Three strikes and …?
We Albertans have received three powerful, powerful messages from Mother Nature. Plain, undeniable lessons. Well, not quite undeniable. In the face of all reason and common sense, we do in…
drought
Welcome to Dry February: Don’t worry about Dry 2024, though, the UCP has a ‘Drought Command Team’ for that
Welcome to Dry February: You’re probably going to feel the need for a good stiff drink when you realize just how dry things are likely to be in Alberta this…
Alberta sacrifices agriculture for oil
There is panic on the prairies. The greatest fear of farmers and ranchers alike is stalking the land—drought. Drought has always been a part of prairie life, of course, but…
“Why are we building houses if we don’t have enough water?”—A big lesson from a little town
Oakley, Utah, is small but appealing. Nestled in the mountains beside the Weber River less than an hour’s drive east of Salt Lake City, the town offers an attractive bargain…
Alberta isn’t immune to global warming
Living in Alberta one often gets the impression that when it comes to energy and the environment, promoting the oil industry is top priority while dealing with global warming is…
Further Down The Road
For those whose sense of weather peril is somewhat muted, the following picture of a London park, the top part showing it in May, and the bottom part as it…
"There Was No Rain"
Climate change refugees are on the march and they’re coming not just from Africa or the Middle East or some low-lying atoll in the South Pacific, they’re migrating poleward in…
Finally, Some Relief ….
The months-long drought where I live appears finally to be at end. However, any relief I feel is tempered by the knowledge that the weather system responsible for it is…
Finally, Some Relief ….
The months-long drought where I live appears finally to be at end. However, any relief I feel is tempered by the knowledge that the weather system responsible for it is…
Efficient Beans to Beat Drought Conditions
Beans are delicious, so delicious that earlier this year the UN declared 2016 to be year of the pulse. Around the world beans are cultivated for their protein and their…
How We Can Fend Off Drought
In this TED talk David Sedlak explores options that can be used to fend off drought in cities. The last century saw massive developments that treated water in a very…
Apocalypse Now, And The Shape Of Things To Come
I decided to take a break from the political landscape today to look at our physical one. Regrettably, although the title of this post comes from two films, what is…
It’s the D-Word and It’s Arrived in Canada
Prime minister Cletis doesn’t seem to have noticed that global warming has arrived in his very own backyard. Funny how he can’t hear all those local Tories squealing like pigs…
Yet Another Sign Of Just How Much Trouble We Are In
When we think of climate change, the first things that may come to mind are our increasingly violent storms and melting Arctic ice. Another, of course, is drought and its…
Connecting the Dots on Climate Change
One of the biggest failures in climate change reporting is the tendency to focus on particular aspects without considering the bigger picture. What does sea level rise have to do…
What Are The Limits?
Humans, and other primates, it appears, have an innate sense of fairness. We expect, for example, in times requiring sacrifice, that no member of society will be exempted. When we…
A California Cautionary Tale…Served Dry
Drought-ravaged L.A. looking to ‘sponge up’ every bit of rainwater New storm drains built to let rainwater ‘piddle out’ into soil, $1B emergency plan to add more By Kim Brunhuber,…
California Down to Its Last Year of Water
A report in the LA Times claims that California has freshwater reserves for but one more year. As our “wet” season draws to a close, it is clear that the…
When the Taps Run Dry, Where Do You Go?
Sao Paulo Riots Imagine telling the residents of Toronto that they have to flee the city and travel elsewhere in search of water. Well something along those lines may be…
How South Americans are Killing Their Environment
In some places, cutting down trees can have huge consequences. In South America, the impacts are especially far-reaching. Deforestation has picked up again in the Amazon. That, in turn, is…