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Greetings from C-CIARN Agriculture Thanks to all our network members for making our meeting in Gatineau on February 25 such a success. Participants were very appreciative of the opportunity to hear directly from producers about their policy needs regarding climate and weather risk management. Our office will have a meeting report available soon both in hard copy and electronically through our web site. Upcoming Events Confronting Water Scarcity, Challenges and Choices. CWRA, Lethbridge Alberta, July 13-16,2004 The Science of Changing Climates- Impacts on Agriculture, Forests and Wetlands. Edmonton Alberta, July 20-23,2 2004 Research News Biotech and Climate Change in Developing Countries Crop Biotech Update, March 19, 2004. Modern biotechnology, including the use of transgenic plant cultivars, may offer opportunities to strengthen the arsenal of adaptive responses to climate change. However, developing countries’ preparedness for adaptation to climate change are not apparent. This is the view of Joel Cohen of the International Service for National Agricultural Research, and Norman Rosenberg of the Joint Global Change Research Institute. Cohen and Rosenberg said that the technology can impart tolerance or resistance to heat and moisture stress and/or resistance to pests and disease. Molecular technologies can also be used to isolate and insert genes coding for traits that convey the needed tolerance or resistance. However, agricultural biotechnology still faces problems in developing countries. These are: Fears that multinational companies will dominate technologies, crops, regulatory approvals and intellectual property rights; Trade, regulatory, and political problems that complicate the approval process. Willingness of developing countries to approve only transgenic fiber crops but not food crops; and Limited and uncertain financial resources that jeopardize regulatory and research capacity. Cohen and Rosenberg shared further insights in their paper ‘Addressing Effects of Climate Change: Realities and Possibilities for Plant Biotechnology in the Developing World’ in Applications of Biotechnology to Mitigation of Greenhouse Warming: Proceedings of the St. Michaels II Workshop held in Maryland, USA. Visit the Joint Global Change Research Institute at: www.globalchange.umd.edu Recent Publications Human activity and the environment: annual statistics 2003 is the second annual update of the more extensive quinquennial, environment statistics compendium, Human activity and the environment(catalogue no. 11-509 XPE). This annual publication also includes a feature article on a current, environmental topic of concern to Canadians' - Fresh Water Resources. Future editions of the annual Human activity and the environment report will examine new environmental issues and provide additional updated data. Table highlights provide simple analysis and interpretation, which support the statistics and help readers make sense of these complex interactions. The larger compendium provides extensive data, analysis and interpretation on population, economic activities, the environment and the issues linking these key elements. This annual report provides updates for a number of tables published in the larger edition, offering a current statistical picture of Canada's environment with special emphasis on human activity and its relationship to natural systems - air, water, soil, plants and animals. Document available here Call for Proposals Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences will announce its 2004 competition shortly within the next two weeks. The Call for Proposals will include both project applications and Letters of Intent for major initiatives or networks. The deadline for receipt of submissions for both categories is Friday May 28 at 16:00. The Foundation has increased its emphasis on major initiatives and has made some substantial program changes: CFCAS encourages interdisciplinary proposals that integrate research on climate, atmospheric conditions, air quality, weather and oceanic processes, with studies of its impacts on the natural environment and on socio-economic issues or health. CFCAS funds will support work in its eligible areas only: collaborators are encouraged to secure complementary funding from other sources. The Foundation will explore the interest of other funding bodies in receiving complementary requests, as appropriate. The Foundation strongly encourages proposals in the following areas:
“Research on the impacts of changes in atmospheric and oceanic climate on the physical and chemical conditions of the natural environment, extending to major impacts on terrestrial and marine ecosystems and natural resources but excluding consideration of impacts on social and economic conditions.” Click here for more information Or email Conway@cfcas.org Ellen Wall Co-ordinator, C-CIARN Agriculture (Canadian Climate Impacts and Adaptation Research Network for Agriculture) Blackwood Hall (Room 202) University of Guelph Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1 Phone: 519 824 4120 ext 58480 Fax: 519 763 4686 www.c-ciarn.uoguelph.ca |
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