Mountain pine beetles appear to be on their way to becoming a permanent fixture in Alberta’s forests, provincial officials say.
There were hopes that low winter temperatures in early 2008 would reduce Alberta’s infestation, but a provincial government assessment states that populations of the voracious tree pest remain high in several areas.
“Pine beetles may be here [...]

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A report produced by the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) and commissioned by the Australian Conservation Foundation and the Dusseldorp Skills Forum, says workers will find new “green-collar” jobs as net employment surges in the long-term.
The report’s modelling shows that despite the introduction of an emissions trading scheme in 2010, employment [...]

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Two weeks ago flash flooding prompted the Nunavut hamlet of Pangnirtung, on Baffin Island, to declare a state of local emergency. High winds and heavy rains damaged two bridges over the Duvall River, including a new bridge that was supposed to open this summer. With both bridges now closed, residents have no access to municipal [...]

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Climate change is fuelling conflicts around the world and helping to drive the number of people forced out of their homes to new highs, according to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). After a few years of improvement, thanks mainly to large-scale resettlement in Afghanistan, the numbers of civilians uprooted by conflict is [...]

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The European Commission recently hosted a high-level conference on the relationship between soil and climate change, and the role of soil management in climate change mitigation and adaptation. Organic matter plays a fundamental role supporting soil fertility, retaining water, sustaining biodiversity and regulating the global carbon cycle. But organic matter is in decline, and the [...]

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A new document, Key Elements of a Global Deal on Climate Change, prepared by Lord Nicholas Stern propose a plan on moving forward both in mitigation and adaptation. Stern, best known within the realm of climate change for the production of the Stern Review for the British Government, is the IG Patel Professor of Economics [...]

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The Stockholm Environmental Institute has recently released a report prepared for the Rockefeller Foundation titled Climate Change and Adaptation in African Agriculture. The report and associated policy briefing urge the effective use of climate science to improve adaptation efforts in African agriculture. The report’s main recommendations include: improve access to historical climate data; strengthen skills [...]

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ACT kicked off their second session at the start of May focussing on Extreme Weather Events and Natural Hazards. This session runs until December 2008. Dr. Gordon McBean, acclaimed climate scientist and Policy Chair for the Ontario-based Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction, is acting as the lead policy author for this session.
Over June 2nd and [...]

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