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Major Change Coming to the Prairies
April 18, 2012
Imagine our northern lakes with no trees. Or our prairies with no wetlands. Scientists from around the world are predicting that global warming will cause major environmental changes over the coming century. In honour of Earth Day on April 22, the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) is educating the public on what this will mean for the Prairie provinces.
SRC Principal Scientist Dr. Jeff Thorpe recently published The Vulnerability of Prairie Grasslands to Climate Change, a study which predicts that much of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba will see major shifts northward of plant and animal species over the next 100 years. Dr. Thorpe’s findings are consistent with those of a NASA-funded study called Ecological sensitivity: a biospheric view of climate change, released earlier this year. This study found that the Prairies are more vulnerable to climate change than other areas of Canada because of the transition zone where grassland meets boreal forest.
According to Dr. Thorpe’s study, the southern edge of the forest will be replaced by aspen parkland and grassland, with current Canadian grassland types replaced by those found in the U.S. Great Plains - essentially changing current land uses in the Prairies. This will mean the Prairies will see fewer trees, shorter grasses, and gradual arrival of new kinds of plants and animals from the south. Invasive weeds, which are already a big problem in our grasslands, are expected to benefit from climate change. In addition, the thousands of small wetlands which make the Prairies the “duck factory of North America” will dry up more frequently in the warmer, drier climate.
Funding for this research was provided by Natural Resources Canada under the Prairies Regional Adaptation Collaborative, by the Government of Manitoba’s Agricultural Sustainability Initiative and by SRC.
SRC is Canada’s leading provider of applied research, demonstration and development (RD&D), and technology commercialization. With 400 employees, $63 million in annual revenue and 65 years of RD&D experience, SRC provides services and products to its 1,900 clients around the world.
For more information or to arrange an interview with SRC Principal Scientist Dr. Jeff Thorpe, please contact:
Rebecca Gotto, Communications Advisor
Saskatchewan Research Council
Phone: (306) 933 6298 / Cell: (306) 371 2127 / rebecca.gotto@src.sk.ca
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Saskatoon Weather Review: 2011
January 3, 2012
It was a year of record-breaking temperatures, below average precipitation, windy days and hot sunny weather in Saskatoon. While some might refer to 2011 as a pretty normal year weather-wise, there were a few events that made the record books. Some of these might surprise you.
The Saskatchewan Research Council’s (SRC) Climate Reference Station (CRS) records climate data such as highs, lows, wind gusts, sunshine hours and soil temperature statistics just to name a few. Operating since 1964, the CRS is a comprehensive climatological station that provides a record of observed meteorological elements to determine climatic trends for Saskatoon.
January doesn’t win any popularity contests as it is usually the coldest month of the year, also making it feel like the longest. 2011 was no different, but what was surprising was that within eight days of recording the year’s coldest temperature of -33.6 C on the 20th, the mercury rose to a much less frigid high of 4.3 C. In fact, four days in January registered temperatures above 0 C.
The shortest month of the year left residents of Saskatoon feeling like they just stepped on to a rollercoaster. With February‘s temperatures ranging from -32.8 C all the way up to 5.3 C, folks were left wondering whether they should leave town for a hot holiday or stay home and enjoy the spring-like conditions.
Staying true to the idiom, March rolled in like a lion, recording -30.3 C ? the coldest day of the month ? on the first and out like a lamb, at 5.2 C on the 31st. Overall, spring in Saskatoon wasn’t all that memorable this year. April’s temperatures were slightly below normal with the year’s first appearance of hail on the 27th. The month of May was pretty average on all fronts; temperature, wind speed and rainfall amounts all stayed within normal range.
June stood out as the soggiest month of the year with 93 millimetres (mm) of precipitation, about the length of a smart phone. Almost half that amount of rain, 39.5 mm, fell on June 17th.
The first full month of summer broke temperature, precipitation, sunshine and wind speed records. July set four maximum temperature records, including a high of 34.4 C on the 31st, breaking the previous record of 33.9 C set in 1973. Another daily record in precipitation was broken on July 12th with 21.4 mm of rainfall, beating a 25-year record of 17.2mm. The windiest day of the year also goes to July, with a peak gust blowing in from the northwest at 68 kilometres per hour (km/h) on the 20th during a thunderstorm. In fact, near gale winds (51-62 km/h or over) occurred eight times during the month.
All 31 days of July registered as bright sunshine days, totalling 346.9 hours, besting runner-up August by 8.6 hours. For those non-climate scientists out there, that means there was at least six minutes of sunshine recorded in one hour during the day; essentially one-sixth of an hour. Overall, 2011 was much sunnier than the year previous, with 2595.3 hours of bright sunshine from January to November or 19.1 per cent above normal for that period.
Not to be outdone by July, the month of September took home the title for the hottest day of the year, recording a scorching 35 C on the eighth. Summer’s warmth extended well into September with seven days reaching higher than 30 C. But then frost occurred on September 14, putting an end to the 126-day frost free season.
The kids and a few young-at-heart adults were treated to a snow-free Halloween as Saskatoon didn’t get its first snowfall until November sixth. But by the 27th, the temperature was back up well above normal with a high of 11.2 C, doubling the 43-year-old record of 5.6 C from 1968. In fact, twenty days of November recorded temperatures above 0 C.
The above zero trend continued for much of December, with Saskatoon celebrating a high of 4.0 C on Christmas Day. The final day of 2011 was also milder than past years, recording -0.1 C at its peak and dipping down to -17.1 C at midnight as a new year was ushered in.
With the end of 2011 and the new year freshly upon us, 2012 is sure to be another year of interesting weather and climate statistics. If you would like access to this kind of information year-round, subscribe to our monthly weather summary reports. Visit www.src.sk.ca/weather to sign up today. For additional information:
View the attached fact sheet to learn more about SRC’s Climate Reference Stations.
Watch our YouTube video of the 2011 unveiling of our newest CRS south of Prince Albert.
To arrange an interview with SRC’s climatologist Virginia Wittrock on this topic, please contact:
Jaime Procknow, Communications Coordinator
Saskatchewan Research Council
(306)933-7456 or (306)221-6887 or procknow@src.sk.ca
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SRC’s Carbon Cup Winner is Announced!
December 2, 2011
The Saskatchewan Environmental Industry and Managers Association (SEIMA) has won a free carbon footprint assessment worth up to $25,000 from the Saskatchewan Research Council’s (SRC) new carbon footprinting service.
SRC held the Carbon Cup Contest from August 3 to November 15, 2011 to encourage Saskatchewan businesses to consider their greenhouse gas emissions, or environmental footprint. As the world strives to become a greener place, businesses everywhere are being challenged to do their part to find cost-effective solutions to climate change.
The carbon footprinting service offered by SRC helps businesses calculate their greenhouse gas emissions and creates a plan to reduce emissions and energy costs.
Depending on the business, the service could include:
· An operational analysis
· Template calculations
· Converting energy usage to greenhouse gas emissions using appropriate customized conversion values,
· A customized plan to track and reduce future annual emissions
· And much more
As the winner of this contest, SEIMA will receive a customized carbon footprint assessment complete with actionable ways to reduce their emissions over time — providing a good example for their members to follow.
Since 1994, SEIMA has served the business and professional development needs of Saskatchewan’s environmental industry businesses and practitioners. Its membership is made up of environmental companies and environmental managers from other industries. These managers are responsible for environmental concerns within their organizations and represent sectors such as mining, forestry, agriculture and governments. This diversity of membership is one of SEIMA’s greatest strengths as it creates linkages between the environmental industry, industries that are concerned about their environmental impact, researchers and government agencies that are responsible for environmental regulations or business development within the environmental sector.
The Saskatchewan Research Council is Saskatchewan’s leading provider of applied research and development (RD&D), and technology commercialization. With over 400 employees, $63 million in annual revenue and 64 years of RD&D experience, SRC provides services and products to its 1,900 clients around the world.
To arrange an interview with a spokesperson from either SRC or SEIMA, contact:
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| Earth Day Story Ideas
April 19, 2011
As people who care about their environment are celebrating Earth Day on Friday, April 22nd, the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) and its experts are finding solutions that address pressing environmental challenges. The story ideas detailed below highlight two of the many ways that SRC is working to help protect the environment.
To interview an SRC expert or obtain high resolution photos related to these story ideas, contact:
Erin Taman Athmer, SRC Communications
Phone: (306) 933-7089 / Cell: (306) 381-3407 / media@src.sk.ca
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| Cleaning Up 50-Year-Old Uranium Mining Debris in Northern Saskatchewan
April 19, 2011
SRC is leading Project CLEANS, which is aimed at cleaning up 38 abandoned, uranium mine and mill sites in northern Saskatchewan. Project CLEANS (Cleanup of Abandoned Northern Sites) focuses on removing mining debris and restoring the land for the safety of the surrounding communities, environment and wildlife.
Located near Uranium City, in the province’s northwest corner, uranium mines and small prospecting sites were developed and operated by private companies during the 1950s and 1960s. These exploration sites and mining operations were later abandoned with little consideration to environmental protection or aesthetics.
While interest in the area’s mines has faded, more than 50 years of mining debris continues to pose a risk to the local population and the environment. SRC is working to reduce that risk. In 2010 alone, SRC disposed of more than 1,500 cubic metres of debris found at the satellite sites; more than half the volume of an Olympic-size swimming pool.
To learn more about Project CLEANS:
- Read the article
- Click here to watch the Project CLEANS video on YouTube or
- Visit www.saskcleans.ca.
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| Creating 3D Maps of Saskatchewan’s Groundwater
April 19, 2011
For years concerns have been raised about the health of lakes and rivers, but how often is attention paid to the water beneath the surface? Given that 75 per cent of communities and farms in southern Saskatchewan use groundwater for everything from drinking and bathing to agriculture and industry, more attention to this resource is warranted.
SRC is working with the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority to map groundwater in Saskatchewan’s agricultural areas over the next five years to create a single 3D model. This mapping and 3D model will help to ensure safe drinking water, healthy aquatic ecosystems and a reliable water supply for industry.
The project stems from SRC’s work with the Watershed Authority over the last several years to update groundwater maps. This latest generation of groundwater mapping is aimed at developing a standard for geologic/hydrogeologic mapping and groundwater characterization to apply throughout Saskatchewan’s agricultural areas. A large, interactive database will be available to users, including consultants, planners, municipalities and the public, who will have access to a wide variety of high quality data.
The Saskatoon region has been chosen to pilot the new mapping standard because it is a well-explored area, rich in data. Over the next five years, it is hoped that the 20 watershed areas in Saskatchewan will be mapped to this standard and formed together to create a single 3D model.
To learn more about SRC’s work on groundwater mapping:
- Click here to watch an interview with an SRC groundwater expert on YouTube.
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| Winter Weather Here to Stay?
March 10, 2011
It was a day filled with bright sunshine reminiscent of spring, but Saskatchewan’s groundhog, Snewsie, saw her shadow at noon on February 2nd. Will Saskatoon see several more weeks of winter?
If February was any indicator, winter isn’t sure if it’ll stay or not. The Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) Climate Reference Station (CRS) in Saskatoon recorded dramatic temperature fluctuations in February, starting with a low of -31.8 C and in a matter of only three days – rising to a high of 4.0 C. This weather roller coaster continued throughout the month, leaving Saskatoon residents wondering whether shorts or snowsuits would be needed for any given day.
Eight maximum temperatures rose above freezing while an equal number of minimum temperatures were less than -27 C, including three days below -30 C.
Saskatoon’s average temperature in February was -14 C, which is similar to last year’s monthly average of -13.2 C.
Snow blowers and shovels were again in regular use to remove the 25 cm of snow that accumulated on the ground. Snowfall was slightly above normal.
Even with eleven days of snow fall, the bright sunshine hours were above normal by 12 per cent.
This data and other detailed weather measurements have been collected at the SRC Climate Reference Station (CRS) near the South Saskatchewan River for more than 45 years.
For more information, contact:
Suzanne Johnston, SRC Communications
Phone: (306) 933-5400
Email: media@src.sk.ca
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Biodiesel Research Shows Positive Results in Saskatchewan
December 13, 2010
Results are in on a year-long biodiesel demonstration project that was undertaken by Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) and supported by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) under the National Renewable Diesel Demonstration Initiative (NRDDI).
The primary objective of the study was to evaluate the suitability of biodiesel blends in the agricultural sector prior to the proposed renewable fuels regulation that would require an average annual two per cent renewable content in diesel fuel.
During the 16-month demonstration period from August 2009 to November 2010, eight agriculture producers operated their equipment using canola-based biodiesel blended with diesel to determine whether the blended fuel affected engine performance. In total, over 30,000 litres of neat biodiesel were used to produce the B2 to B10 biodiesel blends that were consumed during 18,000 hours of use.
“Projects such as this represent an important step in ensuring the seamless integration of renewable diesel in the Canadian fuel market,” said the Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Natural Resources. “The Government of Canada supports biofuels and other alternative fuels as part of our commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and creating jobs for Canadians.”
SRC evaluated 72 pieces of agricultural equipment including tractors, combines and farm fuel storage tanks. The agricultural producers in the study did not experience any equipment performance or maintenance issues from the use of biodiesel-blended fuels. The biodiesel fuel was closely monitored and tested at SRC’s Biofuels Test Centre™ in Regina, Saskatchewan, to ensure it maintained adequate and consistent quality throughout the year-round farming cycle.
Regardless of whether equipment was stored indoors or outdoors, full or nearly empty of fuel, throughout the off-season, the study shows that the blended fuels continued to maintain the standards specified by the Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB) and American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).
“Western Canadian farmers face extreme weather conditions over the course of the year,” said Grant McVicar, Director of Energy Conservation at SRC. “This demonstration project has confirmed that canola-based biodiesel, blended with ultra low sulphur diesel fuel, can maintain its fuel quality during storage, can be used seamlessly by the farm community without making any changes to their operations and does not cause any operability issues for farmers or distributors of this fuel.”
The study indicates that using biodiesel, up to a B10 level in warmer months and B5 in colder months, has little impact on normal operation of agricultural equipment and does not necessarily require any changes for long-term fuel storage as long as it is blended to meet the CGSB recommended temperature specifications.
“This project has demonstrated in a real world situation what many producers have believed for some time” said Zenneth Faye, Executive Manager of Milligan Bio-Tech Inc. “A valuable, high quality, renewable and environmentally-friendly fuel can be produced from canola seed that is unsuitable for the food industry and blended for use throughout the year in diesel powered equipment.”
(See Backgrounder for more results)
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Backgrounder
Final Report
For more information, contact:
SRC Communications
Saskatchewan Research Council
Saskatoon
Phone: (306) 933-7456
Email: media@src.sk.ca
Richard Walker
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister
Natural Resources Canada
Ottawa
613-996-2007
or
Media Relations
Natural Resources Canada
Ottawa
613-992-4447
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