 HAVE A FEARLESS HALLOWEEN THIS YEAR BY SHEDDING LIGHT ON NATURE’S SPOOKY SPECIES … THE NEW F WORD … OTTAWA PLANS TO BUILD PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN PIPELINES … AGWEATHER PROVIDES NEW CROP OF FORECASTS … OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST...

HAVE A FEARLESS HALLOWEEN THIS YEAR BY SHEDDING LIGHT ON NATURE’S SPOOKY SPECIES
Source: Nature Conservancy of Canada
With Halloween in our midst, it’s hard to miss the décor, costumes, and embellishments that use spiders to evoke a spooky aesthetic. But does the spider truly deserve this creepy reputation? You may have caught wind of a viral YouTube prank that captures a pint-sized dog wearing a realistic spider costume as it chases spooked prankees away. Many cited the mutant-like spider-dog as “cute” and he quickly became an Internet sensation. Oohs and aahs aside, this may have been one of the first times that an arachnid has attained superstar status. Could it be that spiders aren’t so scary after all? (read more)

THE NEW F WORD
Source: David Suzuki Foundation
Have you heard of flupyradifurone? Probably not, unless you work for the federal government agency poised to approve this new pesticide for use in Canada. But take note: This new "F" word is bad news for bees. Flupyradifurone is an insect-killing systemic pesticide similar to the controversial neonicotinoid, or neonic, family of bee-killing chemicals. When applied to seeds or soil, it’s absorbed by plant roots and travels to leaves, flowers, pollen, and nectar, making the plant potentially toxic to insects. (read more)

OTTAWA PLANS TO BUILD PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN PIPELINES
Source: NSFA
The federal government will launch a “public confidence exercise” this fall to build support for controversial pipeline projects and re-assure people about safety and environmental concerns. Natural Resources Minister Greg Rickford also said Friday new pipeline safety measures, to be released this fall, will help convince customers and communities that shipping bitumen is safe. (read more)

AGWEATHER PROVIDES NEW CROP OF FORECASTS
Source: Chronicle Herald
A time to sow and a time to reap. Now, with the help of the new AgWeather Atlantic project, farmers can add in some quality time in front of their computers as they figure out the optimal period to do both. “Most producers (farmers) used Environment Canada or the Weather Network to access their weather needs in the past,” said Erin Smith, a climate scientist with the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada office in Bible Hill. “This gives them more specialized information with agriculture. Not only can they get the seven-day forecast, but they can also get crop-specific reports based on weather parameters for their local area.”
(Go to the AtlanticFarmer.com weather link at the top of the page to check out AGweather.) (read more)