Andrew Scheer, Speaker of the House of Commons, will not run for the job again after four years in the big chair.
Though many Canadians might not know much about the job, House Speaker remains a very coveted role.
Here are some of the unique perks and powers that come with the job.
A Pay Bump Of $80,100
As of April 2015, the House Speaker earns $80,100 on top of the base MP salary of $167,400. That's $247,500 a year — the same amount of money earned by cabinet ministers and the leader of the Official Opposition.
An Official Residence Called 'The Farm'
The Speaker also gets to live at a beautiful, official residence.
Located at Kingsmere in the Gatineau Hills, the property consists of a farmhouse and five outbuildings surrounded by four acres of fields and forests.
The residence is closed to the public but you can take a virtual tour on the National Capital Commission website.
An Apartment On Parliament Hill
The Speaker also gets a small apartment in Parliament’s Centre Block, but it isn't as luxurious as you might think.
There's a double-bed and armoire in the small bedroom.
See?
The living room in the Speaker's apartment features a desk, TV, gas fireplace and fridge.
There's also dressing room and a basic bathroom with a tub-shower combo, but no kitchen.
A Driver And $1,000 Car Allowance
The Speaker's yearly car allowance of $1,000 is less than that of the prime minister, cabinet ministers, and the official opposition leader who all get $2,000.
An Office Budget Of $414 Million
The Speaker's job is far from symbolic. He or she presides over question period, can expel misbehaving MPs, and has the power to make rulings when members think their rights have been infringed.
The Speaker is in charge of the administration of the Commons, including staff, security, and printing and postal services.
The Speaker also plays a diplomatic role by hosting foreign dignitaries, and travelling abroad as head of delegations at international conferences and other legislatures.
5th In Order Of Ceremonial Precedence
According to the department of Canadian Heritage, Canada's order of ceremonial precedence is as follows: Governor General, prime minister, the chief justice of the Supreme Court, the Speaker of the Senate, and then the Speaker of the House of Commons.
The Speaker's Scotch? Oh Yes
In what has become a recent tradition, the Speaker selects a "Speaker's Scotch" that can be purchased through the parliamentary restaurant and even gets its own label.
Monday, 30 November 2015
Sunday, 29 November 2015
Climate change action / plans
Climate action plans of poorest nations to cost $1 trillion
The world's 48 poorest countries will need to find around a trillion dollars between 2020 and 2030 to achieve their plans to tackle climate change - and those plans should be a priority for international funding, researchers said.
Poor nations seek climate technology from solar power to manure
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Is climate change a threat to Canada’s economic future?
Do you agree, somewhat agree, neither agree nor disagree, somewhat disagree or disagree with the following statements
The science of climate change is irrefutable.
Canada’s reputation on the global stage been hurt by our previous efforts on climate change.
Climate change presents a significant threat to our economic future.
I am willing to pay more for certain products, in order to help Canada meet its environmental commitments.
Climate change targets versus job loss in the oil industry
Would you support, somewhat support, somewhat oppose, or oppose going forward with new climate change targets and processes even if the result is significant job loss in Canada’s oil patch?
The world's 48 poorest countries will need to find around a trillion dollars between 2020 and 2030 to achieve their plans to tackle climate change - and those plans should be a priority for international funding, researchers said.
Poor nations seek climate technology from solar power to manure
****************************************
Is climate change a threat to Canada’s economic future?
Do you agree, somewhat agree, neither agree nor disagree, somewhat disagree or disagree with the following statements
The science of climate change is irrefutable.
Canada’s reputation on the global stage been hurt by our previous efforts on climate change.
Climate change presents a significant threat to our economic future.
I am willing to pay more for certain products, in order to help Canada meet its environmental commitments.
Climate change targets versus job loss in the oil industry
Would you support, somewhat support, somewhat oppose, or oppose going forward with new climate change targets and processes even if the result is significant job loss in Canada’s oil patch?
Canada's Corporate Tax Cuts
‘ONE OF THE GREAT BLUNDERS OF THE PAST GENERATION'
Corporate Tax Cuts May Be ‘One Of The Great Policy Blunders Of The Past Generation': Study
Corporate tax cuts were supposed to spur economic growth and job creation, but a new study looking at more than 90 years of data argues those cuts have done nothing to help growth — in fact, it shows they may have slowed the economy down.
Canada's Top 10 Corporate Cash Hoarders
Source: Canadian Labour Congress
10. Talisman Energy Inc. - $1.77 Billion
9. Magna International Inc. - $1.77 Billion
8. Cameco Corporation - $1.88 Billion
7. Lundin Mining - $1.97 Billion
6. Kinross Gold - $2.17 Billion
5. Air Canada - $2.2 Billion
4. Research In Motion - $2.87 Billion
3. Barrick Gold - $4.55 Billion
2. Potash Corporation - $5.35 Billion
1. George Weston Limited - $5.56 Billion
Canada: Corporate Taxes Lowered While Payroll Deductions Increased
Should Canada repeal the corporate tax cuts and use the money to create infrastructure jobs instead?
>> Yes. The tax cuts aren't creating jobs, so someone has to.
>> No. It will make our economy less competitive and we will lose jobs, not gain them.
Thursday, 26 November 2015
20 Most Profound Quotes About Death And Dying
Norman Cousins
“Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live."
Emily Dickinson
"Unable are the loved to die. For love is immortality."
James Dean
"If a man can bridge the gap between life and death, if he can live on after he's dead, then maybe he was a great man."
John James Ingalls
"In the democracy of the dead all men at last are equal. There is neither rank nor station nor prerogative in the republic of the grave."
Theodore Roosevelt
"Death is always, under all circumstances, a tragedy, for if it is not then it means that life has become one."
Amelia Burr
"Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die."
Bertolt Brecht
"Do not fear death so much, but rather the inadequate life."
Eugene Ionesco
"There are more dead people than living. And their numbers are increasing. The living are getting rarer."
Mark Twain
"All say, 'How hard it is that we have to die'--a strange complaint to come from the mouths of people who have had to live."
Francis Bacon
It is natural to die as to be born.
Unknown
"When death overtakes us; all that we have is left to others; all that we are we take with us."
George Eliot
"Our dead are never dead to us until we have forgotten them."
William Shakespeare
"Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once."
Hilary Stanton Zunin
"The risk of love is loss, and the price of loss is grief - But the pain of grief is only a shadow when compared with the pain of never risking love."
From A Headstone In Ireland
"Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal."
Brian Williams
"A person starts dying when they stop dreaming."
Benjamin Franklin
"A man is not completely born until he is dead."
Rabindranath Tagore
"Death is not extinguishing the light; it is putting out the lamp because dawn has come."
Walter Scott
"Death--- the last sleep? No the final awakening."
“Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live."
Emily Dickinson
"Unable are the loved to die. For love is immortality."
James Dean
"If a man can bridge the gap between life and death, if he can live on after he's dead, then maybe he was a great man."
John James Ingalls
"In the democracy of the dead all men at last are equal. There is neither rank nor station nor prerogative in the republic of the grave."
Theodore Roosevelt
"Death is always, under all circumstances, a tragedy, for if it is not then it means that life has become one."
Amelia Burr
"Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die."
Bertolt Brecht
"Do not fear death so much, but rather the inadequate life."
Eugene Ionesco
"There are more dead people than living. And their numbers are increasing. The living are getting rarer."
Mark Twain
"All say, 'How hard it is that we have to die'--a strange complaint to come from the mouths of people who have had to live."
Francis Bacon
It is natural to die as to be born.
Unknown
"When death overtakes us; all that we have is left to others; all that we are we take with us."
George Eliot
"Our dead are never dead to us until we have forgotten them."
William Shakespeare
"Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once."
Hilary Stanton Zunin
"The risk of love is loss, and the price of loss is grief - But the pain of grief is only a shadow when compared with the pain of never risking love."
From A Headstone In Ireland
"Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal."
Brian Williams
"A person starts dying when they stop dreaming."
Benjamin Franklin
"A man is not completely born until he is dead."
Rabindranath Tagore
"Death is not extinguishing the light; it is putting out the lamp because dawn has come."
Walter Scott
"Death--- the last sleep? No the final awakening."
Is Canada ready for physician-assisted death?
What counts as a “grievous and irremediable medical condition” that causes “intolerable” suffering?
So how do you define “grievous and irremediable”? Or do you even need to — is it enough for a person to believe she’s suffering horribly?
What happens when doctors don’t want to help someone die?
Would you require physicians who object to assisted suicide to refer patients to someone willing to help them?
How do you provide for people living in remote or rural communities where alternative health care isn’t available?
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Right-To-Die Laws Around The World
A look at some jurisdictions where right-to-die laws are in place.
QUEBEC
A right-to-die bill was adopted last year, the first legislation of its kind in Canada. The law, scheduled to go into effect in December, stipulates that patients would have to repeatedly ask a doctor to end their lives on the basis of unbearable physical or psychological suffering. They would have to be deemed mentally sound at the time of the requests. The law, however, is being challenged in court by two Quebec-based groups on the grounds that it undercuts sections of the Criminal Code that outlaw assisted suicide and euthanasia. The federal government has expressed its opposition to the legislation but is named as a defendant in the court challenge because it is responsible for the Criminal Code.
OREGON
The results of a referendum made Oregon the first U.S. state to make it legal for a doctor to prescribe a life-ending drug to a terminally ill patient of sound mind who makes the request. However, doctors cannot administer the life-ending drugs and the patient must swallow them without help. Patients must state three times -- once in writing -- that they wish to die, and those statements must be made at least 15 days apart. They must also obtain a concurring opinion from a second doctor that they have less than six months to live and are of sound mind. The law took effect in late 1997, and through June, 2014, just over 800 people had used the law.
VERMONT
The state became the first in the U.S. to allow a person's right to die through legislation rather than through a court decision or a referendum result. Vermont's law, which took effect in May 2013, is closely modelled on the system in Oregon and uses the same safeguards. Patients must state three times, including once in writing -- that they wish to die. They must also obtain a concurring opinion from a second doctor that they have less than six months to live and are of sound mind.
So how do you define “grievous and irremediable”? Or do you even need to — is it enough for a person to believe she’s suffering horribly?
What happens when doctors don’t want to help someone die?
Would you require physicians who object to assisted suicide to refer patients to someone willing to help them?
How do you provide for people living in remote or rural communities where alternative health care isn’t available?
********************************
Right-To-Die Laws Around The World
A look at some jurisdictions where right-to-die laws are in place.
QUEBEC
A right-to-die bill was adopted last year, the first legislation of its kind in Canada. The law, scheduled to go into effect in December, stipulates that patients would have to repeatedly ask a doctor to end their lives on the basis of unbearable physical or psychological suffering. They would have to be deemed mentally sound at the time of the requests. The law, however, is being challenged in court by two Quebec-based groups on the grounds that it undercuts sections of the Criminal Code that outlaw assisted suicide and euthanasia. The federal government has expressed its opposition to the legislation but is named as a defendant in the court challenge because it is responsible for the Criminal Code.
OREGON
The results of a referendum made Oregon the first U.S. state to make it legal for a doctor to prescribe a life-ending drug to a terminally ill patient of sound mind who makes the request. However, doctors cannot administer the life-ending drugs and the patient must swallow them without help. Patients must state three times -- once in writing -- that they wish to die, and those statements must be made at least 15 days apart. They must also obtain a concurring opinion from a second doctor that they have less than six months to live and are of sound mind. The law took effect in late 1997, and through June, 2014, just over 800 people had used the law.
The state became the first in the U.S. to allow a person's right to die through legislation rather than through a court decision or a referendum result. Vermont's law, which took effect in May 2013, is closely modelled on the system in Oregon and uses the same safeguards. Patients must state three times, including once in writing -- that they wish to die. They must also obtain a concurring opinion from a second doctor that they have less than six months to live and are of sound mind.
NEW MEXICO
In January 2014, a judge ruled that competent, terminally ill patients have the right to seek their doctors' help in getting prescription medication if they want to end their lives on their own terms. The state's attorney general is appealing the ruling, and a decision on whether it will be upheld is expected later this year.
WASHINGTON
A referendum saw the state enact right to die legislation in 2008. As in Oregon, patients with less than six months to live must administer the doctor-prescribed lethal medication on their own. According to a government report, 549 people applied for the right to die between 2009 and 2013. Of those, 525 actually took their own lives.
MONTANA
In 2009, the state's Supreme Court ruled that Montana's public policy supports mentally competent, terminally ill patients being able to choose aid in dying. Physicians are allowed to prescribe medication that patients must administer themselves. More detailed legislative bills have been introduced in the state but have not passed. The court ruling still stands today, but data about its usage is not available.
SWITZERLAND
A law passed in 1942 forbade anyone from helping someone kill themselves for selfish reasons. As a result, people arguing that they are assisting with a suicide for unselfish motives are not considered to be committing a crime. Suicides can be assisted by people other than doctors and no medical condition needs to be established. Switzerland is the only country that allows foreigners to travel there for the purpose of ending their own lives.
NETHERLANDS
In the Netherlands, euthanasia is legal under specific circumstances and for children over the age of 12 with parental consent. In Europe, patients don't have to prove that they have a terminal illness -- establishing unbearable suffering is usually sufficient. Dutch doctors are allowed to perform euthanasia if a patient whose unbearable suffering has no hope of improvement asks to die with a full understanding of the situation. A second doctor must agree with the decision to help the patient die.
Which Province Smokes The Most Pot?
Canada - 12.2 Per Cent
3,429,678 people
These are the StatsCan totals for Canadians age 15 years and older in the 12 months of 2012. Use included cannabis and hashish.
10. Saskatchewan - 10.1 Per Cent
81,676 people
9. P.E.I. - 10.4 Per Cent
12,437 people
8. New Brunswick - 11 Per Cent
68,444 people
7. Newfoundland And Labrador - 11.1 Per Cent
47,344 people
6. Quebec - 11.5 Per Cent
763,278 people
5. Manitoba - 11.5 Per Cent
110,235 people
4. Alberta - 11.8 Per Cent
361,247 people
3. Ontario - 12.1 Per Cent
1,331,299 people
2. B.C. - 14.2 Per Cent
538,434 people
1. Nova Scotia - 14.8 Per Cent
115,285 people
3,429,678 people
These are the StatsCan totals for Canadians age 15 years and older in the 12 months of 2012. Use included cannabis and hashish.
10. Saskatchewan - 10.1 Per Cent
81,676 people
9. P.E.I. - 10.4 Per Cent
12,437 people
8. New Brunswick - 11 Per Cent
68,444 people
7. Newfoundland And Labrador - 11.1 Per Cent
47,344 people
6. Quebec - 11.5 Per Cent
763,278 people
5. Manitoba - 11.5 Per Cent
110,235 people
4. Alberta - 11.8 Per Cent
361,247 people
3. Ontario - 12.1 Per Cent
1,331,299 people
2. B.C. - 14.2 Per Cent
538,434 people
1. Nova Scotia - 14.8 Per Cent
115,285 people
Meet Canada's Indigenous MPs
Jody Wilson-Raybould (Liberal)
Elected MP for Vancouver Granville, B.C.
Robert-Falcon Ouellette (Liberal)
Elected MP for Winnipeg Centre, Manitoba
Romeo Saganash (NDP)
Re-elected MP for Abitibi-Baie-James-Nunavik--Eeyou, Quebec
Don Rusnak (Liberal)
Elected MP for Thunder Bay-Rainy River, Ontario
Yvonne Jones (Liberal)
Elected MP for Labrador
Hunter Tootoo (Liberal)
Elected MP for Nunavut
Dan Vandal (Liberal)
Elected MP for Saint Boniface-Saint Vital, Manitoba
Michael McLeod (Liberal)
Elected MP for Northwest Territories
Georgina Jolibois (NDP)
Elected MP for Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill River, Saskatchewan
Vance Badawey (Liberal)
Elected MP for Niagara Centre, Ontario
Elected MP for Vancouver Granville, B.C.
Robert-Falcon Ouellette (Liberal)
Elected MP for Winnipeg Centre, Manitoba
Romeo Saganash (NDP)
Re-elected MP for Abitibi-Baie-James-Nunavik--Eeyou, Quebec
Don Rusnak (Liberal)
Elected MP for Thunder Bay-Rainy River, Ontario
Yvonne Jones (Liberal)
Elected MP for Labrador
Hunter Tootoo (Liberal)
Elected MP for Nunavut
Dan Vandal (Liberal)
Elected MP for Saint Boniface-Saint Vital, Manitoba
Michael McLeod (Liberal)
Elected MP for Northwest Territories
Georgina Jolibois (NDP)
Elected MP for Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill River, Saskatchewan
Vance Badawey (Liberal)
Elected MP for Niagara Centre, Ontario
The Full Text of TPP
The Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement was leaked to the media
The Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement is similar to it’s European equivalent. The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TPIP)
What is TTIP? And six reasons why the answer should scare you
Terrible TPP Clauses Explained in Plain English
by James Corbett
The Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement is similar to it’s European equivalent. The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TPIP)
What is TTIP? And six reasons why the answer should scare you
Terrible TPP Clauses Explained in Plain English
by James Corbett
Perhaps it’s easier to understand why this is so controversial if we look at a real life example.
When German public sentiment turned strongly against the use of nuclear power in the wake of the Fukushima disaster, the German government committed to “Atomausstieg” (Nuclear Exit), a plan to close down all of the country’s nuclear power plants by 2021. Eight of the oldest nuclear plants were shut down right away, including two that were owned and operated by Swedish energy major Vattenfall. Vattenfall didn’t like this and is currently suing the German government for $6 billion in losses from the decision. They were able to do this under the terms of a World Bank mechanism called the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes Between States and Nationals of Other States which arbitrates disputes between corporations and governments and which is specifically cited in the TPP’s Article 9.18 as one of the mechanisms that corporations could use to sue TPP member governments.
In fact, this dispute settlement mechanism has been around for 50 years, is included in a number of free trade deals and has already been used to sue various governments. As citizen.org points out, taxpayers have already paid our $440 million to corporations for grevious offences like banning a neurotoxic gasoline additive or failing to grant drug monopolies to Big Pharma.
The Failure of Capitalism
Dr. Paul Craig Roberts debates Stefan Molyneux about Private vs. Government Power
The Failure of Capitalism
Who is responsible for the current economic situation in the United States of America? Was the housing crash and banking sector meltdown the result of deregulation and the dangers of free market capitalism? Is government regulation and interference in the market to blame for all these problems?
Stefan Molyneux and Dr. Paul Craig Roberts debate these issues
The Failure of Laissez Faire Capitalism and Economic Dissolution of the West
How America Was Lost
The Failure of Capitalism
Who is responsible for the current economic situation in the United States of America? Was the housing crash and banking sector meltdown the result of deregulation and the dangers of free market capitalism? Is government regulation and interference in the market to blame for all these problems?
Stefan Molyneux and Dr. Paul Craig Roberts debate these issues
The Failure of Laissez Faire Capitalism and Economic Dissolution of the West
How America Was Lost
TPP (Trade deal) & The New World Order
Trans Pacific Partnership: Corporate Escape From Accountability
The Re-enserfment of Western Peoples
— Paul Craig Roberts
Dr. Paul Craig Roberts : TPP ("trade deals") & the New World Order
The Re-enserfment of Western Peoples
— Paul Craig Roberts
Dr. Paul Craig Roberts : TPP ("trade deals") & the New World Order
Wednesday, 25 November 2015
GMOs More Deadly Than Previously Thought
GMOS Are 125 Times More Deadly Than Previously Thought
naturalblaze
Environmentalists, consumer groups and plant scientists from several countries have warned that heavy use of glyphosate is causing problems for plants, people and animals.
The Dangers of Glyphosate Herbicide
The Social Cost of GMOs
— Paul Craig Roberts
China-Canada Trade Deal
Chinese investors will have the right to challenge our laws with no recourse to Canadian courts
The Canada-China FIPA isn’t a complete trade deal. It’s more like one chapter of a trade deal -- the chapter that deals with protecting investors’ rights.
Under these agreements, foreign companies gain the right to sue the host country in an international tribunal that doesn’t answer to national courts. Critics say this essentially gives foreign companies the ability to trump Canadian laws.
True, but under the Canada-China FIPA, a Chinese investor or business will have to prove they were subjected to different rules than would apply to a local investor or business. That strongly limits the extent to which Canadian laws can be challenged at the tribunals, and Canada’s ability to pass environmental and other laws likely won’t be as constrained as critics say. Canada will still be able to reject major investments from Chinese companies.
Supporters of the Canada-China FIPA say Canada needs a deal like this with China because we are running a $30-billion-a year trade deficit with the country. To get our money back, we need Chinese investment, and the FIPA gives investors the confidence they need to put their money here.
Don’t fear the FIPA
Foreign Investor Protection Agreement (FIPA)
The government can keep lawsuits secret
In the treaty, the government retained the right to hide documents filed in a lawsuit against Canada under the Canada-China FIPA. This is despite (or perhaps because of) the fact that these rulings can go against Canadian government policy.
Breaking Down the Harm to Canada Done by Treaty with China
There was no public consultation, no debate, no legislation
This trade treaty, meant to last a generation, got an hour of debate in front of the House of Commons’ trade committee, and that’s it.
Canada will be bound by the treaty for 31 years
NAFTA can be terminated in six months, but the Canada-China FIPA runs a minimum of 15 years, has a one-year notice of termination period, and extends rights to Chinese companies already operating in Canada by 15 years after the deal is cancelled.
Can President Obama Withdraw the U.S. from NAFTA?
Supporters of the deal say the at minimum 31-year timeline makes sense for protecting long-term investments and projects.
Some say it’s a better deal for China than for Canada
So far, FIPAs have been advantageous to Canadian business because they have largely protected Canadian investments in other countries. (“Canadian mining companies are using FIPAs with developing countries to claim damages from community opposition to unwanted mega-projects,” the Council of Canadians reports.)
The Council of Canadians : Canada-China (FIPA)
But with China, Canada is on the other side of that equation — it’s largely the destination country for investment. “Canada will be much more exposed to claims and corresponding constraints” than China under the deal, Osgoode law prof Gus Van Harten writes.
Though the deal sets up the same protections for Canadians investing in China as for Chinese investors in Canada, it creates “de facto non-reciprocity,” Van Harten argues, because of the imbalance in the trade relationship.
Minority shareholders will be able to sue
Even if a Chinese citizen owns a small portion of a Canadian company, they will be able to use the tribunals set up under the FIPA, Van Harten says.
There’s a legal challenge to the deal in the courts right now
British Columbia’s Hupacasath First Nation launched a court challenge on the constitutionality of the deal in January, 2013, arguing the government had violated its responsibility to consult with first nations on constitutional and treaty issues. The B.C. Supreme Court rejected that argument in October, 2013, but the first nation is now appealing that ruling before the Federal Court of Appeal.
The Canada-China FIPA isn’t a complete trade deal. It’s more like one chapter of a trade deal -- the chapter that deals with protecting investors’ rights.
Under these agreements, foreign companies gain the right to sue the host country in an international tribunal that doesn’t answer to national courts. Critics say this essentially gives foreign companies the ability to trump Canadian laws.
True, but under the Canada-China FIPA, a Chinese investor or business will have to prove they were subjected to different rules than would apply to a local investor or business. That strongly limits the extent to which Canadian laws can be challenged at the tribunals, and Canada’s ability to pass environmental and other laws likely won’t be as constrained as critics say. Canada will still be able to reject major investments from Chinese companies.
Supporters of the Canada-China FIPA say Canada needs a deal like this with China because we are running a $30-billion-a year trade deficit with the country. To get our money back, we need Chinese investment, and the FIPA gives investors the confidence they need to put their money here.
Don’t fear the FIPA
Foreign Investor Protection Agreement (FIPA)
The government can keep lawsuits secret
In the treaty, the government retained the right to hide documents filed in a lawsuit against Canada under the Canada-China FIPA. This is despite (or perhaps because of) the fact that these rulings can go against Canadian government policy.
Breaking Down the Harm to Canada Done by Treaty with China
There was no public consultation, no debate, no legislation
This trade treaty, meant to last a generation, got an hour of debate in front of the House of Commons’ trade committee, and that’s it.
Canada will be bound by the treaty for 31 years
NAFTA can be terminated in six months, but the Canada-China FIPA runs a minimum of 15 years, has a one-year notice of termination period, and extends rights to Chinese companies already operating in Canada by 15 years after the deal is cancelled.
Can President Obama Withdraw the U.S. from NAFTA?
Supporters of the deal say the at minimum 31-year timeline makes sense for protecting long-term investments and projects.
Some say it’s a better deal for China than for Canada
So far, FIPAs have been advantageous to Canadian business because they have largely protected Canadian investments in other countries. (“Canadian mining companies are using FIPAs with developing countries to claim damages from community opposition to unwanted mega-projects,” the Council of Canadians reports.)
The Council of Canadians : Canada-China (FIPA)
But with China, Canada is on the other side of that equation — it’s largely the destination country for investment. “Canada will be much more exposed to claims and corresponding constraints” than China under the deal, Osgoode law prof Gus Van Harten writes.
Though the deal sets up the same protections for Canadians investing in China as for Chinese investors in Canada, it creates “de facto non-reciprocity,” Van Harten argues, because of the imbalance in the trade relationship.
Minority shareholders will be able to sue
Even if a Chinese citizen owns a small portion of a Canadian company, they will be able to use the tribunals set up under the FIPA, Van Harten says.
There’s a legal challenge to the deal in the courts right now
British Columbia’s Hupacasath First Nation launched a court challenge on the constitutionality of the deal in January, 2013, arguing the government had violated its responsibility to consult with first nations on constitutional and treaty issues. The B.C. Supreme Court rejected that argument in October, 2013, but the first nation is now appealing that ruling before the Federal Court of Appeal.
8 incredible solar powered houses designed by students
Stevens Institute of Technology
Stevens Institute of Technology started with a simple question when preparing for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015: "How can we design a home that both reduces energy use and adapts to the realities of a changing, more extreme climate?" The answer is the SURE (sustainable + resilient) HOUSE, a high-performance, solar-powered house that is armored against extreme weather and can provide emergency power in the aftermath of a storm—packaged as a comfortable, beautiful shore house.
Stevens Institute of Technology started with a simple question when preparing for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015: "How can we design a home that both reduces energy use and adapts to the realities of a changing, more extreme climate?" The answer is the SURE (sustainable + resilient) HOUSE, a high-performance, solar-powered house that is armored against extreme weather and can provide emergency power in the aftermath of a storm—packaged as a comfortable, beautiful shore house.
University at Buffalo, the State University of New York
For its first U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, introduces the GRoW Home, which reconceptualizes sustainable urban living by pushing the conversation toward total self-sufficiency. This small but dynamic house adjusts to seasonal change through operable elements and a spatially flexible design that allows for adaptable living. The Growlarium—part greenhouse, part solarium—supports vegetation year-round and provides an extraordinary living space.
California Polytechnic State University
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, returns to the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon in 2015 with a house designed for coastal California. As such, INhouse addresses the majority of its heating, cooling, and lighting needs architecturally.
Its public and private "wings" are serviced by an active "core" that contains mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and monitoring systems. The private wing includes a master bedroom and a flexible library/office/second bedroom. The public wing contains entertainment and dining spaces that open to exterior areas and the views beyond.
The University of Texas at Austin & Technische Universitaet Muenchen in Germany
Partnering across the world with Technische Universitaet Muenchen in Germany, The University of Texas at Austin returns to the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon in 2015 with a vision for its own backyard. One of the fastest growing cities in the U.S., Austin is facing strain on its water and electricity infrastructure. Compounding these issues is an increase in suburban poverty. The team's 784-ft2 NexusHaus offers a solution to these problems in a solar-powered house that can be deployed throughout Austin as an accessory dwelling unit. The house will collect most of its own water, provide vegetables and fish for consumption through a closed-loop aquaponics system, and increase density within Austin's single-family residential neighborhoods.
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Just as birds use materials from their environment to build a nest, Missouri University of Science and Technology reused common materials to build its U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015 entry. Three refurbished shipping containers form the structure of the house. Innovative technologies such as greywater reclamation and a home automation system pair with passive design techniques to reduce overall energy consumption and improve efficiency. Collectively, these elements form a balanced blend of modern design, comfort, and sustainability.
Clemson University
Indigo Pine, the first U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon entry from Clemson University, seeks to improve the sustainability of construction socially, economically, and environmentally. The Clemson team developed a new construction method to enable residents to construct their own homes efficiently and affordably.
The University of California, Davis
For its first U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, the University of California, Davis, has created Aggie Sol, a prototype zero-net-energy home for the underserved farmworkers of America.
The two-bedroom, one-bathroom Aggie Sol is factory-built for easy transportation and construction. Its contains a large common space with living, kitchen, and dining rooms that open onto the decks and sleeping and service rooms off a hallway. The house features in-line framing and an innovative radiant floor system that uses the night sky to reduce cooling loads.
And...
Four University of Calgary students have invented a fridge that doesn't require electricity to run.
Their project won an international competition that seeks nature-inspired solutions to sustainability problems.
The project, named WindChill, won the Biomimicry Global Design Challenge's student category.
The invention was inspired by how some animals regulate their body temperature. The team from U of C aimed to create an easy, inexpensive solution to food spoilage, which disproportionately affects people in hot climates.
Watch it On Vimeo: Wind Chill: food preservation unit
Four University of Calgary students have invented a fridge that doesn't require electricity to run.
Their project won an international competition that seeks nature-inspired solutions to sustainability problems.
The project, named WindChill, won the Biomimicry Global Design Challenge's student category.
The invention was inspired by how some animals regulate their body temperature. The team from U of C aimed to create an easy, inexpensive solution to food spoilage, which disproportionately affects people in hot climates.
Watch it On Vimeo: Wind Chill: food preservation unit
Tuesday, 24 November 2015
Food Banks - Canada
Why Are So Many Canadians Relying On Food Banks?
5 Ways To Donate To Food Banks :
5 Minutes: Donate At The Grocery Store
The next time you go grocery shopping, check to see if the store is collecting any items for local food banks, says Kathy Murphy, corporate affairs director at Kraft Canada. "It takes five minutes to buy something, so why not donate it? If you're shopping for peanut butter, buy two and donate the other," she says.
5 Hours: Volunteer At The Food Bank
During the year (especially during the holiday season), food banks need volunteers to sort, manage and give out food, Murphy says. If you have five hours to spare, gather a group of friends or co-workers and head to your local food bank. "It's the time of year when food banks receive large donations and they need help to sort it out," she says.
5 Days: Organize A Food Drive
If you have a week off during the holidays, Murphy suggests organizing a food drive at your holiday party or even one at the office. Giving people a week gives them enough time to mobilize and collect donations, she adds.
5 Weeks: Fill A Hamper
When you have five weeks, think long-term: Every week when you go grocery shopping, try to save one item to donate. "Have the goal to fill a hamper and donate this to a food bank," Murphy says.
5 Months: Working On Long-Term Goals
One of the biggest issues for Canadian food banks is the ability to meet the growing demands and needs of serving people in the long run, Murphy says. If you have five months and want to volunteer with a food bank, Murphy recommends talking to them about meeting their capacity needs and working towards one long-term goal. For example, you could organize a fundraiser or help the organization look for sponsors or partnerships.
5 Ways To Donate To Food Banks :
5 Minutes: Donate At The Grocery Store
The next time you go grocery shopping, check to see if the store is collecting any items for local food banks, says Kathy Murphy, corporate affairs director at Kraft Canada. "It takes five minutes to buy something, so why not donate it? If you're shopping for peanut butter, buy two and donate the other," she says.
5 Hours: Volunteer At The Food Bank
During the year (especially during the holiday season), food banks need volunteers to sort, manage and give out food, Murphy says. If you have five hours to spare, gather a group of friends or co-workers and head to your local food bank. "It's the time of year when food banks receive large donations and they need help to sort it out," she says.
5 Days: Organize A Food Drive
If you have a week off during the holidays, Murphy suggests organizing a food drive at your holiday party or even one at the office. Giving people a week gives them enough time to mobilize and collect donations, she adds.
5 Weeks: Fill A Hamper
When you have five weeks, think long-term: Every week when you go grocery shopping, try to save one item to donate. "Have the goal to fill a hamper and donate this to a food bank," Murphy says.
5 Months: Working On Long-Term Goals
One of the biggest issues for Canadian food banks is the ability to meet the growing demands and needs of serving people in the long run, Murphy says. If you have five months and want to volunteer with a food bank, Murphy recommends talking to them about meeting their capacity needs and working towards one long-term goal. For example, you could organize a fundraiser or help the organization look for sponsors or partnerships.
Visionary Women: Life Lessons from 13 Female Luminaries
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou was an author, poet, dancer, actress, singer, producer and activist.
One of the lessons that we can learn from her life is the importance of saying "Yes". She discovered who she was and along the way by saying yes to various opportunities.
"If I'm asked, 'Can you do this?' I think, if I don't do it, it'll be ten years before another black woman is asked to do it. And I say, 'yes, yes, when do you want it?"
Marina Abramovic
Marina Abramovic's art allowed her to push past physical boundaries. In her 2010 groundbreaking performance The Artist is Present at New York's MoMA, she broke attendance records attracting more than 500,000 visitors. One of the lessons we can learn from her life is that when dealing with yourself and pushing past your own limitations you can be a catalyst for others to do the same.
Katharine Graham
Publisher of The Washington Post, Katharine Graham was the first woman to head a Fortune 500 company. When she took over the Post in 1963 after her husband's death, she had no formal training in business and only modest experience in journalism, yet she found her way to success. Life lesson: People can lead very rich and fulfilling careers in the second half of life. "Most people go through life without ever discovering the existence of that whole field of endeavor which we describe as second wind."
Marie Curie
Marie Curie was a Polish-born French physicist famous for her work on radioactivity and twice a winner of the Nobel Prize. She is the most famous female scientist of all time, and has received numerous posthumous honors. One of the lessons one can learn from her life is to follow your intuition and passion. Curie once said, "I am among those who think science has a great beauty. A scientist in his laboratory is not only a technician: He is also a child placed before natural phenomena which impress him like a fairy tale."
Rosario Perez
Rosario Perez is the former CEO and President of Pro Mujer (For Women), a non-profit organization dedicated to the economic development of women in Latin America. After a long successful career at JPMorgan Chase, she repositioned herself to help some of the most disadvantaged women in South America. Her work has reached more than 1.6 million women and their 6.4 million children and family members in Latin America. Lesson from her life: If you give others the opportunities and the right tools, people can lift themselves up.
Muccia Prada
Muccia Prada is a fashion powerhouse that continues to unveil her vision of what a woman can be. Her farsighted creativity extends to other cultural forums, including architecture, art, cinema and design. Her collaboration with acclaimed architects led to creating a revolutionary store concept, combining retail, an art space, and gallery. Life lesson: you can merge all your passions into the business that you have.
Carmen Amaya
Carmen Amaya "The Queen of the Gypsies" is known as one of the greatest dancers of all time, and the mother of modern Flamenco dance. Rising from poverty to becoming an international star and performing on the silver screen, her story is truly remarkable. She was described as: a volcano, a tornado, a cyclone, a young tiger, a serpent, and "furiously animal".
One of lessons from her life is one of loyalty to family and a passion for her art. It is well known that she took great care of her family and brought them along on her many tours.
Victoria Ocampo
Victoria Ocampo was a writer, an editor, a publisher, a feminist and described as "La Mujer mas Argentina" (the Quintessential Argentinian Woman). She pushed beyond on the stereotypes of her wealthy upbringing and made a name for herself in the literary world. Her admiration for her contemporary luminaries motivated her to carve out a series of mentoring relationships that had a huge effect in her path to success. Life lesson: surround yourself with like-minded successful people you admire so that you can draw from their guidance and experience.
Shirin Neshat
Shirin Neshat is a visual artist who has gained global recognition for her work in photography, film, and video. Born in Iran and living in the United States for much of her life due to the political climate of her native homeland, her work reflects the experience of being caught between two worlds. Life lesson: Imagination is one of our greatest resources.
"My imagination is the place that I feel at home. As long as I can go back to my imagination, I am content."
Diana Nyad
Diana Nyad is a world champion swimmer, an author, journalist and motivational speaker. She is best known for her recent feat in becoming first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage. Her motto: "Find a way."
Life lesson: Never give up.
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly solo from the coast to coast, across the Atlantic, and the first pilot to fly solo across the Pacific. She tragically was lost at sea on her attempt to circumnavigate the globe at the equator. One of the great lessons of her life was that she wasn't afraid to step into the unknown. She had a way of confronting her fears and transforming them into excitement and adventure.
Madam CJ Walker
The daughter of former slaves, she went on to become the first female millionaire in U.S. history. Breaking the cycle of poverty in her own family, she created a thriving national hair care business. Life lesson: It doesn't matter where you come from. You can take a idea and build a future for yourself.
Helen Keller
Although left deaf and blind through a childhood illness, Helen Keller rose above her circumstances to become a US Goodwill Ambassador, an author, and lecturer, and spoke several languages. She would later become the recipient of the US Presidential Medical of Freedom. Life lesson: A rich interior life far outweighs physical limitations. Her life continues to inspire millions worldwide.
Maya Angelou was an author, poet, dancer, actress, singer, producer and activist.
One of the lessons that we can learn from her life is the importance of saying "Yes". She discovered who she was and along the way by saying yes to various opportunities.
"If I'm asked, 'Can you do this?' I think, if I don't do it, it'll be ten years before another black woman is asked to do it. And I say, 'yes, yes, when do you want it?"
Marina Abramovic
Marina Abramovic's art allowed her to push past physical boundaries. In her 2010 groundbreaking performance The Artist is Present at New York's MoMA, she broke attendance records attracting more than 500,000 visitors. One of the lessons we can learn from her life is that when dealing with yourself and pushing past your own limitations you can be a catalyst for others to do the same.
Katharine Graham
Publisher of The Washington Post, Katharine Graham was the first woman to head a Fortune 500 company. When she took over the Post in 1963 after her husband's death, she had no formal training in business and only modest experience in journalism, yet she found her way to success. Life lesson: People can lead very rich and fulfilling careers in the second half of life. "Most people go through life without ever discovering the existence of that whole field of endeavor which we describe as second wind."
Marie Curie
Marie Curie was a Polish-born French physicist famous for her work on radioactivity and twice a winner of the Nobel Prize. She is the most famous female scientist of all time, and has received numerous posthumous honors. One of the lessons one can learn from her life is to follow your intuition and passion. Curie once said, "I am among those who think science has a great beauty. A scientist in his laboratory is not only a technician: He is also a child placed before natural phenomena which impress him like a fairy tale."
Rosario Perez
Rosario Perez is the former CEO and President of Pro Mujer (For Women), a non-profit organization dedicated to the economic development of women in Latin America. After a long successful career at JPMorgan Chase, she repositioned herself to help some of the most disadvantaged women in South America. Her work has reached more than 1.6 million women and their 6.4 million children and family members in Latin America. Lesson from her life: If you give others the opportunities and the right tools, people can lift themselves up.
Muccia Prada
Muccia Prada is a fashion powerhouse that continues to unveil her vision of what a woman can be. Her farsighted creativity extends to other cultural forums, including architecture, art, cinema and design. Her collaboration with acclaimed architects led to creating a revolutionary store concept, combining retail, an art space, and gallery. Life lesson: you can merge all your passions into the business that you have.
Carmen Amaya
Carmen Amaya "The Queen of the Gypsies" is known as one of the greatest dancers of all time, and the mother of modern Flamenco dance. Rising from poverty to becoming an international star and performing on the silver screen, her story is truly remarkable. She was described as: a volcano, a tornado, a cyclone, a young tiger, a serpent, and "furiously animal".
One of lessons from her life is one of loyalty to family and a passion for her art. It is well known that she took great care of her family and brought them along on her many tours.
Victoria Ocampo
Victoria Ocampo was a writer, an editor, a publisher, a feminist and described as "La Mujer mas Argentina" (the Quintessential Argentinian Woman). She pushed beyond on the stereotypes of her wealthy upbringing and made a name for herself in the literary world. Her admiration for her contemporary luminaries motivated her to carve out a series of mentoring relationships that had a huge effect in her path to success. Life lesson: surround yourself with like-minded successful people you admire so that you can draw from their guidance and experience.
Shirin Neshat
Shirin Neshat is a visual artist who has gained global recognition for her work in photography, film, and video. Born in Iran and living in the United States for much of her life due to the political climate of her native homeland, her work reflects the experience of being caught between two worlds. Life lesson: Imagination is one of our greatest resources.
"My imagination is the place that I feel at home. As long as I can go back to my imagination, I am content."
Diana Nyad
Diana Nyad is a world champion swimmer, an author, journalist and motivational speaker. She is best known for her recent feat in becoming first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage. Her motto: "Find a way."
Life lesson: Never give up.
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly solo from the coast to coast, across the Atlantic, and the first pilot to fly solo across the Pacific. She tragically was lost at sea on her attempt to circumnavigate the globe at the equator. One of the great lessons of her life was that she wasn't afraid to step into the unknown. She had a way of confronting her fears and transforming them into excitement and adventure.
Madam CJ Walker
The daughter of former slaves, she went on to become the first female millionaire in U.S. history. Breaking the cycle of poverty in her own family, she created a thriving national hair care business. Life lesson: It doesn't matter where you come from. You can take a idea and build a future for yourself.
Helen Keller
Although left deaf and blind through a childhood illness, Helen Keller rose above her circumstances to become a US Goodwill Ambassador, an author, and lecturer, and spoke several languages. She would later become the recipient of the US Presidential Medical of Freedom. Life lesson: A rich interior life far outweighs physical limitations. Her life continues to inspire millions worldwide.
Rookie MPs To Keep Your Eye On
Mélanie Joly, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, Quebec — Liberal
Joly, 36, made a name for herself by finishing second to ex-Liberal cabinet minister Denis Coderre in the Montreal mayoral race in 2013. A lawyer and communications expert who was heavily involved in her community, she ran for the Liberals and beat ex-Bloc MP-turned-New Democrat Maria Mourani.
Joly was named minister of Canadian heritage.
Celina Caesar-Chavannes, Whitby, Ontario — Liberal
Caesar-Chavannes first gave the Tories a fright in a 2014 byelection to fill the seat left behind by the late Jim Flaherty. Though she lost to Whitby's then-mayor Pat Perkins, the race ended up being a lot closer than many expected.
In a rematch, Caesar-Chavannes, an entrepreneur and research consultant, won by almost 2,000 votes.
Gérard Deltell, Louis-Saint-Laurent, Quebec — Conservative
Deltell, a longtime member of Quebec's National Assembly, served as leader of the right-wing Action Démocratique du Québec until that party merged with Coalition Avenir Quebec a few years ago.
He was considered a star recruit for the Conservatives, who have struggled in the province. Deltell easily defeated his Liberal challenger by nearly 20,000 votes. The NDP incumbent finished third.
Mario Beaulieu, La Pointe-de-l'Île, Quebec — Bloc
Despite not having a seat, Beaulieu was elected leader of the Bloc Quebecois in June 2014. He gave up the role just before the start of the election to make room for former leader Gilles Duceppe.
Though Duceppe lost his bid for a seat, Beaulieu was victorious and will soon have a chance to make his mark in Parliament.
Bill Blair, Scarborough Southwest, Ontario — Liberal
Blair was chief of the Toronto Police Service from 2005 to 2015. He sparked controversy with his handling of the 2010 G20 protests in the city and publicly clashed with controversial ex-mayor Rob Ford.
A police officer for 40 years, Blair says he was approached by the Tories and New Democrats before he decided to run for the Trudeau Liberals.
Alain Rayes, Richmond-Arthabaska, Quebec — Conservative
Rayes, the popular mayor of Victoriaville since 2009, was courted for months to run federally. His pursuit of a nomination was interpreted as a sign of Conservative momentum in the province.
Rayes rolled to victory, besting his nearest competitor (a Liberal) by more than 4,000 votes.
Daniel Blaikie, Elmwood-Transcona, Manitoba — NDP
Though New Democrats lost more than half their seats and saw many high-profile MPs defeated, Blaikie's razor-thin victory over a Tory incumbent was a bright spot.
Blaikie, 31, is the son of NDP stalwart Bill Blaikie, who served as an MP from 1979 to 2008. His sister, Rebecca, is president of the NDP.
Andrew Leslie, Orléans, Ontario — Liberal
Leslie, a retired general who led Canadian troops in Afghanistan, was one of the Liberals' star recruits. He served as Trudeau's foreign policy and defence adviser and unseated a Conservative incumbent in the Ottawa riding.
Bill Morneau, Toronto Centre, Ontario — Liberal
Morneau, the former executive chair of Morneau Shepell, one of Canada's largest human resources firms, has landed the coveted finance portfolio.
Jody Wilson-Raybould, Vancouver Granville, B.C. — Liberal
Wilson-Raybould, a former Crown prosecutor and regional chief of the B.C. Assembly of First Nations will serve as justice minister and attorney general.
Dianne Watts, South Surrey-White Rock, B.C. — Conservative
Watts, the very popular former mayor of Surrey, likely would have landed in cabinet if Harper's Conservatives won again. Instead, she will be a fresh face in the opposition benches.
Mayor of B.C.'s second-largest city from 2005 to 2014, she was one of just two Conservatives endorsed by GreenPAC, a group dedicated to environmental causes.
Harjit Sajjan, Vancouver South, B.C. — Liberal
Sajjan, a retired lieutenant colonel who also served in Afghanistan, was the first Sikh to command a Canadian Army regiment. He also served as a Vancouver police officer for 11 years.
He has been named defence minister.
Robert-Falcon Ouellette, Winnipeg Centre, Manitoba — Liberal
Ouellette, a Cree academic who served almost 20 years in the Canadian Armed Forces, surprised many with a strong campaign for mayor of Winnipeg in 2014.
He unseated colourful NDP incumbent Pat Martin in a race that turned personal at times. Ouellette is one of a record 10 indigenous MPs elected to the House of Commons.
Ron Liepert, Calgary Signal Hill, Alberta — Conservative
Liepert was an MLA in Alberta for 12 years and served as both minister of health and energy. He challenged controversial, longtime MP Rob Anders for the Tory nomination and even told Jason Kenney to "mind his own business" after the cabinet minister endorsed his rival.
Liepert easily won his seat and, days later, bashed the way the Conservative Party ran the national campaign. Liepert, it seems, is no shrinking violet.
Seamus O'Regan, St. John's South-Mount Pearl, N.L. — Liberal
O'Regan, a former host of "Canada AM" and CTV journalist, unseated an NDP incumbent in the Newfoundland riding.
While well-known for his broadcasting career, O'Regan also worked as an assistant to Jean Charest, back when he was a Progressive Conservative environment minister. He also worked as a speechwriter for former Liberal Newfoundland and Labrador premier Brian Tobin.
MaryAnn Mihychuk, Kildonan-St. Paul, Manitoba — Liberal
Mihychuk was an NDP MLA in Manitoba from 1995 to 2004, serving as minister of industry, trade, and mines, and later minister of intergovernmental affairs.
She has been named minister of employment.
Catherine McKenna, Ottawa Centre, Ontario — Liberal
McKenna, a social justice lawyer, was a former legal advisor for the United Nations peacekeeping mission in East Timor and founded Canadian Lawyers Abroad (now known as Level), a charity focused on global justice issues.
She will serve as minister of the environment and climate change.
Sheila Malcolmson, Nanaimo-Ladysmith, B.C. — NDP
Malcolmson captured the Vancouver Island riding for the NDP, winning by more than 6,000 votes.
She is a former chairwoman of the Islands Trust Council, and was elected to that body four times. Her experience in local government could mean a key role in an NDP caucus now depleted of many veterans MPs.
Karen McCrimmon, Kanata-Carleton, Ontario — Liberal
McCrimmon ran for the leadership of the Liberal Party in 2013 despite never holding elected office. A former lieutenant colonel in the Royal Canadian Air Force, McCrimmon was the first female air navigator and first woman to command a Canadian Forces flying squadron.
Kent Hehr, Calgary Centre, Alberta — Liberal
Hehr, an Alberta MLA from 2008 to 2015, was one of just two Liberals elected in Calgary. Grits were shut out of that city for almost 50 years.
The 45-year-old will serve as minister of veterans affairs and associate minister of national defence.
Dr. Jane Philpott, Markham-Stouffville, Ontario — Liberal
Philpott is a family physician, associate professor at the University of Toronto, and former chief of the department of family medicine at Markham Stouffville Hospital. She unseated controversial parliamentary secretary Paul Calandra by nearly 4,000 votes.
She will serve as minister of health.
Amarjeet Sohi, Edmonton Mill Woods, Alberta — Liberal
A respected Edmonton city councillor since 2007, Sohi immigrated to Canada from India 35 years ago and served time behind bars as a political prisoner in India.
He has been named minister of infrastructure.
Carla Qualtrough, Delta, B.C. — Liberal
Qualtrough, a lawyer and former Paralympian, will serve as minister of sport.
Legally blind, Qualtrough won three Paralympic and four World Championship medals for Canada in swimming and was president of the Canadian Paralympic Committee.
Maryam Monsef, Peterborough, Ontario — Liberal
A community organizer, Monsef was born in Afghanistan. She fled the Taliban and came to Canada as a refugee with her widowed mother and sisters in 1996.
Monsef, 30, will serve as minister for democratic institutions.
Patty Hajdu, Thunder Bay-Superior North — Liberal
Hajdu, executive director of Thunder Bay's largest homeless shelter, will serve as status of women minister.
Bardish Chagger, Waterloo, Ontario — Liberal
The 35-year-old, who worked for the Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre, will serve as minister of small business and tourism.
Jean-Yves Duclos, Québec, Quebec — Liberal
Duclos, a renowned economics professor at Laval University, will serve as minister of families, children and social development.
Jim Carr, Winnipeg South Centre, Manitoba — Liberal
Carr, a former Manitoba MLA and deputy leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party, unseated a Tory incumbent by an astounding 17,000 votes.
He will serve as minister of natural resources.
Marco Mendicino, Eglinton-Lawrence, Ontario — Liberal
Mendicino, a former federal prosecutor, knows how to go up against big names and win. First, he beat Tory-turned-Liberal Eve Adams in a nomination battle and won the Toronto seat held by finance minister Joe Oliver by nearly 6,000 votes.
He could be headed for big things in a Trudeau government.
Stephen Fuhr, Kelowna-Lake Country, B.C. — Liberal
Fuhr is a former CF-18 fighter pilot who served with the Canadian Air Force for 20 years. Though his riding had been reliably Conservative, he unseated the Tory incumbent by more than 4,000 votes.
Fuhr wrote a blog for HuffPost last year detailing how he went from being a lifelong Conservative to a Liberal candidate. He could be considered for a cabinet or parliamentary secretary role.
Joly, 36, made a name for herself by finishing second to ex-Liberal cabinet minister Denis Coderre in the Montreal mayoral race in 2013. A lawyer and communications expert who was heavily involved in her community, she ran for the Liberals and beat ex-Bloc MP-turned-New Democrat Maria Mourani.
Joly was named minister of Canadian heritage.
Celina Caesar-Chavannes, Whitby, Ontario — Liberal
Caesar-Chavannes first gave the Tories a fright in a 2014 byelection to fill the seat left behind by the late Jim Flaherty. Though she lost to Whitby's then-mayor Pat Perkins, the race ended up being a lot closer than many expected.
In a rematch, Caesar-Chavannes, an entrepreneur and research consultant, won by almost 2,000 votes.
Gérard Deltell, Louis-Saint-Laurent, Quebec — Conservative
Deltell, a longtime member of Quebec's National Assembly, served as leader of the right-wing Action Démocratique du Québec until that party merged with Coalition Avenir Quebec a few years ago.
He was considered a star recruit for the Conservatives, who have struggled in the province. Deltell easily defeated his Liberal challenger by nearly 20,000 votes. The NDP incumbent finished third.
Mario Beaulieu, La Pointe-de-l'Île, Quebec — Bloc
Despite not having a seat, Beaulieu was elected leader of the Bloc Quebecois in June 2014. He gave up the role just before the start of the election to make room for former leader Gilles Duceppe.
Though Duceppe lost his bid for a seat, Beaulieu was victorious and will soon have a chance to make his mark in Parliament.
Bill Blair, Scarborough Southwest, Ontario — Liberal
Blair was chief of the Toronto Police Service from 2005 to 2015. He sparked controversy with his handling of the 2010 G20 protests in the city and publicly clashed with controversial ex-mayor Rob Ford.
A police officer for 40 years, Blair says he was approached by the Tories and New Democrats before he decided to run for the Trudeau Liberals.
Alain Rayes, Richmond-Arthabaska, Quebec — Conservative
Rayes, the popular mayor of Victoriaville since 2009, was courted for months to run federally. His pursuit of a nomination was interpreted as a sign of Conservative momentum in the province.
Rayes rolled to victory, besting his nearest competitor (a Liberal) by more than 4,000 votes.
Daniel Blaikie, Elmwood-Transcona, Manitoba — NDP
Though New Democrats lost more than half their seats and saw many high-profile MPs defeated, Blaikie's razor-thin victory over a Tory incumbent was a bright spot.
Blaikie, 31, is the son of NDP stalwart Bill Blaikie, who served as an MP from 1979 to 2008. His sister, Rebecca, is president of the NDP.
Andrew Leslie, Orléans, Ontario — Liberal
Leslie, a retired general who led Canadian troops in Afghanistan, was one of the Liberals' star recruits. He served as Trudeau's foreign policy and defence adviser and unseated a Conservative incumbent in the Ottawa riding.
Bill Morneau, Toronto Centre, Ontario — Liberal
Morneau, the former executive chair of Morneau Shepell, one of Canada's largest human resources firms, has landed the coveted finance portfolio.
Jody Wilson-Raybould, Vancouver Granville, B.C. — Liberal
Wilson-Raybould, a former Crown prosecutor and regional chief of the B.C. Assembly of First Nations will serve as justice minister and attorney general.
Dianne Watts, South Surrey-White Rock, B.C. — Conservative
Watts, the very popular former mayor of Surrey, likely would have landed in cabinet if Harper's Conservatives won again. Instead, she will be a fresh face in the opposition benches.
Mayor of B.C.'s second-largest city from 2005 to 2014, she was one of just two Conservatives endorsed by GreenPAC, a group dedicated to environmental causes.
Harjit Sajjan, Vancouver South, B.C. — Liberal
Sajjan, a retired lieutenant colonel who also served in Afghanistan, was the first Sikh to command a Canadian Army regiment. He also served as a Vancouver police officer for 11 years.
He has been named defence minister.
Robert-Falcon Ouellette, Winnipeg Centre, Manitoba — Liberal
Ouellette, a Cree academic who served almost 20 years in the Canadian Armed Forces, surprised many with a strong campaign for mayor of Winnipeg in 2014.
He unseated colourful NDP incumbent Pat Martin in a race that turned personal at times. Ouellette is one of a record 10 indigenous MPs elected to the House of Commons.
Ron Liepert, Calgary Signal Hill, Alberta — Conservative
Liepert was an MLA in Alberta for 12 years and served as both minister of health and energy. He challenged controversial, longtime MP Rob Anders for the Tory nomination and even told Jason Kenney to "mind his own business" after the cabinet minister endorsed his rival.
Liepert easily won his seat and, days later, bashed the way the Conservative Party ran the national campaign. Liepert, it seems, is no shrinking violet.
Seamus O'Regan, St. John's South-Mount Pearl, N.L. — Liberal
O'Regan, a former host of "Canada AM" and CTV journalist, unseated an NDP incumbent in the Newfoundland riding.
While well-known for his broadcasting career, O'Regan also worked as an assistant to Jean Charest, back when he was a Progressive Conservative environment minister. He also worked as a speechwriter for former Liberal Newfoundland and Labrador premier Brian Tobin.
MaryAnn Mihychuk, Kildonan-St. Paul, Manitoba — Liberal
Mihychuk was an NDP MLA in Manitoba from 1995 to 2004, serving as minister of industry, trade, and mines, and later minister of intergovernmental affairs.
She has been named minister of employment.
Catherine McKenna, Ottawa Centre, Ontario — Liberal
McKenna, a social justice lawyer, was a former legal advisor for the United Nations peacekeeping mission in East Timor and founded Canadian Lawyers Abroad (now known as Level), a charity focused on global justice issues.
She will serve as minister of the environment and climate change.
Sheila Malcolmson, Nanaimo-Ladysmith, B.C. — NDP
Malcolmson captured the Vancouver Island riding for the NDP, winning by more than 6,000 votes.
She is a former chairwoman of the Islands Trust Council, and was elected to that body four times. Her experience in local government could mean a key role in an NDP caucus now depleted of many veterans MPs.
Karen McCrimmon, Kanata-Carleton, Ontario — Liberal
McCrimmon ran for the leadership of the Liberal Party in 2013 despite never holding elected office. A former lieutenant colonel in the Royal Canadian Air Force, McCrimmon was the first female air navigator and first woman to command a Canadian Forces flying squadron.
Kent Hehr, Calgary Centre, Alberta — Liberal
Hehr, an Alberta MLA from 2008 to 2015, was one of just two Liberals elected in Calgary. Grits were shut out of that city for almost 50 years.
The 45-year-old will serve as minister of veterans affairs and associate minister of national defence.
Dr. Jane Philpott, Markham-Stouffville, Ontario — Liberal
Philpott is a family physician, associate professor at the University of Toronto, and former chief of the department of family medicine at Markham Stouffville Hospital. She unseated controversial parliamentary secretary Paul Calandra by nearly 4,000 votes.
She will serve as minister of health.
Amarjeet Sohi, Edmonton Mill Woods, Alberta — Liberal
A respected Edmonton city councillor since 2007, Sohi immigrated to Canada from India 35 years ago and served time behind bars as a political prisoner in India.
He has been named minister of infrastructure.
Carla Qualtrough, Delta, B.C. — Liberal
Qualtrough, a lawyer and former Paralympian, will serve as minister of sport.
Legally blind, Qualtrough won three Paralympic and four World Championship medals for Canada in swimming and was president of the Canadian Paralympic Committee.
Maryam Monsef, Peterborough, Ontario — Liberal
A community organizer, Monsef was born in Afghanistan. She fled the Taliban and came to Canada as a refugee with her widowed mother and sisters in 1996.
Monsef, 30, will serve as minister for democratic institutions.
Patty Hajdu, Thunder Bay-Superior North — Liberal
Hajdu, executive director of Thunder Bay's largest homeless shelter, will serve as status of women minister.
Bardish Chagger, Waterloo, Ontario — Liberal
The 35-year-old, who worked for the Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre, will serve as minister of small business and tourism.
Jean-Yves Duclos, Québec, Quebec — Liberal
Duclos, a renowned economics professor at Laval University, will serve as minister of families, children and social development.
Jim Carr, Winnipeg South Centre, Manitoba — Liberal
Carr, a former Manitoba MLA and deputy leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party, unseated a Tory incumbent by an astounding 17,000 votes.
He will serve as minister of natural resources.
Marco Mendicino, Eglinton-Lawrence, Ontario — Liberal
Mendicino, a former federal prosecutor, knows how to go up against big names and win. First, he beat Tory-turned-Liberal Eve Adams in a nomination battle and won the Toronto seat held by finance minister Joe Oliver by nearly 6,000 votes.
He could be headed for big things in a Trudeau government.
Stephen Fuhr, Kelowna-Lake Country, B.C. — Liberal
Fuhr is a former CF-18 fighter pilot who served with the Canadian Air Force for 20 years. Though his riding had been reliably Conservative, he unseated the Tory incumbent by more than 4,000 votes.
Fuhr wrote a blog for HuffPost last year detailing how he went from being a lifelong Conservative to a Liberal candidate. He could be considered for a cabinet or parliamentary secretary role.
Monday, 23 November 2015
Median Income For Women In Canada
The following data comes from Statistics Canada's 2011 National Household Survey.
St. Catharines -- $23,316
Median income for men: $35,028
Average income for women: $29,775
Average income for men: $43,195
Charlottetown -- $24,248
Median income for men: $30,961
Average income for women: $31,542
Average income for men: $40,965
Toronto -- $24,359
Median income for men: $31,233
Average income for women: $37,015
Average income for men: $52,716
Montreal -- $24,361
Median income for men: $32,887
Average income for women: $32,090
Average income for men: $44,800
Vancouver -- $24,551
Median income for men: $31,704
Average income for women: $35,618
Average income for men: $50,897
Hamilton -- $24,761
Median income for men: $35,666
Average income for women: $32,561
Average income for men: $45,725
Fredericton -- $24,990
Median income for men: $34,527
Average income for women: $32,306
Average income for men: $44,772
St. John's -- $25,593
Median income for men: $35,042
Average income for women: $33,940
Average income for men: $48,258
Thunder Bay -- $25,741
Median income for men: $37,821
Average income for women: $32,830
Average income for men: $45,148
Winnipeg -- $25,923
Median income for men: $35,776
Average income for women: $32,400
Average income for men: $44,342
Halifax -- $26,736
Median income for men: $39,154
Average income for women: $33,398
Average income for men: $48,096
Quebec City -- $27,053
Median income for men: $36,117
Average income for women: $32,334
Average income for men: $43,858
Victoria -- $27,324
Median income for men: $34,235
Average income for women: $33,792
Average income for men: $42,084
Saskatoon -- $28,069
Median income for men: $40,913
Average income for women: $35,426
Average income for men: $52,018
Edmonton -- $28,460
Median income for men: $43,929
Average income for women: $37,100
Average income for men: $56,034
Calgary -- $30,516
Median income for men: $45,781
Average income for women: $41,438
Average income for men: $68,928
Regina -- $31,349
Median income for men: $42,006
Average income for women: $38,488
Average income for men: $53,324
Ottawa -- $33,728
Median income for men: $46,513
Average income for women: $41,857
Average income for men: $58,318
Whitehorse -- $40,702
Median income for men: $46,265
Average income for women: $45,636
Average income for men: $53,264
Yellowknife -- $51,951
Median income for men: $66,153
Average income for women: $56,064
Average income for men: $73,225
Iqaluit -- $57,897
Median income for men: $62,187
Average income for women: $63,456
Average income for men: $69,539
St. Catharines -- $23,316
Median income for men: $35,028
Average income for women: $29,775
Average income for men: $43,195
Charlottetown -- $24,248
Median income for men: $30,961
Average income for women: $31,542
Average income for men: $40,965
Toronto -- $24,359
Median income for men: $31,233
Average income for women: $37,015
Average income for men: $52,716
Montreal -- $24,361
Median income for men: $32,887
Average income for women: $32,090
Average income for men: $44,800
Vancouver -- $24,551
Median income for men: $31,704
Average income for women: $35,618
Average income for men: $50,897
Hamilton -- $24,761
Median income for men: $35,666
Average income for women: $32,561
Average income for men: $45,725
Fredericton -- $24,990
Median income for men: $34,527
Average income for women: $32,306
Average income for men: $44,772
St. John's -- $25,593
Median income for men: $35,042
Average income for women: $33,940
Average income for men: $48,258
Thunder Bay -- $25,741
Median income for men: $37,821
Average income for women: $32,830
Average income for men: $45,148
Winnipeg -- $25,923
Median income for men: $35,776
Average income for women: $32,400
Average income for men: $44,342
Halifax -- $26,736
Median income for men: $39,154
Average income for women: $33,398
Average income for men: $48,096
Quebec City -- $27,053
Median income for men: $36,117
Average income for women: $32,334
Average income for men: $43,858
Victoria -- $27,324
Median income for men: $34,235
Average income for women: $33,792
Average income for men: $42,084
Saskatoon -- $28,069
Median income for men: $40,913
Average income for women: $35,426
Average income for men: $52,018
Edmonton -- $28,460
Median income for men: $43,929
Average income for women: $37,100
Average income for men: $56,034
Calgary -- $30,516
Median income for men: $45,781
Average income for women: $41,438
Average income for men: $68,928
Regina -- $31,349
Median income for men: $42,006
Average income for women: $38,488
Average income for men: $53,324
Ottawa -- $33,728
Median income for men: $46,513
Average income for women: $41,857
Average income for men: $58,318
Whitehorse -- $40,702
Median income for men: $46,265
Average income for women: $45,636
Average income for men: $53,264
Yellowknife -- $51,951
Median income for men: $66,153
Average income for women: $56,064
Average income for men: $73,225
Iqaluit -- $57,897
Median income for men: $62,187
Average income for women: $63,456
Average income for men: $69,539
Best To Worst Poverty Rates In Canada
Calgary -- 10.9%
Low-income population: 118,325
Population in private households for income status: 1,082,230
Ottawa -- 11.7%
Low-income population: 101,235
Population in private households for income status: 867,090
Edmonton -- 12.7%
Low-income population: 100,810
Population in private households for income status: 795,675
Regina -- 12.7%
Low-income population: 24,035
Population in private households for income status: 189,740
Saskatoon -- 14.0%
Low-income population: 30,475
Population in private households for income status: 218,320
Quebec City -- 14.4%
Low-income population: 72,590
Population in private households for income status: 502,595
Thunder Bay -- 15.0%
Low-income population: 15,885
Population in private households for income status: 105,950
Halifax -- 15.1%
Low-income population: 57,980
Population in private households for income status: 384,335
St. Catharines -- 15.2%
Low-income population: 19,520
Population in private households for income status: 189,740
Hamilton -- 15.7%
Low-income population: 79,785
Population in private households for income status: 509,640
Winnipeg -- 16.6%
Low-income population: 108,125
Population in private households for income status: 649,995
St. John's -- 17.2%
Low-income population: 17,900
Population in private households for income status: 103,905
Fredericton -- 17.2%
Low-income population: 9,495
Population in private households for income status: 55,150
Toronto -- 19.3%
Low-income population: 496,660
Population in private households for income status: 2,576,025
Charlottetown -- 20.0%
Low-income population: 6,665
Population in private households for income status: 33,310
Vancouver -- 20.5%
Low-income population: 121,020
Population in private households for income status: 590,210
Victoria -- 20.7%
Low-income population: 15,715
Population in private households for income status: 76,025
Windsor -- 23.7%
Low-income population: 49,395
Population in private households for income status: 208,020
Montreal -- 26.4%
Low-income population: 425,380
Population in private households for income status: 1,612,640
Low-income population: 118,325
Population in private households for income status: 1,082,230
Ottawa -- 11.7%
Low-income population: 101,235
Population in private households for income status: 867,090
Edmonton -- 12.7%
Low-income population: 100,810
Population in private households for income status: 795,675
Regina -- 12.7%
Low-income population: 24,035
Population in private households for income status: 189,740
Saskatoon -- 14.0%
Low-income population: 30,475
Population in private households for income status: 218,320
Quebec City -- 14.4%
Low-income population: 72,590
Population in private households for income status: 502,595
Thunder Bay -- 15.0%
Low-income population: 15,885
Population in private households for income status: 105,950
Halifax -- 15.1%
Low-income population: 57,980
Population in private households for income status: 384,335
St. Catharines -- 15.2%
Low-income population: 19,520
Population in private households for income status: 189,740
Hamilton -- 15.7%
Low-income population: 79,785
Population in private households for income status: 509,640
Winnipeg -- 16.6%
Low-income population: 108,125
Population in private households for income status: 649,995
St. John's -- 17.2%
Low-income population: 17,900
Population in private households for income status: 103,905
Fredericton -- 17.2%
Low-income population: 9,495
Population in private households for income status: 55,150
Toronto -- 19.3%
Low-income population: 496,660
Population in private households for income status: 2,576,025
Charlottetown -- 20.0%
Low-income population: 6,665
Population in private households for income status: 33,310
Vancouver -- 20.5%
Low-income population: 121,020
Population in private households for income status: 590,210
Victoria -- 20.7%
Low-income population: 15,715
Population in private households for income status: 76,025
Windsor -- 23.7%
Low-income population: 49,395
Population in private households for income status: 208,020
Montreal -- 26.4%
Low-income population: 425,380
Population in private households for income status: 1,612,640
What Climate Change Just Might Ruin
Wine Tasting Parties
Winegrowers in France's Champagne region and scientists have already seen changes in the past 25 years, reported The New York Times last year. They have "noted major changes in their vineyards, including an increased sugar content in the grapes from which they make their wine, with a consequent decrease in acidity, and a harvest time that regularly comes two weeks earlier than it once did."
Last year, the Telegraph reported that Bordeaux, one of the world's most famous wine-producing regions, may be "unsuitable for wine-growing by 2050."
Yale Environment 360 explains that many European wines are tied to a specific geographical area, creating a problem for regions which may soon find themselves most suited to a new kind of grape.
In the U.S., researchers at Stanford University found that climate change could mean "50% less land suitable for cultivating premium wine grapes in high-value areas of Northern California."
A 2006 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that "up to 81 percent" of "premium-wine-grape production area" could decline in the U.S. by the end of this century, reported Wired. Without any adaptation measures, wine-grape production could disappear from "many areas" of the country.
Wired notes, "By the law of supply and demand, that suggests the best wines of tomorrow will cost even more than the ridiculous amounts they fetch today."
Winemakers Rising to Climate Challenge
Global warming threatens wine production in France
What Rising Temperatures May Mean for World’s Wine Industry
What Climate Change Means for Wine Industry
Winnie The Pooh's Key Plot Point
According to the USDA, bee populations are dropping nationwide. Wetter winters and rainy summers make it harder for bees to get out and about to collect, leaving them to starve or become malnourished and more prone to other diseases. This doesn't just mean a decline in honey. We rely on bees to pollinate crops. When bees disappear, many food crops could also die off.
Spring Break, Wohoo!
As global temperatures rise this century, sea levels are also expected to increase. South Florida may be hit particularly hard.
If greenhouse gas emissions are not reduced, global sea levels could rise over three feet by 2100, with a six foot rise possible. The U.S. Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming notes:
This threatens to submerge Florida's coastal communities and economies since roughly 9 percent of the state is within 5 feet of the existing sea level. Rising sea level also threatens the beaches, wetlands, and mangrove forests that surround the state.
University of Florida professor Jack Putz said in 2008, "People have a hard time accepting that this is happening here," reported the Tampa Bay Times. Seeing dead palm trees and other impacts "brings a global problem right into our own back yard," he added.
Click here to see a map showing what different levels of sea level rise would look like for Florida and other states.
Rising sea eats away at Florida coastline
Cute Baby Polar Bear Videos
A November 2011 study found that polar bear litters are getting smaller as climate change causes sea ice decline. According to World Wildlife Fund, the study "found that if spring sea ice break-up occurs one month earlier than usual, 40-73 percent of pregnant females could fail to bring cubs to term."
The National Snow and Ice Data Center found that in 2010, Arctic sea ice was at its lowest January level in 30 years.
With decreased sea ice, polar bears may have greater trouble finding food sources. This could lead to cannibalism, which has already been observed by photographers. Environmental photojournalist Jenny Ross told BBC News in 2011, "There are increasing numbers of observations of it occurring, particularly on land where polar bears are trapped ashore, completely food-deprived for extended periods of time due to the loss of sea ice as a result of climate change."
http://www.worldwildlife.org/about/news-press
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=49132&src=share
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-16081214
Gone Fishin'
According to a 2002 study by the Natural Resources Defense Council and Defenders of Wildlife, a warming planet does not bode well for species that thrive in cold streams. The study found that "global warming is likely to spur the disappearance of trout and salmon from as much as 18 to 38 percent of their current habitat by the year 2090."
A 2011 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science produced "models [which] forecast significant declines in trout habitat across the interior western United States in the 21st century," reported The New York Times.
The study claims, "The decline will have significant socioeconomic consequences as recreational trout fisheries are valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars in the United States alone."
Global Warming Threatens Cold-Water Fish
Trout Fishing in a Climate-Changed America
NYC's Waterfront Real Estate
According to a 2012 report from New Jersey-based nonprofit Climate Central, thousands of New York City residents may be at risk for severe coastal flooding as a result of climate change.
Climate Central explains, "the NY metro area hosts the nation's highest-density populations vulnerable to sea level rise." They argue, "the funnel shape of New York Harbor has the potential to magnify storm surges already supplemented by sea level rise, threatening widespread areas of New York City."
http://sealevel.climatecentral.org/
http://slr.s3.amazonaws.com/factsheets/New_York.pdf
The Best Part Of July 4th
With droughts and wildfires hitting many parts of the U.S., municipalities from Colorado to Tennessee canceled July 4th public fireworks displays or banned personal fireworks this year, citing the fire hazards they posed.
In June, a study published in the journal Ecosphere found that almost all of North America will see more wildfires by 2100, reported Reuters. The study's lead author, Max Moritz, said, "In the long run, we found what most fear - increasing fire activity across large areas of the planet."
Climate change will boost number of West's wildfires
The Non-.com Amazon
Along with deforestation, climate change also poses a serious threat to South America's Amazon rainforest.
A 2009 study from the U.K. Met Office found that a global temperature rise of four degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels would cause 85 percent of the Amazon to die off in the next 100 years. Even a two degree Celsius rise would kill 20 to 40 percent of the rainforest, reported the Guardian.
In May, The Club of Rome think tank predicted a global average temperatures rise of "2 degrees Celsius by 2052 and a 2.8 degree rise by 2080," reported Reuters. Jorgen Randers, author of the club's report, said, "It is unlikely that governments will pass necessary regulation to force the markets to allocate more money into climate-friendly solutions, and (we) must not assume that markets will work for the benefit of humankind."
He added, "We are emitting twice as much greenhouse gases every year as are absorbed by the world's forests and oceans. This overshoot will worsen and will peak in 2030."
Amazon could shrink by 85% due to climate change, scientists say
Amazon Rainforest Deforestation At Lowest In 23 Years, Brazil Government Says
Island Getaways
As global sea levels rise during the 21st century, low-lying island nations like the Maldives could see their very existence threatened. With a three to six foot sea level rise predicted by 2100, nations like the Maldives could become uninhabitable, explained The New York Times.
Maldives' former president, Mohamed Nasheed, has been a tireless campaigner for the urgent need for countries to take action against climate change, arguing "You can't pick and choose on science."
Island Nations May Keep Some Sovereignty if Rising Seas Make Them Uninhabitable
Ski Bums
Although seasonal fluctuations occur and El Nino/La Nina weather patterns affect snowfall, global temperature rise may impact conditions for skiers and boarders.
"The long-term trend is less snow and earlier snowmelt. This means more frustration for snow sport enthusiasts and a negative impact on the snow sports industry," writes the Natural Resources Defense Council's Theo Spencer.
In May, a snow-less ski race was held in Aspen, Colorado to "highlight the effect climate change has on the outdoor recreation industry," reported the Associated Press.
Climate Change is Impacting Winter Sports
Thanksgiving Dinner Food Comas
A 2010 paper in the journal Food Research International found that climate change may one day affect the cost and quality of traditional Thanksgiving dishes, reported Discovery News.
Future temperature rises could impact the quality of turkey meat. Additionally, foods like "pumpkins, sweet potatoes, potatoes, grains [and] green beans ... will be sensitive to water shortages should they arise," study author Neville Gregory told Discovery News.
In fact, common Thanksgiving foods were impacted by weather events in 2011, with shortages and price spikes hitting over the holidays.
Could Climate Change Ruin Thanksgiving Dinner?
"Lady & The Tramp"-Like Scenes
Scientists at the British Met Office warn that Italy may soon be forced to import the basic ingredients to make pasta because climate change will make it impossible to grow durum wheat domestically. The crop could almost disappear from the country later this century, scientists say.
Climate threat to Italy's pasta
Super Duper Fast Wi-Fi Connection
A 2011 report from the U.K.'s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs found that climate change could affect certain infrastructure, like wireless internet. The Guardian reports, "higher temperatures can reduce the range of wireless communications, rainstorms can impact the reliability of the signal, and drier summers and wetter winters may cause greater subsidence, damaging masts and underground cables," according to secretary of state for the environment.
The Guardian notes, "The government acknowledges that the impact of climate change on telecommunications is not well understood, but the report raises a series of potential risks."
Climate change 'threatens UK wi-fi connections', says government report
The Great Smoky Mountains' Smoke
The Great Smoky Mountains have the most annual rainfall in the southeastern U.S., which mostly falls as a light, misty rain, explains OurAmazingPlanet.
A study by a team from NASA's Precipitation Measurement Missions found that "light rainfall is the dominant form of precipitation in the region, accounting for 50 to 60 percent of a year's total, governing the regional water cycle."
OurAmazingPlanet notes:
The results suggest the area may be more susceptible to climate change than thought; as temperatures rise, more of the fine droplets from light rain will evaporate in the air and fail to reach the ground. Lower elevations will have to contend with not only higher temperatures, but less cloud cover.
Climate change will make food TASTE bad:
Global warming will lead to tougher meat and flavourless carrots, study claims
Winegrowers in France's Champagne region and scientists have already seen changes in the past 25 years, reported The New York Times last year. They have "noted major changes in their vineyards, including an increased sugar content in the grapes from which they make their wine, with a consequent decrease in acidity, and a harvest time that regularly comes two weeks earlier than it once did."
Last year, the Telegraph reported that Bordeaux, one of the world's most famous wine-producing regions, may be "unsuitable for wine-growing by 2050."
Yale Environment 360 explains that many European wines are tied to a specific geographical area, creating a problem for regions which may soon find themselves most suited to a new kind of grape.
In the U.S., researchers at Stanford University found that climate change could mean "50% less land suitable for cultivating premium wine grapes in high-value areas of Northern California."
A 2006 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that "up to 81 percent" of "premium-wine-grape production area" could decline in the U.S. by the end of this century, reported Wired. Without any adaptation measures, wine-grape production could disappear from "many areas" of the country.
Wired notes, "By the law of supply and demand, that suggests the best wines of tomorrow will cost even more than the ridiculous amounts they fetch today."
Winemakers Rising to Climate Challenge
Global warming threatens wine production in France
What Rising Temperatures May Mean for World’s Wine Industry
What Climate Change Means for Wine Industry
Winnie The Pooh's Key Plot Point
According to the USDA, bee populations are dropping nationwide. Wetter winters and rainy summers make it harder for bees to get out and about to collect, leaving them to starve or become malnourished and more prone to other diseases. This doesn't just mean a decline in honey. We rely on bees to pollinate crops. When bees disappear, many food crops could also die off.
Spring Break, Wohoo!
As global temperatures rise this century, sea levels are also expected to increase. South Florida may be hit particularly hard.
If greenhouse gas emissions are not reduced, global sea levels could rise over three feet by 2100, with a six foot rise possible. The U.S. Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming notes:
This threatens to submerge Florida's coastal communities and economies since roughly 9 percent of the state is within 5 feet of the existing sea level. Rising sea level also threatens the beaches, wetlands, and mangrove forests that surround the state.
University of Florida professor Jack Putz said in 2008, "People have a hard time accepting that this is happening here," reported the Tampa Bay Times. Seeing dead palm trees and other impacts "brings a global problem right into our own back yard," he added.
Click here to see a map showing what different levels of sea level rise would look like for Florida and other states.
Rising sea eats away at Florida coastline
Cute Baby Polar Bear Videos
A November 2011 study found that polar bear litters are getting smaller as climate change causes sea ice decline. According to World Wildlife Fund, the study "found that if spring sea ice break-up occurs one month earlier than usual, 40-73 percent of pregnant females could fail to bring cubs to term."
The National Snow and Ice Data Center found that in 2010, Arctic sea ice was at its lowest January level in 30 years.
With decreased sea ice, polar bears may have greater trouble finding food sources. This could lead to cannibalism, which has already been observed by photographers. Environmental photojournalist Jenny Ross told BBC News in 2011, "There are increasing numbers of observations of it occurring, particularly on land where polar bears are trapped ashore, completely food-deprived for extended periods of time due to the loss of sea ice as a result of climate change."
http://www.worldwildlife.org/about/news-press
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=49132&src=share
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-16081214
PB&Js
Thanks to a failing peanut crop due to last summer's scorching hot weather, there was a shortage of peanuts in supply at the end of 2011. If temperatures continue to rise, a jump in peanut butter prices is just the prelude to what could be in store for the beloved spread.
http://money.cnn.com/2011/10/31/markets/peanut_butter_prices/
Chocolate Cravings
A report released by the International Center For Tropical Agriculture warns chocolate could become a luxury item if farmers don't adapt to rising temperatures in Ghana and the Ivory Coast, where a majority of the world's cocoa is grown.
The October 2011 report, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, "calls for increased research into heat and drought resistant crops, and to help transition cocoa farming to new regions that will be suitable for production in the future," reported ThinkProgress.
Too Hot for Chocolate? Climate Change Could Decimate the $9 Billion Cocoa Industry, Study Finds
'Friday Night Lights' & 'Varsity Blues'
As average temperatures rise over the course of this century, states in the Southern U.S. are expected to see a greater number of days with temperatures over 90 degrees Fahrenheit each year. Hotter temperatures will mean that football players in the South will face a greater risk of hyperthermia, explains GE's TXCHNOLOGIST blog.
ThinkProgress suggests, "Indeed, it is the conservative southern U.S., especially the South central and South east, who have led the way in blocking serious climate action, as it were, making yesterday's worst-case scenario into today's likely outcome."
Here’s A Reason to Care About Climate Change: It Could Ruin Texas Football
Will Global Warming Ruin Football in the South?
Not Sneezing
Bad news for allergy sufferers -- climate change, and specifically warmer temperatures, may bring more pollen and ragweed, according to a 2011 study from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York.
Along with allergies, a changing climate may be tied to more infectious diseases. According to one study, climate change could affect wild bird migratory patterns, increasing the chances for human flu pandemics. Illnesses like Lyme disease could also become more prominent.
Climate change, aeroallergens, and pediatric allergic disease.
El Nino Climate Pattern May Influence Disease Outbreaks Globally
Global Warming May Spread Lyme Disease
Keg Stands
Famed for producing some of the world's best beer, Germany could suffer from a drop in production due to climate change-induced water shortages. Barley and hops can only be grown with water, and using cheaper alternatives like corn isn't possible in Germany because of strict regulations about what you can make beer with.
Research published earlier this year in the journal Nature Climate Change found that "unless farmers develop more heat-tolerant corn varieties or gradually move corn production from the United States into Canada, frequent heat waves will cause sharp price spikes," reported The New York Times. Price spikes for U.S. corn could affect prices of American macrobrews made with an adjunct ingredient like corn.
Climate troubles brewing for beer makers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinheitsgebot
Response of corn markets to climate volatility under alternative energy futures
Climate Change to Affect Corn Prices, Study Says
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/38/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adjuncts
Valentine's Day Cliches
With higher temperatures expected in northern latitudes in coming decades, the U.K. has begun a program to develop strawberries that will survive in higher temperatures with less water. Since chocolate also may be threatened, could sexy chocolate-covered strawberries, a Valentine's Day staple, be endangered?
According to The Telegraph, Dr. David Simpson, a scientist with England's East Malling Research, said last year, "Consumer demand for fresh strawberries in the UK has been growing year on year since the early 1990s. The British growers have done a great job of increasing their productivity to satisfy this demand between April and October. The future will be challenging due to the impacts of climate change and the withdrawal of many pesticides but the breeding programme at EMR is using the latest scientific approaches to develop a range of varieties that will meet the needs of our growers for the future."
Climate change resistant strawberries
Coffeehouse Snobs
Coffee lovers may want to get that caffeine fix before the treasured drink becomes a rare export. Starbucks raised the issue last year when the company's director of sustainability told The Guardian that climate change is threatening the supply chain for the Arabica coffee bean.
Starbucks Sustainability Director Jim Hanna told the paper, "What we are really seeing as a company as we look 10, 20, 30 years down the road - if conditions continue as they are - is a potentially significant risk to our supply chain, which is the Arabica coffee bean."
Climate change puts coffee at risk, EPA chief warns
Starbucks concerned world coffee supply is threatened by climate change
Rudolph (And Donner And Blitzen)
Reindeer, also known as "caribou" in North America, could face a difficult future in a warmer climate. According to U.S. News & World Report, "Russell Graham, associate professor of geosciences and director of the Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum at Penn State University, says global warming will most harm the animals adapted to the coldest environments, primarily those accustomed to life in the Arctic."
A 2008 study found that caribou in West Greenland are "now arriving after peak foraging time, fewer calves are being born and more calves are dying," reported ScienceNews.
10 Animals Threatened by Global Warming
Animals on the Move
Yummy Pancake Breakfasts
It may be a bit harder to drown your pancakes in maple syrup in the future, studies suggest.
According to a 2010 Cornell University study, "maple syrup production in the Northeast is expected to slightly decline by 2100, and the window for tapping trees will move earlier by about a month." Additionally, most maple syrup production south of Pennsylvania "will likely be lost by 2100 due to lack of freezing."
In 100 years, maple sap will flow a month earlier
watch one farmer's fight to save New Hampshire's sugar maples:
No Maple Syrup by 2100?
Thanks to a failing peanut crop due to last summer's scorching hot weather, there was a shortage of peanuts in supply at the end of 2011. If temperatures continue to rise, a jump in peanut butter prices is just the prelude to what could be in store for the beloved spread.
http://money.cnn.com/2011/10/31/markets/peanut_butter_prices/
Chocolate Cravings
A report released by the International Center For Tropical Agriculture warns chocolate could become a luxury item if farmers don't adapt to rising temperatures in Ghana and the Ivory Coast, where a majority of the world's cocoa is grown.
The October 2011 report, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, "calls for increased research into heat and drought resistant crops, and to help transition cocoa farming to new regions that will be suitable for production in the future," reported ThinkProgress.
Too Hot for Chocolate? Climate Change Could Decimate the $9 Billion Cocoa Industry, Study Finds
'Friday Night Lights' & 'Varsity Blues'
As average temperatures rise over the course of this century, states in the Southern U.S. are expected to see a greater number of days with temperatures over 90 degrees Fahrenheit each year. Hotter temperatures will mean that football players in the South will face a greater risk of hyperthermia, explains GE's TXCHNOLOGIST blog.
ThinkProgress suggests, "Indeed, it is the conservative southern U.S., especially the South central and South east, who have led the way in blocking serious climate action, as it were, making yesterday's worst-case scenario into today's likely outcome."
Here’s A Reason to Care About Climate Change: It Could Ruin Texas Football
Will Global Warming Ruin Football in the South?
Not Sneezing
Bad news for allergy sufferers -- climate change, and specifically warmer temperatures, may bring more pollen and ragweed, according to a 2011 study from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York.
Along with allergies, a changing climate may be tied to more infectious diseases. According to one study, climate change could affect wild bird migratory patterns, increasing the chances for human flu pandemics. Illnesses like Lyme disease could also become more prominent.
Climate change, aeroallergens, and pediatric allergic disease.
El Nino Climate Pattern May Influence Disease Outbreaks Globally
Global Warming May Spread Lyme Disease
Keg Stands
Famed for producing some of the world's best beer, Germany could suffer from a drop in production due to climate change-induced water shortages. Barley and hops can only be grown with water, and using cheaper alternatives like corn isn't possible in Germany because of strict regulations about what you can make beer with.
Research published earlier this year in the journal Nature Climate Change found that "unless farmers develop more heat-tolerant corn varieties or gradually move corn production from the United States into Canada, frequent heat waves will cause sharp price spikes," reported The New York Times. Price spikes for U.S. corn could affect prices of American macrobrews made with an adjunct ingredient like corn.
Climate troubles brewing for beer makers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinheitsgebot
Response of corn markets to climate volatility under alternative energy futures
Climate Change to Affect Corn Prices, Study Says
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/38/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adjuncts
Valentine's Day Cliches
With higher temperatures expected in northern latitudes in coming decades, the U.K. has begun a program to develop strawberries that will survive in higher temperatures with less water. Since chocolate also may be threatened, could sexy chocolate-covered strawberries, a Valentine's Day staple, be endangered?
According to The Telegraph, Dr. David Simpson, a scientist with England's East Malling Research, said last year, "Consumer demand for fresh strawberries in the UK has been growing year on year since the early 1990s. The British growers have done a great job of increasing their productivity to satisfy this demand between April and October. The future will be challenging due to the impacts of climate change and the withdrawal of many pesticides but the breeding programme at EMR is using the latest scientific approaches to develop a range of varieties that will meet the needs of our growers for the future."
Climate change resistant strawberries
Coffeehouse Snobs
Coffee lovers may want to get that caffeine fix before the treasured drink becomes a rare export. Starbucks raised the issue last year when the company's director of sustainability told The Guardian that climate change is threatening the supply chain for the Arabica coffee bean.
Starbucks Sustainability Director Jim Hanna told the paper, "What we are really seeing as a company as we look 10, 20, 30 years down the road - if conditions continue as they are - is a potentially significant risk to our supply chain, which is the Arabica coffee bean."
Climate change puts coffee at risk, EPA chief warns
Starbucks concerned world coffee supply is threatened by climate change
Rudolph (And Donner And Blitzen)
Reindeer, also known as "caribou" in North America, could face a difficult future in a warmer climate. According to U.S. News & World Report, "Russell Graham, associate professor of geosciences and director of the Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum at Penn State University, says global warming will most harm the animals adapted to the coldest environments, primarily those accustomed to life in the Arctic."
A 2008 study found that caribou in West Greenland are "now arriving after peak foraging time, fewer calves are being born and more calves are dying," reported ScienceNews.
10 Animals Threatened by Global Warming
Animals on the Move
Yummy Pancake Breakfasts
It may be a bit harder to drown your pancakes in maple syrup in the future, studies suggest.
According to a 2010 Cornell University study, "maple syrup production in the Northeast is expected to slightly decline by 2100, and the window for tapping trees will move earlier by about a month." Additionally, most maple syrup production south of Pennsylvania "will likely be lost by 2100 due to lack of freezing."
In 100 years, maple sap will flow a month earlier
watch one farmer's fight to save New Hampshire's sugar maples:
No Maple Syrup by 2100?
Gone Fishin'
According to a 2002 study by the Natural Resources Defense Council and Defenders of Wildlife, a warming planet does not bode well for species that thrive in cold streams. The study found that "global warming is likely to spur the disappearance of trout and salmon from as much as 18 to 38 percent of their current habitat by the year 2090."
A 2011 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science produced "models [which] forecast significant declines in trout habitat across the interior western United States in the 21st century," reported The New York Times.
The study claims, "The decline will have significant socioeconomic consequences as recreational trout fisheries are valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars in the United States alone."
Global Warming Threatens Cold-Water Fish
Trout Fishing in a Climate-Changed America
NYC's Waterfront Real Estate
According to a 2012 report from New Jersey-based nonprofit Climate Central, thousands of New York City residents may be at risk for severe coastal flooding as a result of climate change.
Climate Central explains, "the NY metro area hosts the nation's highest-density populations vulnerable to sea level rise." They argue, "the funnel shape of New York Harbor has the potential to magnify storm surges already supplemented by sea level rise, threatening widespread areas of New York City."
http://sealevel.climatecentral.org/
http://slr.s3.amazonaws.com/factsheets/New_York.pdf
The Best Part Of July 4th
With droughts and wildfires hitting many parts of the U.S., municipalities from Colorado to Tennessee canceled July 4th public fireworks displays or banned personal fireworks this year, citing the fire hazards they posed.
In June, a study published in the journal Ecosphere found that almost all of North America will see more wildfires by 2100, reported Reuters. The study's lead author, Max Moritz, said, "In the long run, we found what most fear - increasing fire activity across large areas of the planet."
Climate change will boost number of West's wildfires
The Non-.com Amazon
Along with deforestation, climate change also poses a serious threat to South America's Amazon rainforest.
A 2009 study from the U.K. Met Office found that a global temperature rise of four degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels would cause 85 percent of the Amazon to die off in the next 100 years. Even a two degree Celsius rise would kill 20 to 40 percent of the rainforest, reported the Guardian.
In May, The Club of Rome think tank predicted a global average temperatures rise of "2 degrees Celsius by 2052 and a 2.8 degree rise by 2080," reported Reuters. Jorgen Randers, author of the club's report, said, "It is unlikely that governments will pass necessary regulation to force the markets to allocate more money into climate-friendly solutions, and (we) must not assume that markets will work for the benefit of humankind."
He added, "We are emitting twice as much greenhouse gases every year as are absorbed by the world's forests and oceans. This overshoot will worsen and will peak in 2030."
Amazon could shrink by 85% due to climate change, scientists say
Amazon Rainforest Deforestation At Lowest In 23 Years, Brazil Government Says
Island Getaways
As global sea levels rise during the 21st century, low-lying island nations like the Maldives could see their very existence threatened. With a three to six foot sea level rise predicted by 2100, nations like the Maldives could become uninhabitable, explained The New York Times.
Maldives' former president, Mohamed Nasheed, has been a tireless campaigner for the urgent need for countries to take action against climate change, arguing "You can't pick and choose on science."
Island Nations May Keep Some Sovereignty if Rising Seas Make Them Uninhabitable
Ski Bums
Although seasonal fluctuations occur and El Nino/La Nina weather patterns affect snowfall, global temperature rise may impact conditions for skiers and boarders.
"The long-term trend is less snow and earlier snowmelt. This means more frustration for snow sport enthusiasts and a negative impact on the snow sports industry," writes the Natural Resources Defense Council's Theo Spencer.
In May, a snow-less ski race was held in Aspen, Colorado to "highlight the effect climate change has on the outdoor recreation industry," reported the Associated Press.
Climate Change is Impacting Winter Sports
Thanksgiving Dinner Food Comas
A 2010 paper in the journal Food Research International found that climate change may one day affect the cost and quality of traditional Thanksgiving dishes, reported Discovery News.
Future temperature rises could impact the quality of turkey meat. Additionally, foods like "pumpkins, sweet potatoes, potatoes, grains [and] green beans ... will be sensitive to water shortages should they arise," study author Neville Gregory told Discovery News.
In fact, common Thanksgiving foods were impacted by weather events in 2011, with shortages and price spikes hitting over the holidays.
Could Climate Change Ruin Thanksgiving Dinner?
"Lady & The Tramp"-Like Scenes
Scientists at the British Met Office warn that Italy may soon be forced to import the basic ingredients to make pasta because climate change will make it impossible to grow durum wheat domestically. The crop could almost disappear from the country later this century, scientists say.
Climate threat to Italy's pasta
Super Duper Fast Wi-Fi Connection
A 2011 report from the U.K.'s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs found that climate change could affect certain infrastructure, like wireless internet. The Guardian reports, "higher temperatures can reduce the range of wireless communications, rainstorms can impact the reliability of the signal, and drier summers and wetter winters may cause greater subsidence, damaging masts and underground cables," according to secretary of state for the environment.
The Guardian notes, "The government acknowledges that the impact of climate change on telecommunications is not well understood, but the report raises a series of potential risks."
Climate change 'threatens UK wi-fi connections', says government report
The Great Smoky Mountains' Smoke
The Great Smoky Mountains have the most annual rainfall in the southeastern U.S., which mostly falls as a light, misty rain, explains OurAmazingPlanet.
A study by a team from NASA's Precipitation Measurement Missions found that "light rainfall is the dominant form of precipitation in the region, accounting for 50 to 60 percent of a year's total, governing the regional water cycle."
OurAmazingPlanet notes:
The results suggest the area may be more susceptible to climate change than thought; as temperatures rise, more of the fine droplets from light rain will evaporate in the air and fail to reach the ground. Lower elevations will have to contend with not only higher temperatures, but less cloud cover.
California Beach Bums
Along the California coast, beach communities are finding that it may be impossible to stop coastal erosion as global sea levels rise.
According to AP, David Revell, a senior coastal scientist at ESA PWA, acknowledged the relentless power of the sea, saying, "I like to think of it as getting out of the way gracefully."
A report released in June by the Natural Resources Defense Council found that West Coast ocean levels will rise several inches in the next few decades. Sea levels along the California coast are expected to be six inches higher by 2030 and three feet higher by the end of the century.
Despite the risks, another recent NRDC study found that California is one of several states with the best plans to deal with the effects of climate change.
Environmental Hydrology
Environmental Hydrology
Repeats Of The Titanic
2012 could be a record year for the extent of Arctic sea ice at its yearly summer minimum. Walt Meier, a research scientist at the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center, said that with recent satellite observations, "It definitely portends a low-ice year, whether it means it will go below 2007 (the record minimum in September), it is too early to tell," reported LiveScience.
As sea ice declines in the Arctic, countries are anticipating a competition for control of shipping lanes and mineral extraction in the region.
In Antarctica, research from the United States' Palmer Station on the Antarctic Peninsula has found that "87 percent of the peninsula's land-bound glaciers are in retreat," reported OurAmazingPlanet.
Decreasing sea ice levels were also addressed in a recent spoof of Shell's plans to drill for oil in the Arctic this summer.
Crazy Sugar Highs
Climate change has already impacted sugarcane production in Indonesia.
In late 2011, the chairman of the Indonesian Sugarcane Farmers Association said, "sugarcane production decreased by up to 30 percent in 2011 due to climate change that has occurred since 2009."
Warning Joe: Coffee Extinct in The Future?
Climate changes and insect invasions threaten the future supply of morning joe.
Climate change will make food TASTE bad:
Global warming will lead to tougher meat and flavourless carrots, study claims
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