Alternative News

Articles from non-mainstream as opposed to corporate for profit sources.

Common Sense Guide to the BC Budget

Details: Published on Friday, 21 February 2014 18:20; Written by editor

Budget Week BC - This Weeks Dose of Common Sense
Damien Gillis

After multiple delays, the BC Liberal Government finally offered a hint at the tax regime for its much-ballyhooed liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry in this week's budget. This is the mechanism by which we’re supposed to reap $100 Billion in provincial "prosperity".

Turns out the big idea involves deferring as much risk and capital cost as possible from the oil and gas industry to the BC public - surprise, surprise!

In other astonishing news, we learned that tailings ponds in Alberta's Tar Sands are in fact - wait for it - leaking toxic chemicals into the Athabasca River. What's interesting with this revelation is that it comes from a new federal government report.

Remember, this is the same Harper Government which pulled the plug on our entire ocean pollution monitoring program in 2012.

Fortunately, the leading DFO scientist from that cancelled program, Dr. Peter Ross, has found a new home at the Vancouver Aquarium - where he will continue his vital, world-renowned research through the new Ocean Pollution Science Program.

Damien Gillis
Publisher

Exploding BC LNG Myths
The BC Liberals' LNG "prosperity" promises are based on massive taxpayer risk and giveaways behind closed doors, as their latest budget demonstrates.
Read More

Cut adrift by Harper govt, Ocean pollution expert joins aquarium
World-renowned ocean pollution scientist Dr. Peter Ross will continue his work through the Vancouver Aquarium, after the federal program he oversaw was shut down by the Harper Government.
Read More

$Troubled Waters - New video investigates northeast BC fracking$
Oilsands tailings ponds leaking toxic chemicals: federal govt study
New federal research has strongly backed suspicions that toxic chemicals from Alberta's vast oilsands tailings ponds are leaching into groundwater and seeping into the Athabasca River.
Read More

You are receiving this email because you opted in on our website, one of our social media pages or at a Common Sense Canadian sponsored event.

Our mailing address is:
Common Sense Media Ltd.4A - 34 Powell St, Vancouver, BC, V6A 1E7 Canada
Add us to your address book

My husband was killed in an explosion

Details: Published on Friday, 21 February 2014 18:20; Written by editor

...

Tell McDonald's: No more toxic 'taters!

Details: Published on Thursday, 20 February 2014 11:00; Written by editor

Website | Send to a Friend | DONATE

Support safe potato fields & healthy communities

Not lovin' pesticide drift

Join rural Minnesota communities in urging McDonald's to keep its promise and grow safe, sustainable potatoes that don't put their families in harm's way.

Dear PAOV,

More than four years after publicly promising to reduce the pesticides used on its potatoes, the McDonald's corporation has done little. Communities that live near large-scale potato production — like those in Northern Minnesota — are still routinely exposed to health-harming pesticide drift.

These rural communities are fed up. Today, they are calling on McDonald's to keep its word. Will you join them?

Tell McDonald's to keep its word » Sign the petition supporting the "Toxic Taters" coalition effort to pressure McDonald's to make change. This Minnesota coalition of small farmers, White Earth tribal members and parents is urging the company to keep its word and reduce the amount of harmful pesticides used to make their fries.

For years, members of the Toxic Taters coalition have worked to protect their children, farms and environment from pesticides drifting from nearby potato fields. Data show that these chemicals are in the air, with 64% of air samples collected by community partners containing fungicides. The most frequently-detected chemical, chlorothalonil, is classified by EPA as "highly toxic" when inhaled and a "probable" carcinogen.

Stanford Professor's 50-State Plan For 100-Percent Renewable Energy

Details: Published on Wednesday, 19 February 2014 09:40; Written by editor

Brandon Baker | February 19, 2014 11:22 am

Remember Mark Jacobson, the Stanford University professor who during a Late Show With David Letterman appearance said we already have enough wind to power the entire world “seven times over?”

That wasn’t hyperbole—Jacobson believes it and his team at the Solutions Project has unveiled a 50-state plan on how the U.S. could shed itself from oil, coal and nuclear sources. It comes in the form of a large, interactive map that provides a plan and projection for each state when you click on it.

Here are a few examples of what the map has to offer:

[Video!] Why is Harper rushing to pass this dangerous elections act?

Details: Published on Tuesday, 18 February 2014 11:00; Written by editor

Why are the Harper Conservatives rushing to pass their elections act? Simple, they’re rushing because they want it to impact the next federal election.[1]

Now, with your help we can fight the US-style voter suppression measures in the proposed elections act - and look ahead by launching a massive people-powered campaign for the 2015 election and beyond.

If we start working together now, we’ll be able to help hold this government accountable at the ballot box and elect people with a strong mandate for action on democracy, climate, and inequality. More than that, we’ll be able to build a movement strong enough to push for real changes after the election.

But first, we need to Connect! Today we’re writing to show you our new video and invite you to Connect events happening in communities across the country from February 27 - March 9th. During Connect events, we’ll share this people-powered plan for the 2015 election and beyond, ask for your input, and introduce practical next steps.
Click here to see our new video and find a Connect event near you!

We know that no single election can create an open democracy, build a fair economy and achieve climate justice - that will take a generation.

Call For Nominations! Help grow Fair Vote Canada.

Details: Published on Tuesday, 18 February 2014 10:40; Written by editor

Are you interested in building a fair democracy in Canada?
Interested in making all votes count?

Join Fair Vote Canada’s National Council!

It’s that time of year again! With Fair Vote Canada’s AGM on the horizon, it’s time to open the doors to new volunteers. For more than 10 years, Fair Vote Canada has advocated for fair, proportional elections. Our new 2015 campaign is gaining momentum and we’re looking for passionate and energetic individuals with ideas and time to help advocate for Proportional Representation.

Every year, FVC elects five members to a three-year term on our national board of directors, the National Council. There are fifteen directors in all. This year, we are also electing three members to a two-year term. The election will be conducted by mail and online using the Single Transferable Vote, a proportional voting system. The first five candidates elected will have three-year terms. The next three candidates elected will have two-year terms.

Rewriting History: Architects of the Financial Crisis Recast as Saviors by Corporate Media

Details: Published on Tuesday, 18 February 2014 10:20; Written by editor

Kerry-anne February 16, 2014 Class Warfare Exists

“The press is so powerful in its image-making role, it can make the criminal look like he’s a the victim and make the victim look like he’s the criminal. If you aren’t careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.”

~ Malcolm X, In a speech at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem on 13th December 1964

Since the Financial Crisis of 2007/8, efforts have been made to rewrite a crisis of greed and corruption in the Financial Services industry, it’s regulators and government – into a crisis of over generous welfare systems, or lazy unemployed people, or immigrants. Worse, the wealthy architects of the disaster are using the media to recast themselves from chief villains, into heroes. There is no better example, than that of Former Secretary of the Treasury and Goldman Sachs disaster banker Henry ‘Hank Paulson’.

Goldman Sachs played a key role in the crisis, making huge profits in the derivatives trades which busted the global financial system. The CEO at the time of this egregious behaviour was one Hank Paulson. Mr Paulson oversaw the sale of dodgy derivatives to pension firms, local governments and other misinformed investors. The bank also, appearing to foresee the crisis, sold more than $3bn in Collateral Debt Obligations (bundles of toxic debt repackaged as a credit worthy investment product) in the first half of 2006, immediately betting against them (see: Charles Ferguson, Predator Nation: Corporate Criminals, Political Corruption and the Hijacking of America).

That same year, Paulson left to become Treasury Secretary of the US and in doing so was able to sell his Goldman shares without paying Capital Gains tax. He made $485m. If he had held onto the stocks, they would have been worth just $278m. In his new position, Paulson lead meetings with world leaders and become the chief architect of a taxpayer funded bailout of the crash he helped create.

He also used this privileged position to tip off a room full of Hedge Fund Managers (five of whom where alumni of Goldman Sachs) that US mortgage giant Fannie Mae was to receive a government bailout.

Don't spy on me! BCCLA files c

Details: Published on Tuesday, 18 February 2014 10:00; Written by editor

r19

Forward

One of the meetings spied on: Dogwood Initiative’s Celine Trojand spoke in Kelowna to retirees and church goers about storytelling.

“Why are government spies compiling reports about volunteers hand-painting signs in Church basements?...

Butterflies are dying

Details: Published on Sunday, 16 February 2014 21:40; Written by editor

A new study shows that Monsanto's Roundup pesticide is killing off the monarch butterflies.

Tell Monsanto to pull this product now, before it's too late.

Our monarch butterflies are vanishing -- and all signs point to Monsanto as the main culprit.

Major press outlets worldwide reported earlier this month that the butterflies are in "grave danger". Their population has reached the lowest numbers ever recorded. Now, an independent study has linked the monarch's decline with Monsanto’s Roundup pesticide.

This corporate giant knows what it's doing. But Monsanto says we should balance the butterfly's survival with what it calls "productive agriculture" (read: Monsanto's bottom line). We need to fight this now, before it’s too late for the butterflies.

Tell Monsanto to pull its butterfly-killing herbicide before it’s too late.

The annual mass migration of 60 million monarchs from Canada to Mexico is one of the most beautiful phenomena in the natural world. But it's now on the verge of being a relic of history, and a key link in our food chain is under threat.

The monarch butterfly is in a serious, decades-long decline. The WWF has reported that this winter, the monarchs are only occupying an area of 1.7 acres in Mexico, down from 45 acres in 1996. An evolutionary strategy based on eating a common weed seemed smart -- until Monsanto came along. Just one state along the monarchs' migration route, Iowa, is reported to have lost 98 percent of its milkweed.

Monsanto products like Roundup dominate the agricultural market worldwide. This corporate giant sells matching genetically-engineered plants resistant to its pesticides -- and encourages factory farms to douse fields with gallons of Monsanto's herbicides.

But sprayed over vast areas, these poisons effect the entire ecosystem. Monsanto's Roundup is also wiping out the monarchs' primary food source -- a plant called milkweed. Scientists have linked the monarch's rapid population decline to the spread of Monsanto's pesticides. Losing these butterflies means wiping out insects, birds and small mammals that rely on the monarch and its place in the food chain.

Speak up! Tell USDA to reject new GE crops

Details: Published on Sunday, 16 February 2014 21:00; Written by editor

Website | Send to a Friend | DONATE

Dow’s new GE seeds = more pesticide use

A bad idea

Dow's new GE corn and soy are designed for use with 2,4-D, and will drive up use of this very hazardous pesticide.

Tell USDA to keep these GE seeds off the market.

Dear PAOV,

We have less than two weeks left to get the message across to USDA: approving Dow’s controversial new 2,4-D-resistant corn and soy seeds is a very bad idea. As we know from Monsanto’s “RoundUp Ready” crops, allowing these genetically engineered (GE) crops on the market will drive up the use of 2,4-D, a harmful and hazardous chemical.

Hundreds of thousands of people across the country — including farmers and healthcare professionals — are voicing strong concern. Will you join them?

Speak up! » Tell the agency to keep 2,4-D seeds off the market and out of the ground. Approving these seeds will threaten the health of rural communities and the livelihood of farmers. And they will pave the way for more herbicide-resistant GE seeds waiting in the wings.

The stakes are staggering. Noted agricultural scientist Charles Benbrook projects that widespread planting of Dow’s 2,4-D corn could trigger a 25-fold increase in the pesticide's use, from today’s estimated 4.2 million pounds to over 100 million pounds by 2019.

And as with Monsanto’s RoundUp Ready lines, there will be unintended consequences. Only this time, the fallout will be even worse. Here’s why:

2,4-D is a very toxic herbicide. It’s a reproductive toxicant, suspected endocrine disruptor and probable carcinogen. Children are particularly susceptible.
2,4-D will drift off of target crops. Broadleaf plants like tomatoes, grapes, beans, cotton and non-GE soy are particularly at risk. Conventional farmers will lose crops, while organic farmers will lose both crops and certification.
2,4-D-resistant “superweeds” will spread, just as RoundUp-resistant weeds have taken over farms and countryside across the U.S.

Urgent Action: Stop WWF promoting to Botswana

Details: Published on Sunday, 16 February 2014 21:00; Written by editor

We help tribal peoples defend their lives, protect their lands and determine their own futures.

Urgent Action: Stop WWF promoting tours to Botswana

WWF and its partner Natural Habitat Adventures are promoting tours to the Central Kalahari Game Reserve in Botswana, claiming to have a 'shared commitment to conservation'. The partnership has earned WWF more than $2 million.

The reserve is home to Southern Africa's last hunter-gatherer Bushmen who have protected the land for millennia. However, in defiance of a High Court ruling, the Botswana government is intent on forcing out the Bushmen in the name of conservation and tourism. Bushmen are regularly subjected to violence, intimidation and arrest.

This week @ rabble.ca: Why we march on February 14

Details: Published on Friday, 14 February 2014 21:00; Written by editor

s17 r18.

14 Feb 2014

Hey rabble readers!

Our winter donation drive is ending this weekend, just after Valentine's Day. We love the support we've gotten and our goal of $20,000 is in sight. We are soooo close to getting there, with under $2,000 to go. Can you help put us over the top with your donation?

Every February 14, Indigenous women lead Women's Memorial Marches to protest the forces of colonization, misogyny, poverty, and racism and to celebrate survival, resistance, struggle, and solidarity. This year, we're featuring Why I March? -- a special blog series bringing voice to the personal experiences of the women who work tirelessly in their communities to address violence.

When is militant action the ethical choice, and when is it not? Philosopher and author Stephen D'Arcy shares his thoughts February 19 at his...

Chocolate, schmocolate! We need more of this kind of love in Canada

Details: Published on Friday, 14 February 2014 21:00; Written by editor

Dear friends of rabble,

For some it’s a great tradition, for others a “Hallmark holiday.” No matter what your view, we hope rabble is in your heart this Valentine’s Day. Our winter donation drive is scheduled to end on Valentine’s Day and we need some love. Our goal was to raise $20,000 during this campaign and we are less than two thousand dollars short!

It has been a passionate drive but now is time for the big finish. Can you put us over the top with your donation?

This is why it will be good for you: we will keep offering crucial social movement news; we will continue to tell it the way it is; we will stay vigilant. Case in point from this week: despite big media's attempt to make out that this week's budget was "ho hum", our extensive budget analysis indicates it is anything but that. Read about it in our Economy section.

Women's Memorial March - Support the 23rd Annual February 14th

Details: Published on Thursday, 13 February 2014 10:20; Written by editor

Victoria: Saturday February 15th, gather at 11am and the walk will begin at noon. Stolen Sisters Memorial March 2014 – Lekwungen Territories. https://www.facebook.com/events/1433280240236673/

Vancouver: Friday February 14th, march starts at noon from Carnegie (Main and Hastings). Feb 14th Annual Women’s Memorial March - https://www.facebook.com/events/649903748374268/

Paov --

Idle No More Supports The 23rd Annual February 14th Women’s Memorial March

March for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Montreal 2013 The February 14th Annual Women’s Memorial March is held on Valentine’s Day each year to honour the memory of Indigenous women, including trans and two-spirit women, who have died as a result of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual violence. Now in its 23rd year, the March remembers and honours murdered and missing women, and seeks to organize against ongoing gendered violence that women face.

Bee Week of Action: 27,000+ Demand Stores Stop Selling Harmful Pesticides

Details: Published on Wednesday, 12 February 2014 10:40; Written by editor

EcoWatch — Laura Beans

This week, more than 27,000 people coast-to-coast are swarming Lowe’s and Home Depot stores to support the bees that pollinate our flowers for Valentine’s Day. In a coalition campaign called the Bee Week of Action, Beyond Pesticides, Friends of the Earth and allies are delivering more than half a million petition signatures and Valentines asking these retailers to show bees some love by taking off their shelves pesticides shown to harm and kill bees and garden plants treated with these pesticides.

What About Our Carbon Budget?

Details: Published on Tuesday, 11 February 2014 23:00; Written by editor

Today, the government of Canada will deliver the 2014 federal budget and though we can't know exact what will be in it, we're assuming that it's going to ignore the most important we have. Carbon.

of time to take action andbalance our carbon budget. Today, we need your help to get the word out. You can read more about our carbon budget's environmental and economic impacts here and then share this image on Facebook and Twitter.Canada is nearing a decade as one of the world's greatest climate pariahs and running out

BOOK: How America Was Lost / Paul Craig Roberts

Details: Published on Tuesday, 11 February 2014 22:40; Written by editor

"Clearly, this empirically based, theoretically challenging book is one of the most important works of our time." Johannes Maruschzick, from the Preface to the German Edition

ISBN 978-0-9860362-9-3

$29.95 464 pp. 2014

BUY NOW

“If Americans keep believing the government’s lies, they have no future.”

PAPERBACK EDITION

HOW AMERICA WAS LOST

From 9/11 to the Police/Warfare State

PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS

available in US/Canada and Overseas

VIEW TABLE OF CONTENTS

Even as the view of America as a rogue state consolidates abroad, Americans appear largely bystanders at the spectacle of their government running amok. People forget the myriad instances of their government's flouting of the Constitution and international legal norms--if ever they were aware of them in the first place--accepting to live in the increasingly pernicious "new normal" with little protest.

This...

Today We Fight Back!

Details: Published on Tuesday, 11 February 2014 15:40; Written by editor

r19 | r14 | r0 Like Tweet Forward

International Action to End Mass Surveillance

In the last year, the world has learned that mass surveillance by governments knows no bounds. Today, February 11th, internet users around...

This is bad--really bad

Details: Published on Sunday, 09 February 2014 15:20; Written by editor

A secret global trade deal being negotiated right now would let corporations sue our governments to overturn any law they say hurts their profits.

The TPP must be stopped. So we're aiming to raise $100,000 to launch an emergency campaign to block the TPP before it's too late. Can you chip in $1?

It's a corporate lobbyist's wildest dream -- a huge global trade deal that would let corporations like Monsanto sue our governments if they passed laws to protect the environment or keep life-saving medicine affordable.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership has to be stopped.

This month, tens of thousands of American SumOfUs members and friends have called Congress to demand it rejects a bill to give President Obama "fast track" authority to sign the TPP -- and support is starting to fall away. But it's not enough.

In the US, corporate lobbyists are pushing hard for Congress to approve. Elsewhere, governments are facing no scrutiny as they get ready to sign away our democratic rights to make laws that protect the public interest. Unless we do more, we may lose this fight.

That's why our community is stepping up. This week, we're getting ready to launch a major effort to stop the TPP in its tracks -- and with your support, we're not going to stop fighting until we've won.

If enough of us can chip in just $1, we can launch the first steps of our campaign and start working together to stop the TPP and save our democracy.

We can't talk about all our plans yet, but we're already looking to:

Target key countries that can stop the TPP -- like Australia and Canada -- and make sure that citizens hear about the TPP before it's too late
Call out consumer companies who have access to the negotiations and are helping write the deal -- rights our elected representatives don't even have -- and demand they come clean on what they know
Organize constituents to contact their representatives -- to make sure the TPP is something that governments have to answer for
Work with lawyers to submit Freedom of Information requests for governments to come clean on the deal
Offer rewards for officials who are willing to do the right thing and let the public know what's in the TPP
Take out advertisements in key national media highlighting the threats the TPP poses to our democracies

The corporations behind the TPP know the public won't like what's in the deal. That's why the full contents are still secret -- only high-level government negotiators and the 600 corporate lobbyists have access.

But we know enough to know that the TPP has to be stopped -- and enough to know how we can stop it with your help.

Proof that AIPAC can be defeated

Details: Published on Sunday, 09 February 2014 15:20; Written by editor

Action Alert