Reuters – Joey Airoso has always been proud of his cows, whose milk goes into the butter sold by national dairy company Land O’Lakes. Now he has something new to brag about: the vast amounts of gas produced by his 2,900-head herd is powering truck fleets, homes and factories across the state of California. “It’s […] Read more
Tag Archives climate change — page 15
U.S. utilities turn to farms in climate change fight
The United States, and especially California is ahead of Canada in adopting renewable natural gas
Maple Leaf hits carbon neutral
The company has been working throughout its operations to reduce environmental impact
Maple Leaf Foods says its operations are carbon neutral, a status achieved through improvements in its own operations and investments in offsets elsewhere. The company claims to be the first major food company to be able to say that it is carbon neutral. Why it matters: Major operations decisions by large companies almost always have […] Read more
Agriculture and climate change
There is a positive side to the story of agriculture and climate change. Why is it so hard getting anyone to listen?
The Canadian Agri-food Policy Institute (CAPI) recently painted a picture of Canadian agriculture and greenhouse gas emissions that runs counter to commonly held public perceptions. The CAPI paper said generally the sector has its house in order. Canadian agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions peaked in 2005 and have remained steady at about 60 mega tonnes of […] Read more
WMO urges drastic action as global average temperature set to rise again
A 2015 treaty signed by 200 nations that set a goal of limiting warming to below pre-industrial levels is being changed
Geneva | Reuters – The global average temperature is set to rise to at least 1.2 to 1.3 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels over the next five years, a World Meteorological Organization (WMO) official said Sept. 22, close to a limit adopted in a global treaty. The prediction came as governments met in New York […] Read more
University’s ‘Beefier Barley’ billboard binned
A billboard about Alberta barley’s prospects under climate change in the University of Alberta’s ‘Truth Matters’ promotion — a series of ads meant to spark discussion about its researchers’ work — has been winnowed out of the campaign. Jacqui Tam, the Edmonton-based U of A’s vice-president for university relations, announced Sunday it would withdraw the […] Read more
Researchers work together to find high-tech solutions to deal with hotter climate
Scientists are looking at everything from improved genetics to robots to help farmers maintain productivity as the world heats up
London | Thomson Reuters Foundation – In decades to come, African farmers may pool their money to buy small robot vehicles to weed their fields or drones that can hover to squirt a few drops of pesticide only where needed. Smartphones already allow farmers in remote areas to snap photos of sick plants, upload them […] Read more
UN flags need to reduce meat consumption to curb land use impact on global warming
London/Geneva | Reuters — Global meat consumption must fall to curb global warming, reduce growing strains on land and water and improve food security, health and biodiversity, a United Nations report on the effects of climate change concluded. Although the report stopped short of explicitly advocating going meat-free, it called for big changes to farming […] Read more
Tories’ climate plan focused on green investment
The federal Conservatives’ proposed replacement for the Liberal government’s framework on climate change offers several shout-outs to farmers, in a document focused on green investment rather than current consumption patterns. The lead opposition party’s plan, launched Wednesday by leader Andrew Scheer, proposes to scrap the Trudeau government’s current carbon pricing plan, which imposes levies on […] Read more
Climate change has U.S. fund managers adjusting agriculture investments
New York | Reuters — After historic floods devastated Midwestern agricultural states this spring, some fund managers are evaluating how climate change will affect the long-term value of companies that make or sell products ranging from tractors to fertilizer. The issue is not simply the unpredictability of weather. Instead, fund managers say, they are struggling […] Read more
Province hears from farmers on carbon tax
There’s little enthusiasm from the premier on a high speed rail proposal
The provincial Conservative government is continuing its push to negate the federal carbon tax. Premier Doug Ford, Rod Phillips, minister of environment, conservation and parks and Ernie Hardeman, minister of agriculture, visited Veldale Farms near Woodstock in late March to hear from farmers about the effects of the carbon tax. The meeting was closed to […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
