Wednesday 31 December 2014

BIRD LIST FOR 2014


2014 Bird List

January 1: American Goldfinch, Black Capped Chickadee, American Tree Sparrow, Hairy Woodpecker, Canada Jay, Downy Woodpecker,  Pileated Woodpecker, Red Breasted Nuthatch, Blue Jay, Evening Grosbeak, Pine Grosbeak, Raven, Boreal Chickadee, Ruffed Grouse, Crow; January 3: European Starling; January 14: Purple Finch; January 18: Pigeon.

February 23: Pine Sisken.

March 2: Bald Eagle; March 12: Herring Gull – Thunder Bay.

April 4: Junco; April 7: Golden Eagle; April 10: Robin; April 16; Northern Shrike; April 20: Ring billed Gull; April 23: Turkey Vulture; April 25: Fox Sparrow; April 26: White Throat Sparrow, Canada Goose; April 28 Yellow Bellied Sapsucker, Yellow Shafted Flicker, Kestrel, Northern Harrier.

May 1: Mallard; May 4: Red winged Blackbird; May 6: Double Crested Cormorant, Whitre Pelican, Common Loon, Greater Scaup, Wood Duck, Grackle; May 11: Chipping Sparow, White Crown Sparrow; May 12: Lincoln Sparrow; May 13: Rose Breasted Grosbeak; May 14: Myrtle Warbler; May 15: Rusty Blackbird; May 19: Ruby Throated Hummingbird; May 21: Lesser Yellowlegs, Solitary Sandpiper, Song Sparrow, Tree Swallow; May 22: Cape May Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler;  May 23: Barn Swallow, Red Headed Duck, Ring neck Duck, Lesser Scaup, Clay coloured Sparrow, Solitary Vireo, Magnolia Warbler, Golden eye, Chestnut sided Warbler, Mourning Dove; May 25: House Finch; May 27: Cliff Swallow, Great Blue Heron;  May31: Ovenbird.

June 11: Common Merganzer, Blue-winged Teal, Red breasted Merganzer, Belted Kingfisher.

July 26: Sharp shinned Hawk; July 29: Cooper’s Hawk.

August 4: American Redstart; August 10: Black and White Warbler, Ruby Crowned Kinglet, Canada Warbler; August 12: Sand Hill Crane; August 15: Connecticut Warbler; August 18: Yellow Warbler; August 26: Black throated Green Warbler; August 29: Wilson’s Warbler.

September12: Black throated Blue Warbler, Orange Crown Warbler;  September 16: Nashville Warbler; September 18: Brewer’s Blackbird .

October 12: Woodcock.

November 10: Common Redpoll.

December 29: Hoary Redpoll.

Total: 91 species for the year 2014

Sunday 7 December 2014

BIBLIOGRAPHY - RE. PESTICIDES


BIBLIOGRAPHY

ARNOLD,Ron.   “ Undue Influence. ”  Wealthy foundations, Grant driven environmental groups, and zealous Bureaucrats that control your future.  Free Enterprise Press, Belleview, Washington, 1999. Distributed by Merril Press   326 pp.  Epilogue  Bibliography  Index  ISBN 0-939571-20-X

ASHWORTH, William.  “The Carson Factor.”   In the tradition of Silent Spring, the incredible true story of Nature striking back at those who dare to tamper with the earth.    Hawthorn Books,  Inc.  New York,  1979,  198 pp  Bibliography,  Notes,  Index,  ISBN 0-8015-3112-8

CARSON, Rachel  L.  “Silent Spring.”  Houghton Mifflin Co.,  Boston,  1962 304 pp , List of Principle Sources,  Index

 

GORE, Al.  “Our Choice.”  A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis.  Rodale Inc.,  Emmaus, PA  2007  414pp + Credits (2pp)  Index and Table of Contents    ISBN 13: 978-1-59486-734-7

 

GRAHAM, Frank Jr.  “Since Silent Spring.” Rachel Carson has been proved right. What have we done about it?  C. 1970  Houghton Mifflin,  Boston  331pp  Appendix  Index

 

HALPREN, Sue.  “Four Wings and a Prayer.”  Caught in the mystery of the Monarch Butterfly.  Pantheon Books,  New York,  2001 212pp  Note on Resources  ISBN 0-375-40208-X

 

JACOBSEN,  Rowan.  “Fruitless Fall.”  The collapse of the Honey Bee and the Coming Agricultural Crisis.  Bloomsbury,  New York,  2008  277pp,  Index, Appendix,  Sources  ISBN – 13: 978-1-60751-757-3

 

LOO, Tina.  “States of Nature.”   Conserving Canada’s Wildlife in the Twentieth Century.  UBC Press,  Vancouver, Toronto,  2006  280 pp  Notes,  Index  ISBN 0-7748-1290-7

 

MANES, Christopher.  “Green Rage.” Radical Environmentalism and the Unmaking of Civilization.  1990 Little Brown & Company,  Boston, Toronto,  London 291pp  Epilogue,  Notes,  Selected Bibliography, Index ISBN 0-316-54532-5 (pb)

 

NICKSON, Elizabeth.  “Eco-Fascists.”  How  radical conservationists are destroying our natural Heritage.  Broadside Books  2012  367pp  Notes,  Selected Bibliography, Index  ISBN 978-0-06-208003-5

 

STEFFEN, Alex, editor.  “World Changing.”  A user’s guide for the 21st Century.  Abrams,  New York,  2006 596pp  Index, Contributor Biographies, Bibliography,  Resource List Throughout Book (sep. from biblio.), www.WORLDCHANGING.COM/STUFF   ISBN 13 -978-0-8109-9338-9 (pb)

 

WEISMAN, Alan.  “The World Without Us.”   “A feat of imaginative reporting.”  Thomas Dunne Books,  St. Martin’s Press,  New York,  2007 324pp  Index,  Select Bibliography  Acknowledgements  ISBN -13: 978-0-7394-9044-0

Tuesday 2 December 2014

WHY ARE WE CHEERING?


WHY ARE WE CHEERING?

Pesticides 5

Give me a “G”

Give me an “M”

What does that spell?

GENETIC MODIFICATION

Al Gore: Our Choice , page 124

“Gene splicing is a fast and powerful process modifying plant traits – dramatically increasing yields.”

Those opposed “fear that the selections of traits by scientists working for business could result in genetic modifications that pose hidden risks for people and ecological systems.”

Page 125:

Risk of “Unintended Side Effects could become widespread before its fully recognized and understood.”

“The Choice has effectively been made by our civilization to move forward even further into genetic modification.”

‘By 2008, 8 percent of all cultivated land in the world was planted with GM crops.”

“ Most scientists have come to the conclusion that the risks from GM are extremely low while economic benefits are very high.”

PROBLEM:  Root Worms cut corn roots.

In wet years leaning plants are hard to harvest.

In dry years the yield is lower from pruned roots.

March 29, 2014 RFDTV Farm Report:

Syngenta has genetically modified corn to control rootworm.

Agrisure Durocade sold out in 2014.

Trait: Agrisure Viptera MIR 162

They had wanted to hold off commercialization until China approved this specific GM. (Hasn’t done yet, either)

The EU approved imports for 2012

The U.S. exports 1.45 billion bushels of corn.

March 10, 2014 … Syngenta halts sales of A.D. in Canada.

ORGANIC FARMS in Canada:

For the year 2006

2,462 organic farms growing hay and field crops - mostly for export

916 organic farms grew fruit and vegetables

12,000 farms were not certified but were growing organic

It still only amounts to 2 percent of Canada’s 229,373 agricultural operations.

An Episode in the U.K.

A farm’s rape/corn crop was contaminated with GM seed.

(GM Seed has patent infringement rights)

So, the farmer destroyed his crop with Paraquat. Prior to the use of this chemical all local beekeepers were notified to take precautions. They still suffered severe effects.

Paraquat is a most persistent and most toxic chemical. It is non-selective and wipes a field clean, robbing the plants of moisture.

Directions for use = one pound per acre.

Paraquat’s half life on fields is greater than 1000 days – more like 16 months to 13 years. It binds to soil particles and organic matter and is therefore transported by run-off. In water its half life is 23 weeks.

UV can degrade it to a less toxic compound.

Paraquat is in Ortho Weed and Spot Killer. It is a restricted use pesticide.

Canada gave Paraquat full regulation in 2006. Canada uses about 50,000 Kg per year.

E.U. forbid the use of Paraquat  in no-till agriculture in 2007.

Some Paraquat Info from the Ex TENSION Toxicology Network  1996 EX TOXNET

GM Corn is insect resistant and herbicide tolerant.

GM Canola is herbicide tolerant.

GM Soy is herbicide tolerant.

GM Sugar Beets  is herbicide tolerant.

Insect resistant Trait is usually Bt. Pollen then becomes deadly to insects. Pollen drifts to nearby Milkweed, Monarch butterfly caterpillar food.
Bye, bye, Butterfly

WHO GETS TO CHOOSE


WHO GETS TO CHOOSE

Let’s take a survey.

From : The Executive Summary CNFER Technical Report TR – 010

Centre For Northern Forest Ecosystem Research, Lakehead University

For

Ontario’s State of the Forest Report OMNR, 2002  (Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources)

From:

Telephone/mail survey of residents of Ontario and Interviews with LCC members (Local Citizen Committee)

Finding excerpts:

“Southern Ontarians were least supportive towards human use of natural resources.

Southern Ontarians were least knowledgeable about forest issues and least often used the forest.

LCC were most supportive toward human use of natural resources.

LCC were most knowledgeable about forest issues and most often used the forests.

Most Ontarian agreed that the concerns of communities in close proximity to forests should receive more weight in forest decision making than should the concerns from more distant communities.”

Wouldn’t it be loverly!

"WHAT DO WE WANT FROM OUR FORESTS?"


“What do we want from our forests?”

This question was posed by George Marek in 1993.

I’ve been reading Ralph C. Krueger and Bruce Mitchell’s 1977 Methuen publication, “Managing Canada’s Renewable Resources”.

On page 21 they state: “ Efficient use requires a steady response to changing economic and social conditions that continually alter the optimum pattern.   Our policies of assigning land and resources to particular uses, so popular among planners, tend to obstruct the required flexibility.”

Continuing on page 23:  “ The goal of maximum sustained yield contains no economic logic… More value could be gained by exploiting more when values are high and less when values are low.”

If this was in place would Atikokan and Dubreuilville have had their wood taken on the revamp of wood allocations?

In 1993, Peggy Smith, Professional Forester, was on a tour of Limestone Lake’s Plantation with George Marek.  She wrote of that experience in “The Watch Dog Barks”  a free publication published by The Lake Nipigon Watch Dog Society, Beardmore, Fall1993/Winter 1994 edition Volume 2 Number 3. Edgar Lavoie, Editor.

Excerpt from page 6 and 7:

“ In the same area, some stands were left to natural regeneration. The humus layer was not scraped, and site preparation involved dragging barrels.  This area had regrown to mixed wood, with jackpine, black spruce, balsam, and poplar – very different from the original stands, which were almost pure spruce and jackpine.  Marek did not consider this area very satisfactory for timber production, but from the point of biodiversity or wildlife habitat, these stands were satisfactory.

The question Marek faced here is one he thinks none of us have yet answered – what do we want from our forests?

Do we want a forest for timber production, or one which satisfies biodiversity and wildlife habitats? Everywhere in Canada today, we are still debating the merits of each.  We have to ask ourselves what we really want.  The forester can help decide if he understands the terrain and the site (but his understanding is imperfect yet).  We can help decide if we understand the landscape and the prescriptions required to produce the results we want.  The choice is ours.”

Monday 1 December 2014

WHO'S DOING WHAT


WHO’S DOING WHAT

PESTICIDES 6

France is sticking to its ban on neonicotinoids.

Sierra Club Canada wants them off the market in Canada.  John Bennett, head Sierra Club, “ My question to the Minister (of Agriculture/Premier Wynne) is why are these pesticides  still on the market since (the producers) have never proved they’re not harmful?”

David Suzuki Org. – as of last winter – was more concerned with the carbon footprint of their manufacturing process and the use of fossil fuels. David Suzuki finally got on the Bee death bandwagon a few months ago.

Health Canada asked manufacturers in 2014 to provide information on the toxicity of the neuro-active insecticide.  None has been provided and the government doesn’t expect any till 2015.

March 26, 2014

Health Canada won’t make any decision this year. “Not on the table this year.” – Sean Upton.

Pest Canada Regulatory Agency is re-evaluating all risks.

This is what Premier Wynn is waiting for?

February 28, 2014

Ontario Bee Health Working Group

Reduce Risk to Honey Bees ahead of Planting 2014

OPTIONS

Option A: Update Best Management Practices

Option B: Invest in Integrated Pest Management  (IPM)

Option C: Promote the availability of non-insecticide treated seeds.

Option D: Encourage Development of New Seed Treatment.

Option E: Centralize and Communicate Bee location data.

Option F: Develop Strategy for Pollinator Friendly Habitats.

Option J: Update Pesticide Training Course.

Option K: Encourage Crop Rotation.

Option L: Require Grower Consultation

REGULATORY APPROACH  Option M. Consider Temporary Ban on Neonicotinoids.

February 28, 2014  Letter to Ontario Minister Wynne from Deb Sikora Ass. Deputy Minister

Excerpt: 3rd paragraph:

“These Options were not critically evaluated within the Working Group against scientific principles.”

“They are provided with the understanding that further development and systematic evaluation of the merits and implications of a number of Options may be required prior to consideration for implementation.”

“It is recognized that these Options are not equivalent in terms of impact on either bee health or on (the) agricultural sector.”

“… no single Option will address the issue.”

“…(it may take) a suite of Options to mitigate risks.”

Ontario will establish a Pollinator Health Working Group to expand focus to wasps, butterflies and bumble bees.

$1.2 million allocated to research factors affecting Bee Health.

If we look at Option F: Developing strategy for Pollen Friendly Habitat , it has been put forward that areas near the treated fields be planted with a more enticing food/nectar crop or even weeds to distract the bees from the “killer” crops.  This idea flaws that one Italian Study showed – the toxic “drift” the first few days after planting…

“Flowers bordering the fields had residues as high as 124 ppb the day of planting ( corn seed with Gaucho – the European Brand name for Imidacloprid) and 9ppb three days later.”

Key features of the 2013 Action Plan of Bayer CropScience and Syngenta in Europe - #1 “Significantly scale up the creation of pollen rich flowering field margins across the EU to provide essential habitat and nutrition for Bees.”

The “Plan” was in response to the “theoretical” risk to Bees from neonicotinoid pesticides.

If we look at the five key features of the Syngenta/Bayer CropScience proposal we can easily fit them right into the 2014 Ontario Bee Health Proposals – F,L, J, D, and B. Why re-invent the wheel ?

Friday March 21, 2014 The Chronicle-Journal page A-5

The Canadian Press and the Chronicle-Journal

“Bee Report Rejected”

Ontario Beekeepers Association president, Dan Davidson said, “ This report does not reflect the magnitude of the threat to bee health in Ontario.”

“The Association says it believes that until Ontario suspends the use of neonicotinoids on field crops, any voluntary Options around Best Practices will be ineffective.”

GLORY BEE

Monday December 1, 2014 The Chronicle Journal page 1

Brian Meadows, Northwest Bureau reports:

“The Ontario Bee Association President , Tibor Szabo said: “Today (Tuesday November 25, 2014) the government has shown bold leadership, unique in North America, in moving decisively and measurabily to significantly limit the use of these toxic chemicals.”

Ie. “ Working toward an 80 percent reduction in the number of acres planted with neonicotinoid treated corn and soybean seed by 2017.”

The government will establish a comprehensive Pollinator Health Action Plan.

This was an announcement of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs for the Province of Ontario.

Claims of Bee deaths due to the application of neonicotinoids have been confirmed by Health Canada.

A strange statement shows later in the article: Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Minister Jeff Leal, said in a news release , “ Our agricultural industry depends on safe, healthy land to be productive. That is why Ontario Farmers have taken significant action to reduce pesticide use, reducing overall usage by some 45 % in the last three decades.”

If the Agro Info total I Posted previously were for 2010 as indicated is the 45% REDUCTION total what must have been going on the land in the 1980’s?

Health Canada is re-evaluating:

Imidacloprid

Clotheanidin

And Thiamethoxam

In partnership  with U.S. regulators.

POLLINATOR HEALTH PROPOSAL FOR ENHANCING POLLINATOR HEALTH AND REDUCING THE USE OF NEONICOTINOID PESTICIDES IN ONTARIO

Is found at omafra.gov.on.ca.