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Plan to prevent GM alfalfa contamination has its limitations, says plant scientist » PG 2
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Farm safety consultations get mixed reviews AgCoalition is hopeful, safety expert is pleased, but at least one farm group says the entire process is another ‘slap in the face’
Southern Alberta could soon have Texas weather Want to see the climate projections for your county? New online atlas predicts a sweltering future
By ALEXIS KIENLEN AF STAFF
T
ake your pick: The Alberta government’s approach to consultations on workplace safety regulations are a “sham,” possibly OK, or just what’s needed. The provincial government has set up six working groups — each with 12 members plus an independent chair — to develop workplace safety rules on farms and ranches. Of the 78 members, 23 are producers recommended by the AgCoalition (Alberta Agriculture Farm and Ranch Safety Coalition), an unprecedented alliance of 30 provincial farm organizations. That’s not enough farmers, said the Western Canadian Wheat Growers, which issued a news release calling the consultation process “a sham of a process that’s never been, and never will be, about farm safety — it’s clearly a Big Labour play, and nothing more.” AgCoalition members shouldn’t trust the NDP government, said Stephen Vandervalk, the organization’s vice-president.
see Farm safety } page 6
If these climate change predictions come true, massive heat waves will be the norm. The map on the left shows the current situation: Most of the Prairies is shaded blue (meaning 10 or fewer days when the temperature tops 30 C) with only Palliser’s Triangle in the light-green or yellow zones (20 to 25 days of +30 C). On the right is the prediction for the years after 2050 if there isn’t a reduction in greenhouse gases — with 30 to 45 days of scorching hot weather in a typical summer. GRAPHICS: Prairie Climate Atlas
By JENNIFER BLAIR AF staff
W
estern Canada is on an “inevitable” march towards hot, dry summers and mild winters that will make southern Alberta feel like northern Texas, according to a new climate change mapping program. “One of the big, striking conclusions of the atlas is that, even if we reduce emissions, we still see substantial changes to our climate,” said Ryan Smith, lead researcher on the Prairie Climate Atlas project. The online atlas is “the first big product” from the Prairie Climate Centre, a collaboration of the University of Winnipeg and the International Institute for Sustainable Development that regionalizes climate change information for Western Canada. “People don’t think that climate change affects them unless they see it happening to their community,” said Smith. “Up until now, most of the climate change information that people have received is very, very general. This
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is the first time we’ve really drilled into the details to get not just region specific but rural municipalities. We’re getting really specific information out of the climate models.” Using a series of interactive maps and graphs, the atlas shows how Western Canada’s climate could change over the next six decades in a ‘high-carbon future,’ where it’s basically “business as usual,” and in a ‘low-carbon future,’ where “immediate and drastic steps” have been taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Users can look at where their communities, rural municipalities, and ecozones sit today in terms of the number of days above and below 30 C, seasonal precipitation, and frost-free periods. Users can then see how those numbers will change in the near future (2021 to 2050) and in the far future (2051 to 2080.)
Drought implications
And the numbers are pretty startling. “For Lethbridge right now, in an average year you’d get between 16 and 17 days that hit 30 C or warmer. That’s just over
two weeks of +30 C days per year,” said Smith. “When you step forward into that highcarbon far-future scenario — basically, where we keep doing what we’re doing — that number goes to about 54 days. That’s just shy of two months of +30 C weather. “Fifty-four days is similar to what they get in northern Texas.” In the low-carbon scenario, Lethbridge will go from 16 days above +30 C to about 38 days, he added. And Albertans can expect to see those increases even as they move north. “Edmonton gets three days of +30 C weather, but if you were to go to that far-future high-carbon scenario, you’re up to 22 days, or three weeks. In the lowcarbon scenario, you’re up to 12 days,” said Smith. “You’re still quadrupling, even under the low-carbon scenario. It’s a huge increase, and it’s a huge concern.” While the models project wetter winters and springs — which could result in more flash floods like the ones seen in Calgary and High River in 2013 — “the big
see Texas weather } page 7
hog yard reports big improvement } PAGE 3