Bats struggle during organic farming transition

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF EXETER

 

IMAGE: A CONVENTIONAL CITRUS ORCHARD IN CYPRUS view more 

CREDIT: PENELOPE FIALAS

Bat activity falls as farms make the transition to organic agriculture, new research shows.

Organic farming is better for biodiversity than conventional farming, which relies heavily on substances such as pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers.

However, little is known about how wildlife is affected by the transition period when a farm goes organic.

The new study, led by the universities of Bristol, Göttingen and Exeter, assessed the effects of organic farming by monitoring insect-eating bats at citrus orchards in Cyprus.

Activity of three of the four species included in the study was significantly lower at farms in the transition period, compared to conventional farms.

However, activity increased on established organic farms – suggesting a “time-lag” before the organic biodiversity boost for the most abundant bat species.

“We were surprised by our results – we expected the transition to organic farming to bring positive effects from the start,” said Penelope Fialas, from the University of Exeter.

“We can’t be certain why bats are negatively affected, but previous research suggests soil can suffer – with knock-on effects for other wildlife – when fertilisers, pesticides and other aspects of conventional farming stop.

“The soil and the wider ecosystem may take time to recover.”

Fialas added: “Our findings suggest the transition to organic farming should be managed carefully, to limit any negative effects on biodiversity.

“For example, neighbouring farms could avoid simultaneous transitions, allowing wildlife to find alternative habitats nearby while each farm switches its methods.”

Gareth Jones, from the University of Bristol, said: “We’ve long known that organic farms often harbour higher biodiversity than otherwise similar conventional farms.

“The transition to organic farming has been little studied, however, and determining if the detrimental effects during transition observed here hold for other animals and plants would be an interesting future research project.”

The study examined 22 matched pairs of citrus orchards, comparing bat activity at certified organic farms with conventional farms, and organic-transition farms with conventional farms.

The bat species included in the study were: Kuhl's pipistrelle (P. kuhlii), Savi's pipistrelle (H. savii), common bent-wing (M. schreibersii) and common pipistrelle (P. pipistrellus).

The findings showed:

• Activity of Savi's pipistrelles was three times lower – and activity of Kuhl's pipistrelles and common bent-wings was twice as low – on organic-transitional farms compared to conventional farms.
• Activity of Kuhl's pipistrelles was twice as high on organic farms compared to conventional farms.
• Activity of Kuhl's pipistrelles and Savi's pipistrelles was higher or organic farms than on organic-transition farms (by threefold and twofold respectively).
• The presence of “semi-natural” areas surrounding the farms did not affect these differences.

The study was partially funded by the University of Göttingen.

The paper, published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, is entitled: “Transition to organic farming negatively affects bat activity.”

Kuhl's pipistrelle (Pipistrellus kuhlii)

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Savi's pipistrelle (Hypsugo savii)

CREDIT  Harris Nicolaou

JOURNAL

Journal of Applied Ecology

DOI

10.1111/1365-2664.14468 

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Animals

ARTICLE TITLE

Transition to organic farming negatively affects bat activity

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

20-Jul-2023

POSTMODERN METAL ALCHEMY

‘Stunning’ discovery: Metals can heal themselves

Microscopic cracks vanish in experiments, revealing possibility of self-healing machines

Peer-Reviewed Publication

DOE/SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES

 

IMAGE: SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES RESEARCHER RYAN SCHOELL USES A SPECIALIZED TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPE TECHNIQUE DEVELOPED BY KHALID HATTAR, DAN BUFFORD AND CHRIS BARR TO STUDY FATIGUE CRACKS AT THE NANOSCALE. view more 

CREDIT: CRAIG FRITZ, SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Scientists for the first time have witnessed pieces of metal crack, then fuse back together without any human intervention, overturning fundamental scientific theories in the process. If the newly discovered phenomenon can be harnessed, it could usher in an engineering revolution — one in which self-healing engines, bridges and airplanes could reverse damage caused by wear and tear, making them safer and longer-lasting.

The research team from Sandia National Laboratories and Texas A&M University described their findings today in the journal Nature.

“This was absolutely stunning to watch first-hand,” said Sandia materials scientist Brad Boyce.

“What we have confirmed is that metals have their own intrinsic, natural ability to heal themselves, at least in the case of fatigue damage at the nanoscale,” Boyce said.

Fatigue damage is one way machines wear out and eventually break. Repeated stress or motion causes microscopic cracks to form. Over time, these cracks grow and spread until — snap! The whole device breaks, or in the scientific lingo, it fails.

The fissure Boyce and his team saw disappear was one of these tiny but consequential fractures — measured in nanometers.

“From solder joints in our electronic devices to our vehicle’s engines to the bridges that we drive over, these structures often fail unpredictably due to cyclic loading that leads to crack initiation and eventual fracture,” Boyce said. “When they do fail, we have to contend with replacement costs, lost time and, in some cases, even injuries or loss of life. The economic impact of these failures is measured in hundreds of billions of dollars every year for the U.S.”

Although scientists have created some self-healing materials, mostly plastics, the notion of a self-healing metal has largely been the domain of science fiction.

“Cracks in metals were only ever expected to get bigger, not smaller. Even some of the basic equations we use to describe crack growth preclude the possibility of such healing processes,” Boyce said.

Unexpected discovery confirmed by theory’s originator

In 2013, Michael Demkowicz — then an assistant professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s department of materials science and engineering, now a full professor at Texas A&M — began chipping away at conventional materials theory. He published a new theory, based on findings in computer simulations, that under certain conditions metal should be able to weld shut cracks formed by wear and tear.

The discovery that his theory was true came inadvertently at the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, a Department of Energy user facility jointly operated by Sandia and Los Alamos national laboratories.

“We certainly weren’t looking for it,” Boyce said.

Khalid Hattar, now an associate professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Chris Barr, who now works for the Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy, were running the experiment at Sandia when the discovery was made. They only meant to evaluate how cracks formed and spread through a nanoscale piece of platinum using a specialized electron microscope technique they had developed to repeatedly pull on the ends of the metal 200 times per second.

Surprisingly, about 40 minutes into the experiment, the damage reversed course. One end of the crack fused back together as if it was retracing its steps, leaving no trace of the former injury. Over time, the crack regrew along a different direction.

Hattar called it an “unprecedented insight.”

Boyce, who was aware of the theory, shared his findings with Demkowicz.

“I was very glad to hear it, of course,” Demkowicz said. The professor then recreated the experiment on a computer model, substantiating that the phenomenon witnessed at Sandia was the same one he had theorized years earlier.

Their work was supported by the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences; the National Nuclear Security Administration and the National Science Foundation.

A lot remains unknown about the self-healing process, including whether it will become a practical tool in a manufacturing setting.

“The extent to which these findings are generalizable will likely become a subject of extensive research,” Boyce said. “We show this happening in nanocrystalline metals in vacuum. But we don’t know if this can also be induced in conventional metals in air.”

Yet for all the unknowns, the discovery remains a leap forward at the frontier of materials science.

“My hope is that this finding will encourage materials researchers to consider that, under the right circumstances, materials can do things we never expected,” Demkowicz said.

Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. Sandia Labs has major research and development responsibilities in nuclear deterrence, global security, defense, energy technologies and economic competitiveness, with main facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Livermore, California.

Fusion Healing 

Green marks the spot where a fissure formed, then fused back together in this artistic rendering of nanoscale self-healing in metal, discovered at Sandia National Laboratories. Red arrows indicate the direction of the pulling force that unexpectedly triggered the phenomenon.

CREDIT

Dan Thompson, Sandia National Laboratories

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JOURNAL

Nature

DOI

10.1038/s41586-023-06223-0 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

ARTICLE TITLE

Autonomous healing of fatigue cracks via cold welding

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

19-Jul-2023

Some corals may survive climate change without paying a metabolic price

These resilient corals may dominate reef ecosystems of the future

Peer-Reviewed Publication

PENN STATE

 

IMAGE: RESEARCHERS FOUND THAT CORALS ASSOCIATING WITH THE DURUSDINIUM GLYNNII SYMBIONT (LEFT) ARE MORE RESILIENT TO WARM WATER TEMPERATURES THAN CORALS ASSOCIATING WITH THE CLADOCOPIUM LATUSORUM SYMBIONT (RIGHT). view more 

CREDIT: MATTHEW ASCHAFFENBURG

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — If, as the saying goes, ‘nothing in life is free,’ then corals might pay a price for being resilient to climate change. Indeed, the prevailing belief among scientists has been that corals must suffer reduced growth or other tradeoffs when they partner with symbiotic algae that help them tolerate warmer water. Yet, new research led by Penn State demonstrates that certain corals can have their cake and eat it too, and as a result, these coral-symbiont partnerships may come to dominate reef ecosystems in a climate-changed future.

“Our findings refute the general perception that reef-building corals with thermally tolerant algal symbionts grow poorly,” said Todd LaJeunesse, professor of biology, Penn State. “Instead, these warm-adapted partnerships better tolerate severe marine heatwaves and are likely to expand ecologically and dominate reef ecosystems in the future. While reefs of the future may not look pretty — with low diversity and greatly diminished ecosystem services — the resilient animals left behind will likely continue to provide food and habitat for other animals, and some reef growth to the ecosystems they’ve created.”

LaJeunesse explained that coral reefs are geologic structures created by coral colonies comprising tiny individual sea-anemone-like polyps whose tissues contain dense populations of photosynthetic algae, called ‘dinoflagellates.’ These dinoflagellates — which researchers call ‘symbionts’ — vary in their ability to tolerate high temperatures. When the ocean gets too warm, many symbiont species die, and their coral hosts die along with them. And when coral reefs collapse, fisheries, tourism and ecosystem services, such as hurricane buffers, are also at risk.

According to LaJeunesse, the first documentation of differences in coral mortality based on the species of symbiont present occurred in the Eastern Pacific Ocean following the 1997-1998 El Niño Southern Oscillation event when water temperatures were 2-4°C warmer than historical average temperatures. Following that event, he said, corals that hosted Durusdinium glynnii symbionts survived, while corals that hosted Cladocopium latusorum symbionts died.

“Clearly,” said Mark Warner, professor of marine science and policy, University of Delaware, “corals that associated with D. glynnii were at an advantage during that extreme heat event, but does hosting these temperature-resistant symbionts come at a cost? Previous research has suggested that the costs of thermal tolerance manifest as reduced nutrient translocation from symbiont to host and significant negative physiological tradeoffs, such as reduced growth and reproductive success. We wanted to know if a similar tradeoff could occur in corals and whether this could affect the fate of coral reef ecosystems.”

Kira Turnham, lead author of the study, which published today (July 19) in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, explained that to investigate possible tradeoffs in thermally tolerant partnerships, the research team compared the growth and reproduction of Pocillopora corals hosting the thermally tolerant D. glynnii symbiont and the more sensitive C. latusorum symbiont.

“These symbioses are common throughout the Indian and Pacific oceans, representing co-evolved and ecologically successful relations,” she said.

Specifically, the team measured skeletal growth, total mass increase and calcification rates — or the rate at which corals produce calcium carbonate, which is a measure of their growth. The team also measured reproductive output and response to thermal stress to assess the functional performance of these partner combinations.

“We found that D. glynnii provided the capacity to endure water temperatures that compromise most coral-dinoflagellate mutualisms without noticeable tradeoffs,” said Turnham. “This partner combination grows and reproduces just as well as the more temperature-sensitive partnership.”

Turnham noted that the differences in performance and function between the two partnerships were apparent only during experimental heating, highlighting the ability of D. glynnii to tolerate higher temperatures and provide heat tolerance to their hosts. The team is also studying similar coral-algal mutualisms involving numerous coral species in the Western Pacific nation of Palau to determine the breadth of these findings.

“This study highlights the contextual importance and incredible biology of coral symbioses,” said Turnham. “By investigating the coevolutionary history of the symbioses, providing a contextual lens and using improved symbiont species recognition, we can make more meaningful predictions about the persistence of corals as oceans continually warm from climate change.”

Other authors on the paper include Matthew Aschaffenburg, University of Delaware; Tye Pettay, University of South Carolina Beaufort; David Paz-García, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste; Hector Reyes-Bonilla, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur; Jorge Pinzón, University of Texas at Arlington; Ellie Timmins, Penn State; Robin Smith, University of the Virgin Islands; and Michael McGinley, University of Delaware.

The National Science Foundation supported this research.

Corals that associate with D. glynnii (right) are at an advantage during extreme heat events compared to corals that associate with C. latusorum (left).

CREDIT

David A. Paz-García

The researchers studied measured skeletal growth, total mass increase and calcification rates — or the rate at which corals produce calcium carbonate, which is a measure of their growth — in controlled tank environments under different temperature regimes.

CREDIT

Matthew Aschaffenburg

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JOURNAL

Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences

From nature, a solution to save coral from climate change

Researchers at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia – IIT and University of Milan-Bicocca have demonstrated the efficacy of a natural substance in protecting coral from the damage caused by climate change.

Peer-Reviewed Publication

ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI TECNOLOGIA - IIT

 

IMAGE: STYLOPHORA PISTILLATA CORAL COVERED WITH BIOMATERIAL DURING THERMAL STRESS TESTS view more 

CREDIT: IIT/UNIVERSITÀ MILANO-BICOCCA

Genoa (Italy), 19 July 2023 – Researchers at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (Italian Institute of Technology - IIT) and Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca (University of Milan-Bicocca), in cooperation with Acquario di Genova (Genoa Aquarium) in Italy, have recently published a study in ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, which demonstrates the efficacy of curcumin, a natural antioxidant substance extracted from turmeric, in reducing coral bleaching, a phenomenon caused primarily by climate change. The research group developed a biodegradable biomaterial to deliver the molecule without causing damage to the surrounding marine environment. Tests conducted at the Genoa Aquarium have shown significant efficacy in preventing coral bleaching.

Coral bleaching is a phenomenon that, in extreme events, causes the death of these organisms with devastating consequences for coral reefs, which are crucial for the global economy, the protection of coastlines from natural disasters, and marine biodiversity. Most corals live in symbiosis with microscopic algae, which are indispensable for their survival and are responsible for their vibrant colours. Due to climate change, sea and ocean temperatures are rising, a condition that disrupts the relationship between these two organisms. When this happens, the coral, which turns white due to the loss of algae, literally risks starvation. 

In recent years, as a result of climate change, this condition has affected most of the world’s major coral barrier reefs, including Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. However, to date there are no effective methods of countering this phenomenon and preventing coral bleaching without seriously endangering the survival of these habitats and the exceptional biodiversity associated with them.

Researchers at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia and the University of Milan-Bicocca, in collaboration with the Genoa Aquarium, have demonstrated the efficacy of a natural molecule, curcumin, in blocking coral bleaching caused by climate change. Curcumin is administered to the coral in a controlled manner by applying a biomaterial based on zein, a protein derived from maize, a system developed by the partners themselves in order to ensure safety for the environment.

During the tests, performed at the Genoa Aquarium, overheating conditions in tropical seas were simulated by raising the water temperature up to 33°C. Under these conditions, all untreated corals were affected by the bleaching phenomenon as would occur in nature, while, on the contrary, all specimens treated with curcumin showed no signs of this tendency, a result that makes this technique effective in reducing the susceptibility of corals to thermal stress. A coral species (Stylophora pistillata) typical of the tropical Indian Ocean, included in the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) Red List of endangered species, was used for this study.

“This technology is the subject of a patent application that has been filed, and in fact the next steps of this research will focus on its application in nature and on a large scale,” said Marco Contardi, first author of the study, research affiliate of the Smart Materials group at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia and researcher in DISAT (Department of Environmental and Earth Sciences) at the University of Milan-Bicocca. “At the same time, we will examine the use of other antioxidant substances of natural origin to block the bleaching process and thus prevent the destruction of coral reefs.”

“The use of new biodegradable and biocompatible materials capable of releasing natural substances that can reduce coral bleaching is something entirely new,” said Simone Montano, researcher at DISAT and deputy director of the MaRHE centre (Marine Research and High Education Centre) at the University of Milan-Bicocca. “I strongly believe that this innovative approach will represent a significant breakthrough in the development of strategies for the recovery of marine ecosystems.”

Stylophora pistillata coral covered with biomaterial during thermal stress tests

CREDIT

IIT/Università Milano-Bicocca

JOURNAL

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces

DOI

10.1021/acsami.3c01166 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Biodegradable Zein-Based Biocomposite Films for Underwater Delivery of Curcumin Reduce Thermal Stress Effects in Corals

 

Palm oil plantations and deforestation in Guatemala: Certifying products as 'sustainable' is no panacea

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

Cheap, versatile and easy to grow, palm oil is the world's most consumed vegetable oil and is found in roughly half of all packaged supermarket products, from bread and margarine to shampoo and toothpaste.

 

But producing palm oil has caused deforestation and biodiversity loss across Southeast Asia and elsewhere, including Central America. Efforts to curtail the damage have largely focused on voluntary environmental certification programs that label qualifying palm-oil sources as "sustainable."

 

However, those certification programs have been criticized by environmental groups as  greenwashing tools that enable multinational corporations to claim fully sustainable palm oil while continuing to sell products that fall far short of the deforestation-free goal.

 

Findings from a new University of Michigan-led study, published online in the Journal of Environmental Management, support some of the critics' claims—and go much further.

 

The U-M case study focuses on Guatemala, which is projected to become the world's third-largest palm-oil producer by 2030 after Indonesia and Malaysia, and an influential environmental certification system called the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, or RSPO.

 

"Our results indicate the supply chains of transnational conglomerates drove deforestation and ecological encroachment in Guatemala to support U.S. palm oil consumption," said study lead author Calli VanderWilde, a doctoral student at the U-M School for Environment and Sustainability who did the work for her dissertation.

 

"In addition, we found no evidence to suggest that RSPO certification effectively protects against deforestation or ecological encroachment. Given that oil palm expansion is predicted to increase significantly in the coming years, this pattern is likely to continue without changes to governance, both institutionally and to supply chains."

 

The U-M-led research team tracked palm oil sourced from former forestland, and other ecologically critical areas in Guatemala, by several large transnational conglomerates that sell food products made from the oil in the United States. The corporations are members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil and have RSPO commitments and sourcing policies in place to ensure the sustainability of their palm oil supplies.

 

The study used satellite imagery and machine learning to quantify deforestation attributable to palm oil plantation expansion in Guatemala over a decade, 2009-2019. In addition, the researchers used shipment records and other data sources to reconstruct corporate supply chains and to link transnational conglomerates to palm oil-driven deforestation.

 

The study found that:

 

• Guatemalan palm oil plantations expanded an estimated 215,785 acres during  the study period, with 28% of the new cropland replacing forests.

 

• As of 2019, more than 60% of the palm oil plantations in the study area were in Key Biodiversity Areas. KBAs are sites that contribute significantly to the global persistence of biodiversity in terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems.

 

• RSPO-certified plantations, comprising 63% of the total cultivated area assessed, did not produce a statistically significant reduction in deforestation and appear to be ineffective at reducing encroachment into ecologically sensitive areas in Guatemala.

 

• Despite their RSPO membership and pledges to source palm oil from certified plantations, several multinational corporations predominantly sourced palm oil from noncertified mills in Guatemala.

 

• Even RSPO-certified palm oil plantations and mills are contributing to deforestation in Guatemala.

 

Guatemala is divided into 22 administrative districts called departamentos. The study focused on a 20,850-square-mile region in the three departamentos (Alta Verapaz, Izabal and the lower half of Petén) responsible for 75% of Guatemala's palm oil production.

 

The researchers used high-resolution satellite imagery to assess land-use change between 2009 and 2019, and a machine learning algorithm enabled them to distinguish between forests and monoculture plantations.

 

They found that oil palm expansion is encroaching on, and causing deforestation in, seven Key Biodiversity Areas and 23 protected areas.

 

Among the areas impacted, the Key Biodiversity Areas with the largest palm extent include the Río La Pasión, Caribe de Guatemala and Sierra de las Minas Biosphere Reserve. The Río La Pasión is an especially rich area for endemic fish species, making it an important area for conservation.

 

Oil palm encroachment on the Sierra de las Minas Biosphere Reserve threatens animals such as the quetzal, Guatemala's national bird. Known as the jewel of Guatemala, the reserve is an irreplaceable gene bank for tropical reforestation and agroforestry and supports the livelihoods of more than 400,000 people.

 

The researchers identified 119 RSPO-certified plantations and 82 non-RSPO plantations. During the study period, 9% of the RSPO-certified plantation expansion resulted in, or contributed to, forest loss, compared to 25% of the noncertified plantation expansion.

 

"Environmental certification does not effectively mitigate deforestation risk, and firms cannot rely on—or be allowed to rely on—certification to achieve deforestation-free supply chains," said study senior author Joshua Newell, a geographer and a professor at the School for Environment and Sustainability.

 

By reconstructing the supply chains of the three conglomerates, the researchers revealed connections to palm oil-driven deforestation. Of the 60,810 acres of palm oil-driven deforestation across the study period, more than 99% was traced to plantations supplying palm and palm-kernel oil to mills used by two multinational conglomerates. Seventy-two percent of the palm and palm-kernel oil was linked to the subset of plantations supplying a third corporation's mills.

 

"Palm oil has attracted attention for its ties to widespread forest and biodiversity loss across Southeast Asia. However, the literature has paid minimal attention to newer spaces of production and issues of corporate supply-chain traceability," VanderWilde said.

 

"As it stands, environmental certification makes unjustified claims of 'sustainability' and fails to serve as a reliable tool for fulfilling emerging zero-deforestation requirements."

 

The authors recommend reforms to RSPO policies and practices, robust corporate tracking of supply chains, and the strengthening of forest governance in Guatemala.

 

In addition to VanderWilde and Newell, authors of the study are Dimitrios Gounaridis of the U-M School for Environment and Sustainability and Benjamin Goldstein of McGill University. Funding for the study was provided by U-M's Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship Program.

 

Study: Deforestation, certification, and transnational palm oil supply chains: Linking Guatemala to global consumer markets 

 

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JOURNAL

Journal of Environmental Management

Nuclear threat from Ukraine war prompts Ottawa to update plans for catastrophe

The Canadian Press
Wed, July 19, 2023 


OTTAWA — Canada is dusting off and updating emergency protocols to deal with fallout from a possible tactical nuclear exchange in Europe or the spread of radiation across the ocean from a Ukrainian power plant explosion.

Internal Public Safety Canada notes show the measures include updating a highly secret plan to ensure the federal government can continue to function in a severe crisis.

Ottawa was also taking steps to finalize a protocol for advising the Canadian public of an incoming ballistic missile, say the notes obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February last year prompted a series of federal discussions and initiatives aimed at bolstering Canada's preparedness for a catastrophic nuclear event.

Public Safety notes prepared in advance of an August 2022 meeting of senior bureaucrats involved in emergency management show much of the concern focused on Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, which was hit by shelling.

"Ongoing military activities have eroded safety systems, disrupted routine maintenance, weakened emergency response capabilities and impacted operating staff, increasing the risk of a severe accident," the notes say.

Officials anticipated the potential effects of an uncontrolled release of radioactivity, through direct exposure or eating contaminated food, would depend on proximity to the plant.

Global Affairs Canada procured potassium iodide pills as a precaution, with stocks distributed to Kyiv and neighbouring diplomatic missions in August 2022.

Officials also developed plans for a "significant surge in requests for consular assistance" expected after a power plant disaster.

No radiological effects to health were foreseen outside Ukraine following a major radiation release from Zaporizhzhya, nor any "appreciable risk" to people in Canada, the notes say.

"No immediate protective measures would need to be implemented, although there could be some controls put in place for imports from Ukraine and surrounding areas due to potential contamination."

Under the Federal Nuclear Emergency Plan, Public Safety would co-ordinate communication to the public about an international nuclear event.

"A timely and well-co-ordinated response will be necessary to address public concern and high risk perception, and maintain trust in government."

The notes also say Public Safety and the Privy Council Office were doing a "rapid refresh" of the Continuity of Constitutional Government plan, intended to ensure essential executive, legislative and judicial processes can take place during a major calamity.

The plan sets out a process for relocating key institutions including the Prime Minister's Office, the federal cabinet, Parliament and the Supreme Court to an alternate site outside the National Capital Region.

The plan is a modern version of a Cold War-era program that would have seen members of the government move to an underground installation west of Ottawa now known as the Diefenbunker, a nod to Canada's 13th prime minister.

The internal notes also say a national Missile Warning Protocol had been ratified and "initial engagement" with the provinces and territories had taken place.

The federal government and Canadian Armed Forces developed the protocol in 2018 to set out how the public and key federal partners would be informed of an inbound intercontinental missile. On Jan. 13, 2018, a false ballistic missile alert sent terrified people in Hawaii scurrying for cover.

In a written response to questions, Public Safety Canada said both the constitutional continuity plan and the missile warning protocol are "constantly evolving" based on lessons learned from other events, ongoing input from partners and the changing risk environment.

It is not unusual for a crisis like the one unfolding in Europe to prompt officials to accelerate a review of emergency plans, said Ed Waller, a professor at Ontario Tech University who researches nuclear security.

"I think that shows a responsive system," he said in an interview. "It's actually very encouraging that they're taking a good, solid look at this now."

Overall, Canada has long had well-thought-out and developed plans for dealing with a nuclear emergency, given the number of power reactors on its soil, he added.

"I honestly believe that we're in decent shape. Can it get better? Yeah, anything can get better."

Although some sensitive material in the newly released notes was withheld from release, Waller said it "looked encouraging that they were addressing the right things."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 19, 2023.

Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press

Four simultaneous heat domes break major records across the globe

Millions of people dealing with record temperatures under multiple heat domes


Nathan Howes
Wed, July 19, 2023 

Four simultaneous heat domes break major records across the globe

In similar fashion to the frequency and intensity of atmospheric rivers in 2021, heat domes are playing integral roles in driving extreme weather events in 2023, especially in recent weeks.

At the moment, there are four separate heat domes occurring across the Northern Hemisphere, resulting in extreme temperatures that have broken several significant records.

image3

SEE ALSO: After Earth's hottest week on record, extreme weather surprises everyone
Where are the heat domes?

In North America, a heat dome has had major impacts across the southwestern United States for more than two weeks.

Now an all-time record for the city, Phoenix, Ariz., has reached 43.3°C or higher for 19 days in a row -- from June 30 to July 18. However, that won't be the end of it as daytime temperatures are forecast to go above 43.3°C for the next seven to 10 days.

image6

The North Atlantic Ocean has seen its hottest temperatures on record. There are several different reasons for the heat, including the lack of wind, which allows the surface to warm faster with less upwelling. As well, a lack of Saharan dust with less light being reflected back to space, and of course, climate change.

The heat dome hasn’t had much of an effect over land, but it did help to usher in hot and humid conditions to Newfoundland.

Another heat dome over North Africa has been the cause of widespread records in Europe. The most affected countries are Spain, Italy, Morocco and Algeria. On Tuesday, Rome recorded a temperature of 42.9°C, which is the hottest reading the city has ever documented.

image1

The intense heat wave has been sizzling southern Europe during its peak summer tourist season, shattering records including in Rome, and prompting government warnings about an increased risk of deaths.

Wildfires have been burning for consecutive days west of the Greek capital, Athens. Erratic winds have helped spread the blazes, leading to dozens of homes being damaged or destroyed, and forcing hundreds of people to flee amid the thick smoke.

The fourth heat dome over Asia helped China achieve its hottest all-time temperature record of 52.2°C. on Sunday, July 16 in Sanbao Township in Xinjiang's Turpan Depression. However, the station is still new, so the data does not go back very far.

image2

It is only one of two all-time records that were set in China this year. On Jan. 22, Mòhé plummeted to -53°C, making it the coldest temperature ever observed in China.

The excessive heat occurred at a critical time as U.S. envoy, John Kerry, arrived in China for climate talks between the two countries.

Since it's summer in the Northern Hemisphere, there's nothing out of the ordinary about it being hot in this section of the globe. The ridges responsible for these heat domes are a typical configuration of our atmosphere, but it is their intensity that is surprising.

Another factor that fuels the phenomena is the length of the heat episodes. The southwestern United States, for example, has been experiencing excessively hot temperatures for several weeks. Under the dome, the atmosphere stagnates, which allows the heat to intensify.
What qualifies an event as a heat dome?

To meet the criteria for a heat dome, you need several factors. You need to look for a stalling high-pressure system that is cut off from the rest of the upper-level wind patterns surrounding it. With a heat dome stranded in place, the temperatures can stay warm day-after-day.

HEATDOME

While daytime highs can soar into uncharted territory in these events, the real threats are the overnight temperatures, according to Tyler Hamilton, a meteorologist at The Weather Network. This is because there is little heat relief, adding to the prolonged sizzle.

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With files from Matt Grinter, a meteorologist at The Weather Network, Reuters and MeteoMedia.

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British Columbia's record-breaking wildfire season, by the numbers

British Columbia's wildfire season is now the most destructive on record, with more than 14,000 square kilometres of the province burned, surpassing the previous high of 13,543 square kilometres set in 2018.

Here are some statistics about the current season from the BC Wildfire Service website, as of noon Pacific time, July 19.

Total area burned: 14,279 square kilometres

Fires currently burning: 377, including 21 fires of note

New fires in past 24 hours: 15

Out-of-control fires: 237

Total number of fires this season: 1,210

Causes of all fires: Lightning, 65 per cent; humans (deliberate and accidental) 29 per cent; unknown, six per cent.

Biggest single fire: Donnie Creek fire, northeastern B.C., 5,831 square kilometres.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 19, 2023.


Drones, ATVs hamper B.C.'s wildfire fighting efforts during record-breaking season




Firefighters battling hundreds of blazes in British Columbia say they've been facing more than the usual obstacles when "irresponsible" members of the public interfere with operations.

The BC Wildfire Service says it has had to deal with several people riding all-terrain vehicles around active work sites, boaters interfering with helicopters trying to collect water and in one case, a drone forcing a halt to the air fight.

Fire information officer Donna MacPherson said Tuesday that the behaviour impacts efforts to put out fires and leaves both those interfering and firefighters at risk.

She said interference on the ground pulls resources away to deal with getting the unwanted visitors out safely, and any delays in air support can affect how well a fire is fought.

"So, there's multiple ways in which irresponsible public behaviour can impact the actual outcome that our firefighters are trying to achieve," she said.

In a statement, the service said there have been several reports of people riding ATVs around active work sites and getting in the way of heavy equipment operators and firefighters battling multiple fires in the Burns Lake area in northwestern B.C.

Last weekend, aerial firefighting operations in B.C's northwest were temporarily suspended due to a drone being flown near a wildfire.

MacPherson said that legally people need to stay away from fire sites in the same way that applies to places such as construction sites.

"Because the people that are doing the building are responsible for making sure that not only are their own people safe, but also that people don't enter into their work site without permission," she said.

"So for us, our work site is wherever we're working. So basically, if they see our equipment working, they need to get out."

Federal aviation laws ban drones from flying near wildfires, with penalties that include fines or even jail. Interfering with a wildfire work site could lead to a $1,150 fine under the provincial Wildfire Act, the service says.

MacPherson said firefighters are not focused on what motivates people to break the rules but make it clear to anyone they find that what they're doing is illegal.

They'll also collect names, if possible, as well as descriptions or other details to pass on to authorities including RCMP, conservation officers and Ministry of Forest personnel, who can issue fines.

Officials were not able to provide details Tuesday on how many fines have been issued this season.

MacPherson said it's difficult to know whether interference is a growing problem, but officials are making more of an effort to speak out publicly when it happens.

"I think a lot of what's happening is that we're being a little bit more forthright and assertive when it happens. We're saying when it happened, and we're trying to explain what happened, as best we can," she said.

"Where sometimes before, it would have just been a little bit more managed locally."

The province's wildfire season set a new record Tuesday for the total area burned in a year, with almost 14,000 square kilometres scorched and hundreds of fires burning across the province.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 18, 2023.

Ashley Joannou, The Canadian Press