A new look at radiational cooling

If long-wave radiation can easily escape the area, we could see net cooling even if the sun is shining

I came across a weather article last week that was a purely academic discussion about radiational cooling. It was one of those articles that at first glance seemed to be purely a discussion for true weather geeks, meteorologists and university professors, with very little if anything to do with an everyday understanding of the weather,

Cold weather isn’t an obstacle to anaerobic digesters in Manitoba

Manitoba’s first anaerobic digester will be completed this fall and experts 
say it will prove that our cold winters are no problem

Manitoba’s challenging climate won’t leave producers out in the cold when it comes to anaerobic digesters, says a University of Manitoba researcher. “If you insulate it properly and it’s heated, there shouldn’t be any obstacles to having this technology,” PhD candidate Elsie Jordaan said during a presentation sponsored by the National Centre for Livestock and


Deep snow, late spring equal a bad year for deer

April is the cruellest month, as poet T.S. Eliot grimly observed. For whitetail deer, this year’s longer winter and higher snow levels has been especially hard, says the wildlife branch of Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship. Drivers may have noticed large herds of them hanging around in ditches even in broad daylight. Deep snow is

What to watch for in the early days of a foal’s life

Young foals are both precocious and precarious creatures. They are precocious in being able to arrive in the early hours of the morning and nurse and shadow their dams within hours of arrival. Yet they are precarious should they succumb to any illness which leaves them struggling for survival. Recognizing healthy behaviour and development of


Slaughterhouse incorporates anaerobic digester

Most of Kenya’s cattle are produced by members of the Maasai tribe, who are traditional nomadic herdsmen. In 1981, a group of Maasai families formed an association and established the Keekonyokie livestock market and slaughterhouse in Kiserian, an hour southwest of Nairobi. The market allows them to earn more by selling directly to customers, and

Some signs of warm weather

It looks like we’ll have to endure another week or so of cold weather before the weather models finally agree that warm weather will try to move in. After southern regions were brushed by a major late-winter storm on Monday we are left in a cold northwesterly flow for most of this week. Temperatures will


Optimizing the use of energy in pig feeds

With the cost of dietary energy more than doubling in the last eight years, it’s vitally important to optimize the efficiency with which it is utilized. Meeting the energy specifications of a typical grower diet now represents about 85 per cent of the cost of the diet and over 50 per cent of the total



More questions from readers

Hi Reena, Year after year, mildew develops along the caulking/sealant around my windows. In past years, my husband has regularly used bleach and much elbow grease to clean it. We don’t mind the normal amount of work a house takes but this is ridiculous, not to mention probably harmful to our health — both the

Changing climate and oil markets good for Churchill

Churchill port sees new opportunities for shipping in a melting — and rapidly developing — Arctic

The thawing of the Arctic is a chilling environmental prospect, but Port of Churchill proponents say it heralds a new era for Canada’s long-neglected and underutilized northern deepwater port. Since the port was built 70 years ago, the focus has been on grain shipments, but it’s now shifting to supplying the fast-growing communities in Nunavut