Shale Gas Issues From Various Jurisdictions ...... 7 Foreword ...... 7 Calls for Moratoriums and Bans ...... 9 Irish government rules out fracking in the Republic of Ireland ...... 9 Contamination and Science ...... 10 More Families Flee Porter Ranch Homes Over Potentially Noxious Gas Leak ...... 10 Texas Frack Zone Is World’s Biggest Methane Leaker ! ...... 10 EDF Sparks Mistrust, and Admiration, With Its Methane Research ...... 10 Methane and the greenhouse-gas footprint of natural gas from shale formations ...... 11 A bridge to nowhere: methane emissions and the greenhouse gas footprint of natural gas ...... 11 Case Studies: The Impacts of Extracting and Burning Natural Gas ...... 11 New Studies Find Massive Methane Leakage From Fracking ...... 12 How to Keep Radium 226 Off Your Tires ...... 12 Methane contamination of drinking water accompanying gas-well drilling and hydraulic fracturing ...... 12 Erin Brockovich: Porter Ranch Gas Leak Is Worst Environmental Disaster Since BP Oil Spill ...... 13 CSG flaring in the Pilliga Forest ...... 13 Historic Los Angeles methane leak puts natural gas emissions under scrutiny ...... 13 Source of disastrous LA methane leak identified ...... 13 Questionable Science ...... 14 Exposed: Academics-for-hire agree not to disclose fossil fuel funding ...... 14 Renewable Energy ...... 15 Science and Health ...... 16 Weaker breaths in kids linked to early pesticide exposure ...... 16 Tests reveal presence of toxic chemicals in MEPs' blood ...... 16 Substantial contribution of extrinsic risk factors to cancer development ...... 16 Violent assaults against women rose 168 percent in this North Dakota town — thanks to fracking ...... 17 Economics, Legal, and Investigations ...... 18 More than $3.4 Trillion in Assets Vow to Divest from Fossil Fuels ...... 18 Data confirm our worst suspicions about the 1 percent: The wealthy are actively keeping the lower classes down ...... 18 Pennsylvania sues fracking company on behalf of 4,000 landowners ...... 18 Duke study: Fracking lowers home values by $30K ...... 19 Regulations ...... 20 Environment and Enjoyment of Property ...... 21 John Kerry on Climate Change: The Fight of Our Time ...... 21 Sea Level Rise Threatens Countries, Regions And Cities Around The World ...... 21 Sea rise threatens Florida coast, but there's no statewide plan to deal with it ...... 21 Global warming could suffocate life on Earth as oxygen levels fall, research shows ...... 22 Short Film Shows How Climate Change is Swallowing Louisiana ...... 22 Nasa-funded study: industrial civilisation headed for 'irreversible collapse'? ...... 22 COP21 Paris climate talks: Text of the final deal released by French hosts – live ...... 23 Here it is: Final draft Paris climate agreement ...... 23 World Leaders Just Agreed to a Landmark Deal to Fight Global Warming ...... 23 Syria: Climate Change, Drought and Social Unrest ...... 24 Making Things Clearer: Exaggeration, Jumping the Gun, and The Venus Syndrome ...... 24 Here's What You Need to Know About the New Paris Climate Agreement ...... 25 Arctic Temperatures Are Rising Twice As Fast As The Rest Of The World ...... 25 The best of climate science and humanity come together at AGU ...... 25 How Close Are We to 'Dangerous' Planetary Warming? ...... 26

1 Study: Arctic seafloor methane releases double previous estimates ...... 26 Wanning Workshop + Beijing Charts + Year-End Comments ...... 27 The Free Fracking Agreement Proposed TiSA Annex on Energy Related Services ...... 27 Noam Chomsky - On Activism, Climate Change, & His Message to the Future (2014) ...... 28 Government, Meetings, News, and Letters ...... 29 Dr. Eilish Cleary studying glyphosate when put on leave ...... 29 Director Fish and Wildlife Sent Home 1:16 Dec 2, 2015 ...... 29 CBS News Investigative Journalist Explains How Mainstream Media Brainwashes The Masses .. 30 Doctors to politicians: increase the independence of New Brunswick’s Medical Officers of Health 30 Irving LNG tax break tough to undo, advises city solicitor ...... 30 2014 New Brunswick Liberal Party Platform - Chief Medical Officer and Fracking ...... 30 https://www.poltext.org/sites/poltext.org/files/plateformes/nb2014lib_plt_en.pdf ...... 31 Feds must examine Irving media empire: Fraser ...... 31 Community rallies behind Dr. Eilish Cleary, NB’s Chief Medical Officer put on leave ...... 31 Calls to end “ludicrous” herbicide spraying in public forests in New Brunswick ...... 32 This Scientist Uncovered Problems With Pesticides. Then the Government Started to Make His Life Miserable...... 32 Silencing the Scientist: Tyrone Hayes on Being Targeted by Herbicide Firm Syngenta ...... 32 The Revolving Door Between Monsanto, the FDA, and the EPA: Your Safety in Peril Embedded video ...... 33 Dr. Eilish Cleary says she was fired by the Gallant government ...... 33 2014 New Brunswick Liberal Party Platform - Chief Medical Officer and Fracking ...... 33 Canada shocks COP21 with big new climate goal ...... 34 New Brunswick's chief medical officer of health Dr. Eilish ...... 34 Cardy on Cleary ...... 34 Liberals support greater independence for medical officers - May 30th, 2014 ...... 34 Dozens of supporters protest Dr. Eilish Cleary’s leave outside Department of Health ...... 35 Dozens of supporters protest Dr. Eilish Cleary’s leave outside Department of Health ...... 35 OPINION: Firing NB’s top health researcher will impact our shared marine ecosystems...... 35 Fredericton chapter protests in support of Dr. Eilish Cleary ...... 36 Information Morning - Fredericton Reaction to Cleary dismissal ...... 36 Open letter to Minister of Health Boudreau from New Brunswick Medical Society re Dr. Cleary .... 36 What the New Liberal Government Should Know About "The Health of New Brunswickers" ...... 36 New Brunswick rallies behind their dismissed Chief Medical Officer of Health ...... 37 'Stall' shale gas industry, top public health officer says - May 06, 2014 ...... 37 Video - Political Panel: Dec. 10 ...... 37 Dr. Eilish Cleary - Dr. Donald Morgan Service Award 2015 ...... 38 How Industry Canada Blew $13.7 Billion In Corporate Welfare ...... 38 Saint John council signals need for tax help from industry ...... 38 Medical society says surgery wait times 'devastating' for patients ...... 38 Information Morning Fredericton - Wait Times ...... 39 Termination of New Brunswick's Chief Medical Officer of Health a concern: ...... 39 NFU-NB calls on government to uphold independence of Office of the Chief Medical Officer ...... 39 Why Is J.D. Irving Calling On The CBC To Remove "Unprofessional" Story? ...... 40 Information Morning - Fredericton NB AG Report December 16, 2015 ...... 40 Dr Eilish Cleary is in Sierra Leone as a consultant to the World Health Organisation’s global outbreak alert and response network 2014 ...... 40 Bring Dr. Cleary home for the holidays ...... 40 Campaign launched to 'Bring Dr. Cleary Back for the Holidays' (Dec. 16, 2015) ...... 41 Eilish Cleary supporters launch campaign for her reinstatement Embedded video ...... 41 Canadian doctors urge New Brunswick Premier to reconsider Chief Medical Officer firing ...... 41

2 Dr. Eilish Cleary CBC interview after receiving prestigious award on shale gas document ...... 41 We want a democratic Constitutional Assembly, therefore randomly drawn ...... 41 Cleary Support Information Morning – Fredericton ...... 42 Jacques Poitras – Pohl Cleary Letter ...... 42 Institutions and the resource curse ...... 42 New Brunswick News ...... 43 Shale Gas Experiment – Dr. John Cherry Presentation ...... 43 NB Power reports oil spill at Mactaquac ...... 43 The curious case of Emmanuel's well ...... 43 Or, how one New Brunswick trailer park king became an oil and gas joker ...... 43 Maritime News ...... 44 Canadian News ...... 45 Couillard’s comments a blow to fracking ...... 45 Other News ...... 46 Fracking Nightmare - Episode 75 : Queensland Tragedy ...... 46 Maine: Irving's New Colony? - Irving Companies Called An Oligarchy ...... 46 Monsanto Put on Trial for Crimes against Humanity in The Hague ...... 46 Longmont's fracking ban due before state supreme court ...... 46 Seneca Lake Propane Storage Deal Implodes ! ...... 47 Fracking no longer viable, says government advisor ...... 47 Shale driller: Will idle last rigs Low prices cited by Southwestern ...... 47 Why a Disproportionate Number of CEOs Are Psychopaths ...... 48 The 1% are the very best destroyers of wealth the world has ever seen ...... 48 Voices from the Gasfields : It started with just ONE well ...... 48 Venezuela approves historic grassroot Seed Law ...... 48 Fukushima Today - December 29, 2015 ...... 49 Water ...... 50 Alarming research finds humans are using up far more of Earth’s water than previously thought . 50 Fracking and Earthquakes ...... 51 'This seismic event was caused by hydraulic fracturing,' says regulator's CEO ...... 51 Canadian regulator: 4.6 magnitude quake caused by fracking ...... 51 Oil and Pipelines ...... 52 New pipeline law could include 'transition' rules for Energy East ...... 52 More than $3.4 Trillion in Assets Vow to Divest from Fossil Fuels ...... 52 European report says Canadian tar sands are a critical hurdle for climate action ...... 52 A secret deal between oilsands companies and environmentalists has divided the oilpatch ...... 53 Grounded Russian oil tanker leaks into North Pacific ...... 53 30 missing as Azeri oil rig fire in Caspian Sea prompts evacuation (VIDEO) ...... 53 Bill McKibben: Exxon’s power is ‘weakening daily’ Embedded video ...... 54 Extremists could use peaceful pipeline protests in Canada as cover, intel report claims ...... 54 RCMP - Criminal Threats to Canadian Petroleum Industry ...... 54 Poison Fire - Documentary from the Niger Delta. See poisonfire.org ...... 54 Crude hits new low as OPEC decides 'everyone does whatever they want’ ...... 55 Oil prices tank as OPEC decides not to cut production ...... 55 Environmental Health In Red Head: The Energy East Project ...... 55 Lynaya Astephen interviewd by ATV, CBC, Global - Dec 7, 2015 ...... 55 We are Sacrifice Zones: Native Leader Says Toxic North Dakota Fracking Fuels Violence Against Women ...... 55 Increased concern over Energy East pipeline ...... 56 TransCanada failed to operate Keystone safely, U.S. regulator alleges ...... 56 Déversement dans la rivière Madawaska ...... 56

3 ‘Transition phase’ for pipeline review overhaul coming early in 2016: Carr ...... 57 National Academy of Science report points to dangers of bitumen spills ...... 57 Unique Hazards of Tar Sands Oil Spills Confirmed by National Academies of Sciences ...... 58 Large Rail Fire In Portland Highlights The Danger Of Fossil Fuel Infrastructure ...... 58 Letter: Keep the waters clear of pipeline ...... 58 Obama Administration Rushed Research on the Enviromental Impact of Arctic Oil Drilling ...... 59 Report: Atlantic Drilling Would Offer $0 To States, Not $19 Billion ...... 59 TransCanada files $15.7-billion plan for Energy East pipeline ...... 60 TransCanada’s Revised Energy East Application More Than Doubles Number of Oil Tankers in Bay of Fundy and along U.S. East Coast ...... 60 Energy East won’t get built ...... 60 Canada Now Selling World's Cheapest Oil, Report Says, As Forecasts Call For $20 Barrel ...... 61 Energy East plan to double Bay of Fundy tanker traffic ...... 61 Énergie Est : Saint-Onésime d'Ixworth ne veut pas d'un camp de travailleurs ...... 62 Energy East: St. Onesimus Ixworth does not want a camp workers ...... 62 Reversing Enbridge & Big Oil’s Pipeline Plans ...... 63 Open letter to the Right Honourable Prime Minister Trudeau ...... 63 Central Valley Board Continues to Mix Oil and Water ...... 64 The Antigonish Community Science Centre: ...... 65 TransCanada shares slip as projected pipeline costs increase ...... 66 NB Power reports oil spill at Mactaquac ...... 66 National Energy Board refuses to accept study on diluted bitumen ...... 66 Leaked Documents Reveal Shady Tactics Behind PR Push For Even Bigger Canadian Pipeline . 66 Oil and Gas Bankruptcy Climbs to More than $16 Billion in 2015 ...... 67 Canada to Ban Tankers from Northern B.C. Coast ...... 67 Oil Investors Suffer Record Second Year of Misery ...... 68 BP orders complete evacuation of Valhall field in North Sea ...... 68 Danger in Dilbit ...... 68 National Energy Board Filings ...... 70 National Energy Board Energy East filing, B - Energy East Pipeline Ltd...... 70 Pseudo Profound Bullshit ...... 71 Study shows link between stupidity & bullsh*t ...... 71 On the reception and detection of pseudo-profound bullshit ...... 71 Mining ...... 72 Mine vibrations at Drakelands Mine are "living hell" ...... 72 Sisson Mine project given EIA approval, Brian Kenny says ...... 72 Northcliff Resources short on money to build Sisson mine ...... 72 Northcliff Resources underestimated costs to build water treatment plant and restore tailings pond: report ...... 73 System used to treat water from tailings after the mine closes is unreliable and untested: report .. 73 Sisson mine project slammed by aboriginal leaders ...... 74 Information Morning - Fredericton Sisson Brook Mine – Northcliff Resources ...... 74 Information Morning - Fredericton Sisson Brook Mine Minister Brian Kenny ...... 75 CCNB Polley and Sisson Mine Tailings Ponds comparison ...... 75 If It Owns a Well or a Mine, It’s Probably in Trouble ...... 75 Task force commissioned by mining industry recommends tighter dam oversight ...... 75 Government Allows Toxic Mines to Dump in Canadian Lakes ...... 76 Op-Ed: Canadian wilderness lakes to be mining waste dumping grounds? ...... 76 Maliseet First Nations 'dismayed' by Sisson Mine approval ...... 76 In Appalachia, the coal industry is in collapse, but the mountains aren’t coming back ...... 77 Information Morning - Fredericton Sisson Mine December 16, 2015 ...... 78

4 'The worst of all worlds': Bay Street sees plenty of gloom in mining industry Embedded video .... 78 Government didn't protect Wabush pensioners, Ron Barron says ...... 78 A Legacy of Shame Canadian Mining Companies leave behind decades of violence in Guatemala ...... 78 Forestry ...... 80 Monsanto Hid Evidence of Roundup and Cancer ...... 80 Independent Scientists Manifesto on Glyphosate ...... 80 EPA Seeks to Revoke Approval of Dow Chemical’s Enlist Duo Herbicide ...... 80 Augmenter les redevances pour éviter les compressions ...... 80 Increase charges to avoid cuts ...... 80 Scientists challenge EFSA claim of glyphosate safety ...... 81 Kedgwick fights aerial forest spraying ...... 82 J.D. Irving's Crown forest contract made public ...... 82 AG report shows DNR ignored calls to reduce clearcutting in public forest ...... 82 No plan B for climate change without forests, Prince Charles tells Paris summit ...... 83 Common Weed Killer is Widespread in the Environment ...... 83 Glyphosate General Fact Sheet ...... 83 Thou Shalt Not Name the Irvings - Audio ...... 84 J.D. Irving slams public broadcaster for inclusion in medical officer leave story - Interview ...... 84 J.D. Irving, Limited Responds to Unprofessional CBC New Brunswick Story ...... 84 JD Irving Attacks CBC Over Glyphosate Story ...... 84 The Boreal Is Burning ...... 85 Pesticides in Mississippi air and rain: a comparison between 1995 and 2007 ...... 85 Neonicotinoid Pesticide Reduces Bumble Bee Colony Growth and Queen Production ...... 85 A Common Pesticide Decreases Foraging Success and Survival in Honey Bees ...... 85 Decline of bees forces China's apple farmers to pollinate by hand ...... 86 Major Pesticides Are More Toxic to Human Cells Than Their Declared Active Principles ...... 86 Green Web Bulletin #6 Opposing Forest Spraying ...... 86 ISSUES: By allowing forest spraying, does Canada breach its legal obligations under the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)? ...... 87 Gallant talks climate change as his government allows clearcutting of NB’s forest ...... 87 Weight of the evidence on the human carcinogenicity of 2,4-D ...... 87 Poisoning of New-Brunswickers Charles Theriault ...... 88 Ep 26 - Gareth Davies says we need a new forest paradigm! Embedded video ...... 88 Herbicide Debate - Information Morning Fredericton ...... 88 Glyphosate damages DNA, says World Health Organisation expert ...... 88 Cytotoxic and DNA-damaging properties of glyphosate and Roundup in human-derived buccal epithelial cells...... 89 Biologist Rod Cumberland sent this letter to all members of the NB Legislative Assembly ...... 89 Twin Rivers Paper Company fined $320K for spills ...... 90 Video Links ...... 91 Fracking Nightmare - Episode 75 : Queensland Tragedy ...... 91 Shale Gas Experiment – Dr. John Cherry Presentation ...... 91 Bill McKibben: Exxon’s power is ‘weakening daily’ ...... 91 Monsanto: Extinction ...... 91 Poison Fire - Documentary from the Niger Delta. See poisonfire.org ...... 91 New Brunswick's chief medical officer of health Dr. Eilish ...... 91 Short Film Shows How Climate Change is Swallowing Louisiana ...... 91 Increased concern over Energy East pipeline ...... 91 Lynaya Astephen interviewd by ATV, CBC, Global - Dec 7, 2015 ...... 92 Days of Revolt: The Revolution Will Be Local Chris Hedges ...... 92

5 Dr. Eilish Cleary - Dr. Donald Morgan Service Award 2015 ...... 92 Video - Political Panel: Dec. 10 ...... 92 Information Morning - Fredericton Sisson Mine December 16, 2015 ...... 92 Information Morning - Fredericton NB AG Report December 16, 2015 ...... 92 Dr. Eilish Cleary CBC interview after receiving prestigious award on shale gas document ...... 92 Voices from the Gasfields : It started with just ONE well ...... 93 CSG flaring in the Pilliga Forest ...... 93 Noam Chomsky - On Activism, Climate Change, & His Message to the Future (2014) ...... 93

6 Shale Gas Issues From Various Jurisdictions

Foreword

The following documents have been collected by searching the web for information related to shale gas and from the Following web sites and

New Brunswick is NOT For Sale http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_132079906855023

New Brunswickers Concerned About Shale Gas http://www.facebook.com/ccnbshalegas

Ban Hydraulic Fracturing (hydro-fracking) In New Brunswick, Canada http://www.facebook.com/BanFrackingNB

Know Shale Gas NB – Support the legal action to stop Shale Gas in NB http://noshalegasnb.ca/news

NoShaleGasNB http://www.facebook.com/NoShaleGasNB

Shale Gas Info http://www.facebook.com/shalegas

Upriver Environment Watch http://www.facebook.com/groups/UpRiver/

Fracidental Drillers http://www.facebook.com/groups/133930663364584/

Fracking Research and New Brunswick, Canada http://nbfrackingresearch.com/

Facebook Groups: USA - A FACEBOOK FULL OF FRACTIVISTS: State-by-State Listings http://keeptapwatersafe.org/facebook-groups-usa/

Propublica – Links to many articles on Fracking http://www.propublica.org/series/fracking

Another good site: Fracking, Shale Gas and Health http://frackingandhealth.ca/

Is Our Forest Really Ours? http://isourforestreallyours.com/Isourforestreallyours/Welcome.html http://isourforestreallyours.com/Isourforestreallyours/Start_here.html https://www.facebook.com/groups/132079906855023/#!/groups/258525050949366/

More facebook information https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=617426124942641

7 United Opponents of Fracking International http://portjervisny.com/uaf.htm

SHALE GAS ALERTS NEW BRUNSWICK https://www.facebook.com/groups/112468105590081/? hc_location=stream#!/groups/112468105590081/

New Brunswick Anti-Shale Gas Alliance / anti-gaz de schiste du N.-B http://www.noshalegasnb.ca/our-resources/

8 Calls for Moratoriums and Bans

Irish government rules out fracking in the Republic of Ireland

Fracking will not form part of the Irish government's long-term energy plans even if it is proven to be safe, Energy Minister Alex White has said.

Writing in today's Irish Independent, the minister says he finds it "hard" to see a situation whereby drilling for oil and gas would be allowed, given the country is moving away from fossil fuels and towards renewables.

His comments come as People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett joined with Friends of the Earth and An Taisce called for a complete ban on hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking.

It comes as the debate on shale gas ramps up across Europe, with countries including the UK, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic keen to exploit the technology. http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/republic-of-ireland/irish-government-rules-out-fracking-in-the- republic-of-ireland-34298826.html

9 Contamination and Science

More Families Flee Porter Ranch Homes Over Potentially Noxious Gas Leak

Back on October 23, a leak was discovered underground. Since that time, a massive amount of methane has spewed from the broken pipe casing. Along with it, chemicals inside the natural gas that allows us to smell it — the same chemicals the LA county health department says can cause short-term headaches, breathing issues and nausea.

Health officials last week issued a directive to the gas company to pay for families to relocate. So far, Wait reports, more than 170 families have taken the offer. http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2015/11/27/numbers-of-families-continuing-to-leave-porter-ranch-over- gas-leak-continues-to-rise/

Texas Frack Zone Is World’s Biggest Methane Leaker !

Texas Fracking Zone Emits 90% More Methane Than EPA Estimated

The Barnett Shale’s emissions have been vastly underestimated, sweeping study finds. And the study itself does not include leaks during the drilling, completion and early production stages – in other words, it underestimates the known sources of leaks

That conclusion comes from a peer-reviewed study published Monday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The paper is the most sweeping study to emerge from the Environmental Defense Fund’s $18-million project to quantify methane leaks from the natural gas industry. It was written by 20 co-authors from 13 institutions, including universities, government labs, EDF and private research firms. http://www.nofrackingway.us/2015/12/08/texas-frack-zone-is-worlds-biggest-methane-leaker/

The study - EDF Sparks Mistrust, and Admiration, With Its Methane Research http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2015/12/03/1522126112.abstract?sid=b6b619d6-e01f-4643-b33d- 3f86e71599b1

Reconciling divergent estimates of oil and gas methane emissions

PNAS 2015 ; published ahead of print December 7, 2015, doi:10.1073/pnas.1522126112 http://www.pnas.org/search? fulltext=barnet+shale+environmental+defence+fund&submit=yes&x=11&y=9

EDF Sparks Mistrust, and Admiration, With Its Methane Research

Environmental Defense Fund fills a void in tackling critical climate issue, but to some, its collaboration with fossil fuel industry taints findings.

10 "What EDF is trying to do is put filters on cigarettes," said Sandra Steingraber, a prominent activist, biologist and scholar-in-residence at New York's Ithaca College. "There's no way we can frack our way to climate stability. There's no scientific evidence for that." http://insideclimatenews.org/news/07042015/edf-sparks-mistrust-and-admiration-its-methane-leaks- research-natural-gas-fracking-climate-change

Methane and the greenhouse-gas footprint of natural gas from shale formations

Compared to coal, the footprint of shale gas is at least 20% greater and perhaps more than twice as great on the 20-year horizon and is comparable when compared over 100 years. http://download.springer.com/static/pdf/5/art%253A10.1007%252Fs10584-011-0061-5.pdf? originUrl=http%3A%2F%2Flink.springer.com%2Farticle%2F10.1007%2Fs10584-011-0061- 5&token2=exp=1450109746~acl=%2Fstatic%2Fpdf%2F5%2Fart%25253A10.1007%25252Fs10584- 011-0061-5.pdf%3ForiginUrl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Flink.springer.com%252Farticle %252F10.1007%252Fs10584-011-0061- 5*~hmac=acbc5fc9e724184ab6709c3deee932c0eb552d299355380ef105c93123d0313e http://www.acsf.cornell.edu/Assets/ACSF/docs/attachments/Howarth-EtAl-2011.pdf

The paper http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs10584-011-0061-5.pdf

A bridge to nowhere: methane emissions and the greenhouse gas footprint of natural gas

In April 2011, we published the first peer-reviewed analysis of the greenhouse gas footprint (GHG) of shale gas, concluding that the climate impact of shale gas may be worse than that of other fossil fuels such as coal and oil because of methane emissions. We noted the poor quality of publicly available data to support our analysis and called for further research. Our paper spurred a large increase in research and analysis, including several new studies that have better measured methane emissions from natural gas systems. Here, I review this new research in the context of our 2011 paper and the fifth assessment from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released in 2013. The best data available now indicate that our estimates of methane emission from both shale gas and conventional natural gas were relatively robust. Using these new, best available data and a 20-year time period for comparing the warming potential of methane to carbon dioxide, the conclusion stands that both shale gas and conventional natural gas have a larger GHG than do coal or oil, for any possible use of natural gas and particularly for the primary uses of residential and commercial heating. The 20-year time period is appropriate because of the urgent need to reduce methane emissions over the coming 15–35 years. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ese3.35/full

Case Studies: The Impacts of Extracting and Burning Natural Gas

Numerous studies have showed that the processes of extracting and burning natural gas, including fracking, have grave environmental impacts. Here are a few of them.

11 New Studies Find Massive Methane Leakage From Fracking

New studies from the Front Range area of Colorado, Utah, and Marcellus region of Pennsylvania have found VOC and methane leakage from fracking wells that far exceed EPA’s predictions. These studies measure methane levels from the air, which can capture emission data from fracking plays that can have thousands of wells concentrated in one area. Previous studies have used ground-based measurements of a handful of wells, which can miss super-emitting sources in the gas fields. http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/global-warming/issues/natural-gas/case-studies/

How to Keep Radium 226 Off Your Tires

Don’t drive in the winter in New York. Or in the summer on dirt roads. New Yorkers are finding out the hard way how to get Fracksylvania frack filth off their windshields, tires, dogs, kids, plants, what have you. Of course, some New York towns and counties have banned spreading frack filth on roads. Ironically, there are no such county or town bans against spreading frack filth on roads in Texas. Because it is illegal to spread radioactive frack filth on public roads in Texas.

Flowback from shale gas wells is not that great for roadside plants, birds, your cat or you. Unless you are on a diet high in arsenic, Radium 226, Radium 228, Cl, Br,Na, K, Ca, Mg, Sr, Ba, Ra, Fe, Mn, and residual frack chemicals – composition unknown. But look on the sunny side: if you live next to a road that is slathered with flowback season after season, you won’t need RoundUp to kill the weeds in the ditches. Because there won’t be in any weeds in the ditches. Or any other living thing. And the roadside will glow a radium watch dial green. http://www.nofrackingway.us/2013/12/04/how-to-get-radium-226-off-your-tires/

Methane contamination of drinking water accompanying gas-well drilling and hydraulic fracturing

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Stephen G. Osborna, Avner Vengoshb, Nathaniel R. Warnerb, and Robert B. Jackson

In aquifers overlying the Marcellus and Utica shale formations of northeastern Pennsylvania and upstate New York, we document systematic evidence for methane contamination of drinking water associated with shale-gas extraction. In active gas-extraction areas (one or more gas wells within 1 km), average and maximum methane concentrations in drinking-water wells increased with proximity to the nearest gas well and were 19.2 and 64 mg CH4 L-1 (n = 26), a potential explosion hazard; in contrast, dissolved methane samples in neighboring nonextraction sites (no gas wells within 1 km) within similar geologic formations and hydrogeologic regimes averaged only 1.1 mg L-1 (P < 0.05; n = 34). http://www.pnas.org/content/108/20/8172.abstract

The Paper https://nicholas.duke.edu/cgc/pnas2011.pdf

12 Erin Brockovich: Porter Ranch Gas Leak Is Worst Environmental Disaster Since BP Oil Spill

The enormity of the Aliso Canyon gas leak cannot be overstated. Gas is escaping through a ruptured pipe more than 8,000 feet underground and it shows no sign of stopping. As the pressure from weight on top of the pipe causes the gas to diffuse, it only continues to dissipate across a wider and wider area. According to tests conducted in November by the California Air Resources Board, the leak is spewing 50,000 kilograms of gas per hour—the equivalent to the strength of a volcanic eruption.

At this rate, in just one month, the leak will have accounted for one-quarter of the total estimated methane emissions in the state of California. http://ecowatch.com/2015/12/22/erin-brockovich-porter-ranch/

CSG flaring in the Pilliga Forest

This short video of SANTOS' Bibblewindi flare was taken in April 2014 This is just one of many planned for the forest,,, Listen to the raging of the flare... Is this truly what we want for our forests?? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqFkLjx7ukw&feature=youtu.be

Historic Los Angeles methane leak puts natural gas emissions under scrutiny

As SoCalGas works to plug a monster methane leak, warnings abound for the electricity sector

Southern California Gas (SoCalGas) is working to clean up the biggest known gas leak in U.S. history at one of its natural gas storage facilities in the Los Angeles region.

The leaking methane — a greenhouse gas over 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide — threatens the state's progress in the fight against climate change. It could also compromise the supply of natural gas, which is predominantly methane, to electricity generating plants and gas heating customers in the Southern California region.

Fines will eventually be levied against SoCalGas for the ongoing release of what initially was 25% of California’s monthly methane emissions and could be as much as 15% of the hourly greenhouse gas emissions from the U.S. natural gas industry. http://www.utilitydive.com/news/historic-los-angeles-methane-leak-puts-natural-gas-emissions-under- scrutiny/411060/

Source of disastrous LA methane leak identified https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bM1wEq1-BwA

13 Questionable Science

Exposed: Academics-for-hire agree not to disclose fossil fuel funding

A Greenpeace undercover investigation has exposed how fossil fuel companies can secretly pay academics at leading American universities to write research that sows doubt about climate science and promotes the companies’ commercial interests.

Posing as representatives of oil and coal companies, reporters from Greenpeace UK asked academics from Princeton and Penn State to write papers promoting the benefits of CO2 and the use of coal in developing countries.

The professors agreed to write the reports and said they did not need to disclose the source of the funding. http://energydesk.greenpeace.org/2015/12/08/exposed-academics-for-hire/

14 Renewable Energy

15 Science and Health

Weaker breaths in kids linked to early pesticide exposure

Berkeley -- Taking a deep breath might be a bit harder for children exposed early in life to a widely used class of pesticides in agriculture, according to a new paper by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.

A new study has linked the levels of organophosphate pesticide metabolites in the urine of 279 children living in California's Salinas Valley with decreased lung function. Each tenfold increase in concentrations of organophosphate metabolites was associated with a 159-milliliter decrease in lung function, or about 8 percent less air, on average, when blowing out a candle. The magnitude of this decrease is similar to a child's secondhand smoke exposure from his or her mother. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-12/uoc--wbi112515.php#.VmB3Aktnwdk.facebook

Tests reveal presence of toxic chemicals in MEPs' blood

Blood tests conducted by WWF on Parliamentarians have revealed the presence of dangerous chemicals in every sample. Industry says it is "concerned" but questions the real threat to human health. An analysis by WWF of blood samples taken from 47 people from across Europe has revealed the presence of 76 persistent, bio-accumulative and toxic industrial chemicals in the blood those tested.

The sample included 39 Members of the European Parliament, four observers from accession countries, one former MEP and three WWF staff, representing 17 countries in Europe.

Their blood samples were analysed for 101 chemicals from five groups: organochlorine pesticides including DDTs; PCBs; brominated flame retardants; phthalates; and perfluorinated compounds (PFOS). http://www.euractiv.com/climate-environment/tests-reveal-presence-toxic-chemicals-meps-blood/article- 117957

Substantial contribution of extrinsic risk factors to cancer development

Recent research has highlighted a strong correlation between tissue-specific cancer risk and the lifetime number of tissue-specific stem-cell divisions.

Whether such correlation implies a high unavoidable intrinsic cancer risk has become a key public health debate with the dissemination of the ‘bad luck’ hypothesis.

Here we provide evidence that intrinsic risk factors contribute only modestly (less than ~10–30% of lifetime risk) to cancer development.

First, we demonstrate that the correlation between stem-cell division and cancer risk does not distinguish between the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic factors.

16 We then show that intrinsic risk is better estimated by the lower bound risk controlling for total stem-cell divisions. Finally, we show that the rates of endogenous mutation accumulation by intrinsic processes are not sufficient to account for the observed cancer risks. Collectively, we conclude that cancer risk is heavily influenced by extrinsic factors. These results are important for strategizing cancer prevention, research and public health. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature16166.html

Violent assaults against women rose 168 percent in this North Dakota town — thanks to fracking

In an emotional interview with Democracy Now’s Amy Goodman, a Native American activist from North Dakota explained the high cost on human lives that the fracking industry is taking on her community, saying it is turning it into a “sacrifice zone.”

Appearing at the Paris Climate Summit, indigenous rights leader Kandi Mossett became teary-eyed as she described the influx of thousands of fracking workers living in “man camps” that have brought with them crime, drug usage and rape — leading to a 168 percent increase in violent assaults against women.

We have 14-, 15- and 16-year-old girls that are willingly going into man camps and selling themselves.” http://www.rawstory.com/2015/12/violent-assaults-against-women-rose-168-percent-in-this-north- dakota-town-thanks-to-fracking/

17 Economics, Legal, and Investigations

More than $3.4 Trillion in Assets Vow to Divest from Fossil Fuels

More than 500 institutions representing about $3.4 trillion in assets have agreed to sell their investments in fossil fuel companies, divestment leaders announced on Wednesday, a nearly 24 percent increase since the movement last announced its commitment list in September.

European insurer Allianz, the city of Oslo, Norway, and the London School of Economics are among the latest institutions, communities and individuals to pledge to divest at least partially from coal, oil and natural gas companies, members of the green group 350.org and nonprofit Divest-Invest said at a press conference in Paris. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/02122015/divestment-campaign-grows-more-34-trillion-assets-vow- exit-fossil-fuels

Data confirm our worst suspicions about the 1 percent: The wealthy are actively keeping the lower classes down

The super-rich are more politically active than average Americans, financing and contacting elected officials and knowing many on a first-name basis. Their agenda, which is often cited by public officials across the country, emphasizes private profit-making and is skeptical of almost every public program to address economic inequality, the study by Chicago-based university researchers found. The top 1 percent’s social agenda, while “more liberal than others on religious and moral issues, including abortion, gay rights, and prayer in school,” is still “much more conservative than the non-affluent on issues of taxes, economic regulation, and social welfare,” the researchers found.

Put another way, today’s top 1 percent generally do not believe the longtime conservative line that a rising economic tide will lift all Americans, but have a darker view in which one’s fate is tied to the survival of the fittest. They consider climate change a non-issue and most would cut federal and state safety nets and anti-poverty programs, shift taxpayer dollars into privatized education and do little to ensure access to higher education. http://www.salon.com/2015/12/03/8_ways_the_super_rich_make_life_miserable_for_the_rest_of_us_p artner/

The study Democracy and the Policy Preferences of Wealthy Americans http://faculty.wcas.northwestern.edu/~jnd260/cab/CAB2012%20-%20Page1.pdf

Pennsylvania sues fracking company on behalf of 4,000 landowners

Lawsuit claims Chesapeake Energy cheated Pennsylvania landowners out of millions through deceptive business practices

Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane has filed a lawsuit against Oklahoma-based gas drilling company Chesapeake Energy claiming it had landowners sign "deceptive" leases that cheated them out of millions of dollars in royalty checks.

18 The lawsuit, filed last Wednesday in Bradford County, seeks tens of millions of dollars in restitution on behalf of about 4,000 landowners, in addition to civil penalties, according to ABC News. http://www.phillyvoice.com/pennsylvania-sues-fracking-company-behalf-4000-landowners/

Duke study: Fracking lowers home values by $30K

Fracking can significantly decrease home values, especially in areas that use well water, according to a new study from Duke University.

The study, which was done in Pennsylvania, found that home values decreased by an average of more than $30,000 for homes on well water within about a mile of shale drilling. http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/news/2015/12/15/duke-study-fracking-lowers-home-values-by- 30.html

The study http://today.duke.edu/2015/12/frackingandhomevalues http://pubs.aeaweb.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1257/aer.20140079

19 Regulations

20 Environment and Enjoyment of Property

John Kerry on Climate Change: The Fight of Our Time

On a rainy day in mid-November, Secretary of State John Kerry stood on the bridge of the USS San Antonio, a state-of-the-art ship designed to deliver up to 800 Marines ashore via helicopters and landing craft. From the bridge, Kerry had a commanding view of Naval Station Norfolk, the largest naval base in the world: aircraft carriers to the left, battleships to the right, a panorama of military power – and one that is rapidly sinking beneath the rising waters of Chesapeake Bay.

As Navy officials told Kerry in an informal briefing aboard the San Antonio, the base was highly vulnerable to sea-level rise. Already, roads connecting the base to the city of Norfolk, Virginia, flood during major rainstorms. At high tide, water surges over the sea walls, threatening key infrastructure and inundating buildings. Kerry, dressed in a sharp blue suit and pink-orange tie, asked the officers about the life expectancy of the base. "Twenty to 50 years," Capt. J. Pat Rios told him.

It was an extraordinary moment in the annals of American military history: A U.S. naval captain had just told the secretary of state that this strategically important base, home to six aircraft carriers and key to operations in Europe and the Middle East, would be essentially inoperable in as little as 20 years. Yes, they could shore up the sea walls for a while. Yes, they could raise roads. But without the massive influx of billions of dollars to fortify and elevate the city of Norfolk, as well as the roads and railroads that connect it to the surrounding region, the base was doomed. http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/john-kerry-on-climate-change-the-fight-of-our-time-20151201

Sea Level Rise Threatens Countries, Regions And Cities Around The World

With sea levels expected to rise by as much as three feet by the year 2100, in large part due to climate change, low-lying countries and coastal cities face an unprecedented challenge this century.

James Hansen, a professor at Columbia University and head of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, has said that the global goal to limit atmospheric warming to 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius) "is actually a prescription for long-term disaster." Hansen fears, LiveScience reported, that with warming of two degrees, we could see an ice-free Arctic and a notable rise in sea-levels by tens of meters. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/25/drowning-nations-sea-level-rise_n_1783931.html

Sea rise threatens Florida coast, but there's no statewide plan to deal with it

But the state has yet to offer a clear plan or coordination to address what local officials across Florida's coast see as a slow-moving emergency. Republican Gov. Rick Scott is skeptical of manmade climate change and has put aside the task of preparing for sea level rise, an Associated Press review of thousands of emails and documents pertaining to the state's preparations for rising seas found.

Despite warnings from water experts and climate scientists about risks to cities and drinking water, skepticism over sea-level projections and climate-change science has hampered planning efforts at all levels of government, the records showed. Florida's environmental agencies under Scott have been

21 downsized and retooled, making them less effective at coordinating sea-level-rise planning in the state, the documents showed.

"If I were governor, I'd be out there talking about it (sea -level rise) every day," said Eric Buermann, the former general counsel to the Republican Party of Florida who also served as a water district governing board member. http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/sea-rise-threatens-florida-coast-but-theres-no-statewide- plan-to-deal-with/2229074

Global warming could suffocate life on Earth as oxygen levels fall, research shows

Falling oxygen levels caused by global warming could be a greater threat to the survival of life on planet Earth than flooding, according to researchers from the University of Leicester published in Bulletin of Mathematical Biology.

A study led by Sergei Petrovskii, Professor in Applied Mathematics from the University of Leicester’s Department of Mathematics, has shown that an increase in the water temperature of the world’s oceans of around six degrees Celsius – which some scientists predict could occur as soon as 2100 – could stop oxygen production by phytoplankton by disrupting the process of photosynthesis. http://thinkpol.ca/2015/12/01/global-warming-could-suffocate-life-on-earth-as-oxygen-levels-fall- research-shows/

The study Mathematical Modelling of Plankton–Oxygen Dynamics Under the Climate Change http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11538-015-0126-0

Short Film Shows How Climate Change is Swallowing Louisiana

In Louisiana Disappearing, AJ+ reminds us that for some communities, climate change is already here. Looking at two towns on the Gulf Coast of Louisiana, Slidell and Dulac (the latter is home to an indigenous community), the film outlines the effects climate change has already had on these communities and what their future will hold. http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/33899-short-film-shows-how-climate-change-is- swallowing-louisiana https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4THdX9KOZ_4&feature=player_embedded

Nasa-funded study: industrial civilisation headed for 'irreversible collapse'?

A new study partly-sponsored by Nasa's Goddard Space Flight Center has highlighted the prospect that global industrial civilisation could collapse in coming decades due to unsustainable resource exploitation and increasingly unequal wealth distribution.

Noting that warnings of 'collapse' are often seen to be fringe or controversial, the study attempts to make sense of compelling historical data showing that "the process of rise-and-collapse is actually a

22 recurrent cycle found throughout history." Cases of severe civilisational disruption due to "precipitous collapse - often lasting centuries - have been quite common."

The study based on the HANDY model has been accepted for publication in the peer-reviewed Elsevier journal, Ecological Economics.

It finds that according to the historical record even advanced, complex civilisations are susceptible to collapse, raising questions about the sustainability of modern civilisation

Although the study based on HANDY is largely theoretical - a 'thought-experiment' - a number of other more empirically-focused studies - by KPMG and the UK Government Office of Science for instance - have warned that the convergence of food, water and energy crises could create a 'perfect storm' within about fifteen years. But these 'business as usual' forecasts could be very conservative. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/earth-insight/2014/mar/14/nasa-civilisation-irreversible- collapse-study-scientists

COP21 Paris climate talks: Text of the final deal released by French hosts – live http://www.theguardian.com/environment/live/2015/dec/12/paris-climate-talks-francois-hollande-to-join- summit-as-final-draft-published-live

Here it is: Final draft Paris climate agreement http://www.scribd.com/doc/293087130/Final-draft-Paris-climate-agreement

World Leaders Just Agreed to a Landmark Deal to Fight Global Warming

There was relief and celebration in Paris Saturday evening, as officials from more than 190 countries swept aside monumental differences and agreed to an unprecedented global deal to tackle climate change.

The historic accord, known as the Paris Agreement, includes emissions-slashing commitments from individual countries and promises to help poorer nations adapt to the damaging effects of a warming world. Negotiators also agreed on measures to revise, strengthen, and scrutinize countries' contributions going forward.

"This is a tremendous victory for all our citizens," said Secretary of State John Kerry during the final session of the summit. "It's a victory for all of the planet and for future generations."

However, the deal leaves some key decisions to the future, and it is widely recognized as not representing an ultimate solution to climate change. Instead, it sets out the rules of the road for the next 10 to 15 years and establishes an unprecedented international legal basis for addressing climate issues. Within the agreement, nearly every country on Earth laid out its own plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change impacts. Although those individual plans are not legally binding, the core agreement itself is. http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/12/breaking-news-paris-climate-agreement

23 Syria: Climate Change, Drought and Social Unrest

The crisis in Syria wasn't simply about extremism, and wasn't an isolated case of climate change creating a crisis. Syria just got there first.

"60% of Syria’s land experienced, in the terms of one expert, “the worst long-term drought and most severe set of crop failures since agricultural civilizations began in the Fertile Crescent many millennia ago.

” According to a special case study from last year’s Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction (GAR), of the most vulnerable Syrians dependent on agriculture, particularly in the northeast governorate of Hassakeh (but also in the south), “nearly 75 percent…suffered total crop failure.”

Herders in the northeast lost around 85% of their livestock, affecting 1.3 million people." http://climateandsecurity.org/2012/02/29/syria-climate-change-drought-and-social-unrest/

Making Things Clearer: Exaggeration, Jumping the Gun, and The Venus Syndrome by James Hansen April 2013

24 Discusses climate forcing, runaway climate change and the Venus Syndrome http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/mailings/2013/20130415_Exaggerations.pdf

Here's What You Need to Know About the New Paris Climate Agreement

The bottom line is that the agreement gets us far closer to containing climate change than we were two weeks ago, but still far short of where we need to go. In fact, we won’t even know for years what it will accomplish. How much the agreement reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and through that reduces warming, will depend on whether countries meet their targets for curbing emissions and deploying renewable energy and whether they ramp up their ambition in the years ahead. http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/34022-heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-new- paris-climate-agreement

Arctic Temperatures Are Rising Twice As Fast As The Rest Of The World

Things aren’t looking good for the Arctic. This year was the warmest on record for the region, with the peak ice extent occurring 15 days earlier than average – the lowest extent since records began. In addition to the rising air temperatures and decreased ice cover (not just of sea ice, but also of Greenland’s ice sheets), there have also been observable changes in animal behavior and plant cover in the region.

These changes have all been documented in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) report card on the state of the Arctic.

The average air temperature in the Arctic was 1.3°C (2.3°F) warmer between October 2014 and September 2015, when compared to the 1981 to 2010 average. But when compared to the 1900s average, this figure more than doubles to 3°C (5.4°F) warmer. Not only that, but scientists have found that most of the ice forming in the Arctic is only one year old, meaning that more and more is melting each year. http://www.iflscience.com/environment/temperature-arctic-rising-twice-fast-rest-world

NOAA report http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2015/121515-arctic-report-card-warmer-air-and-sea-declining- ice-continue-to-trigger-arctic-change.html

The best of climate science and humanity come together at AGU

25,000 climate scientists share their research and passion at the fall conference

Every year, the world’s Earth and space scientists converge on San Francisco for the fall American Geophysical Union (AGU) meeting. Around 25,000 scientists attended this year, most of whom do research relevant to climate change. I’ve just returned from the conference, at which I was struck by the quality and quantity of fascinating research and people.

25 I had the pleasure of meeting with dozens of climate scientists, and they were without exception kind, brilliant, fascinating people with a passion for learning how the Earth’s climate functions and how humans are changing it. It was a stark contrast from the way the climate science community is often portrayed – as frauds, conspiring to falsify data as part of the greatest hoax ever perpetrated.

These claims have been made by several American political representatives, including Senator James Inhofe, Congressman Lamar Smith, and Senator (and leading Republican presidential candidate) Ted Cruz. Recent comments made by Smith and Cruz attacking climate scientists and misrepresenting their data were referenced in at least three talks at the conference.

Climate scientists are understandably unhappy with the way their and their data and research are being misrepresented by these politicians. These types of distortions have led to countless personal attacks on climate scientists. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2015/dec/21/the-best-of- climate-science-and-humanity-come-together-at-agu

How Close Are We to 'Dangerous' Planetary Warming?

It has been widely reported that 2015 will be the first year where temperatures climbed to 1C above the pre-industrial. That might make it seem like we've got quite a ways to go until we breach the 2C limit. But the claim is wrong.

We exceeded 1C warming more than a decade ago. The problem is that here, and elsewhere, an inappropriate baseline has been invoked for defining the "pre-industrial." The warming was measured relative to the average over the latter half of the 19th century (1850-1900).

In other words, the base year implicitly used to define "pre-industrial" conditions is 1875, the mid-point of that interval. Yet the industrial revolution and the rise in atmospheric CO2 concentrations associated with it, began more than a century earlier. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-e-mann/how-close-are-we-to-dangerous-planetary- warming_b_8841534.html

Study: Arctic seafloor methane releases double previous estimates

The seafloor off the coast of Northern Siberia is releasing more than twice the amount of methane as previously estimated, according to new research results published in the Nov. 24 edition of the journal Nature Geoscience.

The East Siberian Arctic Shelf is venting at least 17 teragrams of the methane into the atmosphere each year. A teragram is equal to 1 million tons.

“It is now on par with the methane being released from the arctic tundra, which is considered to be one of the major sources of methane in the Northern Hemisphere,” said Natalia Shakhova, one of the paper’s lead authors and a scientist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. “Increased methane releases in this area are a possible new climate-change-driven factor that will strengthen over time.” http://news.uaf.edu/ESAS2013/

26 Wanning Workshop + Beijing Charts + Year-End Comments James Hansen

I limit this discussion with a final point: all energy sources impact the environment. The effects of old generation nuclear power can be greatly reduced with new technology. The impacts of renewable energies may not be acceptable to all environmentalists.

Chart 2. Renewable energies proposed for U.S. by Jacobson (chart courtesy of Armond Cohen). http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/mailings/2015/20151229_Sleepless.pdf

The Free Fracking Agreement Proposed TiSA Annex on Energy Related Services

Reviving a proposed framework first floated a decade ago during the Bush-Cheney administration known as “Halliburton’s WTO Agenda,” TiSA’s proposed new deal would recklessly undermine urgent work worldwide to reduce dangerous carbon emissions, create clean energy jobs, and increase energy security for economies everywhere.

Among the most inappropriate ideas included in TiSA’s ERS proposal are to: • establish as Article 1 a principle of “technological neutrality” whereby commitments would extend across all energy sectors regardless of the fuel source or technology, denying regulators the right to distinguish solar from nuclear, wind from coal, or geothermal from fracking; • reduce states’ sovereignty over energy resources (regardless of Article V’s declaring otherwise) by requiring states to establish free markets for foreign suppliers of energy related services thereby removing the right to ensure domestic economic benefits from exploiting energy resources.

27 • shift political power over energy and climate policies from people using their governments for shaping fair and sustainable economies to global corporations using TiSA for restricting governments from regulating energy markets, companies, and industry infrastructure.

The purpose of this analytical paper is to explain the proposed TiSA Annexes potential implications for climate and energy policies and to urge government to abandon the fossilized paradigm of free trade in place of a clean, fair energy future for all.

AS UNFCCC’s COP 21 in Paris opens, TiSA talks resume at WTO in Geneva; the objectives of each could not be more diametrically opposed. https://wikileaks.org/tisa/Analysis-TiSA-Annex-on-Energy-related-Services-QA/page-1.html

The report https://wikileaks.org/tisa/Analysis-TiSA-Annex-on-Energy-related-Services-QA/Analysis-TiSA-Annex- on-Energy-related-Services-QA.pdf

Noam Chomsky - On Activism, Climate Change, & His Message to the Future (2014)

In this sixth video in the series "Peak Oil and a Changing Climate" from The Nation and On The Earth Productions, linguist, philosopher and political activist Noam Chomsky talks about the Chamber of Commerce, the American Petroleum Institute and other business lobbies enthusiastically carrying out campaigns "to try and convince the population that global warming is a liberal hoax." According to Chomsky, this massive public relations campaign has succeeded in leading a good portion of the population into doubting the human causes of global warming. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJUA4cm0Rck

28 Government, Meetings, News, and Letters

Dr. Eilish Cleary studying glyphosate when put on leave

Chief medical officer of health 'surprised and upset' by leave from provincial government

Cleary confirmed in an email to CBC News Wednesday that "This is not a situation where I requested a personal leave."

She said she was not allowed to discuss the reasons for the leave.

"I was surprised and upset when it happened. The whole situation has caused me significant stress and anxiety. And not being able to talk about it makes it worse."

WHO deems glyphosate probably carcinogenic

The International Agency for Research on Cancer, a branch of the World Health Organization, deemed glyphosate "probably carcinogenic to humans" earlier this year.

In a letter to Bass River resident Ann Pohl in August, Cleary said she and her staff concurred with the IARC finding and would look into it.

Pohl provided a copy of the letter to CBC News.

Health Canada said earlier this year that the federal Pesticide Management Regulatory Agency would re-evaluate glyphosate, but pending that review, it wasn't considered harmful to human health.

Pohl says Dr. Jennifer Russell, the acting chief medical officer of health, told her on Nov. 9 the glyphosate study was still going ahead, and the office's action plan would be complete before the 2016 spraying season. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/eilish-cleary-glyphosate-leave-1.3347020

Director Fish and Wildlife Sent Home 1:16 Dec 2, 2015

29 CBS News Investigative Journalist Explains How Mainstream Media Brainwashes The Masses

This is a great TED Talk about how to spot mainstream media lies.

Did you know that only a handful of corporations, 6 to be exact, control over 90 percent of the media? That means nearly everything we hear on the radio, read in the news, and see on television (including ‘news’). I’m talking about General Electric (GE), News-Corp, Disney, Viacom, Time Warner, and CBS. http://lightworker29501.com/2015/08/13/cbs-news-investigative-journalist-explains-how-mainstream- media-brainwashes-the-masses/

Doctors to politicians: increase the independence of New Brunswick’s Medical Officers of Health

The New Brunswick Medical Society sent a letter to all provincial political parties this morning, asking them to support legislative change to ensure Medical Officers of Health have a legislatively defined responsibility to speak to their patients – all New Brunswickers.

“Physicians need to be able to speak to patients about matters related to their health, independent from other views,” said Dr Lynn Hansen, President of the New Brunswick Medical Society. “All physicians should feel supported in doing exactly that – but our current legislation doesn’t explicitly protect public health physicians from political interference.” http://www.nbms.nb.ca/news-and-updates/doctors-to-politicians-increase-the-independence-of-new- brunswick-s-medical-officers-of-health-2/#.VmK7z_2FNjr

Irving LNG tax break tough to undo, advises city solicitor

Saint John politicians were almost certainly not told about a $200 to $300 million land lease deal in the works for Irving Oil before they backed substantial tax concessions for an LNG development 10 years ago, city solicitor John Nugent has concluded in a new report headed to city council.

But Nugent says there is likely nothing the city can do legally since it did not sign any agreements or contracts with the company to spell out the terms of the 25-year concession, which reduces taxes on the lucrative property by more than 90 per cent to $500,000 per year. Without the concession, property taxes would be more than $8 million per year based on the property's current assessment. http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/new-brunswick/irving-lng-council-tax-break-1.3350746

2014 New Brunswick Liberal Party Platform - Chief Medical Officer and Fracking

Page 28

A Liberal government will protect and improve our environment by:

• Ensuring the independence of the medical officers of health. • Centralizing all conservation, inspection and enforcement functions in one department.

30 • Imposing a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing until risks to the environment, health and water are fully understood. Any decision on hydraulic-fracturing will be based on peer-reviewed scientific evidence and follow recommendations of the Chief Medical Officer of Health. https://www.poltext.org/sites/poltext.org/files/plateformes/nb2014lib_plt_en.pdf

Feds must examine Irving media empire: Fraser

Her comments come as Irving-owned Brunswick News Inc. takes a former publisher to court in the midst of his efforts to start a new newspaper.

"We didn't find anywhere else in the developed world a situation like the situation in New Brunswick," Fraser told CBC News on Friday. The senate report examined the state of all of Canada's news media.

All of the English daily newspapers in New Brunswick are owned by Irving and its other entities, as are all of the weekly publications, with the exception of the Sackville Tribune and the St. Croix Courier, and some radio stations.

Irvingis also one of the largest employers in the province, with interests in theforestry, retail, construction, transportationand food sectors.

"The Irving interests are bigger in New Brunswick than the whole federal government is in the whole of Canada, if you see what I mean, proportionately," Fraser said. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/feds-must-examine-irving-media-empire-fraser- 1.677605

Community rallies behind Dr. Eilish Cleary, NB’s Chief Medical Officer put on leave

Written by Tracy Glynn on December 5, 2015 , Fredericton – The unexplained leave of Dr. Eilish Cleary as NB’s Chief Medical Officer is being met with public outcry and demands for her reinstatement.

The Fredericton and Kent County Chapters of the Council of Canadians were the first groups to come out in support of Dr. Cleary. They took to social media, creating a Facebook page calling for her reinstatement. Their members are pointing out that the Liberal Party promised in their 2015 election platform that a Liberal government “will protect and improve our environment by insuring the independence of medical officers of health.”

A rally in support of Dr. Cleary is being planned. Stay tuned for details. http://nbmediacoop.org/2015/12/05/community-rallies-behind-dr-eilish-cleary-nbs-chief-medical-officer- put-on-leave/

31 Calls to end “ludicrous” herbicide spraying in public forests in New Brunswick

Scientists are calling provincial forestry herbicide programme as “ludicrous”. He says, “Whether it’s the Crown managing for an unnatural forest, in terms of climate change, and what’s right for this area, or by putting synthetic chemicals on to have a healthy forest — it is flawed logic.”

The Conservation Council of New Brunswick has been trying to get the chemicals banned for years. Tracy Glynn, a spokesperson for the council, “When we look around at our neighbours, Quebec banned herbicide spraying of its public forests in 2001, and it’s well overdue that the government get into 21st century forest management that is ecologically and socially responsible,” she said

Nova Scotia is no longer funding herbicide spraying of their forest. P.E.I. is pursuing Forest Stewardship Council certification for all of its public forest; this would mean banning herbicide spraying.

The council cites new evidence it says show the herbicide, previously thought to me safe for humans, is being shown to have toxic affects on animals and humans, including birth defects http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2013/08/21/calls-to-end-ludicrous-herbicide-spraying-in-public-forests-in-new- brunswick/

This Scientist Uncovered Problems With Pesticides. Then the Government Started to Make His Life Miserable.

But there's no doubting his knack for conducting research that raises troubling questions about some of the agrichemical industry's most lucrative existing products and promising future ones. "He's gone from golden boy to public enemy No. 1," says Jeff Ruch, executive director of PEER.

Before digging into the details of Lundgren's alleged infractions and punishment, it's worth having a look at Lundgren's recent research, which, Ruch says, led him "off the reservation" and into a world of "disciplinary disco."

In his August 3 letter announcing Lundgren's two-week suspension, the ARS's McMurtry declared two topics of Lundgren's research to be "sensitive"—meaning, he writes, subjects that agency scientists can't publish or speak to media about without "prior approval at the Area and National Program levels."

But it's abundantly clear that many of Lundgren's findings don't jibe with industry interests.

Take neonicotinoids, the globe's most widely used class of insecticides with annual sales of about $2.6 billion. http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2015/11/usda-researcher-claims-harrassment-and-retaliation- pesticide-research

Silencing the Scientist: Tyrone Hayes on Being Targeted by Herbicide Firm Syngenta

We speak with scientist Tyrone Hayes of the University of California, Berkeley, who discovered a widely used herbicide may have harmful effects on the endocrine system. But when he tried to publish the results, the chemical’s manufacturer launched a campaign to discredit his work. Hayes was first hired in 1997 by a company, which later became agribusiness giant Syngenta, to study their product, atrazine,

32 a pesticide that is applied to more than half the corn crops in the United States, and widely used on golf courses and Christmas tree farms. http://www.democracynow.org/2014/2/21/silencing_the_scientist_tyrone_hayes_on

The Revolving Door Between Monsanto, the FDA, and the EPA: Your Safety in Peril Embedded video

For the past two decades Monsanto has been plotting it's world domination and it's been easy so far, thanks to our government. Monsanto, a multinational agricultural biotech corporation, started as a small business in 1901 in St. Louis, Missouri, but it has transformed into a monopolizing mega monster. It's been an easy takeover because ever since the first Bush Administration, our presidents have been appointing ex-Monsanto lawyers, consultants, directors, chairmen, and CEOs to highly important positions in the FDA and EPA. So, what's the problem, you ask?

The problem is that these agencies that are supposed to have the American people's best interest and safety in mind, are essentially working for a big corporation, not us.

It Doesn't Stop With the FDA or the EPA

If only it were just the FDA and the EPA we had to worry about, but Monsanto has infiltrated just about every single government agency and department. Hillary Clinton, for example, was an ex-Monsanto Lawyer. Where is she now? Donald Rumsfeld was a previous CEO at Searle. Look what that job got him. And Michael Kantor was a Monsanto lawyer. Do you see a connection yet? http://hubpages.com/politics/The-Revolving-Door-Between-Monsanto-the-FDA-and-the-EPA-Your- Safety-in-Peril

Monsanto: Extinction https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=FZ5OxdIq5DY

Dr. Eilish Cleary says she was fired by the Gallant government

Dept. of Health says its actions not politically motivated, or related to medical & scientific work

"I can confirm that my employment as Chief Medical Officer has been terminated without cause effective immediately," she said in an email statement.

"Although no cause is now alleged, the Government of New Brunswick has let me know that they have come to the conclusion that my particular skill set does not meet the needs of my employer." http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/eilish-cleary-fired-nb-1.3354380

2014 New Brunswick Liberal Party Platform - Chief Medical Officer and Fracking

Page 28 A Liberal government will protect and improve our environment by: • Ensuring the independence of the medical officers of health.

33 • Centralizing all conservation, inspection and enforcement functions in one department. • Imposing a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing until risks to the environment, health and water are fully understood. Any decision on hydraulic-fracturing will be based on peer-reviewed scientific evidence and follow recommendations of the Chief Medical Officer of Health. https://www.poltext.org/sites/poltext.org/files/plateformes/nb2014lib_plt_en.pdf

Canada shocks COP21 with big new climate goal

Canada’s Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna told a stunned crowd that she wants the Paris agreement to restrict planetary warming to just 1.5 Celsius warming —not two degrees. It was the first time she has made such a statement.

In the room was former CBC meteorologist Claire Martin, a Green Party observer at the talks. “I was freaking out,” she said. "I was writing it all down like a nut."

Reading from her notes, Martin reported the minister’s remarks like so: "'We want to send a strong political signal.’ The necessity, that she sees, is one in which we transition sustainably.” http://www.nationalobserver.com/2015/12/07/news/canada-shocks-cop21-big-new-climate-commitment

New Brunswick's chief medical officer of health Dr. Eilish https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cinrtAq6bHc

Cardy on Cleary

Liberals support greater independence for medical officers - May 30th, 2014

FREDERICTON – Liberal Leader Brian Gallant says his party will support an initiative by the New Brunswick Medical Society to provide greater independence for the province’s medical officers of health and would enact legislation to do so if elected.

34 In a letter to Medical Society President Dr. Lynn Hansen, Gallant pledged his support and said that his party would work with the Medical Society “to ensure that medical officers are weighing nothing but their responsibility to keep New Brunswickers healthy when speaking out on issues that impact our collective wellbeing.”

In the letter, Gallant added that he would welcome a personal meeting with the New Brunswick Medical Society to discuss the details of this proposed legislation. http://nbliberal.ca/post-news/liberals-support-greater-independence-for-medical-officers/

Dozens of supporters protest Dr. Eilish Cleary’s leave outside Department of Health

FREDERICTON – Several dozen protesters stood outside HSBC Place on King Street Monday calling on the province to reinstate Dr. Eilish Cleary. http://globalnews.ca/news/2384699/dozens-of-supporters-protest-dr-eilish-clearys-leave-outside- department-of-health/

Dozens of supporters protest Dr. Eilish Cleary’s leave outside Department of Health

FREDERICTON – Several dozen protesters stood outside HSBC Place on King Street Monday calling on the province to reinstate Dr. Eilish Cleary. http://globalnews.ca/news/2384699/dozens-of-supporters-protest-dr-eilish-clearys-leave-outside- department-of-health/

‘I knew that this was where it was leading’ : Dr. Cleary fired from position as Chief Medical Officer

According to Dr. Eilish Cleary, she found out earlier Monday that she would be terminated as Chief Medical Officer of Health effective immediately, “without cause.”

She said it wasn’t necessarily a shock.

“My leave was made on the 2nd of November and at that stage I knew that this was where it was leading.” http://globalnews.ca/news/2385560/i-knew-that-this-was-where-it-was-leading-dr-cleary-fired-from- position-as-chief-medical-officer/

OPINION: Firing NB’s top health researcher will impact our shared marine ecosystems.

The news is filled today with the firing of Dr. Eilish Cleary, New Brunswick’s Chief Medical Officer of Health. While her work on how fracking will affect the health of New Brunswickers is important to the general public, it also provided important insight into potential downstream impacts in the Bay of Fundy and other coastal ecosystems. Similarly, her current work in progress is on the health impact of glyphosate, the principal ingredient in forest and agricultural sprays in New Brunswick and other Maritime Provinces. The negative impacts of sprays on our watersheds, the Bay of Fundy, Gulf of St. Lawrence and Gulf of Maine are well-known for previously used insecticides and herbicides … but the

35 debate about glyphosate rages on in spite of clear scientific evidence pointing to its deleterious impact on human and environmental health. (See: http://scorecard.goodguide.com/chemical- profiles/summary.tcl?edf_substance_id=1071-83-6)

So now the folks of New Brunswick, as well as their neighbours in Nova Scotia, PEI and Maine will be missing an important source of fact-based information on which they can make decisions about developments as they are proposed and as they proceed. https://atlanticalive.wordpress.com/2015/12/07/opinion-firing-nbs-top-health-researcher-will-impact-our- shared-marine-ecosystems/

Fredericton chapter protests in support of Dr. Eilish Cleary

The Council of Canadians Fredericton chapter protested this morning to have Dr. Eilish Cleary reinstated as New Brunswick's chief medical officer of health.

Global News reports, "Several dozen protesters stood outside HSBC Place on King Street Monday calling on the province to reinstate Dr. Eilish Cleary. ...HSBC Place houses the Department of Health and the Chief Medical Officer of Health. In front of the building on King Street in Fredericton, about 50 people gathered to protest Cleary’s leave just before noon on Monday."

The Canadian Press adds, "The demonstration organized by the Council of Canadians drew about 35 people to the Health Department in Fredericton where they demanded Cleary's reinstatement. ... [Fredericton chapter activist] Maggie Connell of Durham Bridge said the [provincial] Liberals pledged during last year's election to ensure the independence of the medical officers of health. '[Dr. Cleary] needs to be reinstated and she needs to be free to be able to investigate and report exactly what she finds to the public', Connell said." http://canadians.org/blog/fredericton-chapter-protests-support-dr-eilish-cleary

Information Morning - Fredericton Reaction to Cleary dismissal

Former health minister Ted Flemming reacts to the sudden dismissal of Dr. Eilish Cleary. http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2680068163

Open letter to Minister of Health Boudreau from New Brunswick Medical Society re Dr. Cleary http://nbms.nb.ca/assets/News/Open-Letter-Minister-Boudreau-Dec-8-15.pdf

What the New Liberal Government Should Know About "The Health of New Brunswickers" Dr. Eilish Cleary, Chief Medical Officer of Health, New Brunswick

Health is largely a product of the complex interaction between people and their social and environmental influences. The choices made now determine not just the health of those living but those yet to be born. Failing to recognize that government policies, legislation, and values are critical in promoting, protecting, or, conversely, harming the health of the people now and in the future would be

36 (to extend the African proverb) to continue to fall without preventing the slip. Making the changes needed will require a re-evaluation of what health truly is, the commitment to making the hard decisions, and the possession of strong political will. Does this new government have the courage to exercise the leadership we need? The people of New Brunswick expect so—they expect that government will make the best decisions on their behalf. Beyond that, the government has a moral imperative to take the steps necessary to aim for optimal health for us all. https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/JNBS/article/view/22332/25929

New Brunswick rallies behind their dismissed Chief Medical Officer of Health

The support for Cleary is widespread across political and geographic boundaries. The New Brunswick Medical Society’s open letter to Minister of Health, Vicotor Boudreau, bring up the New Brunswick Liberal’s 2013 call for independence of the Chief Medical Officer of Health. The NBMS plans to follow up on a list of unanswered questions including the apparent lack of a ‘rigorous and fair human resources process’ associated with the suspension based on personnel issues. The NBMS states “[i]f any part of our own work suggest that our former Chief Medical Officer of Health was terminated because of a scientific or medical opinion, we will strongly protest such a decision.” http://canadians.org/blog/new-brunswick-rallies-behind-their-dismissed-chief-medical-officer-health

'Stall' shale gas industry, top public health officer says - May 06, 2014

Dr. Eilish Cleary avoids calling for a moratorium because of its political sensitivities

The New Brunswick government should stall the development of the shale gas industry and wait for more research to be completed, according to the province’s chief medical officer of health.

Dr. Eilish Cleary told CBC’s Information Morning Fredericton that she believes it is important to stall the industry in light of a new report

The report, which was commissioned by Environment Canada and released last week, said there is little information about the effects of shale gas development on the environment. The report by a panel of 14 international experts concludes "data about potential environmental impacts are neither sufficient nor conclusive." http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/stall-shale-gas-industry-top-public-health-officer-says- 1.2633369

Video - Political Panel: Dec. 10

The CBC New Brunswick Political Panel debates the issues surrounding the firing of Dr. Eilish Cleary, the chief medical officer of health http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/political-panel-dec-10-1.3360451

37 Dr. Eilish Cleary - Dr. Donald Morgan Service Award 2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiU29UvWds4

How Industry Canada Blew $13.7 Billion In Corporate Welfare

What is certain is how the cliché applies to governments of every partisan stripe when they dress up past, failed corporate welfare strategies in ever-new language. Predictably, they get the same results for taxpayers: billions of tax dollars in up-front losses due to how governments hand out grants to business. And billions more foregone because of poor repayment records when tax dollars are even required to be repaid.

The newest example comes from a look at Industry Canada over the past three decades. During that time, the department has managed literally hundreds of programs that give or loan money to businesses -- every type of entity, small and large, from gas stations and craft shops to aerospace and automotive companies.

In information gleaned from a recent Access to Information request to the department, I found that between 1982 and 2012, the federal Department of Industry spent $13.7 billion on subsidies to business (not adjusted for inflation).That works out to $456.6 million per year on average from a single federal department. http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/mark-milke/corporate-welfare_b_1874318.html

Saint John council signals need for tax help from industry

Irving Oil Ltd.'s rail terminal pays about half as much city tax as Tim Hortons outlet across street

Saint John city council's move last week to wring more property tax dollars out of Irving Oil Ltd. is only the latest signal from that body it wants more help from industry to pay the city's bills.

"We just don't collect enough property tax in this city to do what we want to do," said Coun. Shirley McAlary last Monday in proposing the city strip Irving Oil of a lucrative tax concession on land it leases to Irving for its LNG development. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/saint-john-council-lng-taxes-1.3363615

Medical society says surgery wait times 'devastating' for patients

Dr. John Whelan wants Gallant government to start hiring specialists as wait times 'skyrocket'

New Brunswick needs to start attracting more specialists as the province continues to deal with the highest wait times in the country, according to the president of the New Brunswick Medical Society. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/medical-society-wait-times-new-brunswick-1.3363752

38 Information Morning Fredericton - Wait Times

Dr. John Whelan, President of the NB Medical Association, talks about a new report that confirms people in the province wait longer than anywhere else in the country for medical care. http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2680337466

Termination of New Brunswick's Chief Medical Officer of Health a concern: Oopen letter to Premier Gallant - Dec 15th, 2015 11:19 AM

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) is deeply concerned about the termination of Dr. Eilish Cleary as New Brunswick’s Chief Medical Officer of Health.

Justifications for Dr. Cleary’s dismissal to date have been vague and superficial. They bring no credit to the government, they undermine the role of the professional civil service, and demonstrate a lack of respect for Dr. Cleary’s professional integrity as a public health physician which, we believe, has been proven for many years.

In September 2012, her office produced a seminal report, Recommendations Concerning Shale Gas Development in New Brunswick, which advocated, on a solid scientific basis, for the exercise of the precautionary principle in pursuing the development of this resource. The report outlined a number of steps that need to be taken to ensure that any development of shale gas in the province is conducted in a safe and sensible way. She recommended active engagement with the public and, in particular, with First Nations. This report has been used as a reference in public health departments around the country.

At the time of her termination, Dr. Cleary was working on a report about the use and effects of glyphosate, an herbicide that is the active ingredient in Roundup, a preparation widely used in New Brunswick. In 2014, 77,000 kg of the herbicide was sold in the province and used primarily for killing hardwood (deciduous) trees and shrubs to promote the growth of softwood (conifer) lumber used in pulp and paper production. http://www.huffstrategy.com/MediaManager/release/Canadian-Association-of-Physicians-for-the- Environment/15-12-15/Terminiation-of-New-Brunsiwcks-Chief-Medical-Officer-of-Health-a-/3217.html

NFU-NB calls on government to uphold independence of Office of the Chief Medical Officer

Fredericton – The National Farmers Union in New Brunswick is calling on the Liberal government for transparency and accountability with regards to the force leaved and termination of the Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Eilish Cleary.

“The provincial government’s consideration of policy options, especially those that may impact human or environmental health, must be based upon sound, transparent science,” says NFU-NB president Ted Wiggans. “The termination of Dr. Cleary raises questions about the independence of the office of the Chief Medical Officer. It is incumbent upon the government to directly address Dr. Cleary’s termination to insure that the citizens of New Brunswick continue to have confidence in the recommendations of the Chief Medical Officer.”

39 In a province trying to reduce expenses and where over 40% of the provincial budget currently goes to healthcare, the importance of reducing and mitigating environmental factors that have negative health impacts is paramount. The mission of the Office of the Chief Medical Officer for Health is to “improve, promote, and protect the health of the people of New Brunswick.” http://nfunb.org/en/2015/12/press-release-nfu-nb-calls-on-government-to-uphold-independence-of- office-of-the-chief-medical-officer/

Why Is J.D. Irving Calling On The CBC To Remove "Unprofessional" Story?

The firing of New Brunswick’s chief medical officer has raised questions among the community about possible corporate influence on government and has prompted corporate giant J.D. Irving to demand the removal of a CBC article.

[See pictures of comments] http://canadalandshow.com/article/why-jd-irving-calling-cbc-remove-unprofessional-story

Information Morning - Fredericton NB AG Report December 16, 2015

NB's Auditor General Kim MacPherson is taking another look at Atcon. http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2680486138

Human touch essential to hold on to in response to Ebola crisis

Dr Eilish Cleary is in Sierra Leone as a consultant to the World Health Organisation’s global outbreak alert and response network 2014 http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/africa/human-touch-essential-to-hold-on-to-in-response-to-ebola- crisis-1.2031680

Bring Dr. Cleary home for the holidays

"Between now and the holidays, in the spirit of giving and trust, we are asking our government to bring Dr. Eilish Cleary home for the holidays. During the election, the government committed to ‘ensuring the independence of the medical officers of health.’ We, the undersigned, are calling on the Government of New Brunswick to reinstate Dr. Eilish Cleary as Chief Medical Officer of Health.” http://www.nben.ca/index.php/en/shale-gas-campaigns-media-actions/1351-bring-dr-cleary-home-for- the-holidays

Complete list of attendees http://www.nben.ca/index.php/en/shale-gas-caucus-documents-statements?download=4091:bring-dr- cleary-home-for-the-holidays-sign-on-list-various-groups-december-16-2015

40 Campaign launched to 'Bring Dr. Cleary Back for the Holidays' (Dec. 16, 2015) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YMYIUUGBJE&feature=youtu.be

Eilish Cleary supporters launch campaign for her reinstatement Embedded video

Supporters of Dr. Eilish Cleary have created a checklist of MLAs to be quizzed on whether they want the former New Brunswick Chief Medical Officer of Health reinstated.

“We’re making a list and were checking it twice,” said Ron Tremblay, Chief of Wolastoq Grand Council.

That, along with a variety of pointed Christmas cards meant to add pressure on what's become a government headache.

Doctors, academics and organizations have all signed a statement asking for Dr. Cleary’s return.

Maggie Connell of the Council of Canadians says their message is simple.

“We want Dr. Cleary back, we will have Dr. Cleary back, were insisting on it, and we will go the distance, as far as we need to go, to get her back,” she said. http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/eilish-cleary-supporters-launch-campaign-for-her-reinstatement-1.2703288

Canadian doctors urge New Brunswick Premier to reconsider Chief Medical Officer firing

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment is proud and determined in its support of public health physician Dr. Eilish Cleary, who has just been sacked for unknown reasons by the government of New Brunswick, and years of exemplary service, while in the middle of research into the current status of a herbicide widely used by business interests in that province. http://www.nationalobserver.com/2015/12/17/opinion/canadian-doctors-urge-new-brunswick-premier- reconsider-chief-medical-officer

Dr. Eilish Cleary CBC interview after receiving prestigious award on shale gas document

CBC interview with Dr. Eilish Cleary, New Brunswick's Chief Medical Officer of Health, after receiving her reward on July 11, 2013 in Fredericton by the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors. Dr. Cleary was awarded the prestigious Environmental health Review Award for 2013 for her work to bring public health to the debate on shale gas exploration and development in New Brunswick. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKx0E_xIQWg&feature=share

We want a democratic Constitutional Assembly, therefore randomly drawn

It is the explicit proposal which should rally the millions of citizens whose political impotency is programmed in the constitution.

41 Because it is not the role of the people in power to write the rules of their own power http://www.le-message.org/?lang=en

Cleary Support Information Morning – Fredericton

Colleen Kitts spoke to Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia 's Chief Public Health Officer

http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/26809 20127

Jacques Poitras – Pohl Cleary Letter

@poitrasCBC Here is the letter provided to CBC by Ann Pohl that she says she received from Cleary in August. https://twitter.com/poitrasCBC/status/672118743741440001/photo/1? utm_source=fb&utm_medium=fb&utm_campaign=DenisDoucet1&utm_content=682136644116459521

Institutions and the resource curse

Abstract

Countries rich in natural resources constitute both growth losers and growth winners.

We claim that the main reason for these diverging experiences is differences in the quality of institutions.

More natural resources push aggregate income down, when institutions are grabber friendly, while more resources raise income, when institutions are producer friendly.

We test this theory building on Sachs and Warner’s inßuential works on the resource curse.

Our main hypothesis: that institutions are decisive for the resource curse, is conÞrmed.

Our results are in sharp contrast to the claim by Sachs and Warner that institutions do not play a role. http://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/63059/1/354828169.pdf

42 New Brunswick News

Shale Gas Experiment – Dr. John Cherry Presentation

John Cherry, Distinguished Emeritus Professor, University of Waterloo, and Adjunct Professor, University of Guelph speaks in Fredericton N.B. on November 17, 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=NzWeQj-jbfU

NB Power reports oil spill at Mactaquac

About 700 gallons of Teresso 46 oil end up in St. John River

NB Power is reporting a spill of approximately 700 gallons of Teresso 46 lubricating oil into the St. John River after a valve malfunctioned at the Mactaquac generating station on Tuesday.

The utility said the oil is non-hazardous and biodegradable, has low eco-toxicity and is not expected to be harmful to aquatic organisms.

At the time of the spill, the St. John River flows at the station were 187,000 gallons per second.

"While the material released would have quickly dissipated, we are advising the public out of respect for those who live and work near the river," said Keith Cronkhite, vice president of generation and business development for NB Power in a statement. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/nb-power-mactaquac-oil-spill-1.3379505

The curious case of Emmanuel's well Or, how one New Brunswick trailer park king became an oil and gas joker

Lakeville, New Brunswick -- Just west of the corner of Raworth Avenue and Duchess Street, nestled behind the trailer homes of Lakeville, New Brunswick, sits an enduring homage to one of the province's early, arguably over-eager, attempts at creating a natural gas industry. It is an abandoned drilling rig, left here, unused and largely unvisited except for the attention of graffiti-prone neo-nazis and arsonists, for at least the past five years. And like all wells drilled prior to the province's 2013 enacting of the Rules for Industry on the 'Responsible Environmental Management of Oil and Natural Gas Activities in New Brunswick', here it may well stay in perpetuity; an eyesore to some, a harbinger to others, certainly a liability to anyone who might ever suggest an interest in purchasing the property towards some kind of development. http://halifax.mediacoop.ca/story/curious-case-emmanuels-well/34322

43 Maritime News

44 Canadian News

Couillard’s comments a blow to fracking

Recent comments by Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard could make wild Anticosti Island, off the shores of northern Quebec, a symbol of anti-fracking and a victory for the movement.

But they could also jeopardize a potential $100-million joint venture signed by the former Parti Quebecois government with Petrolia Inc., Corridor Resources Inc. and France’s Maurel & Prom S.A.

“The destruction of natural environment like Anticosti will not bear my signature,” Couillard told CBC in a year-end interview last week.

“I’ve said this very, very strongly, and I believe it. It’s a personal conviction that runs very, very deeply.” http://thechronicleherald.ca/business/1329100-couillard%E2%80%99s-comments-a-blow-to-fracking

45 Other News

Fracking Nightmare - Episode 75 : Queensland Tragedy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MlBcvSaH5I&feature=youtu.be

Maine: Irving's New Colony? - Irving Companies Called An Oligarchy

SAINT JOHN, New Brunswick – If you cruise down the highway that crosses this Portland-sized industrial city, you will see Irving everywhere. That big building rising up in the city center: home office for J.D. Irving's 15,000 employees.

Grab a coffee at an Irving Oil gas station on Fairville Boulevard and across the street is Kent Building Supplies, a J.D. Irving company with 42 outlets employing 2,800 people in the Maritimes. A few streets away and across the tidal rapid is a huge J.D. Irving paper mill. Head into the downtown and you'll pass the offices of Saint John's daily Telegraph-Journal, flagship of the Irving family’s 20 newspapers in the province, including three daily papers. One French-language daily and seven weekly papers in the province are owned by others.

Those two tankers in Courtenay Bay? Irving Oil. The nearby refinery with 150 oil tanks. Irving Oil. Just outside the city, on the Bay of Fundy, is Irving Oil's supertanker terminal, Canaport, which takes in 100 million barrels a year. Canaport also contains Irving’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker terminal, a joint venture with Repsol, a Spanish company.

Throughout the rest of the province there are 1.8 million acres of J.D. Irving forest with their crops of even-aged trees, as well as many of the 2.6 million acres of public or "crown" land the company harvests for its three New Brunswick paper mills and eight sawmills. http://www.seacoastonline.com/article/20150916/NEWS/150919334/

Monsanto Put on Trial for Crimes against Humanity in The Hague

The Organic Consumers Association (OCA), IFOAM International Organics, Navdanya, Regeneration International (RI), and Millions Against Monsanto, joined by dozens of global food, farming and environmental justice groups announced today that they will put Monsanto MON (NYSE), a US-based transnational corporation, on trial for crimes against nature and humanity, and ecocide, in The Hague, Netherlands, next year on World Food Day, October 16, 2016.

The announcement was made at a press conference held in conjunction with the COP21 United Nations Conference on Climate Change, November 30 – December 11, in Paris.

Longmont's fracking ban due before state supreme court

On Wednesday, the state's highest court will consider Longmont's voter-approved ban on hydraulic fracturing within city limits.

46 Longmont voters added the ban to the drilling method, also called fracking, to the City Charter in 2012, convinced that a city-negotiated set of regulations on oil and gas drilling didn't go far enough. http://www.timescall.com/longmont-local-news/ci_29207184/longmonts-fracking-ban-due-before-state- supreme-court http://sustainablepulse.com/2015/12/03/monsanto-put-on-trial-for-crimes-against-humanity-in-the- hague/#.VmQRpf2FPVJ

Seneca Lake Propane Storage Deal Implodes !

Looks like the faulty ceiling has indeed caved in. As predicted. On Wall Street. Resulting in a gigantic gas hole. Right alongside Kinder Morgan’s (nee ENRON) gigantic gashole. Imagine that.

The reason why this scheme should be rejected by the regulators is that it’s a fiscal house of cards. If there is a problem, there is no financially capable counter-party to clean up the mess – the insurance would only cover so much. Crestwood is basically DOA as a credible operating entity. Since they have mortgaged the property, the real question is which bank, bond holders group or hedge fund is going to end up with the partially collapsed salt cavern ? http://www.nofrackingway.us/2015/12/07/seneca-lake-propane-storage-cavern-implodes/

Fracking no longer viable, says government advisor

A leading academic who was an advisor to the Scottish Government on fracking no longer believes that unconventional gas development is viable, saying it has been “fatally undermined” following an energy policy U-turn by the UK Government.

The Ferret can also reveal that Professor Paul Younger – who holds the Rankine Chair of Engineering at the University of Glasgow – has resigned as a director from a company that wants to practice underground coal gasification (UCG) in Scotland. https://theferret.scot/top-government-advisor-says-fracking-no-longer-viable/

Shale driller: Will idle last rigs Low prices cited by Southwestern

Southwestern Energy Co., the main producer in the Fayetteville Shale, plans to pull its two remaining drilling rigs from the natural gas play as plunging natural gas and oil prices continue to roil the energy industry.

The Houston-based company sent an email to contractors this week saying that once a project is finished, "drilling in the Fayetteville will be ceased for the foreseeable future. http://m.arkansasonline.com/news/2015/dec/19/shale-driller-will-idle-last-rigs-20151/

47 Why a Disproportionate Number of CEOs Are Psychopaths

Journalist Jon Ronson's book The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry sheds some new light on psychopaths and the mental health industry that surrounds them. During his research, Ronson learned that the about 4 percent of CEOs are psychopaths, which is nearly four times the rate in the general population. In fact, CEOs are more likely to exhibit psychopathic traits than folks with any other job title. The question is, why?

"So who are psychopaths? Broadly speaking, they are people who use manipulation, violence and intimidation to control others and satisfy selfish needs. They can be intelligent and highly charismatic, but display a chronic inability to feel guilt, remorse or anxiety about any of their actions." http://www.payscale.com/career-news/2015/04/why-a-disproportionate-number-of-ceos-are- psychopaths

The 1% are the very best destroyers of wealth the world has ever seen

In a study published by the journal Psychology, Crime and Law, Belinda Board and Katarina Fritzon tested 39 senior managers and chief executives from leading British businesses.

They compared the results to the same tests on patients at Broadmoor special hospital, where people who have been convicted of serious crimes are incarcerated.

On certain indicators of psychopathy, the bosses's scores either matched or exceeded those of the patients. In fact, on these criteria, they beat even the subset of patients who had been diagnosed with psychopathic personality disorders. http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/nov/07/one-per-cent-wealth-destroyers http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10683160310001634304#.VE1zAsJ0xjo

Voices from the Gasfields : It started with just ONE well

This is the film the UK & Australian Governments do NOT want you to see! Documenting the accounts of families living with the hydrocarbon industry as a neighbour, this hour long documentary is shocking, as it reveals the day to day pollution these people live with – pollution of water, air, light and sound, some of the the basic human requirements needed to survive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3K0kV7UcME&feature=youtu.be

Venezuela approves historic grassroot Seed Law

Venezuela’s VP Jorge Arreaza claimed that the “Anti-GMO and Anti-Patenting Seed Law”recently approved by the National Assembly represents a victory for the people leading a Revolution.

According to Arreaza, the legislation was widely discussed by all the sectors of the society especially by field workers, farmers, researchers, innovators and also the people as producer was included in the debate.

48 Arreaza said Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro has “already signed the bill and has given a green light in Official Gazette. The President signed the Law as soon as he received it.” http://hoyvenezuela.info/venezuela-approves-historic-grassroot-seed-law/

Fukushima Today - December 29, 2015

Throughout the world, the name Fukushima has become synonymous with nuclear disaster and running for the hills. Yet, Fukushima may be one of the least understood disasters in modern times, as nobody knows how to fix neither the problem nor the true dimension of the damage. Thus, Fukushima is in uncharted territory, a total nuclear meltdown that dances to its own rhythm. Similar to an overly concerned parent, TEPCO merely monitors but makes big mistakes along the way.

Over time, bits and pieces of information about Fukushima Prefecture come to surface. For example, Arkadiusz Podniesinski, the noted documentary photographer of Chernobyl, recently visited Fukushima. His photos and commentary depict a scenario of ruination and anxiety, a sense of hopelessness for the future. http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/12/29/fukushima-today/

49 Water

Alarming research finds humans are using up far more of Earth’s water than previously thought

Freshwater is one of the planet’s most precious resources — and as the global population grows and our demand for water rises, so does the need to carefully monitor its use and availability. Numerous studies have attempted to calculate the amount of freshwater humans consume globally from year to year. But in a worrying new study in the journal Science, scientists argue that we’ve been significantly underestimating our water footprint — in fact, their research raises the estimate of our global water consumption by nearly 20 percent and suggests that we may have crossed an unsustainable threshold in our water use. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/12/03/alarming-research-says- humans-are-using-up-far-more-water-than-previously-thought/

The study Local flow regulation and irrigation raise global human water consumption and footprint http://www.sciencemag.org/content/350/6265/1248

50 Fracking and Earthquakes

'This seismic event was caused by hydraulic fracturing,' says regulator's CEO

British Columbia's energy regulator has confirmed that a 4.6 magnitude earthquake in northeast B.C. earlier this year was caused by a nearby fracking operation.

"This seismic event was caused by hydraulic fracturing," said Ken Paulson, CEO of the B.C. Oil and Gas Commission. Paulson said fewer than one per cent of fracking operations trigger seismic activity, and those quakes tend to be low magnitude and cause little damage. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/earthquake-northeastern-b-c-progress-energy- fracking-1.3367081

Canadian regulator: 4.6 magnitude quake caused by fracking

British Columbia's energy regulator has confirmed that a 4.6 magnitude earthquake in northeast British Columbia in August was caused by fracking and is likely to be the largest fracking-induced seismic event ever recorded. http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/environment/canadian-regulator-confirms-4-6-quake-caused-by- fracking/article/452682

51 Oil and Pipelines

New pipeline law could include 'transition' rules for Energy East

The new Liberal government in Ottawa is clarifying its stance on the federal review of the Energy East pipeline, saying it will come up with a "transition strategy" while it rewrites national rules. That clarification comes after federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna suggested the government would let the Alberta-to-Saint John pipeline go through the existing regulatory process that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau criticized just four months ago.

But Caitlin Workman, McKenna's press secretary, said in an email from Paris that the Liberal overhaul to environmental regulations "would include a transition strategy for projects currently under review to provide some certainty to industry through this change process."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/pipeline-energy -east-regulations-1.3344323

More than $3.4 Trillion in Assets Vow to Divest from Fossil Fuels

More than 500 institutions representing about $3.4 trillion in assets have agreed to sell their investments in fossil fuel companies, divestment leaders announced on Wednesday, a nearly 24 percent increase since the movement last announced its commitment list in September.

European insurer Allianz, the city of Oslo, Norway, and the London School of Economics are among the latest institutions, communities and individuals to pledge to divest at least partially from coal, oil and natural gas companies, members of the green group 350.org and nonprofit Divest-Invest said at a press conference in Paris. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/02122015/divestment-campaign-grows-more-34-trillion-assets-vow- exit-fossil-fuels

European report says Canadian tar sands are a critical hurdle for climate action

OTTAWA – Banning European imports of Canadian tar sands bitumen and freezing tar sands expansion are two key recommendations from a new report, Tar Sands: Europe’s complicity in Canada’s climate crimes, released today by Friends of the Earth Europe in partnership with the Council of Canadians.

But even as the international climate talks are underway in Paris, the new Canadian government still backs growth in the tar sands. Moreover, successful Canadian lobbying against the European Fuel Quality Directive has allowed tar sands bitumen exports to Europe to continue, with almost three- quarters of Europe's oil refineries tar-sands ready (refinery map). “The Canadian government must recognize that there’s no such thing as ‘sustainable’ development of the tar sands,” says Andrea Harden of the Council of Canadians. http://canadians.org/media/european-report-says-canadian-tar-sands-are-critical-hurdle-climate-action

The Report - Tar Sands: Europe’s Complicity In Canada’s Climate Crimes http://canadians.org/sites/default/files/publications/report-tar-sands-1115.pdf

52 A secret deal between oilsands companies and environmentalists has divided the oilpatch

A hard cap on oilsands emissions that became part of Alberta Premier Rachel Notley’s climate change plan was the product of secret negotiations between four top oilsands companies and four environmental organizations, the Financial Post has learned.

The companies agreed to the cap in exchange for the environmental groups backing down on opposition to oil export pipelines, but the deal left other players on the sidelines, and that has created a deep division in Canada’s oil and gas sector.

But leaders of competing companies, including Imperial Oil Ltd. chairman and CEO Rich Kruger, and MEG Energy Corp. president and CEO Bill McCaffrey, were not consulted and are reportedly outraged by the secret deal.

The arrangement’s details and backers, other than the Pembina Institute, remain unknown, said senior industry sources.

They also worry the deal is unenforceable and that it is premature to support a policy whose details and financial implications remain unknown. http://calgaryherald.com/storyline/a-secret-deal-between-oilsands-companies-and-environmentalists- has-divided-the-oilpatch

Grounded Russian oil tanker leaks into North Pacific

A Russian tanker carrying 200,000 gallons of oil ran aground off an island in the North Pacific over the weekend. As it continues to leak, it resurrects a debate on how safety can be improved in a region where a major wildlife corridor overlaps with a busy shipping through-point.

The tanker struck a reef off the island of Sakhalin during a storm, according to The Siberian Times. Pictures of an oiled shoreline quickly surfaced online, leading many to worry about the far-reaching effects of the spill.

Melanie Smith with Audubon Alaska says along with contaminating the local wildlife, some Alaska species may be affected as well. http://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/12/02/grounded-russian-oil-tanker-leaks-into-bering-strait/

30 missing as Azeri oil rig fire in Caspian Sea prompts evacuation (VIDEO)

"The fire in the gas pipeline has not been completely extinguished and it has not been ruled out that it could spread to oil and gas wells near the platform," it stated.

The rescue operation was hampered by stormy weather with waves rising up to 11 meters high, Trend news website reported. https://www.rt.com/news/324844-azeri-oil-platform-fire/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyFX30ZKjMA&feature=player_embedded

53 Bill McKibben: Exxon’s power is ‘weakening daily’ Embedded video

Probe of oil major’s alleged climate denial show fossil fuel industry has ‘done nothing but deny and deceive for a generation’, says 350 founder.

In an interview on the sidelines of COP21 in Paris, the 350 campaign group founder said the best defence offered by the world’s leading oil explorer was that it wasn’t criminal, just “morally reprehensible.”

New York’s top lawyer is investigating the American oil major to find out what it knew and when.

“I don’t know whether we will get people behind bars,” McKibben told Climate Home.

“Rich people write laws and there’s nobody richer than Exxon, but I think the result is already clear… the best defence anyone has offered is maybe that isn’t actually criminal, only morally reprehensible. This is weakening their power daily.”

It came as over 500 institutions including large insurers, funds and banks managing US$3.4 trillion of assets had now pledged to move out of fossil fuels, Divest-Invest revealed on Wednesday. http://www.climatechangenews.com/2015/12/03/bill-mckibben-exxons-power-is-weakening-daily/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZD72oOyWMkk

Extremists could use peaceful pipeline protests in Canada as cover, intel report claims

OTTAWA — Intelligence officials are concerned that extremists might infiltrate peaceful anti-petroleum protests to “incite violence,” a newly disclosed assessment indicates.

The federal analysis of threats to the passenger rail system introduces a new twist to the often tense debate over state scrutiny of environmental demonstrators that otherwise harmless activists might unwittingly harbour dangerous terrorists.

The assertion — contained in a Transport Canada intelligence report — led one defender of civil liberties to ask whether there is evidence to support it. http://www.vancouversun.com/life/extremists+could+peaceful+pipeline+protests+canada+cover/115698 37/story.html

RCMP - Criminal Threats to Canadian Petroleum Industry

Leaked RCMP report on "violent anti-petroleum extremists." https://www.scribd.com/doc/256291226/RCMP-Criminal-Threats-to-Canadian-Petroleum-Industry

Poison Fire - Documentary from the Niger Delta. See poisonfire.org https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq2TBOHWFRc

54 Crude hits new low as OPEC decides 'everyone does whatever they want’

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) tumbled almost two percent to $39.49 per barrel at 10:51am GMT. Brent crude slid 0.5 percent, trading at $42.78 a barrel.

Oil traders started selling off after OPEC failed to lower the production quota and continue pumping at current levels of 31.5 million barrels per day (bpd). https://www.rt.com/business/324953-oil-drop-opec-reaction/

Marine Le Pen’s National Front leads in first round of French regional elections – exit poll https://www.rt.com/news/324926-national-front-lead-france/

Oil prices tank as OPEC decides not to cut production http://www.thestar.com/business/2014/11/27/opec_keeps_oil_output_at_current_level_despite_low_pri ces.html

Environmental Health In Red Head: The Energy East Project

This review of TransCanada’s Human Health Risk Assessment, as filed in the company’s National Energy Board application and relevant to the proposed Red Head, Saint John tank farm and marine terminal, reveals there are a number of outstanding points about this project. These include: benzene emissions may be understated, the worst-case scenarios were not accounted for, and there is minimal discussion of the impact of odours from the proposed infrastructure. http://canadians.org/sites/default/files/publications/report-energyeast-gatepost-1215.pdf

Lynaya Astephen interviewd by ATV, CBC, Global - Dec 7, 2015

Lynaya Astephen was interviewed by ATV News (0:00), CBC News (2:03) and Global News (4:46) on December 7, 2015 concerning the tank farm associated with the Energy East pipeline terminal in Red Head, New Brunswick. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfhbJPLX-2I&app=desktop

We are Sacrifice Zones: Native Leader Says Toxic North Dakota Fracking Fuels Violence Against Women

"What we’re dealing with is a death by a thousand cuts," says North Dakota indigenous leader Kandi Mossett of the impact of the booming fracking and oil-drilling industry in her home state. "We’ve had violence against women increase by 168 percent, particularly in the area of rape," Mossett says. "We have 14-, 15- and 16-year-old girls that are willingly going into man camps [for oil workers] and selling themselves." She says the full impact of toxins from oil drilling won’t be felt for another 20 years. http://www.democracynow.org/2015/12/11/we_are_sacrifice_zones_native_leader

55 Increased concern over Energy East pipeline

Residents living near a proposed tank farm in east Saint John are raising concerns over the Energy East pipeline. http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=765055

TransCanada failed to operate Keystone safely, U.S. regulator alleges

Calgary-based energy company TransCanada Corp is facing up to $187,200 US in penalties for allegedly failing to operate its Keystone pipeline safely after the new line went into service in 2010, an American regulator said in a new letter posted on its website.

The notice from the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) identified up to 62 probable deficiencies on Keystone, as well as “multiple anomalies” found near the city of St. Louis, Missouri.

TransCanada spokesman Mark Cooper said the company was reviewing the allegations to determine its response. But he explained that it had discovered and reported the issues to the regulator and that it had made the required repairs following extensive testing, preventing any oil from spilling. http://www.nationalobserver.com/2015/12/11/news/transcanada-failed-operate-keystone-safely-us- regulator-alleges

Déversement dans la rivière Madawaska

Des produits pétroliers se sont déversés par accident cet avant-midi dans la rivière Madawaska à Edmundston.

Une défaillance dans un système de séparation de l’eau et de l’huile dans les installations de la compagnie Twin Rivers serait en cause. Selon le ministère de l’environnement du Nouveau-Brunswick le réservoir servant à recueillir l’huile était plein au moment de l’incident. Les surplus qui se seraient alors écoulés dans la rivière. http://cimt.teleinterrives.com/nouvelle-alaune_Deversement_dans_la_riviere_Madawaska-23817

To see in English open following link

Edmundston Madawaska River Spill

Oil products were spilled by accident this morning on the Madawaska River in Edmundston.

A failure in a water separation system and the oil in the facilities of the Twin Rivers company would be involved. According to the Ministry of the Environment of New Brunswick tank used to collect oil was full at the time of the incident. The surpluses which would then be passed into the river. https://translate.google.ca/translate?sl=fr&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F %2Fcimt.teleinterrives.com%2Fnouvelle-alaune_Deversement_dans_la_riviere_Madawaska- 23817&edit-text=

56 ‘Transition phase’ for pipeline review overhaul coming early in 2016: Carr

First steps in an overhaul of Canada’s environmental assessment process is “weeks, not months” away, the minister responsible, Jim Carr, told iPolitics.

While Carr has been sparse on details, the natural resources minister suggested, in an interview, a start date for a so-called “transition phase.”

“I don’t think it will be well into the New Year,” he said. “So, I would anticipate that within a number of weeks, not months, there will be more to say.”

The planned overhaul figured as part of the Liberals’ election campaign, when the party promised to “immediately review” the assessment process and “modernize” the National Energy Board. They appeared again in the prime minister’s mandate letter for Carr, which was released last month. https://ipolitics.ca/2015/12/13/transition-phase-for-pipeline-review-overhaul-coming-early-in-2016-carr/

National Academy of Science report points to dangers of bitumen spills

The National Academy of Sciences has released a major study on diluted bitumen (dilbit). The study, titled Spills of Diluted Bitumen from Pipelines: A Comparative Study of Environmental Fate, Effects, and Response, says dilbit presents unique risks compared to conventional oil.

Dilbit, simply refers to tar-like bitumen that has been diluted with one or more lighter petroleum products so that it can flow through a pipeline, such as the TransCanada Energy East and Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipelines. In short, the study confirms that diluted bitumen sinks in water if not cleaned up immediately.

57 Inside Climate News reports, "[The study] offers the most comprehensive analysis to date of dilbit spill properties, environmental and health impacts and effectiveness of response methods. ...The 144-page report's main message is that the thick type of oil called diluted bitumen ... initially behaves like conventional oil in the first few days following a spill but then quickly degrades, or weathers, into a substance so chemically and physically different that it defies standard spill responses." http://canadians.org/blog/national-academy-science-report-points-dangers-bitumen-spills

Unique Hazards of Tar Sands Oil Spills Confirmed by National Academies of Sciences

Oil companies need to inform regulators which type of oil they are transporting in pipelines and tailor response plans accordingly, the report recommends.

Signs relating to the 2010 Kalamazoo River oil spill are seen here at Morrow Pond in Galesburg, Michigan on July 15, 2015. Morrow Pond was the oil spill cleanup spot furthest downstream. The spill involved diluted bitumen from Canada's tar sands region, which unlike conventional sinks when it spills in water, and took years and more than $1 billion to clean up. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/09122015/unique-hazards-tar-sands-oil-spills-dilbit-diluted-bitumen- confirmed-national-academies-of-science-kalamazoo-river-enbridge

The study http://www.nap.edu/catalog/21834/spills-of-diluted-bitumen-from-pipelines-a-comparative-study-of http://www.nap.edu/catalog/21834/spills-of-diluted-bitumen-from-pipelines-a-comparative-study-of http://www.nap.edu/read/21834/chapter/1

Large Rail Fire In Portland Highlights The Danger Of Fossil Fuel Infrastructure

Portland, OR (Dec. 13, 2015)—A crash involving a tanker train reportedly carrying asphalt caused an explosion and fire on the banks of the Willamette River this morning.

“After dozens of oil train explosions, and now this frightening fire in Portland, it is reckless to permit more oil trains,” said Brett VandenHeuvel, Executive Director of Columbia Riverkeeper. “Had the tanker train contained explosive Bakken crude, the explosion could have been devastating to Portland.”

In addition, the large rail fire and explosion occurred approximately 400 feet from NW Natural’s Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) storage tank. http://columbiariverkeeper.org/blog/firefighters-battling-large-fire-near-highway-30-in-industrial-nw- portland/

Letter: Keep the waters clear of pipeline

To export fracked gas from Pennsylvania to Canada and beyond, the Constitution Pipeline would blast and bulldoze through nearly 300 New York waterways, including scores of state-protected trout streams

58 in the Catskill foothills. Clear-cut stream banks exposed to full sun would reduce shade and shelter for fish. Flooding, stream scour and stream migration would increase turbidity and silt, suffocating trout eggs and the insects that fish eat.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission says that the friction of gas moving through the pipeline would generate enough heat to keep the ground around it from freezing. As a licensed fishing guide, I can tell you that loss of habitat, loss of spawning grounds and warmer water from sun and pipeline will all negatively impact our native brook trout, which require cold, clean water to thrive. http://www.timesunion.com/tuplus-opinion/article/Letter-Keep-the-waters-clear-of-pipeline-6697920.php

Obama Administration Rushed Research on the Enviromental Impact of Arctic Oil Drilling

Regulatory capture by corporate interests has long been a problem in U.S. environmental policymaking, and scientists at the Department of Interior who were tasked to evaluate Arctic drilling have now quit because of political pressure.

Last week, the Inspector General of the Department of the Interior released a report that uncovered serious problems at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). BOEM is the division of the Department of Interior responsible for regulating oil companies who bid for offshore oil drilling opportunities in the United States.

According to the Inspector’s recent investigation, the regulatory agency has been bending over backwards for years to help Shell embark on its quest to find Arctic oil, a project the oil giant recently abandoned after investing five years and more than $7 billion dollars trying to drill for hydrocarbon fuels in the icy and unpredictable waters of the Arctic Ocean. Shell’s Arctic oil plan was one of the costliest oil drilling projects in the history of fossil fuel extraction.

Information is now surfacing that reveals how top Department of Interior officials rushed environmental impact research and forced scientists to work long hours to avoid being blamed for delaying Shell’s drilling and investment timeline. http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/rushed-research-on-the-enviromental-impact-of-arctic-oil-drilling/? utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=151216fbpost&utm_campaign=arctic

Report: Atlantic Drilling Would Offer $0 To States, Not $19 Billion

But a new report from the Center for a Blue Economy suggests that the southern Atlantic states — Virgina, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia — would see little to no benefit from offshore drilling, while putting a critical piece of their economies and lifestyles at risk.

The report, commissioned by the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), looked at a 2013 industry report commonly used to justify offshore drilling and found that it is based on outdated assumptions — including a price of oil roughly triple what it currently is. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/12/15/3732084/offshore-drilling-bad-deal-for-atlantic-states/

59 TransCanada files $15.7-billion plan for Energy East pipeline

Nearly 700 route changes respond to concerns for environmentally sensitive areas

CALGARY — TransCanada Corp. (TSX:TRP) has filed an amended application for the Energy East pipeline project that raises the projected cost by nearly $4 billion.

The Calgary-based company says the filing with the National Energy Board makes nearly 700 changes to the route in response to concerns about environmentally sensitive areas.

TransCanada already signalled last month that it was prepared to make changes to the Energy East proposal when it announced there would be no export terminal built in Quebec due to opposition over the environmental risks. http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/transcanada-files-15-7-billion-plan-for-energy-east-pipeline/

TransCanada’s Revised Energy East Application More Than Doubles Number of Oil Tankers in Bay of Fundy and along U.S. East Coast

Over 75% of Energy East Pipeline Capacity Would be Exported out of Saint John

Dec. 17, Saint John — TransCanada’s revised Energy East pipeline application filed today would more than double the number of oil tankers carrying tar sands oil through the Bay of Fundy and down the coast of the United States from 115 to more than 280 per year. Meanwhile, more than 75 per cent of the total pipeline capacity – or more than 800,000 barrels per day – would be exported out of one marine terminal, in Saint John.

“TransCanada’s new application puts much of the burden of what would be North America’s longest oil pipeline on New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Maine,” said Matthew Abbott of the Conservation Council of New Brunswick. “The Energy East pipeline threatens the Bay of Fundy, an important and iconic natural area and source of jobs for coastal residents in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Maine.” http://www.conservationcouncil.ca/transcanadas-revised-energy-east-application-more-than-doubles- number-of-oil-tankers-in-bay-of-fundy-and-along-u-s-east-coast/

Energy East won’t get built

Massive oil pipeline incompatible with federal government’s climate pledge, hundreds of thousands of people already opposed to Energy East pipeline

December 17, Ottawa – The Energy East pipeline cannot be built now that Prime Minister Trudeau has agreed to a climate plan that limits warming to 1.5° Celsius, say numerous environmental groups in response to TransCanada’s updated Energy East application announced today. Estimates show the upstream production emissions of the pipeline, in Alberta alone, would be as high as 32 million metric tons of CO2E a year, or 7 million new vehicles, while total lifecycle emissions are estimated at a staggering 220 million metric tons per year – more than what’s allowable under the new climate pledge. http://canadians.org/media/energy-east-wont-get-built

60 Canada Now Selling World's Cheapest Oil, Report Says, As Forecasts Call For $20 Barrel

With the world running a real risk of running out of places to store oil, a growing number of analysts are saying there is a good chance prices could fall to around US$20 a barrel.

But it appears some Western Canadian exporters are already selling at those prices.

The official price of oilsands product — known as Western Canada Select — closed at US$21.72 on Wednesday, near eight-year lows.

The Syncrude Canada Ltd. oil sands upgrading plant stands in this aerial photograph taken north of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, on Thursday, June 4, 2015. (Getty Images) http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/12/17/canada-worlds-cheapest-oil_n_8829028.html

Energy East plan to double Bay of Fundy tanker traffic

TransCanada's amended application to the National Energy Board says the number of tankers in the Bay of Fundy would increase from 115 to 281 a year. (The Canadian Press)

New plans for the Energy East pipeline would more than double tanker traffic in the Bay of Fundy and increase the amount of oil stored at the Saint John terminal by more than 5 million barrels, according to TransCanada's amended application to the National Energy Board.

The updated application says:

61 • The number of tankers in the Bay of Fundy would increase to 281 from 115 • The total storage capacity at the Saint John terminal would jump to 13.2 million barrels, from the initial 7.65 million barrels. • There would be an extra four oil storage tanks at the terminal. • The 22 oil storage tanks in total would be much larger, measuring 21 metres in height.

The proposed pipeline would carry Alberta crude to an Irving Oil refinery in Saint John.

TransCanada's updated application says 700 route changes will increase the total cost to $15.7 billion. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/energy-east-saint-john-terminal-amendments- 1.3371051

Énergie Est : Saint-Onésime d'Ixworth ne veut pas d'un camp de travailleurs Energy East: St. Onesimus Ixworth does not want a camp workers

La municipalité de Saint-Onésime d'Ixworth au Kamouraska réagit négativement à l´idée que TransCanada établisse un imposant camp de travailleurs sur son territoire pour réaliser son projet de pipeline.

Un texte de Guillaume BouillonTwitterCourriel et Denis LeducTwitterCourriel

Selon la nouvelle version du projet que TransCanada a déposé devant l'Office national de l'Énergie, la municipalité pourrait accueillir un camp pouvant loger jusqu'à 1500 personnes.

À lire aussi : Énergie Est : TransCanada prévoit un important camp de travailleurs dans le Kamouraska

Le maire suppléant, Marcel Lemieux, dit avoir appris la nouvelle par les médias. Il accueille très froidement l'idée de la pétrolière albertaine. M. Lemieux estime que ce projet va semer la zizanie dans la communauté.

« On n'avait eu aucune information, personne ne nous avait parlé de cela. Et là, ils arrivent avec ce projet là. Si une compagnie se permet de déclarer, à tout moment, sans être invitée: '"Aie, on s'en vient chez vous, 1500." Je ne sais pas. L'autonomie elle est où ? L'autonomie de nos municipalités ?

Partial Translation

The municipality of Saint-Onésime Ixworth at Kamouraska reacts negatively to the idea that imposing TransCanada establish a workers camp in its territory to carry out its pipeline.

A text Guillaume Bouillon Twitter Email and Denis Leduc Twitter Email

Under the new version of the project that TransCanada filed before the National Energy Board, the municipality could host a camp for up to 1500 people.

Read also: Is Energy: TransCanada expects an important camp of workers in the Kamouraska

Deputy Mayor, Marcel Lemieux said he learned the news through the media. He coldly welcomes the idea of Alberta's oil. Mr. Lemieux believes that this project will sow discord in the community.

62 "We had no information, no one had told us about this. And here they come with this project there. If a company is used to declare at any time, without being asked: "Hey, it's coming home, 1500." I do not know. Autonomy is where? The autonomy of our municipalities? " http://ici.radio-canada.ca/regions/est-quebec/2015/12/18/019-camp-travailleurs-energie-est- transcanada-kamouraska.shtml https://translate.google.ca/translate?sl=fr&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F %2Fici.radio-canada.ca%2Fregions%2Fest-quebec%2F2015%2F12%2F18%2F019-camp-travailleurs- energie-est-transcanada-kamouraska.shtml&edit-text=

Reversing Enbridge & Big Oil’s Pipeline Plans

Big Oil is furious at a small community in Maine that has dared to throw a legal monkey wrench into their pipeline plans.

At issue is the Portland-Montreal Pipe Line (PMPL) that extends from Portland, Maine to Montreal, Quebec. The PMPL is comprised of the Portland Pipe Line Corporation, and its parent company Montreal Pipe Line Ltd., whose biggest shareholders are tar sands producers Suncor Energy, Royal Dutch Shell PLC, and Imperial Oil Ltd. (Canadian subsidiary of ExxonMobil).

Realizing that the PMPL, if reversed, could be used to pipe tar sands oil from Montreal to the deep- water harbour in Maine for export, the good folks of South Portland began mobilizing a few years ago to make that reversal impossible. In July 2014, City Council voted in favour of a Clear Skies Ordinance (Ordinance #1-14/15) which effectively bans the loading of piped crude oil onto tankers in South Portland’s deep-water harbour.

On Feb. 6, 2015 The Portland Pipe Line Corporation (the U.S. segment of PMPL) and The American Waterways Operators filed a lawsuit against the City of South Portland, seeking to overturn the Ordinance. http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/12/18/reversing-enbridge-big-oils-pipeline-plans/

Open letter to the Right Honourable Prime Minister Trudeau

First Nations and Canada have a lot of work to do regarding measures needed to finally put us all on the path of reconciliation and partnership. We focus here on one such measure – the overhaul of the review and assessment process for Tar Sands export pipelines.

The current system, a product of the unconstitutional Omnibus Bills C-38 and C-45 which First Nations vigorously opposed, has: recklessly compressed pipeline reviews; sidelined critics; excluded essential considerations such as climate change; and violated Indigenous rights and sovereignty. Meanwhile, the National Energy Board (NEB) is no longer an independent arbiter in such reviews. It has become a politicized and industry-captured 'rubber stamper' that pays only lip service to the respect for the positions and rights of First Nations. http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/open-letter-to-the-right-honourable-prime-minister-trudeau- 562800671.html

63 Central Valley Board Continues to Mix Oil and Water

Oil field pumpjacks in Kern County, Calif. The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board has opted not to stop a corporation from tainting groundwater with fracking waste until 2018.

“We don’t drink the water here. Here’s some bottled water.” That’s what I learned after asking for a glass of water while visiting California’s Central Valley for the first time. Over the years, I have come to understand valley residents’ deep distrust of government agencies that continually fail to protect water quality in their area.

On July 30, the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board once again failed the public and further eroded its credibility. Instead of requiring the Valley Water Management Company to stop spraying oil drilling wastewater by August 2015 and to clean up its unlawful wastewater pits by December 2016, the board decided to allow Valley Water to continue its harmful practices until 2018. http://earthjustice.org/blog/2015-december/central-valley-board-continues-to-mix-oil-and-water#

64 The Antigonish Community Science Centre: A community developed initiative destroyed to promote oil, fraudulent consultations.

We should always be mindful that the fabric of conventional politics in this country is intended to divide people and communities, and distract us from many great possibilities for the advancement of society.

Imagine if the government started putting the money towards educating communities with truth and conscience, then a whole world of things could become possible. Instead they turned the science centre into this....

https://www.facebook.com/notes/adam-dub/the-antigonish-community-science-centre-a-community- developed-initiative-destroy/10153626961718431

65 TransCanada shares slip as projected pipeline costs increase

CALGARY, Alberta Dec 17 TransCanada Corp increased the estimated cost of its Energy East crude oil pipeline by 30 percent to C$15.7 billion on Thursday as it filed an amendment to its application with Canadian regulators. http://canonplace.com/2015/12/transcanada-shares-slip-as-projected-pipeline-costs-increase/

NB Power reports oil spill at Mactaquac

About 700 gallons of Teresso 46 oil end up in St. John River

NB Power is reporting a spill of approximately 700 gallons of Teresso 46 lubricating oil into the St. John River after a valve malfunctioned at the Mactaquac generating station on Tuesday.

The utility said the oil is non-hazardous and biodegradable, has low eco-toxicity and is not expected to be harmful to aquatic organisms.

At the time of the spill, the St. John River flows at the station were 187,000 gallons per second.

"While the material released would have quickly dissipated, we are advising the public out of respect for those who live and work near the river," said Keith Cronkhite, vice president of generation and business development for NB Power in a statement. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/nb-power-mactaquac-oil-spill-1.3379505

National Energy Board refuses to accept study on diluted bitumen

One of the most important reports submitted to the National Energy Board’s review of Kinder Morgan’s proposed Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion has been denied, according to a biologist with one of the hearing’s intervenors.

The Raincoast Conservation Foundation and the Living Oceans Society, both intervenors in the hearing, submitted a motion to the NEB on December 9 asking the board to accept a new study on diluted bitumen (also called dilbit), although the deadline for evidence had passed six months previous. The study, Spills of Diluted Bitumen From Pipelines, was released by the Washington, D.C.–based National Academy of Sciences (NAS) on December 8.

The City of Vancouver signed in support of the request, as did the Upper Nicola Band, the Tsawout First Nation, and two other nonprofits. On December 17, the NEB ruled against the request. http://www.straight.com/news/602366/national-energy-board-refuses-accept-study-diluted-bitumen

Leaked Documents Reveal Shady Tactics Behind PR Push For Even Bigger Canadian Pipeline

With the debate still raging over Keystone XL, the company behind the pipeline is already hard at work promoting a PR strategy for its larger and entirely Canadian pipeline, Energy East. New documents made public this week show that Transcanada is working with the world’s largest independently owned

66 PR firm, Edelman, to help garner support for the literally trans-Canada pipeline that would bring heavy crude from the western tar sands to the eastern ports for export. With clients like the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the Koch-funded American Legislative Executive Council (ALEC), Edelman recently made unwanted news for refusing to commit to turning away clients that support climate-denying agendas.

The leaked documents first obtained by Greenpeace as prepared by Edelman for TransCanada in May and August reveal in great detail how Edelman recommends the Canadian company target opposition by building a grassroots network of some 35,000, including a large chunk of the company’s own employees. Edelman recommends putting pressure on opponents by “distracting them from their mission and causing them to redirect their resources.” It advises working with “supportive third parties who can in turn put the pressure on, particularly when TransCanada can’t” to achieve these aims. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/11/18/3593539/leaked-keystone-xl-company-pr-efforts-energy- east/

Oil and Gas Bankruptcy Climbs to More than $16 Billion in 2015

Low oil prices push 41 energy companies into bankruptcy

Saying that 2015 has been a difficult year for the oil and gas sector would be an understatement.

U.S. crude oil benchmark WTI averaged $91.23 per barrel in 2014, while in 2015 it has, to date, averaged $49.12. That’s a 46% decline, and it shows no signs of recovering soon. WTI today stands at $36.08, 34% lower than the year-ago price of $55.26. Future crude oil prices for December 2024 currently sit at just $54.96. http://www.oilandgas360.com/oil-and-gas-bankruptcies-climb-to-more-than-16-billion-in-2015/

Canada to Ban Tankers from Northern B.C. Coast

In a letter released on Friday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau instructed Transport Minister Marc Garneau to work with numerous other ministries to "formalize" the ban on oil tanker traffic, a Liberal campaign promise ahead of the federal elections last month.

Listed as one of seven "top priorities" for the Transport Ministry, more details on timing are expected after Parliament opens on December 3.

The main casualty of the ban will be Enbridge Inc's Northern Gateway pipeline, which would carry oil sands crude from near Edmonton, Alberta, to a deepwater port at Kitimat, British Columbia for export to Asian markets.

Efforts to move oil by rail to northern British Columbia ports would also no longer be viable, but the moratorium would not impact the proposed tripling of capacity on Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline, as that project is in the south. http://maritime-executive.com/article/canada-to-ban-tankers-from-northern-bc-coast

67 Oil Investors Suffer Record Second Year of Misery

WTI crude-oil futures nearing a 63% two-year price decline

S&P energy index heads to first back-to-back dip since 2002

Another horrendous year is drawing to a close in the oil patch. After starting out with hopes of a rebound, 2015 will instead punctuate the worst two years ever suffered by U.S. crude producers.

West Texas Intermediate futures are heading for their biggest-ever two-year drop, while the Standard & Poor’s Energy Sector Index is set to mark its first consecutive decline since 2002. Futures and equities will post December decreases, signaling more discomfort as 2016 starts. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-29/oil-investors-see-red-a-second-year-as-futures- and-equities-sink

BP orders complete evacuation of Valhall field in North Sea

BP (BP.L) said it ordered a total evacuation of its Valhall platform in the North Sea on Thursday after a barge broke its anchor and was drifting towards the installation following a storm.

"The barge has changed direction and BP has decided to shut production (at Valhall) and there will be a total demanning of the platform. There are 71 people left on the platform and they are being evacuated as we speak," a BP spokesman told Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-bp-northsea-idUSKBN0UE0G020151231

Danger in Dilbit

A new study of the hazards of tar sands bitumen to the environment rakes the filthy hydrocarbon over the coals. Released in prepublication form earlier this month, the study wasn’t conducted by just any organization. It was the National Academy of Sciences, the most prestigious scientific body in the United States.

In Spills of Diluted Bitumen from Pipelines: A Comparative Study of Environmental Fate, Effects, and Response, the academy makes it clear that tar sands spills have a disastrous effect on the environment, particularly bodies of water, and that there is no protocol in place to prevent worst-case scenarios. The academy also underlines the point that diluted bitumen spills cannot be treated like other oil spills.

Diluted bitumen, dilbit, is made from combining tar sands (tar mixed with sand and rock) and light gases to liquefy the bitumen enough to travel through pipelines or by rail cars to refineries. If sent through pipelines, the material moves under extremely high pressure to keep it from congealing into essentially thick tar.

The study’s committee was charged with investigating whether diluted bitumen spills were “sufficiently different from commonly transported crude oils to warrant changes in regulations governing spill response planning, preparedness, and cleanup.”

68 The findings were surprisingly clear. First responders to a diluted bitumen spill have a very short window of time in which to contain the spill before the gas used to dilute the tar sands separates, leaving basically tar, which sinks in bodies of water and then adheres to the bottoms of rivers and aquifers, making it nearly impossible to clean up.

“This situation,” the academy writes, “is highly problematic for spill response because 1.) there are few effective techniques for detection, containment, and recovery of oil that is submerged in the water column and 2.) available techniques for responding to oil that has sunken to the bottom have variable effectiveness depending on the spill conditions.” http://www.fwweekly.com/2015/12/30/danger-in-dilbit/

The report Spills of Diluted Bitumen From Pipelines: A Comparative Study of Environmental Fate, Effects, and Response http://download.nap.edu/cart/download.cgi?&record_id=21834

69 National Energy Board Filings

National Energy Board Energy East filing, B - Energy East Pipeline Ltd.

List of Documents https://docs.neb-one.gc.ca/ll-eng/llisapi.dll?func=ll&objId=2543426&objAction=browse&viewType=1

Click on a line to expand the entry where items greater that 1 or to open a document where thaere is only one item.

Volume 7: Construction and Operations 2.0 CONSTRUCTION – GENERAL INFORMATION Pages 2-7 Chart showing Activities, Start and End dates Page 2-8 Table 2-1: Anticipated Workforce at Construction Peak - See New Brunswick https://docs.neb-one.gc.ca/ll- eng/llisapi.dll/fetch/2000/90464/90552/2432218/2540913/2543426/2541142/A63946- 3_Vol_7_Construction_and_Operations-Construction%2C_General_and_Component-Specific_- _A4D9E7.pdf?nodeid=2540593&vernum=-2

The workforce and schedule are the same as in the document Pipeline Application and Water Details.pdf stored in the files on NBINFS at https://www.facebook.com/download/1599296510356650/Pipeline%20Application%20and%20Water %20Details.pdf

70 Pseudo Profound Bullshit

Study shows link between stupidity & bullsh*t

Scientific evidence has emerged that questioning more is a sign of intelligence.

Researchers at Canada’s University of Waterloo presented their new research paper "On the reception and detection of pseudo-profound bullsh*t", which revealed that people who find statements like "rejuvenation is a constant, joy requires exploration" to be profound are less intelligent. https://www.rt.com/news/324632-research-stupidity-bullshit-link/

On the reception and detection of pseudo-profound bullshit

Abstract

Although bullshit is common in everyday life and has attracted attention from philosophers, its reception (critical or ingenuous) has not, to our knowledge, been subject to empirical investigation.

Here we focus on pseudo-profound bullshit, which consists of seemingly impressive assertions that are presented as true and meaningful but are actually vacuous.

We presented participants with bullshit statements consisting of buzzwords randomly organized into statements with syntactic structure but no discernible meaning (e.g., “Wholeness quiets infinite phenomena”).

Across multiple studies, the propensity to judge bullshit statements as profound was associated with a variety of conceptually relevant variables (e.g., intuitive cognitive style, supernatural belief).

Parallel associations were less evident among profundity judgments for more conventionally profound (e.g., “A wet person does not fear the rain”) or mundane (e.g., “Newborn babies require constant attention”) statements.

These results support the idea that some people are more receptive to this type of bullshit and that detecting it is not merely a matter of indiscriminate skepticism but rather a discernment of deceptive vagueness in otherwise impressive sounding claims.

Our results also suggest that a bias toward accepting statements as true may be an important component of pseudo-profound bullshit receptivity. http://journal.sjdm.org/15/15923a/jdm15923a.pdf

71 Mining

Mine vibrations at Drakelands Mine are "living hell"

Dolly Knight said she has lived happily in her "idyllic" home in Plympton, Devon, for 44 years but now cannot sleep due to a "constant bombardment" of vibrations.

Wolf Minerals, based about 2km away at a major global tungsten mine, said it is aware of "noise- related concerns".

The company said it is "pursuing the matter urgently". http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-devon-34707712

Sisson Mine project given EIA approval, Brian Kenny says

Northcliff Resources's open pit mine project, near Fredericton, is approved, subject to 40 conditions

The Department of Environment and Local Government has approved the environmental impact assessment for the Sisson Mine project, subject to 40 conditions, Environment Minister Brian Kenny said on Thursday.

"Our approval of this project follows a robust review and consultation. The assessment has been thorough, open and represents proactive and preventative planning," Kenny said in a statement.

The provincial government said the company must follow 40 conditions laid out in its approval.

"Our government made a commitment to ensuring clean air and water and a safe environment. We feel confident the project can uphold these commitments while generating much-needed employment," he said. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/sisosn-mine-eia-approval-1.3348552

Northcliff Resources short on money to build Sisson mine

Mining company hasn't lined up funding to build the project, it's seeking debt financing and new partner

Northcliff Resources does not have any of the $579-million required to build the Sisson mine and it is also missing the additional funding necessary to proceed with the project, according to the company's president.

"Not too many companies have $600-million sitting in the treasury," said Chris Zahovskis, president and chief executive officer of Northcliff Resources.

The lack of funding has created a sense of uncertainty about the future of the open-pit tungsten and molybdenum mine, which would be located north of Fredericton. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/northcliff-resources-short-on-money-to-build-sisson- mine-1.3005034

72 Northcliff Resources underestimated costs to build water treatment plant and restore tailings pond: report

The company proposing the open-pit Sisson mine has underestimated the costs to build the water treatment plant and restore the site after the mine shuts down by millions of dollars, according to a third-party review commissioned by the New Brunswick Department of Energy and Mines.

The report by the engineering company Amec Foster Wheeler, which aims to determine whether the costs given by Vancouver-based Northcliff Resources are reasonable, was obtained by CBC News through the Right to Information Act.

"The reclaim water clarification plant capital costs appeared to be underestimated by approximately 50 per cent and the operational costs for post-closure are also considered low," said the report dated April 2015.

The price tag to build the water clarification plant was estimated to be nearly $11 million, but the engineering company hired by the government said the actual cost would be closer to $17 million.

Northcliff Resource's environmental impact assessment report states it would cost just over $13 million to produce and place the rock, but according to the government-commissioned report, it would cost in the range of $40 million.

The engineering company's report also said Northcliff Resources did not include certain post-closure costs in its estimates, including the construction of a permanent spillway from the open pit lake to Sisson Brook.

Underestimate costs, overestimate benefits

Underestimating costs and overestimating benefits is a systematic problem among mining companies, according to Scott Dunbar, associate professor and head of the University of British Columbia mining engineering department.

"Everyone in the mining business is looking for funds, they want their project funded and they want to make it look as good as possible," Dunbar said. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/sisson-mine-review-finds-company-underestimated- costs-by-millions-1.3146601

System used to treat water from tailings after the mine closes is unreliable and untested: report

A Sisson mine cost review commissioned by the provincial government goes a step beyond looking at the numbers, pointing out that the system proposed to treat tailings water after the open-pit mine shuts down is "known to fail."

Engineering firm Amec Foster Wheeler was hired by the Department of Energy and Mines to review the costs for water treatment and restoring the tungsten and molybdenum mine after it closes.

But the company's report, which was obtained by CBC News through the Right to Information Act, also said "there are some concerns regarding design of the post-closure water treatment process."

73 "Curtain systems in pit lakes have been known to fail, especially in freeze-thaw," the report from April 2015 said.

"Therefore the idea of a floating baffle curtain wall may not be feasible."

After the proposed Sisson mine closes, the tailings pond would flow into the open pit over a 10-year period, creating a permanent lake.

The curtain system would be set up in the mining pit lake to separate filtered from unfiltered water. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/sisson-mine-review-raises-water-treatment-concerns- 1.3153328

Sisson mine project slammed by aboriginal leaders

Northcliff Resources CEO Chris Zahovskis said the company had received 'positive support' from First Nations

Aboriginal leaders say they don't know where Northcliff Resources is getting the idea First Nations are more accepting of the Sisson Brook mine project.

Dominique Nouvet, who is a lawyer for six Maliseet bands, said none of her clients have agreed to support the project.

Her clients, including St. Mary's First Nation, have been in consultations with the provincial government and Northcliff.

"The main reactions are dismay and anger over the approvals coming so suddenly and with basically no warning," said Nouvet.

"None of the Maliseet Chiefs support the project."

That was echoed in a press release from the Maliseet Nation late on Thursday night.

It stated the elected chiefs of the six Maliseet communities were "angered by the government of New Brunswick's rushed approval of the Sisson Mine."

"Our members will be heartbroken by this approval," said Chief Candice Paul of St. Mary's First Nation. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/sisson-mine-aboriginal-1.3350150

Information Morning - Fredericton Sisson Brook Mine – Northcliff Resources

We ask CEO and President of Northcliff Resources Chris Zahovskis about what safeguards will be put into place to protect the environment at Sisson Brook. http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2679950377

74 Information Morning - Fredericton Sisson Brook Mine Minister Brian Kenny

We talk to Environment Minister Brian Kenny about his expectations for the Sisson Brook mine project, and what his government is prepared to contribute. http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2679949198

CCNB Polley and Sisson Mine Tailings Ponds comparison

Photo is from facebook Conservation Council Group Photos https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/v/t1.0- 9/1904265_10154449748270051_3617614572327334350_n.jpg? oh=b38d8757f671b13664d8cd7d5f20e61e&oe=56DE215D

If It Owns a Well or a Mine, It’s Probably in Trouble

The pain among energy and mining producers worsened again on Tuesday, as one of the industry’s largest players cut its work force by nearly two-thirds and Chinese trade data amplified concerns about the country’s appetite for commodities.

The full extent of the shakeout will depend on whether commodities prices have further to fall. And the outlook is shaky, with a swirl of forces battering the markets.

The world’s biggest buyer of commodities, China, has pulled back sharply during its economic slowdown. But the world is dealing with gluts in oil, gas, copper and even some grains. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/09/business/anglo-american-to-cut-85000-jobs-amid-commodity- slump.html?emc=edit_au_20151208&nl=afternoonupdate&nlid=40689718&_r=1

Task force commissioned by mining industry recommends tighter dam oversight

Mining association says it will implement recommendations following Mount Polley dam failure last year

The Mining Association of Canada says it will implement beefed up oversight of earth-and-rock dams that hold back mining waste as recommended in an independent report it commissioned after the Mount Polley mine dam failure last year.

That means its members — which include some of B.C.’s largest mining companies — will have to have independent reviews of all stages of dam development, from site investigation and selection to design, operation and closure.

The 29 recommendations released in the report on Tuesday also call for more transparency and communication with communities on safety risks and monitoring. It also calls for high-risk closed mine facilities to be part of the industry association’s oversight program. http://www.vancouversun.com/business/task+force+commissioned+mining+industry+recommends+tigh ter+oversight/11575136/story.html#ixzz3tqcsUxYV

75 Government Allows Toxic Mines to Dump in Canadian Lakes August 10, 2012

On October 18, two lakes in Newfoundland that are habitat to trout, Atlantic salmon, otter, and other species, received a death sentence as the newly amended Metal Mining Effluent Regulations (MMER) went into law.

In a precedent-setting move, Environment Canada (EC) amended the MMER, a regulation under the Fisheries Act, to allow Aur Resources to dump toxic waste from their copper-zinc-gold mine into Trout Pond and a nearby unnamed lake. Both these lakes are in Newfoundland’s largest watershed, the Exploits River system — a system that has had millions of taxpayer dollars pumped into it for fish habitat restoration.

Environment Canada confirms that other mine projects in British Columbia, Nunavut, Saskatchewan, and the Northwest Territories will be seeking similar amendments to use lakes as waste dump sites for their mines.

In response to a request by Aur Resources, EC added the two lakes to Schedule 2 of the MMER. Water bodies listed on Schedule 2 are re-defined as tailings impoundment areas; they are no longer considered to be lakes and, therefore, are no longer protected under the Fisheries Act. http://www.watershedsentinel.ca/content/government-allows-toxic-mines-dump-canadian-lakes

Op-Ed: Canadian wilderness lakes to be mining waste dumping grounds? Jun 29, 2014

CBC News has learned that 16 Canadian lakes are slated to be officially but quietly "reclassified" as toxic dump sites for mines. The lakes include prime wilderness fishing lakes from B.C. to Newfoundland.

Under the Fisheries Act, it's illegal to put harmful substances into fish-bearing waters. But, under a little- known subsection known as Schedule Two of the mining effluent regulations, federal bureaucrats can redefine lakes as "tailings impoundment areas. http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/environment/op-ed-canadian-wilderness-lakes-to-be-mining-waste- dumping-grounds/article/388077

Maliseet First Nations 'dismayed' by Sisson Mine approval

New Brunswick needed to accommodate aboriginal rights before approving EIA, says lawyer

A lawyer representing the six Maliseet First Nations in New Brunswick says the communities are "dismayed" to hear the province has issued environmental impact assessment approval to the Sisson Mine project before concluding aboriginal accommodation discussions with them.

"It was sudden and in our view, it was premature," said Dominique Nouvet in an interview on Information Morning Fredericton on Wednesday. • Sisson Mine project given EIA approval • Sisson Mine project slammed by aboriginal leaders

76 "Honestly, based on this sudden and premature approval of the EIA, I don't think that right now New Brunswick understands what is required.Under its duty to accommodate and consult First Nations when the government contemplates actions or decisions that may affect aboriginal or treaty rights," she said. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/maliseet-sisson-mine-eia-1.3367349

In Appalachia, the coal industry is in collapse, but the mountains aren’t coming back

In the first half of this year, at least six domestic coal companies filed for bankruptcy. In February, West Virginia’s Covington Coal fell, followed by Xinergy and Grass Creek Coal in April, Patriot and Birmingham Coal & Coke in May, and A&M Coal in June.

In August came the biggest announcement of all: the $10-billion coal giant Alpha Natural Resources had entered the bankruptcy sweepstakes, too.

Only four years earlier, Alpha had secured its position as one of the world’s largest coal outfits by purchasing the Appalachian company Massey Energy for $7 billion and expanding its operations to 60 mines, many in Appalachia. But its reign would prove short-lived.

The price of coal has been plummeting as utility companies shift to significantly cheaper shale gas, extracted through the drilling process known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to produce power. http://grist.org/business-technology/in-appalachia-the-coal-industry-is-in-collapse-but-the-mountains- arent-coming-back/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=update&utm_campaign=socialflow

77 Information Morning - Fredericton Sisson Mine December 16, 2015

Lawyer Dominique Nouvet says not one of the province's Maliseet First Nations supports the Sisson mining project http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2680485996

'The worst of all worlds': Bay Street sees plenty of gloom in mining industry Embedded video

Some observers are warning the day of reckoning could be drawing near for base metal miners, as supply continues to outpace demand, driving down prices for commodities already hurt by the surging American dollar.

“The strongest and the most able to adapt are the two types of companies to survive the current commodity price environment fallout,” according to a new Canaccord Genuity report likening the mining backdrop to Darwinism.

Among the report’s most vulnerable names is Teck Resources, noting it would need copper or coal prices to soar 74 percent and 55 percent, respectively, to meet all of its debt obligations by the end of 2018, when the authors expect large copper supply deficits. In the meantime, they’re slashing their price assumptions for the base metal for the next two years. http://www.bnn.ca/News/2015/12/17/The-worst-of-all-worlds-Bay-Street-sees-plenty-of-gloom-in- mining-industry.aspx

Government didn't protect Wabush pensioners, Ron Barron says

A retired Wabush Mines employee says more could have been done by Ottawa and the province to protect the pensions of former mine workers.

"This is something that's been happening for decades, where companies come in here and they take our resources and make huge profits and walk away, through bankruptcy proceedings, and leave the pensioners and the workers holding the bag."

On Thursday, the provincial superintendent of pensions announced that workers' payments will be reduced in the new year because the pension program was under-funded. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/government-didn-t-protect-wabush-pensioners- ron-barron-says-1.3371987

A Legacy of Shame Canadian Mining Companies leave behind decades of violence in Guatemala

It’s estimated that 75% of the world’s mining and exploration companies are based in Canada. Collectively, they account for 42 billion dollars of Canada's gross domestic product, making mining and exploration one of Canada's most economically powerful sectors. Some 40% of global mining capital is raised on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The impact of Canada's mining sector, however, goes far beyond mere facts and figures.

78 Wherever Canadian mining companies operate, they have an indelible imprint on the social, political and environmental realities in which they insert themselves. In countries that are politically unstable or where a culture of impunity is permitted to thrive, that imprint can span generations with successive mining companies following in the footsteps of their predecessors. Such is the legacy of shame that the Maya Q’eqchi people in Guatemala have been forced to endure for the last half century. https://intercontinentalcry.org/a-legacy-of-shame-canadian-mining-companies-leave-behind-decades- of-violence-in-their-wake/

79 Forestry

Monsanto Hid Evidence of Roundup and Cancer

Monsanto has been squirming since the World Health Organization classified glyphosate, the active ingredient in their hallmark herbicide Roundup, as a PROBABLE human carcinogen. The body which made the determination is designed to do just that, and yet Monsanto and their friends in high places unleashed a barrage of the usual criticisms claiming that the WHO was out of step with science. A new paper in the glyphosate series by Anthony Samsel and Stephanie Seneff shows that it is Monsanto who is out of step, and how their own studies demonstrated unqualified links to cancer for over 30 years. http://responsibletechnology.org/monsanto-hid-evidence-of-roundup-and-cancer/

Independent Scientists Manifesto on Glyphosate

More than 80 scientists worldwide are calling on governments at all levels to ban the spraying of glyphosate herbicides, based on overwhelming evidence of harm from scientific studies and witness testimonies compiled by the group

Please circulate widely and forward to your local government representatives

This letter has been signed by 530 scientists and 898 non-scientists from 68 different countries http://www.i-sis.org.uk/Independent_Scientists_Manifesto_on_Glyphosate.php? firstname=Joan&surname=Schindel&email=Schindeljg %40sasktel.net&country&expertise=Prairie+Horticultural+Certificate+U+of+S&organisation&scientist&ci ty=SK&updates=1&error=incomplete#form

EPA Seeks to Revoke Approval of Dow Chemical’s Enlist Duo Herbicide

Environmental agency says ingredients could be more harmful to surrounding plants than it thought

The Environmental Protection Agency plans to withdraw its approval of a Dow Chemical Co. herbicide, saying it has new information that suggests the weedkiller is more toxic to surrounding plants than previously thought.

In a setback for one of Dow’s newest agricultural products, the EPA this week asked the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to vacate the agency’s approval last year of Dow’s Enlist Duo herbicide, which is designed to be used on genetically engineered crops, so that it may reevaluate the spray. http://www.wsj.com/articles/epa-revokes-approval-of-dow-chemicals-enlist-duo-herbicide-1448469843

Augmenter les redevances pour éviter les compressions Increase charges to avoid cuts

Il est inadmissible qu’une province aussi riche en ressources naturelles que le Nouveau-Brunswick soit pauvre au point d’envisager des compressions draconiennes dans des domaines aussi cruciaux que l’éducation et la santé.

80 C’est du moins l’avis du documentariste et activiste bien connu de la région de Kedgwick, Charles Thériault, joignant du coup sa voix aux nombreux intervenants qui réclament des changements à la Loi sur les Terres de la Couronne.

Critique envers le gouvernement, notamment sur la question de la gestion de la forêt, il estime que la province devrait revoir à la hausse les redevances exigées des grandes forestières ayant accès aux terres de la Couronne avant de serrer la ceinture des citoyens, quitte même à rouvrir les ententes avec les industriels. google translation

It is unacceptable that such a province rich in natural resources that New Brunswick is poor to the point of considering drastic cuts in crucial areas as education and health.

That at least is the opinion of the well-known documentary filmmaker and activist Kedgwick area, Charles Thériault, suddenly joining his voice to the many stakeholders calling for changes to the Act on Crown Lands.

Critical of the government, especially on the issue of forest management, he believes the province should revise upwards the fees required of major forest with access to Crown land before tightening the belt of citizens, even even reopen the agreements with industry. http://www.acadienouvelle.com/actualites/2015/12/01/augmenter-les-redevances-pour-eviter-les- compressions/

Scientists challenge EFSA claim of glyphosate safety

In November, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) concluded that glyphosate is “unlikely to pose a carcinogenic hazard to humans”.

The EFSA decision, based on the Renewal Assessment Report provided by the German federal risk assessment institute BfR, ran counter to the finding earlier this year by the international Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the cancer arm of the World Health Organization, that glyphosate is a probable human carcinogen. The IARC review linked glyphosate to dose-related increases in malignant tumours at multiple anatomical sites in experimental animals and to an increased incidence of non- Hodgkin lymphoma in exposed humans.

In a new development, a group of over 90 independent scientists has written an open letter to the European Health and Food Safety Commissioner, Vytenis Andriukaitis, strongly challenging EFSA’s decision and the BfR report that it was based on.

The scientists, who come from countries as diverse as the US, Germany, Kuwait, Japan, and Korea, say that they have reviewed these two differing decisions on the human carcinogenicity of glyphosate and conclude that the IARC decision is “by far the more credible”, whereas the BfR decision is “not credible”. http://www.gmwatch.org/news/latest-news/16568-scientists-challenge-efsa-claim-of-glyphosate-safety

81 Kedgwick fights aerial forest spraying

Anger is mounting in Kedgwick over aerial forest spraying after a group of women say they were exposed to chemicals two weeks ago.

Now, the small northwestern New Brunswick community is rallying behind the group with a petition calling for a ban on spraying in the area.

Betty St. Pierre, spokeswoman for the women who say they were sprayed, said two men wearing facial masks and chemical suits told the women to go away because the chemicals they were exposed to were dangerous.

St. Pierre said the women soon came down with symptoms ranging from headaches to nausea.

She said the women are afraid to speak publicly because they were told they would lose their jobs planting trees if they attended protests about the spraying program.

But the community has been holding demonstrations and 5,000 people have signed a petition, asking for an immediate halt to herbicide and pesticide spraying in the area. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/kedgwick-fights-aerial-forest-spraying-1.862815

J.D. Irving's Crown forest contract made public

A 25-year agreement between J.D. Irving Ltd. and the provincial government for the company's forest operations on Crown land was released in the New Brunswick Legislature Thursday by Natural Resources Minister Paul Robichaud.

The initial term is for 25 years, beginning on July 1, 2014. The contract calls for the company's performance to be reviewed every five years and if it is found to be satisfactory, the term will be extended for five years. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/j-d-irving-s-crown-forest-contract-made-public- 1.2620780

Document https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/1147625/memorandum-of-agreement-with-jdi.pdf

AG report shows DNR ignored calls to reduce clearcutting in public forest

The Auditor General of New Brunswick says 80 per cent of all the wood cut from Crown forests in the past two decades have been harvested by clear cut.

“Clearcut is running consistently around 80%, whereas in the area of selective or partial cut, there is a decline from 20% to roughly 10% in more recent years,” Auditor General Kim MacPherson told MLAs in the Legislature while releasing Volume II of her 2015 Auditor General Report on Tuesday, which included two chapters related to forest management.

82 The province’s chief financial watchdog said numerous studies and recommendations calling for a reduction of clearcutting in Crown forests have been ignored by ministers and officials in the Department of Natural Resources over the past decade. https://www.conservationcouncil.ca/ag-report-shows-dnr-ignored-calls-to-reduce-clearcutting-in-public- forest/

No plan B for climate change without forests, Prince Charles tells Paris summit

Many of the world’s companies pay no attention to how their supply chains are damaging forests, the Prince of Wales has warned as he urged action to stop deforestation.

Speaking at the UN climate talks in Paris, Charles also called for large-scale restoration of forests, warning the world would need much more forest “as all the horrors” of global warming started to bite.

On the issue of saving the forests, he told a packed audience, which included the King of Sweden, Carl XVI Gustaf , that “there can be no room for failure”.

Protecting forests from being cut down is a key part of tackling climate change, he said.

“It is very simple: we must save our forests, for there is no Plan B to tackle climate change or many of the other critical challenges that face humanity without them,” he urged. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/01/no-plan-b-for-climate-change-without-forests- prince-charles-tells-paris-summit

Common Weed Killer is Widespread in the Environment

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists report that glyphosate, known commercially by many trade names, and its degradation product AMPA (aminomethylphosphonic acid) are transported off-site from agricultural and urban sources and occur widely in the environment. This study is the largest and most comprehensive assessment of the environmental occurrence of glyphosate and AMPA in the United States conducted to date, summarizing the results of 3,732 environmental samples collected between 2001 and 2010 from 38 states.

Glyphosate is popular due to its ease of use on soybean, cotton and corn crops that are genetically modified to be glyphosate tolerant. It also facilitates no-till farming practices, and has a variety of uses in urban areas. Glyphosate use in the United States increased from less than 5,000 to more than 80,000 metric tons per year between 1987 and 2007, but glyphosate is seldom included in environmental monitoring programs, due in part to technical difficulties in measuring it at concentrations relevant to environmental studies (less than 1 microgram per liter [μg/L]). http://toxics.usgs.gov/highlights/2014-04-23-glyphosate_2014.html

Glyphosate General Fact Sheet

• What is glyphosate?

83 • What are some products that contain glyphosate? • How does glyphosate work? • How might I be exposed to glyphosate? • What are some signs and symptoms from a brief exposure to glyphosate? • What happens to glyphosate when it enters the body? • Is glyphosate likely to contribute to the development of cancer? • Has anyone studied non-cancer effects from long-term exposure to glyphosate? • Are children more sensitive to glyphosate than adults? • What happens to glyphosate in the environment? • Can glyphosate affect birds, fish, and other wildlife? http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/glyphogen.html

Thou Shalt Not Name the Irvings - Audio J.D. Irving slams public broadcaster for inclusion in medical officer leave story - Interview

KJIPUKTUK (Halifax) -- A recent story by Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reporter Jacques Poitras, has New Brunswick-based J.D. Irving Limited upset. The story in question, published on December 3rd, breaks the news that Dr. Eilish Cleary, the province's chief medical officer, has been put on leave by the New Brunswick government. In the story, Poitras only mentions the Irving name once, and then only in passing.

According to the story, no one appears quite sure why Dr. Cleary has been put on leave, least of all Dr. Cleary herself. Poitras does, however, draw the link between the doctor's upcoming study on the potential health impact of glyphosate applications and her untimely, enforced, leave of absence.

J.D. Irving is demanding a retraction of the article, as well as an apology from the CBC itself. http://halifax.mediacoop.ca/audio/thou-shalt-not-name-irvings/34256

J.D. Irving, Limited Responds to Unprofessional CBC New Brunswick Story

This week, the CBC released a sensational story insinuating a connection between the sudden leave of absence of Dr. Eilish Cleary (New Brunswick's Chief Medical Officer of Health), a study of glyphosate, and two companies in New Brunswick. CBC presented an unsubstantiated conspiracy theory as fact. The 500+ comments from listeners and viewers indicate that many believed the CBC story to be true. It is not.

We ask that the CBC immediately remove the story from their website, publish a full retraction, and apologize for their appalling behavior. https://jdirving.com/BlogPage.aspx?id=2567&blogid=74

JD Irving Attacks CBC Over Glyphosate Story

JDI is demanding that, “the CBC immediately remove the story from their website, publish a full retraction, and apologize for their appalling behavior.”

84 But the CBC isn’t backing down. http://huddle.today/jdi-blasts-cbc-over-glyphosate-story/

The Boreal Is Burning

The world's largest intact forest is crucial to slowing climate change, but in Canada it is under assault from wildfires, logging, and oil tar sands drilling.

As global climate talks begin this week in Paris, much attention will be focused on the rainforests of the Amazon. The thing about North America’s boreal, though, is that it is largely intact—one of the world’s last remaining unbroken continental landscapes. But that’s changing. Across Canada, where the boreal covers 1.2 million square miles, less than 13 percent is protected. As of 2010, scientists estimated that logging, oil drilling, and other development have disturbed roughly 360,000 square miles of Canadian forest. Campaigns are under way to save the boreal while there’s still time. But it’s an uphill battle, and the stakes are enormous. http://www.takepart.com/feature/2015/11/30/destruction-canadas-boreal-forest?cmpid=ait-fb

Pesticides in Mississippi air and rain: a comparison between 1995 and 2007

U.S. National Library of Medicine

Study in the Mississippi Delta in the Mississippi Delta agricultural region http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24549493

Neonicotinoid Pesticide Reduces Bumble Bee Colony Growth and Queen Production

Abstract Growing evidence for declines in bee populations has caused great concern because of the valuable ecosystem services they provide. Neonicotinoid insecticides have been implicated in these declines because they occur at trace levels in the nectar and pollen of crop plants. We exposed colonies of the bumble bee Bombus terrestris in the laboratory to field-realistic levels of the neonicotinoid imidacloprid, then allowed them to develop naturally under field conditions. Treated colonies had a significantly reduced growth rate and suffered an 85% reduction in production of new queens compared with control colonies. Given the scale of use of neonicotinoids, we suggest that they may be having a considerable negative impact on wild bumble bee populations across the developed world. http://www.sciencemag.org/content/336/6079/351.abstract?sid=7b3310bc-8127-4307-9d33- 22361fbbcdd1

A Common Pesticide Decreases Foraging Success and Survival in Honey Bees

Abstract

85 Nonlethal exposure of honey bees to thiamethoxam (neonicotinoid systemic pesticide) causes high mortality due to homing failure at levels that could put a colony at risk of collapse. Simulated exposure events on free-ranging foragers labeled with a radio-frequency identification tag suggest that homing is impaired by thiamethoxam intoxication. These experiments offer new insights into the consequences of common neonicotinoid pesticides used worldwide. http://www.sciencemag.org/content/336/6079/348.abstract

Decline of bees forces China's apple farmers to pollinate by hand https://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/5193-Decline-of-bees-forces-China-s-apple- farmers-to-pollinate-by-hand

Major Pesticides Are More Toxic to Human Cells Than Their Declared Active Principles

Abstract

Pesticides are used throughout the world as mixtures called formulations. They contain adjuvants, which are often kept confidential and are called inerts by the manufacturing companies, plus a declared active principle, which is usually tested alone. We tested the toxicity of 9 pesticides, comparing active principles and their formulations, on three human cell lines (HepG2, HEK293, and JEG3). Glyphosate, isoproturon, fluroxypyr, pirimicarb, imidacloprid, acetamiprid, tebuconazole, epoxiconazole, and prochloraz constitute, respectively, the active principles of 3 major herbicides, 3 insecticides, and 3 fungicides. We measured mitochondrial activities, membrane degradations, and caspases 3/7 activities. Fungicides were the most toxic from concentrations 300–600 times lower than agricultural dilutions, followed by herbicides and then insecticides, with very similar profiles in all cell types. Despite its relatively benign reputation, Roundup was among the most toxic herbicides and insecticides tested. Most importantly, 8 formulations out of 9 were up to one thousand times more toxic than their active principles. Our results challenge the relevance of the acceptable daily intake for pesticides because this norm is calculated from the toxicity of the active principle alone. Chronic tests on pesticides may not reflect relevant environmental exposures if only one ingredient of these mixtures is tested alone. http://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2014/179691/

Green Web Bulletin #6 Opposing Forest Spraying

Forest spraying struggles can open a Pandora’s box of issues regarding the ongoing destruction of forest ecosystems, and also social and political questions about the nature of economic power within capitalist societies and how that power is used. However, much of the activity opposing forest spraying is basically reformist or “shallow” in character. Such activity does not question how humans should relate to the natural world but accepts the dominant human-centered “resourcist” world view that the non-human world is there as material for human purposes, and assumes that the political and economic structures which directly profit from pulpwood forestry are a given. http://home.ca.inter.net/~greenweb/Opposing_Forest_Spraying.html

86 ISSUES: By allowing forest spraying, does Canada breach its legal obligations under the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)?

1. States shall take, individually or jointly as appropriate, all measures consistent with this Convention that are necessary to prevent, reduce and control pollution of the marine environment from any source, using for this purpose the best practicable means at their disposal and in accordance with their capabilities, and they shall endeavour to harmonize their policies in this connection. 2. States shall take all measures necessary to ensure that activities under their jurisdiction or control are so conducted as not to cause damage by pollution to other States and their environment, and that pollution arising from incidents or activities under their jurisdiction or control does not spread beyond the areas where they exercise sovereign rights in accordance with this Convention. 3. The measures taken pursuant to this Part shall deal with all sources of pollution of the marine environment. These measures shall include, inter alia, those designed to minimize to the fullest possible extent: http://bayoffundy.ca/archives/6209

Gallant talks climate change as his government allows clearcutting of NB’s forest

Far away from news conferences in plush hotel rooms and staged photo-ops where New Brunswick’s Premier talks about combating climate change, the daily roar of heavy equipment systematically clearcutting provincial forests tells a different story. The on the ground reality is that successive Liberal and Conservative New Brunswick governments have presided over massive deforestation by clearcutting.

Clearcutting forests drives climate change because trees play a central role in absorbing the greenhouse gases that fuel global warming. Less forest means a lot more greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere a lot more quickly, thus increasing both the speed of, and devastation caused by, climate change. http://nbmediacoop.org/2015/12/11/gallant-talks-climate-change-as-his-government-allows-clearcutting- of-nbs-forest/

Weight of the evidence on the human carcinogenicity of 2,4-D

Abstract

The phenoxy herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) is widely used to control the growth of weeds and broadleaf plants.

We convened a panel of 13 scientists to weigh the evidence on the human carcinogenicity of 2,4-D. The panel based its findings on a review of the toxicological and epidemiological literature on 2,4-D and related phenoxy herbicides.

87 The toxicological data do not provide a strong basis for predicting that 2,4-D is a human carcinogen. Although a cause–effect relationship is far from being established, the epidemiological evidence for an association between exposure to 2,4-D and non–Hodgkin's lymphoma is suggestive and requires further investigation.

There is little evidence of an association between use of 2,4-D and soft-tissue sarcoma or Hodgkin's disease, and no evidence of an association between 2,4-D use and any other form of cancer.

Scientists on the panel were asked to categorize 2,4-D as a “known,” “probable,” “possible,” or “unlikely” carcinogen or as a noncarcinogen in humans.

The predominant opinion among the panel members was that the weight of the evidence indicates that it is possible that exposure to 2,4-D can cause cancer in humans, although not all of the panelists believed the possibility was equally likely: one thought the possibility was strong, leaning toward probable, and five thought the possibility was remote, leaning toward unlikely. Two panelists believed it unlikely that 2,4-D can cause cancer in humans. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1568222/#fn1

Poisoning of New-Brunswickers Charles Theriault https://vimeo.com/148869376

Ep 26 - Gareth Davies says we need a new forest paradigm! Embedded video

Gareth Davies, former operations manager for the Acadia Research Forest. comprised of 23,000 acres near Fredericton, details what he believes is the real state of the forest industry in New Brunswick. http://www.isourforestreallyours.ca/en/ep-26/ https://player.vimeo.com/video/116726956

Herbicide Debate - Information Morning Fredericton

Dr. R.A Lautenschlager and Rod Cumberland join Terry Seguin to discuss their points of view on the herbicide debate in New Brunswick. https://www.facebook.com/groups/StopSprayinginNB/permalink/1495286514113885/

Glyphosate damages DNA, says World Health Organisation expert

Glyphosate is “definitely genotoxic”, says Prof Chris Portier, a co-author of the report by the World Health Organisation’s cancer agency, which classed glyphosate as a probable carcinogen

Prof Christopher Portier, one of the co-authors of the recent report by the World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which determined that glyphosate is a probable

88 carcinogen, said at a scientific briefing today, “Glyphosate is definitely genotoxic. There is no doubt in my mind.”

“Genotoxic” means it damages DNA. It is widely believed by regulators that for genotoxic chemicals that are also carcinogenic, as glyphosate appears to be, there is no safe level of exposure.

Prof Portier was speaking today at a scientific briefing in London organised by the Soil Association. http://www.gmwatch.org/news/latest-news/16302-glyphosate-damages-dna-says-world-health- organisation-expert

Cytotoxic and DNA-damaging properties of glyphosate and Roundup in human-derived buccal epithelial cells.

Abstract

Glyphosate (G) is the largest selling herbicide worldwide; the most common formulations (Roundup, R) contain polyoxyethyleneamine as main surfactant. Recent findings indicate that G exposure may cause DNA damage and cancer in humans.

Comparisons with results of earlier studies with lymphocytes and cells from internal organs indicate that epithelial cells are more susceptible to the cytotoxic and DNA-damaging properties of the herbicide and its formulation. Since we found genotoxic effects after short exposure to concentrations that correspond to a 450-fold dilution of spraying used in agriculture, our findings indicate that inhalation may cause DNA damage in exposed individuals. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22331240

Biologist Rod Cumberland sent this letter to all members of the NB Legislative Assembly

I have just reviewed the 323 page Health Canada re-assessment of glyphosate. It was due in 2014 but was completed April 13, 2015.

Rather than simply take whatever comes out of this process at face value, I believe you need to be informed of the pitfalls of this present review.

It is VERY evident that there are huge problems with this process and I would like to make you aware of them before we blindly assume that this review is unbiased and "scientific". Please allow me to elaborate on my two main shortfalls of this review:

First - There is an obvious lack of relevant research; and (Without recent and relevant research that CLEARLY reveals numerous health and wildlife hazards associated with glyphosate, the assumptions that it is safe are erroneous).

Second - the inclusion of the economic and social benefits of glyphosate.

This document presumes to use “a science-based approach”, therefore this is no place for economic and social benefits that have little relevance when considering the science behind the impacts and safety of a compound to human health.

89 http://www.nben.ca/index.php/en/news-from-groups/1147-biologist-rod-cumberland-sent-this-letter-to- all-members-of-the-nb-legislative-assembly Twin Rivers Paper Company fined $320K for spills

Spills occured in September 2013 and March 2014 due to 'upset conditions' at Edmundston pulp mill

Twin Rivers Paper Company will pay $320,000 in fines to the federal government resulting from effluent and condensate spills at its Edmundston pulp mill in recent years.

On Friday, Twin Rivers agreed to pay a $320,000 fine for a spill in September 2013 and a violation of its wastewater approval limit in March 2014. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/twin-rivers-spill-fines-1.3378325

90 Video Links

Fracking Nightmare - Episode 75 : Queensland Tragedy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MlBcvSaH5I&feature=youtu.be

Shale Gas Experiment – Dr. John Cherry Presentation

John Cherry, Distinguished Emeritus Professor, University of Waterloo, and Adjunct Professor, University of Guelph speaks in Fredericton N.B. on November 17, 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=NzWeQj-jbfU

Bill McKibben: Exxon’s power is ‘weakening daily’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZD72oOyWMkk

Monsanto: Extinction https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=FZ5OxdIq5DY

Poison Fire - Documentary from the Niger Delta. See poisonfire.org https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq2TBOHWFRc

New Brunswick's chief medical officer of health Dr. Eilish https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cinrtAq6bHc

Short Film Shows How Climate Change is Swallowing Louisiana

In Louisiana Disappearing, AJ+ reminds us that for some communities, climate change is already here. Looking at two towns on the Gulf Coast of Louisiana, Slidell and Dulac (the latter is home to an indigenous community), the film outlines the effects climate change has already had on these communities and what their future will hold. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4THdX9KOZ_4&feature=player_embedded

Increased concern over Energy East pipeline

Residents living near a proposed tank farm in east Saint John are raising concerns over the Energy East pipeline. http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=765055

91 Lynaya Astephen interviewd by ATV, CBC, Global - Dec 7, 2015

Lynaya Astephen was interviewed by ATV News (0:00), CBC News (2:03) and Global News (4:46) on December 7, 2015 concerning the tank farm associated with the Energy East pipeline terminal in Red Head, New Brunswick. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfhbJPLX-2I&app=desktop

Days of Revolt: The Revolution Will Be Local Chris Hedges https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYRakzUHA8g

Dr. Eilish Cleary - Dr. Donald Morgan Service Award 2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiU29UvWds4

Video - Political Panel: Dec. 10

The CBC New Brunswick Political Panel debates the issues surrounding the firing of Dr. Eilish Cleary, the chief medical officer of health http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/political-panel-dec-10-1.3360451

Information Morning - Fredericton Sisson Mine December 16, 2015

Lawyer Dominique Nouvet says not one of the province's Maliseet First Nations supports the Sisson mining project http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2680485996

Information Morning - Fredericton NB AG Report December 16, 2015

NB's Auditor General Kim MacPherson is taking another look at Atcon. http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2680486138

Dr. Eilish Cleary CBC interview after receiving prestigious award on shale gas document

CBC interview with Dr. Eilish Cleary, New Brunswick's Chief Medical Officer of Health, after receiving her reward on July 11, 2013 in Fredericton by the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors. Dr. Cleary was awarded the prestigious Environmental health Review Award for 2013 for her work to bring public health to the debate on shale gas exploration and development in New Brunswick. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKx0E_xIQWg&feature=share

92 Voices from the Gasfields : It started with just ONE well

This is the film the UK & Australian Governments do NOT want you to see! Documenting the accounts of families living with the hydrocarbon industry as a neighbour, this hour long documentary is shocking, as it reveals the day to day pollution these people live with – pollution of water, air, light and sound, some of the the basic human requirements needed to survive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3K0kV7UcME&feature=youtu.be

CSG flaring in the Pilliga Forest

This short video of SANTOS' Bibblewindi flare was taken in April 2014 This is just one of many planned for the forest,,, Listen to the raging of the flare... Is this truly what we want for our forests?? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqFkLjx7ukw&feature=youtu.be

Noam Chomsky - On Activism, Climate Change, & His Message to the Future (2014)

In this sixth video in the series "Peak Oil and a Changing Climate" from The Nation and On The Earth Productions, linguist, philosopher and political activist Noam Chomsky talks about the Chamber of Commerce, the American Petroleum Institute and other business lobbies enthusiastically carrying out campaigns "to try and convince the population that global warming is a liberal hoax." According to Chomsky, this massive public relations campaign has succeeded in leading a good portion of the population into doubting the human causes of global warming. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJUA4cm0Rck

93