Environmental issues Archives - Page 8 of 30

You’re getting warmer…

By Alan Guebert June 20, 2017

In a White House Rose Garden ceremony June 1, President Donald J. Trump announced he would pull the U.S. from the Paris treaty on global climate change. As he colourfully noted, “I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris.” True, but he was elected to represent Paris, IL; Paris, KY; Paris, ID;

Crops, Opinion

Oats and alfalfa to reduce Corn Belt erosion?

By Union Of Concerned Scientists Release May 31, 2017

A new study released by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) found that modified three- and four-crop farming systems could be scaled up and adopted widely in Corn Belt states, generating benefits to farmers and taxpayers worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The analysis builds on a long-term study at Iowa State University, known as

Opinion, Weather

El Niño conditions are developing in the Pacific

We know La Niña and El Niño both have an effect on weather — but predicting it is still a real challenge

By John Kemp May 16, 2017

El Niño conditions are developing across the Pacific with an increasing probability that a full-fledged El Niño episode will occur during the second half of 2017. Pacific equatorial winds have slackened since the start of the year and a characteristic tongue of warm water has begun to form stretching from Peru towards the international dateline.

Juliane Schaible (centre) with the Manitoba government’s Department of Sustainable Development told the Manitoba Sustainable Energy Association’s (ManSEA) annual meeting April 5 a $10 carbon tax would cost a Manitoba household, on average, an extra 26 cents a day. Schaible discussed carbon pricing during a panel discussion with Curtis Hull (l) of Climate Change Connections, Dale Friesen of Manitoba Hydro, Terry Shaw of the Manitoba Trucking Association and Daryl Domitruk of Manitoba Agriculture.

Local news

Carbon tax impact discussed at sustainable energy association AGM

A tax of $10 a tonne would cost the average Manitoban an extra 26 cents a day, but farmers are still in the dark about their potential bill

By Allan Dawson May 3, 2017

Manitoba farmers are debating a carbon tax, but it isn’t easy since the provincial government hasn’t released any details. Taxing carbon is meant to discourage emissions. But as “price-takers,” farmers fear taxing it will reduce their competitiveness and profits. The Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) wants farmers exempted from paying a tax on carbon emitted directly

Comment/Feedback

The case for a carbon tax (and refund system)

Only with a well-structured refund mechanism will a carbon tax be fair to farmers

By Darrin Qualman April 25, 2017

Carbon taxes are controversial. Especially contentious is the question of whether such taxes should be applied to farmers. Before farmers make up their minds about carbon taxes, it’s important that they encounter a clear explanation of how a well-structured agricultural carbon tax could work, and how such a tax could help increase net farm incomes.

Blain Hjertaas (l) presents on carbon sequestration and regenerative agriculture March 21 in Brandon.

Livestock

Carbon taxes should be like income taxes — with credits

Diverse management systems are the key to putting more carbon back into the soil,  and possibly more money into farmers’ wallets

By Alexis Stockford April 12, 2017

Blain Hjertaas says that if you tax use, you should reward storage. “I believe that if we, as a society, are going to value carbon and tax carbon as a bad behaviour… then we need to reward those who solve the problem and take the carbon from up here and put it back into the

Crops

Heavy reliance on inputs diverts cash

Nitrogen use can’t keep increasing if greenhouse gas emissions are to fall

By Shannon VanRaes April 10, 2017

There is no way around it, according to Darrin Qualman, reducing carbon emissions will require a hard look at the use of nitrogen fertilizers. Speaking via Skype at the regional conference of the National Farmers Union (NFU) in Portage la Prairie last week, Qualman said the role of agricultural inputs can’t be ignored when it

Frozen cropland may be a larger source of nitrous oxide emissions than previously understood.

Did you know?, News

Frozen soils might be major emitter

A University of Manitoba study has discovered  the previously overlooked emissions

By Manitoba Co-operator Staff March 27, 2017

A new study suggests global greenhouse emission calculations have overlooked an important aspect of the agricultural sector. Emissions, especially of the key gas nitrous oxide, may in fact be about 17 to 28 per cent greater for cultivated soils frozen in winter than currently thought. Mario Tenuta, professor in applied soil ecology at the University

Beef cattle, Local news

Manitoba Beef Producers releases carbon pricing policy

The beef industry is part of the solution and must not have punitive  profit-killing measures enacted, says MBP

By Lorraine Stevenson March 23, 2017

Manitoba Beef Producers is proposing a carbon pricing policy centred around recognizing its sector as part of the solution. Pastures and grassland play a key role in carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas reduction, the organization said. “We believe we have a valuable role to play in helping Manitoba achieve its goal of reducing GHGs,” said

Crops, News

Scientists studying how to make poorer soils perform better

The work is in response to a growing problem of the loss of prime farmland to urbanization

By Alex Binkley March 7, 2017

As Canada steadily loses top-quality farmland to urban sprawl, Agriculture Canada scientists are studying ways to make poorer soils perform better in co-operation with foreign researchers. Brian Gray, assistant deputy minister for science and technology, told the Senate agriculture committee the work will help feed an expected global population of 9.5 billion in 2050. “We’re

Daily Network News

Huge crops in South America says analyst

U.S. livestock: ‘Cattle on feed’ report supports prices

U.S. grains: Wheat trades near contract lows under ample global supply

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