Single Mum Finds Fresh Start in $73K Wind Turbine Career, Proving College Degrees Aren’t Everything

Single Mum Finds Fresh Start in K Wind Turbine Career, Proving College Degrees Aren’t Everything

Returning to the workforce after a decade as a stay-at-home mum due to a divorce can be daunting. However, Jessica Jackson defied the odds to fulfil her dream of working outdoors. Her job, though risky, earns her $73,000 (£57,000) annually and has the potential to pay up to $100,000 (£78,000). Jackson, 37, climbs 300 feet … Read more

Travelling through a 40 degree summer looking for relief

Travelling through a 40 degree summer looking for relief

This summer I visited two coastlines: the western shore of Oregon and California by motorcycle, and the south coast of Spain. During both trips I experienced 40 C-and-higher temperatures, but the two countries dealt with the heat in different ways. The Oregon Trail and California coast are famous for spectacular seaside cliffs and long sandy … Read more

Tornado database from Environment Canada archives offers new twist on storm chasing

Tornado database from Environment Canada archives offers new twist on storm chasing

A trove of documents detailing more than two centuries of tornado events in Canada is now available to anyone with an internet connection. The files were housed in Environment Canada’s archives, and have been digitized and posted online as part of a multi-year project spearheaded by the Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP) at Western University in … Read more

The moon has an atmosphere (sort of). Now, astronomers have nailed down why and how

The moon has an atmosphere (sort of). Now, astronomers have nailed down why and how

The moon may be our constant companion, but there’s still a lot we have yet to understand about it. For example, it was only during the Apollo missions in the 1960s and ’70s that we discovered it has an atmosphere, tenuous as it is. “People do not even know that the moon has an atmosphere,” said Nicole … Read more

Mainland China braces for Super Typhoon Gaemi after storm slams Taiwan, soaks Philippines

Mainland China braces for Super Typhoon Gaemi after storm slams Taiwan, soaks Philippines

The eastern coastal provinces of Fujian and Zhejiang have prepared for the approaching typhoon by suspending air travel, ships and trains and closing outdoor scenic spots. The Fujian Meteorological Bureau activated a Level 1 emergency response – the most serious category – for typhoons and rainstorms on Thursday. It is expected to be the second-strongest … Read more

‘Otherworldly’ Portuguese man-of-war becoming more common on Nova Scotia’s inshore

‘Otherworldly’ Portuguese man-of-war becoming more common on Nova Scotia’s inshore

With a little help from the warming Gulf Stream, Nova Scotia beachgoers are encountering a strange creature with a balloon-like body whose sting packs a bigger punch than that of jellyfish. Last week, a Portuguese man-of-war appeared at a surfing hot spot on Lawrencetown Beach near Dartmouth, N.S. The animal, a species of siphonophore — … Read more

Montreal peregrine falcon chicks take first flights into a world full of danger

Montreal peregrine falcon chicks take first flights into a world full of danger

The world is full of dangers when you’re a falcon chick less than six weeks old and learning to fly — even if you’re a member of the fastest species on Earth. This week, three falcon chicks named Hugo, Polo and Estebane started to spread their wings around the nest site on the 23rd floor … Read more

Coal mine contaminants blown onto snowpack in Alta., B.C.: study

Coal mine contaminants blown onto snowpack in Alta., B.C.: study

Cancer-causing chemicals are being blown downwind from coal mines in southern British Columbia in concentrations that rival those next to oilsand mines, newly published research has concluded. “Our results reveal, for the first time, clear evidence that coal mining contaminants are spread far downwind from their sources,” says the paper, published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology. The … Read more

How nighttime heat could affect your body today

How nighttime heat could affect your body today

Last year was the hottest in recorded human history, and this year Canada continues to be affected by heat waves and record-breaking temperatures. One big shift is the increase in nighttime temperatures, prompting health concerns across the country as certain nightly forecasts across Eastern Canada predict highs of 24 C, instead of the typical 14 … Read more

If Canada’s tornado alley is shifting east, how can we better prepare?

If Canada’s tornado alley is shifting east, how can we better prepare?

When Jacques Juneau and Chantal Germain bought their home in Saint-Adolphe-D’Howard, Que., it seemed like the perfect spot. Nestled among the trees and surrounded by mountains, it felt safe. “[I thought] there’s no chance of any kind of storm, tornado or anything here,” said Germain. But a year after moving to the Laurentians, they were … Read more