Dubai deluge likely made worse by warming world, scientists find

A powerful rainstorm that wreaked havoc on the desert nation of the United Arab Emirates last week was likely made more intense because of climate change, a team of international scientists has found. The World Weather Attribution (WWA) group, composed of researchers from around the globe, said rain storms like the one that struck last … Read more

Opinion | Alcohol is bad for you in any quantity, new study says. How are we to know what health advice to believe any more?

It is impossible to know what’s healthy and unhealthy any more. Foods are so often vilified and then redeemed, suddenly going from zero to hero and back again. Eggs, milk, butter and pork all used to be deemed ingredients too high in fat or excessive cholesterol and we were told we should limit our intake. … Read more

Even gardens have a carbon footprint. Here’s how to reduce the climate impact of urban farming

Urban gardening might seem fairly innocuous when it comes to its overall carbon footprint, but when compared to conventional agriculture, a study released earlier this year would suggest otherwise.  The study, published in January in the science journal Nature, found the carbon footprint of food from urban agriculture is six times greater than conventional agriculture. But there are … Read more

How cloud seeding can make it rain or prevent extreme weather

Cloud seeding has been named by some media reports as a possible contributor to record-setting rain and flooding in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Here’s a closer look at what cloud seeding is, how it’s used and whether it could have made the flooding worse. What is cloud seeding? It’s the process of making tiny drops … Read more

When is Canada’s next total solar eclipse? 2044 in B.C., Alberta

Thousands of people flocked to parts of Eastern Canada and the United States this week to catch a glimpse of Monday’s total solar eclipse, when the moon completely blocked out the sun. For 11-year-old Julian Falkin, who traveled with his family from Vancouver to Cleveland, Ohio, to view the event, it was well worth the trip. … Read more

Now that bird flu is spreading among cows, scientists worry where H5N1 will jump next

On March 25, American officials published an urgent announcement: Dairy cows in Texas, Kansas, and New Mexico were falling sick. The cows had low appetites, and produced less milk than normal. Some farms also discovered wild bird carcasses on their grounds. Tests on a cow throat swab and raw milk samples all confirmed an unusual finding: … Read more

‘CSI on the ocean’: Whale researchers comb B.C. waters for eDNA

It was just after 8 a.m. when Gary Sutton and his crew spotted the signature black dorsal fins cutting through the cool waters of the Salish Sea, off the coast of Vancouver Island. More than a dozen Bigg’s killer whales, also known as transient killer whales, swimming north in search of food. They surfaced every few minutes, the spray of their … Read more

Researchers find how skin biomarkers in infants can predict early development of food allergies

WASHINGTON: Childhood food allergies are common and can be very serious or even deadly. In the process of creating a programme to stop food allergies, researchers at National Jewish Health have discovered early indicators of the illness.Findings of the study published in the Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology’s March 2024 issue, skin tape strips … Read more

Lots of new animals are heading for your city, study suggests

When you look out the window or walk your dog in the year 2100, the animals you spot might be quite different from what you see today, a new study suggests. Many wildlife species are moving due to climate change — which means Canadian cities could get an influx of wild climate refugees. They could … Read more

Who’s to blame for contaminated shellfish? Researchers follow the fecal matter to find out

For the shellfish industry, high fecal counts detected in areas where shellfish such as oysters are harvested can mean long — and costly — closures. The fecal matter is associated with human-borne viruses, like norovirus, but the tests that are typically used to measure the fecal matter don’t distinguish between different types of animals, including … Read more