Stanford University-led study shows, underscoring the challenge of feeding a rapidly growing population as the world continues to warm.

Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/sun-shoots-a-fastball-at-earth-but-minimal-impact-expected-on-satellites-power-grid/2012/01/20/gIQA5KiBEQ_story.html

A huge sunspot unleashed a blob of charged plasma Thursday that space weather watchers predict will blast past the Earth on Sunday. Satellite operators and power companies are keeping a close eye on the incoming cloud, which could distort the Earth’s magnetic field and disrupt radio communications, especially at higher latitudes.

Link: http://www.disinfo.com/2011/12/monsantos-gm-corn-linked-to-organ-failure/

In a study released by the International Journal of Biological Sciences, analyzing the effects of genetically modified foods on mammalian health, researchers found that agricultural giant Monsanto’s GM corn is linked to organ damage in rats.

Link: http://www.alternet.org/vision/153547/if_corporations_have_rights_like_people%2C_shouldn%27t_animals/

In a nation where corporations are people and others want fetuses to be, a core of philosophers and attorneys are trying develop laws to declare animals “legal persons.” On December 19, 1994, animal protection lawyer Steven Wise — a deeply patient man — was frustrated. A decade into his 25-year plan to upend the fundamental legal principle that animals are property or “things” with no more rights than a table or bicycle, he was barely making a dent.

Link: http://www.alternet.org/food/152848/worst_food_additive_ever_it%27s_in_half_of_all_foods_we_eat_and_its_production_destroys_rainforests_and_enslaves_children/

The production of this ingredient causes jaw-dropping amounts of deforestation (and with it, carbon emissions) and human rights abuses. On August 10, police and security for the massive palm oil corporation Wilmar International (of which Archer Daniels Midland is the second largest shareholder) stormed a small, indigenous village on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. They came with bulldozers and guns, destroying up to 70 homes, evicting 82 families, and arresting 18 people. Then they blockaded the village, keeping the villagers in -- and journalists out. (Wilmar claims it has done no wrong.)

Link: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/10/06-6

Monsanto and Food Inc.’s stranglehold over the nation’s food and farming system is about to be challenged in a food fight that will largely determine the future of American agriculture.

Link: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2011/08/201182319543486546.html

Quake measuring 5.9 triggers flight disruptions and mass evacuations but spares east coast of major damage. An earthquake has hit United States' east coast, and was felt as far away as Canada, shaking buildings, delaying flights, and sending thousands of frightened workers into the streets. There have been no reports of any major damage or injuries from the earthquake, which measured 5.9 on the Richter scale. The US Geological Survey said the epi-centre of the quake was in Mineral, Virginia, at a very shallow depth of 1km.

Link: http://www.alternet.org/environment/151886/we%27ve_entered_the_age_of_mass_extinction%3A_goodbye_fish_and_a_whole_lot_more/

Mass extinction is finally fighting its way back into the news cycle, thanks to recent scary reports on climate change from the International Programme on the State of the Ocean, the United Nations Environment Program and the July issue of Science. But University of Washington paleontologist Peter Ward has been there, done that, and he's still depressed as hell.

Link: http://blogs.aljazeera.net/americas/2011/08/08/vulnerability-indigenous-tribes-brazil

According to workers at the Brazilian government-run national Indian foundation, FUNAI, late last week a group of men from a paramilitary faction from Peru, armed with rifles and machine guns, entered Brazilian territory and encircled a remote jungle guard post used by FUNAI researchers to study and protect isolated indigenous tribes near the border with Peru. The incident happened at a FUNAI post known as Xinane, a very remote monitoring location in Brazil's Acre state that serves as a small, five-person research base for the study and protection of isolated indigenous tribes in the region.

Link: http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/part-humanpart-animal-hybrid-monsters-are-being-created-by-scientists-all-over-the-planet

Crazed scientists all over the globe are "playing god" with the very building blocks of life. Today, thanks to extraordinary advances in the field of genetic modification, scientists are now able to do things that were once unthinkable. Part human/part animal hybrid monsters are being created by scientists all over the planet and it is all perfectly legal.

Link: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/07/09-3

Our protests stopped David Cameron handing UK forests over to corporations. Now the rainforests are being handed to management consultants.

Link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2009820/Elk-safety-Zoo-keepers-stunned-moose-rescues-drowning-marmot-watery-death.html

Keepers at Pocatello Zoo, Idaho, were worried when they noticed Shooter, a four-year-old elk, acting strangely at his water trough. Baffled, they watched as the animal - who is so massive some keepers are afraid to even enter his enclosure - tried to dip his hooves into his drinking trough, before attempting to dunk his whole head in the water. But they were amazed as 10ft tall Shooter lifted his head from the trough clutching a tiny marmot - a kind of large squirrel - between his jaws.

Link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-13657187

A chain of volcanoes has erupted in southern Chile, forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents. Large columns of smoke have been rising from the Puyehue-Cordon-Caulle volcano range, about 800km (500 miles) south of the capital, Santiago. Witnesses also reported a strong smell of ash and sulphur. A dozen small earthquakes were recorded before the eruption began. The officials have issued a red alert - the maximum warning level for the area. Evacuation orders were issued for some 3,500 people, the local authorities said.

Link: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/04/22-9

It is time to apply the standard of patriotism to the U.S. multinational corporations and demand that they pledge allegiance to the United States and “the Republic for which is stands…. with liberty and justice for all.” This July 4, 2011 would be a good day for Americans to demand such a corporate commitment.

Link: http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=55259

Military debris dumped into the world’s oceans are hazardous to coral ecosystems, reefs, fish and marine wildlife, say experts, who also warn - in light of the recent tragedy in Japan - that earthquakes and tsunamis could disturb this debris and even wash it ashore.

Link: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article27836.htm

Japan's disaster and the global recession provide stark lessons on societies' failure to manage risks, economist says. The consequences of the Japanese earthquake - especially the ongoing crisis at the Fukushima nuclear power plant - resonate grimly for observers of the American financial crash that precipitated the Great Recession. Both events provide stark lessons about risks, and about how badly markets and societies can manage them.

Link: http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/04/06-6

By sealing up cells full of contaminated pollen, bees appear to be attempting to protect the rest of the hive. Honeybees are taking emergency measures to protect their hives from pesticides, in an extraordinary example of the natural world adapting swiftly to our depredations, according to a prominent bee expert.

Link: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/03/19-0

by Ralph Nader The unfolding multiple nuclear reactor catastrophe in Japan is prompting overdue attention to the 104 nuclear plants in the United States—many of them aging, many of them near earthquake faults, some on the west coast exposed to potential tsunamis. Nuclear power plants boil water to produce steam to turn turbines that generate electricity. Nuclear power’s overly complex fuel cycle begins with uranium mines and ends with deadly radioactive wastes for which there still are no permanent storage facilities to contain them for tens of thousands of years.

Link: http://www.survivalinternational.org/news/7092

30,000 Amazon Indians were enslaved, tortured, raped and starved in just 12 years during the rubber boom, according to a historic report submitted by Irish investigator Roger Casement, 100 years ago today. Agents of the company rounded up dozens of Indian tribes in the western Amazon to collect wild rubber for the European and American markets. In a few short decades many of the tribes were completely wiped out. Much of the detail of this horrific episode has been forgotten, but for the descendants of the rubber boom survivors, the reality of the continuing ‘rainforest harvest’ is impossible to ignore. 
The uncontacted Indians seen in stunning new footage last month are likely to be descended from rubber boom survivors, whilst nearby another ‘rainforest harvest’ is being played out on uncontacted tribes’ land. Illegal loggers, driven by the high value of endangered woods, are pushing further into their remote forest homes.

Link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110304/ts_afp/environmentbiodiversityextinction_20110304055833

Mankind may have unleashed the sixth known mass extinction in Earth's history, according to a paper released by the science journal Nature. Over the past 540 million years, five mega-wipeouts of species have occurred through naturally-induced events. But the new threat is man-made, inflicted by habitation loss, over-hunting, over-fishing, the spread of germs and viruses and introduced species, and by climate change caused by fossil-fuel greenhouse gases, says the study.

Link: http://www.canada.com/news/RCMP+investigates+report+sled+dogs+killed+following+tourism+lull/4197883/story.html

Officials in B.C. are investigating reports that 100 sled dogs were killed execution-style. The man responsible for the "execution-style" cull of 100 sled dogs that were no longer of use to the Whistler-based Outdoor Adventures "due to a slow winter" season had known a lot of the dogs and was so traumatized by the slaughter he now suffers from nightmares, panic attacks and depression, according to a confidential workers' compensation review decision obtained by the Vancouver Sun.

Link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1351429/Birds-use-quantum-theory-literally-Earths-magnetic-field-fly.html

Birds may be able to ‘see’ the Earth’s electromagnetic field as they fly through the sky, scientists have suggested. Many creatures, including all birds, navigate by sensing the direction of the magnetic forces around our planet to guide them.

Link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1350708/Genetically-modified-mosquitoes-released-Malaysia-sparks-fears-uncontrollable-new-species.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Malaysia has released 6,000 genetically modified mosquitoes into a forest in the first experiment of its kind in Asia aimed at curbing dengue fever. The field test is meant to pave the way for the official use of genetically engineered Aedes aegypti male mosquitoes to mate with females and produce offspring with shorter lives, thus curtailing the population.

Link: http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/letters/letters-pesticides-and-bees-2192387.html

Your shocking revelations about the impact of neonicotinoids on pollinating insects ("Poisoned spring", 20 January) confirms the worst fears of scientists, conservationists and organic farmers. There is a terrible sense of history repeating itself, as government scientists, politicians and chemical companies deny the impact of this new set of chemicals, just as they did with DDT in the 1960s. Back then it took the disappearance of many of our birds of prey before the problem was recognised. It looks as if the same is going to happen to bumblebees and honey bees.

Link: http://bellaciao.org/en/spip.php?article20496

Over the last two thousand years, there have been literally dozens of proposed dates upon which the world was expected to end. Around 30 CE, Jesus is reported to have said “Judgement Day” would come within the lifetimes of his audience. This is the failed prophecy on which all the others were based. However, for hundreds of years before this, the Hebrew people had a tradition of prophecy. Prophets such as Ezekiel and Daniel had predicted that one day the dead would come out of their graves. This concept is preserved in Christianity and Islam, who also expect a Day of Judgement, also known as Yawm al-Ba’th, the day of Rising From the Grave.

Link: http://www.whatdoesitmean.com/index1439.htm

Reports that the Arctic sunrise in Greenland arrived two-days early on January 11th has shocked scientists the world over as this historic event leaves many wondering if, in fact, the End of Days are now truly here. In a world where virtually nothing is a certainty (except death and taxes), the precession [a change in the orientation of the rotation axis of a rotating body] of the Earth in relation to the Sun and Moon has remained a constant throughout recorded human history, with the single exception being an ancient occurrence where the Sun was reported to have ‘stood still’ in the sky for nearly 24 hours.

Link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/8258540/Fox-shoots-hunter-in-Belarus.html

A wounded fox shot its would be killer in Belarus by pulling the trigger on the hunter's gun as the pair scuffled after the man tried to finish the animal off with the butt of the rifle, media said on Thursday. The unnamed hunter, who had approached the fox after wounding it from a distance, was in hospital with a leg wound, while the fox made its escape, media said, citing prosecutors from the Grodno region. "The animal fiercely resisted and in the struggle accidentally pulled the trigger with its paw," one prosecutor was quoted as saying. Score one for the animal beings.

Link: http://www.alternet.org/environment/149440/%27aflockalypse%27%3A_here%27s_why_we_should_really_be_concerned_about_the_huge_bird_and_fish_die-off/

The massive death toll of dead birds and sea life should draw attention to the countless other species on the brink of extinction. By now, we've all seen the news reports of the "Aflockalypse." The New Year came in with a bang in Beebe, Arkansas when thousands of blackbirds fell from the sky. As news reports of the eerie incident spread, similar stories began surfacing all over the world: Massive fish kills by the thousands in Brazil, New Zealand, the Arkansas River and the Chesapeake; more bird deaths in Louisiana, Kentucky and Sweden; and tens of thousands of dead crabs (aptly named dead devil crabs) washing ashore in the U.K.

Link: http://charleston.thedigitel.com/news/thousands-dead-fish-wash-folly-beach-26480-0106

In an as-of-yet unexplained phenomena much like the one that took place in Arkansas earlier this week, thousands of dead fish have washed up on the shore of Folly Beach. Early reports are saying the fish likely died as a result of the cold water, but to be sure, SCDNR crews are out on Folly Beach collecting samples. According to the brief in The Post and Courier, "From the Folly Beach pier, there is a line of dead fish as far as one can see in both directions."

Link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jan/06/wikileaks-secret-whaling-deal?intcmp=122

American diplomats proposed Japan reduce whaling in exchange for US help cracking down on the anti-whaling activists Sea Shepherd, leaked cables reveal Japan and the US proposed to investigate and act against international anti-whaling activists from the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society as part of a political deal to reduce whaling in Antarctic waters.

Link: http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/01/05-5

First, it was birds falling from the sky, then thousands of dead fish washing up on shore. Now, more than 40,000 Velvet swimming crabs have wound up dead on England beaches. The possible reason? Hypothermia. The Thanet shoreline is littered with the crabs, along with dead starfish, lobsters, sponges and anemones.

Link: http://www.thebigwobble.com/2011/01/world-wide-dead-birds-fish-and-other.html

The falling blackbirds and weather balloon stories. Changes in magnetic field could be responsible for massive bird and fish die-offs. Or maybe HAARP

Link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40887450/ns/us_news-environment/

State officials on Monday were investigating why 80,000 to 100,000 fish washed up dead on the shores of the Arkansas River last week. "The fish deaths will take about a month" to determine a cause, Keith Stephens, a spokesman for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, told msnbc.com. They don't know what killed the fish but it was definitely not the bloodthirsty greedy polluting corporations...

Link: http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/12/24-1

Environmental groups on Thursday accused US President Barack Obama's administration of failing to ensure the survival of polar bears after it stopped short of listing the animals as endangered. Kassie Siegel of the Center for Biological Diversity, who has led legal efforts to protect the polar bear, said that the Obama administration "sacrificed sound science for political expediency."

Link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/15/ngo-raided-paraguay-expedition

Amnesty International criticises government for raid on group that disputed expedition by Natural History Museum. Human rights group Amnesty International has strongly admonished the Paraguayan government for raiding the offices of a local NGO that had questioned the impact on indigenous people of a British Natural History Museum expedition to Paraguay's remote Chaco forest. Amnesty International said in a statement that it believed the Paraguyan government had unacceptably "retaliated" against the small group, Iniciativa Amotocodie (Amotocodie Initiative, AI), which was concerned about the the wildlife expedition's impact on an uncontacted tribe.

Link: http://www.fastcompany.com/1708896/wiki-bee-leaks-epa-document-reveals-agency-knowingly-allowed-use-of-bee-toxic-pesticide

The world honey bee population has plunged in recent years, worrying beekeepers and farmers who know how critical bee pollination is for many crops. A number of theories have popped up as to why the North American honey bee population has declined--electromagnetic radiation, malnutrition, and climate change have all been pinpointed. Now a leaked EPA document reveals that the agency allowed the widespread use of a bee-toxic pesticide, despite warnings from EPA scientists.

Link: http://www.examiner.com/human-rights-in-national/meet-navy-heads-planning-to-kill-millions-more-sealife

Public meetings about approved Navy 5-year war testing off California coast. Today, Rosalind Peterson reached out to encourage Californians' participation at two December meetings in which the U.S. Navy and NOAA will address its 5-year Warfare Testing program that includes killing millions of sea animals off the California and Hawaiian coasts. High-tech weapons applied to animals will then be used on humans.

Link: http://english.aljazeera.net/video/americas/2010/11/2010112765520766943.html

Property development threatens to disrupt efforts to protect marine reserves in the country. Mexico will be playing host to the UN Climate Change Conference in Cancun beginning on Monday. The country meanwhile is wrestling with its own environmental challenges.

Link: http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/10/13-7

Living Planet report shows planet's resources are being used at 1.5 times the rate nature can replace them. The Earth's population is using the equivalent of 1.5 planets' worth of natural resources, but the long-term decline of animal life appears to have been halted, a WWF report shows. Humans are consuming the Earth's resources faster than the planet can sustain, according to a report by WWF. (Photograph by: Handout, AFP/Getty Images)The latest Living Planet report, published today by the conservation group, also reveals the extent to which modern Western lifestyles are plundering natural resources from the tropics at record levels.