Ottawa trade lawyer and water rules expert Stephen Shrybman says the 20-year debate over whether water is covered by the North American Free Trade Agreement is irrelevant. Of course water is governed by NAFTA rules, he says. “The fact is that water is an investment and a service category that is captured by the NAFTA,” […] Read more
Farm Living
Water definition at core of debate
How to invest in water: a tricky business
San Francisco, California (Reuters) – A global water crisis is looming, but the path to profits is a muddy mess of regulated industries, giant companies with small water operations, and start-up technologies. For Alex Miles, who once ran a water hedge fund and now manages $350 million at Kingfisher Capital, successful investing in water means […] Read more
Pothole drainage: managing wetlands
Potholes have been a major water issue since farmers first arrived on the Prairies in the mid-1800s. Draining potholes was inevitable if the Prairies were to become productive and support a growing population. Seventy percent of potholes have since disappeared, according to the 2008 Canadian Wetland Inventory. Satellite imagery shows that the remaining prairie wetlands […] Read more
Yes, it’s in the ground, but it doesn’t stay there
There is a lot that scientists don’t know about ground water. In Alberta, much of the ground water information that scientists rely on comes from the Alberta Research Council’s (ARC) mapping programs of the 1960s and 1970s. “We really haven’t moved that far from the ’60s,” said Alec Blyth, a research hydrogeologist with the council’s […] Read more
Biofuel may have bad rap as water user
Biofuel production is having a profound impact on water demand, according to a United Nations report. “Despite their potential to help reduce dependence on fossil energy, biofuels with current technology are likely to place a disproportionate amount of pressure on biodiversity and the environment,” says the UN’s World Water Development Report 3. “The major problem […] Read more
Effluent water proves useful for farm irrigation
Rick Swenson doesn’t turn off his irrigation pivot when the wind blows and the temperature soars. He cranks it up and keeps the water pumping. He’s irrigating his crops and acting as a disposal system for the City of Moose Jaw’s waste water treatment facilities. “There’s no drip nozzles around here,” the Saskatchewan farmer said. […] Read more
Average home uses 329 litres per day
Canadians use a lot of water. Environment Canada says the average Canadian household used 329 litres of water a day in 2004, compared to the European average of 200 litres per day and 10 to 20 litres per day in sub-Saharan Africa. It seems Canadians have something to learn about water conservation. Three families in […] Read more
Managing water that falls from the sky
Cloud seeding is a growing industry around the world, aimed at harvesting rain and snow. In Canada, however, the emphasis has been more on softening the blow inflicted by hailstorms. Cloud seeding is a way of modifying weather by attempting to draw more moisture out of rain clouds, or change the precipitation that falls. It […] Read more
Indulge without packing on calories with low fat recipes – TEAM Resources
It was the fall of 1992 when Alma, Barb, Jodie and myself gathered around our dining room table to talk about ways we could share our home economics knowledge. From that and several other meetings that fall we discovered we were all interested in doing some writing and that our focus would be on the […] Read more
New law allows apology – The Law
Q: I had an accident and damaged a neighbor’s property. I’d like to say I’m sorry but my lawyer has cautioned against it, saying that could be seen as an admission that I’m in the wrong. What can I do? A: That is not bad advice. Generally speaking, any admission tending to show you think […] Read more
