Oslo | Reuters — Man-made greenhouse gases began to nudge up the Earth’s temperatures almost 200 years ago, as the Industrial Revolution gathered pace, far earlier than previously thought. Greenhouse gas emissions from industry left their first traces in the temperatures of tropical oceans and the Arctic around 1830, researchers wrote in a recent journal […] Read more
Man-made warming dates back almost 200 years, study says
After scorching heat, Earth likely to get respite in 2017
Oslo | Reuters — The Earth is likely to get relief in 2017 from record scorching temperatures that bolstered governments’ resolve last year in reaching a deal to combat climate change, scientists said Wednesday. July was the hottest single month since records began in the 19th century, driven by greenhouse gases and an El Nino […] Read more
Okanagan producers adopt climate adaptation strategy
Agricultural producers and local governments in the Okanagan region are getting ready for the possibility of hotter, drier summers and different pest pressures under climate change. The B.C. Agriculture and Food Climate Action Initiative (CAI) brought agricultural producers together with local governments and provincial agencies to identify collaborative solutions and actions to adapt to the […] Read more
Globalized economy seen more susceptible to weather extremes
Barcelona | Thomson Reuters Foundation — The globalization of the world’s economy this century has made it far more vulnerable to the impacts of extreme weather, including heat stress on workers, scientists said Friday. A study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and Columbia University showed production losses caused by high temperatures, predicted […] Read more
The global weather scene is heating up like never before
April was the 12th month in a row where the all-time monthly temperature record was broken
Reading Time: 3 minutes Psychologically, May might have felt cool — especially compared to the extremely warm start Alberta has seen this year. But overall, May was still warmer than average. This makes it the eighth month in a row with above-average temperatures in all three of our main regions (Peace River, Edmonton, and Calgary). For those of you who […] Read more
Agriculture is responding to climate change
Warmer oceans and retreating glaciers are being felt at the farm level, but farmers are always moving forward
Reading Time: 3 minutes The following presentation won senior division honours in the Canadian Young Speakers for Agriculture competition at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto last month. A rise of 0.8 over 130 years… Why are we paying attention to such a number? Why does it even matter? Because this rise of 0.8 C is affecting the way the world is fed! […] Read more
Dreaming of a warm Christmas? El Niño may grant your wish
Winter is still winter, but history says the El Niño phenomenon brings above-average temperatures
Reading Time: 3 minutes After a fairly mild first half of November, things have turned cooler and a little more wintery. While it’s beginning to look like winter might have moved in for good, the long-range models seem to be really hanging their hats on El Niño bringing more above-average temperatures in December and right through the rest of […] Read more
Livestock seen threatened as biting insects press north
Bluetongue’s most recent appearance in the Canadian cattle herd may be a taste of what’s to come as insect species expand northward, a new study warns. Anna Zuliani, previously a graduate student in veterinary medicine at the University of Calgary (UCVM), recently published a paper on how geographical distribution of biting midges relates to the […] Read more
Severe ‘food shocks’ seen more likely due to extreme weather
London | Reuters — Extreme weather such as intense storms, droughts and heatwaves will cause more frequent and severe food shortages as the global climate and food supply systems change, British and U.S. experts warned Friday. The pressure on the world’s food supplies is so great, and the increase in extreme weather events so rapid, […] Read more
Study of bumblebee decline points to climate ‘vise’
A study of the shrinking range of bumblebee habitat suggests farmers relying on those species to pollinate crops may soon have to look elsewhere, barring a reversal of climate change — or, perhaps, an “assisted migration.” An international study of specimens from 31 species of bumblebees in North America and 36 such species in Europe, as […] Read more
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