Erik BJORGAN for Parliament

Government memos reveal fish farmers pressured government to keep sea lice drugs secret, six years before biologist Alexandra Morton made it public. Read the rest of this entry »

Ontario farmer not guilty of selling raw milk

The Canadian Press

An Ontario farmer who operates a raw milk co-op was found not guilty Thursday of 19 charges related to selling unpasteurized milk. Michael Schmidt, from Durham, Ont., defended himself in 2009 against the charges for dispensing milk straight from the cow.

While raw milk is legal to drink, it’s illegal to sell in Canada.

Schmidt’s legal battles sparked a heated debate over the safety of raw milk. Advocates have extolled its flavour and health benefits, while health officials and the province’s milk marketing board, the Dairy Farmers of Ontario, have argued raw milk isn’t fit for widespread distribution.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/01/21/raw-milk-trial.html?ref=rss

Contribution by Anne Morris

An independent study recently published in the US-based Proceedings of the National Academy of Science suggests that pollution from Alberta’s oilsands is nearly five times greater than industry figures say and twice as widespread. The study says toxic emissions from the oilsands industry are equal to a major oil spill occurring every year. Government and industry officials say contamination in area soils and rivers is natural, but the study links it firmly to oilsands mining. Read the rest of this entry »