Abandoned Community Pastures At Risk #cdnpoli #skpoli

The last remnants of a unique ecosystem on Earth are entering what is potentially their last years of natural existence. This will lead to the extinctions of some plants and animals that exist only on the Canadian prairies. Extinctions destabilize an ecosystem, and it’s an ecosystem where humans cannot be assured of long-term survival if it becomes destabilized.

The Conservatives removed protection for the community pastures in an apparent effort to privatize the land. The Sask Party, instead of putting the land under provincial management, has opted to sell off the land, following in the Conservative Party’s wishes. This is against the interest of Canadians, and of most of the ranchers and farmers who’ve used the pasture land over the decades they’ve been in the public trust.

Trevor Harriot in the Globe and Mail:

As for the program having achieved its goals [according to Ritz], the need for soil conservation and managing ecosystems in the public interest does not simply go away.

Press release sent my way today:

For Immediate Release:

April 17, 2013

Public Pastures – Public Interest

Uniting to Save Saskatchewan’s Community Pastures

Joint Venture Video Release

In April of 2012 the federal government announced it was divesting itself of 2.3 million acres of PFRA community pastures, 1.78 million of which are located in Saskatchewan. The control for these pastures has now reverted back to the prairie provinces and in response the Saskatchewan government has announced they will be seeking to sell or lease these lands to the current pasture patrons. With rising land values putting the purchase of these lands far beyond the reach of most patrons, exceeding their ability to run a financially viable operation, patrons are looking to find an alternative solution. Other stakeholders affected by this decision are looking to ensure a sustainable environmental action plan for the land is continued, safeguarding the continued health of the ecosystem and the 32 species at risk that reside there.

To help communicate this message, the various stakeholders (Patrons, First Nations, Academic and Wildlife/Environmental groups) have been meeting over the past several months to discuss their common concerns and encourage the two levels of government to reconsider their position on the importance of preserving and sustaining our community pastures. The result is a collaborative and inclusive video showcasing stakeholder concerns and their belief that, in order to ensure a positive outcome for all, they must work together to find a viable solution.

It is their hope this video will also help communicate the message to stakeholders not yet involved and encourage them to join the collaborative effort towards protecting out public interests, and maintaining current and long term sustainable management of our Community Pastures.

For more information on this video and the joint initiative please contact any of the following:

* Trevor Herriot, Public Pastures – Public Interest, Regina, trevorherriot@gmail.com , home 306-585-1674
* Senator Roland Crowe – First Nations representative, 306-539-9200
* Joanne Brochu – Patrons representative, jbrochu@sasktel.net , cell 306-255-7602

Deer-Tour Around Saskatchewan

Saturday’s road trip through the mist and fog yielded me the best wildlife photos I’ve ever had the privilege of shooting. Some photos from the earlier part of the trip I posted on Sunday morning.

-Glentworth, SK

Less than a few kms north of Glentworth, just turning toward the highway headed for Lafleche, we saw two herds on different sides of the road. They waited patiently as the humans in the car took many, many photos.

Mini Solar Tour in the Fog of Wood Mountain and Glentworth

I went on a road trip Saturday with my friend Adam K., down to my parents’ place, and his grandparents’ farm. On the way around southern Saskatchewan, we saw close to 150 deer and antelope, a snowy owl, a dozen hawks, a handful of Canada Geese, smaller birds, two dead raccoons, and the final resting place of four children who passed away in 1919 (Spanish Flu maybe?).

The road into Regina was ice, and the road to Moose Jaw was quite a bit better, but still partly covered in a thick layer of ice. There was a semi on the eastbound highway that had done a 180, and blew open its trailer door, strewing boxes across the ditch at Belle Plaine.

We filled up in Moose Jaw, then ate at the Steakhouse in Assiniboia (we had waffles). The GPS kept trying to convince us to turn off the paved road instead of going to Limerick. We went to Limerick, I took a couple photos, and on through flooded Flintof and dry Wood Mountain we continued. Many deer were along the way, and the misting rain continued through the trip after Moose Jaw’s southern hills.

- A hawk about to land

After second lunch we strolled around the various energy and heating systems my parents had installed for their home.

Convincing SaskPower that a generator ring/link was a good idea for a Saskatchewan power meter, took some convincing. Fortunately Dad is persistent.

- 1925 built Ukrainian Catholic near Glentworth, SK

More photos next time of the animals who made this print:

Oil Spills Create Jobs

I’m severely disappointed in the lack of vision that conservatives have regarding our economy. Faced with information that burning a lot of fossil fuel is not able to be sustained without Catastrophic, Repulsive, Atmospheric Pollution (CRAP), their response tends toward ignoring evidence of damage to their environment in favour of delaying the predictable economic train wreck that would occur if fuel production were to halt in the span of months or a year.

Jobs are being created to create the doomsday device known as the KXL pipeline. Jobs will be required to [partially] clean up the many spills it will create. Doctors will be needed to treat the cancers created by the soil and water contamination, and the burning of the fuel.

@Rhino_Bob @votelau the long term goal *is* to wind down oil production as much as possible. Cleaner forms of energy are better for life.—
John Klein (@JohnKleinRegina) March 31, 2013

@JohnKleinRegina @Rhino_Bob @votelau
Sorry, NO viable solution to end use of fossil fuels (cars, plastics, power prod, etc) = pipe dream.—
Chad (@Chad4Mayor) March 31, 2013

Yet when asked if they’d like to wind down fossil fuel production in favour of renewable sources, they answer “No!” because they can’t envision it ever being an equivalent and essential source of power. When you ask them if they believe in higher education, most will say they do, choosing (at that time) to instead embrace the idea that short term expense and investment can lead to longer term gain through a change in skills and information. There are plenty of conservatives at schools of business.

So, why rush into upgrading ‘ethical’ oil infrastructure, instead of renewable energy manufacturing and design?

Group says latest oil spill is a preview of Keystone's "nightmare scenario" huff.to/10jaGJI—
HuffPost Canada (@HuffPostCanada) April 01, 2013

And seriously, if the tar sand oil companies can’t stave off repeated spills in the months leading up to an approval of KXL pipeline, how can anyone believe they’ll suddenly stop leaking oil all over the place once there is less pressure to behave because they’ll have the pipe built?

Forward Together #UofR: Buffy St. Marie – Live Blog

Buffy St. Marie tackled the subject of Aboriginal peoples’ self image. What has been the basis for it? In many cases in popular culture, it’s from philosophers in Europe who never met the First Peoples in their life!

#Buffy event at #FNUniv is almost full 10 min to start. http://t.co/TNO8jZ4K0a—
John Klein (@JohnKleinRegina) March 27, 2013

#Buffy lecture opened with an elder ceremony and #FNUniv president. http://t.co/JXQy3d3jYL—
John Klein (@JohnKleinRegina) March 27, 2013

The reality is that First Nations civilizations were much more complex, scientific, and peaceful than depicted by European and settler academics and politicians.

Team sports were an invention of Native Americans. Helmets with animal logos. Basically the NHL. #Buffy #APTN—
John Klein (@JohnKleinRegina) March 27, 2013

The bully who is running the politicians will keep at it unless you are setting a stronger example. #Buffy We are creative. Grow.—
John Klein (@JohnKleinRegina) March 27, 2013

War is caused by greedy people. It is a choice. The wealthiest nations still go to war. #Buffy #APTN #UofR #IdleNoMore—
John Klein (@JohnKleinRegina) March 27, 2013

Doing What’s Right Doesn’t Always Look Cool

“Finish your food; there are children starving in… Regina.”

When I first started recovering items from dumpsters, I was of course keenly aware of the social stigma implications. I consoled myself against the probable eventual ridicule by having a personal code, of things I would not salvage. I certainly wouldn’t salvage food, ick. In Regina’s dumpsters, not far from my home, I learned people were discarding money, and cans of food (not opened, not damaged or expired). I couldn’t bear not to save this food and use it, for the simple fact that it was an unexplained waste. I later learned that people around North America in particular see this sort of waste first hand when they go dumpster diving. Some people (not me) use it as their primary source of food, and eat very well.
Canadians waste over $26,000,000,000 worth of food a year. Who is being disgusting?

Not the Freegans.

People shouldn’t get arrested for stopping waste.

- My name is John, and I am a part-time Freegan.

Wab Kinew at UofR Minifie Lecture

On Tuesday I tried to live blog Wab’s lecture from my smart phone, but the WiFi or something else wasn’t working right. The lecture will be online soon, and is on Access Communications coming up very son on Friday and again on Sunday I think I heard. Check it out, it’s awesome.
One story involved how he protested against a memo from CBC brass.
“Survivors” of residential schools were to be called “former students” according to CBC. More than 3000 children died in those schools. The brass did not heed his caution.

Wab threatened to resign from the CBC. The CBC reporters were unanimously behind Wab.

Whenever he hears Mansbridge say “survivor” in the context of Residential school students, he does a little fist pump. I feel like doing one when I hear the media use that word too.

@saskboy feather is a sacred item, I use it to keep me grounded in a spiritual sense—
Wab Kinew (@WabKinew) March 20, 2013

Over $400 a day to Travel

Wrote this a couple weeks ago, and forgot to publish it. Here it is, in some hindsight.
***

The math outlines the extreme expense incurred by Conservative Senator Pamela Wallin to travel.

Wallin’s travel expenses, which total more than $350,000 over the past 27 months, are currently the subject of an audit.

350K/27mon/30days/mon= $432.09/day roughly
She must be absolutely exhausted, because it would take me flying between Ottawa and Regina, and staying in a hotel nearly every other day to make that kind of expense work. The senator from Wadena really must be a workaholic.

This amount doesn’t consider her housing allowance, which is how she got into hot water in the first place, as other senators drew criticism for their questionable housing and residency claims.

–

Since first writing, these two news items have come to light.

The Club: Music

I went to a show tonight with Jesse, after buying a monthly membership at CrashBang Labs (which is in the same building as The Club at The Exchange on 8th Ave.

Real excited to have my song Leaves are falling featured on tonight's episode of
@CBCArcticAir! Tune in at 9pm // @Gharv
@SaskMusic—
Zachary Lucky (@zacharylucky) February 28, 2013

You can listen to Zachary Lucky online or in Saskatoon very soon.

–

Dan Geortz was also good. His song about being sold to the circus he footnoted as fiction, especially since his dad was in the audience.

–

In CrashBang Labs, I watched an iPod get LASER etched. A 40W laser apparently, but it doesn’t work at quite its full capacity, especially at a high moving head speed.

ReThink Meat

Meat fraud is taking place all around us. Most people probably can’t tell the difference between similar looking meats sold in stores, were it not for the labeling.

Fish fraud is apparently common in the USA.

Safeway recalled big and juicy E.coli burgers. “Must be cooked” is right on the box, and they weren’t kidding, were they?

I’m not above eating horse meat. I’ve never done it, however. At least, I don’t think I have. Many French and Italians didn’t have a choice if they bought from a mega-meat distributor who decided for them.

What all this brings to our attention, is how vital it is to cut down on overall meat consumption. You don’t have to eliminate meat from your diet to make a huge difference. Have it at half as many meals as you typically do today if you’ve not made a previous effort to cut back.

“Unless action is taken, increases in pollution and per capita consumption of energy and animal products will exacerbate nutrient losses, pollution levels and land degradation, further threatening the quality of our water, air and soils, affecting climate and biodiversity.”

Over consumption of meat, leading to higher than optimal demand in the food supply chain, leads to suffering in even rich countries:

Suzanne Salami, a single mother of three, subsists on just £30 a week and is angered by the way the horsemeat scandal is hitting the poorest hardest. “When you can’t afford to buy anything to eat, [or] ask where meat comes from and if it’s sustainable, it is not fair,” she said. “I am being made to eat stuff I don’t know about and I am being let down. It’s like we’re being told to eat and shut up.” She was particularly worried about the potential health impacts of traces of equine painkillers found in horsemeat in the food chain by the Food Standards Agency this week.

When I buy meat, I prefer it come from a source I know, such as a farmer near Wood Mountain or Ormiston; if I’m in the city, then a local meat shop like Fellinger’s. I’ll still take chances and buy meat from elsewhere, but I don’t feel comfortable with doing that.