In the Media - Archive 2016
Recent Posts
Province and University of Alberta partner to provide long-term agricultural research at ranches
Edmonton Journal: A new partnership between the province and the University of Alberta at two research ranches hopes to ensure continuity for agricultural research.
Researchers leverage genomics to fight corrosion in pipelines and infrastructure
Oilsands Review: Using new technology that quickly processes and analyzes communities of microbes, researcher John Wolodko intends to predict which soil and water environments are more susceptible to the microbes that cause metal corrosion.
The struggles of being a single parent
CTV: Rhonda Breitkruz, a professor of family and policy in the Department of Human Ecology, describes how today's single-parenting differs from the stereotype, on Alberta Primetime.
Oil pipeline corrosion research project gets $7.8 million funding
Edmonton Journal: With an aim of improving pipeline integrity, researcher John Wolodko is co-leading a study on pipeline corrosion caused by microbial activity.
Genome Canada funding research to study how microbes eat away at pipelines
Globe and Mail: John Wolodko describes study he's co-leading that seeks to improve pipeline integrity by learning more about how microbes in water cause metal corrosion.
The case for carbon storage
Canadian Cattleman: Researcher Ed Bork explains a three-year carbon benchmarking study that evaluates the effects of long-term grazing on native grasslands of Alberta.
The calculated art of quilting
Thought Box: Beautiful quilts from the Rosenberg Quilt Collection housed in the Department of Human Ecology make it easy to understand math concepts like fractals and tessellations.
Opinion: Gray jay deserves perch in pantheon of Canadian symbols
Edmonton Journal: Naturalist John Acorn says the intelligent, curious, adaptable and cold-hardy gray jay is an excellent choice as Canada's national bird.
Opinion: Caregivers need some care themselves
Vancouver Sun: Gerontology professor Janet Fast explains why we have a shared responsibility and vested interest in making it possible for caregivers to fulfil their responsibilities at home and at work
Do not let Canada's climate get Trumped
Globe and Mail: In an op-ed column, environmental sociologist Debra J. Davidson points out the many ways that worldwide momentum on climate change is simply not on the side of president-elect Donald Trump.
Trio of builders newest members of hall of fame
Alberta Producer: John Kennelly, a dairy expert and former dean of the Faculty of ALES, is one of three new inductees in the Alberta Agriculture Hall of Fame.
The fascinating past and uncertain future of Dyde House
Edmonton Journal: Dyde House, one of acclaimed Canadian architect Arthur Erickson's earliest works, was recently donated to the University of Alberta's Devonian Botanic Garden, along with the land on which it sits.
Mapping permafrost melt
Edmonton AM, CBC Radio: David Olefeldt, an expert in landscape carbon cycling, explains his global mapping project which shows regions where there is high risk for thawing permafrost to release carbon as greenhouse gases. Olefeldt was also interviewed by CHED Radio's Ryan Jespersen show.
Lead pollution approaches natural background levels
Chemical & Engineering News: William Shotyk's study of northern Alberta peat bogs indicates that lead emissions controls have been successful.
High-tech tracking allows UAlberta grad students to study cattle at home on the range
Edmonton Journal: ALES grad students outfitted 30 cattle with GPS devices and strapped pedometers to their legs as part of a project looking at how the animals roam on the range.
Climate change is here: Inside the summer of hell and high water
Rolling Stone: Mike Flannigan, a professor of wildland fire in the Department of Renewable Resources, comments on the Fort McMurray blaze and how we're likely to see more such fires in the era of global warming
Innovative urban farm honoured
CBC Radio: ALES grads Cathryn Sprague and Ryan Mason explain the workings of Reclaim Urban Farm, the visionary urban agriculture company they founded that won them a 2016 University of Alberta Alumni Innovation Award.
Study points to payoff from cattle research, beef marketing
Western Producer: A study by agriculture economists James Rude and Ellen Goddard shows that Canadian cattle producers receive $14 benefit from every $1 in national checkoff fees invested in research and marketing.
A new weapon in the bark beetle fight--pheremones
NPR: Forest entomologist Nadir Erbilgin says that a new area of research that proposes using pheremones to fight mountain pine beetles shows some promise.
Here's what happens if you never wash your jeans
Business Insider: Bacteria, skin cells and sweat are transferred to our pants from our bodies but "skin organisms are generally not hazardous to ourselves," said Rachel McQueen, a professor of human ecology at the University of Alberta.
That smelly leggings problem we need to talk about
Refinery29: Textiles expert Rachel McQueen comments on the existence and treatment of "yoga aroma" which can be particularly frustrating to women.
University of Alberta researchers aim to close the fibre gap
Edmonton Journal: Jens Walter and his team want to find out how a lack of fibre in modern diets affects the human body and whether it's contributing to chronic disease.
Reinventing a Canadian crop as a sweet summer treat
Huffington Post: 2016 ALES grad Nicolle Mah explains the nutritional power and attitude-changing potential of a gelato substitute she and fellow food science students invented.
Expert says Yukon is dodging a bullet when it comes to a major forest fire
CBC News - An Alberta professor says Yukon's year for a major forest fire will come. Mike Flannigan, a professor with the Department of Renewable Resources at the University of Alberta and the director of the Western Partnership for Wildland Fire, says Yukon currently has the three ingredients for a major forest fire: fuel, ignition and weather.
Friends food and community
Edmonton Examiner: Column highlights the U of A's Prairie Urban Farm, a volunteer-manned garden project run by Debra Davidson that raises awareness about food security among Edmontonians.
Fort McMurray Fire Seared in Our Memories
Epoch Times - A recounting of the Fort McMurray wildfire highlights earlier expert comment from U of A wildland fire researcher Mike Flannigan. Also appears in the Brandon Sun.
Forest fires can heat up the whole planet
National Geographic - Large fires are not only killing all the trees, they are burning through the peat, the rich organic soil on the forest floor that serves as a large reservoir for carbon. Mike Flannigan, director of the Western Partnership for Wildland Fire Science at the University of Alberta, comments.
Not your average pit stop
Edmonton Journal - UAlberta textile researcher Rachel McQueen wants old, smelly clothes in order to study odour retention in fabrics. Story also appeared on Global News and CBC Radio.
Higher bug infestations a problem in post-wildfire Fort McMurray
Fort McMurray Today - Some Fort McMurray residents whose homes were spared from the Alberta wildfire are now dealing with another kind of problem; bug and pest infestations. Entomologist John Acorn comments.
Fire and water
The Globe and Mail - The Fort McMurray fire's proximity to the city's water treatment plant has implications for drinking water quality due to sedimentation, says Uldis Silins, a forest hydrologist at the University of Alberta.
As Banff visitation grows food-conditioned behaviours more likely to occur
Bow Valley Crag and Canyon - Lu Carbyn, an adjunct professor in the University of Alberta's Department of Renewable Resources, said Parks Canada had no choice but to put down a wolf as her boldness could have been passed on to other wolves and the two pups in the pack.
Hard to kill
Western Producer - Food biologist Lynn McMullen and her research colleagues estimate that two percent of all E. coli strains, both pathogenic and non-pathogenic, are resistant to heat.
Edmonton mayors warned to work together in new report
Metro Edmonton - Dean Stan Blade, a member of the expert panel that examined the Edmonton area's competitiveness last year, said that if Edmonton and surrounding communities continue too do business as usual, "in 50 years we will double the amount of farmland lost, we will double the footprint of the region and it will cost us double the money."
Whitehorse faces its share of wildfire risks
Yukon News - Mike Flannigan, the University of Alberta's director of Western Partnership for Wildland Fire Science, is warning that many communities across Canada "face far greater risk from wildfire than Fort McMurray."
Opinion: What is keeping so many Alberta women out of the workforce?
Edmonton Journal - Human Ecology professor Rhonda Breitkreuz pens an op-ed piece in which she says that when it comes to the employment of women, Albertans are lagging behind.
Alberta is home of the one-income family
Global News - Rhonda Breitkreuz, a University of Alberta social policy expert specializing in gender, child care, family issues and social policy, comments on a Statistics Canada survey that says 64 per cent of couple families in Alberta are dual income, which is five per cent less than the national average and the lowest proportion in the entire country.
What the science really says about Fort McMurray fire and climate change
National Observer - Mike Flannigan, a wildfire expert with the University of Alberta, says that while the Fort McMurray fires cannot be directly linked to the carbon pollution produced by humans, Canadian wildfire activity of the past few years is well above average and that is connected to the warming climate.
Burgers may need higher cooking temperature to be safe from E. coli
Edmonton Sun - University of Alberta food microbiologist Lynn McMullen and fellow researchers recommend people cook their burgers to an internal temperature of 71C to 73C after they found some E. coli bacteria survived the recommended cooking temperature of 70C.
Opinion: How do we live in a fire-prone environment
U of A wildfire expert Mike Flannigan co-wrote this opinion piece about reducing the risks of forest fires like the one in Fort McMurray.
Fort McMurray not only Canadian town facing wildfire risk
Many Canadian communities face a greater risk of wildfire than Fort McMurray did because of their proximity to highly combustible conifer forests, says Mike Flannigan, the director of the University of Alberta's Western Partnership for Wildland Fire Science
The Link Online May 28 2016
U of A wildfire expert Mike Flannigan is interviewed about how climate change is contributing to the occurrence of big forest fires.
Livestock disease outbreaks cause economic hardships
Major economic fallout often follows a serious livestock disease outbreak but the issues of animal welfare and producer stress are often forgotten, says U of A researcher Ellen Goddard, who spoke at an infectious diseases conference at the U of A May 2 to 3.
Farmland swallowed by sprawl but solution costly
U of A researcher Brent Swallow says Alberta's policy environment pays little focus to the conservation of farmland, after his previous research found that more than 233,500 acres of agricultural land were zoned or used for other purposes between 2000 to 2012.
Oats healthy but experts aim for super healthy
People would have to eat at least three bowls of oat porridge a day to receive any heart health benefits, so scientists are looking for ways to concentrate the goodness. U of A researcher Thava Vasanthan is interviewed.
Laser beams and breathalyzers: measuring cow burps for climate science
U of A researchers have helped develop a novel method for measuring the methane emissions of cattle using laser beams and breathalyzers to measure cow burps and ultimately reduce their GHG emissions. ALES adjunct professor John Basarab was interviewed by CBC Radio's Calgary Eyeopener and Edmonton AM and appears in Yahoo! News Canada.
Caring for caregivers is a win-win proposition
In an article penned for the newsletter of the Covenant Health Network of Excellence in Seniors' Health and Wellness, Janet Fast argues that family caregivers need more public support and outlines what a comprehensive national caregiver policy strategy needs to succeed.
Rainy long weekend ideal for farmers
Stan Blade, dean of the University of Alberta's Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences, says the much needed rain this past weekend has provided an almost ideal situation-preventing what could have been a devastating repeat for farmers in the province. Also appears on Yahoo! News Canada. Blade also commented on Global TV and CBC News.
The Fort McMurray fire's stunning pulse of carbon to the atmosphere
U of A wildland fire professor Mike Flannigan believes the Fort McMurray wildfire may have contributed more than the 85 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions some experts have suggested. Coverage appears on Canada.com, in the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Windsor Star and Toronto Star, Regina Leader-Post and Radio Canada International. Department of Renewable Resources chair Vic Lieffers is interviewed about young timber on CKWX radio in Vancouver.
Mountain pine beetle research helping forests recover
Story about the mountain pine beetle highlights research being conducted by UAlberta forestry researchers Ellen Macdonald, Vic Lieffers and Mike Flannigan and the recent Mountain Pine Beetle and Stand Rehabilitation Research Forum and Field Tour.
Black bears prowling Canadian oil town in wake of massive wildfire
Evacuees returning to the charred Canadian oil sands city of Fort McMurray next month may have to contend with black bears who have been prowling the streets in search of food. U of A biologist Lee Foote comments in this story, published by Reuters, and in another article that appears in the Vancouver Province, CTV, CBC, Business Insider, Newsweek, Yahoo! News Canada, Lycos News, MSN, Toledo Blade and Weather Network.
Wildfire toxins could contaminate Fort McMurray water supply
CBC News - "What has us concerned is, all of the run-off after this fire," said Uldis Silins, professor of forest hydrology and watershed management with the University of Alberta.
Wildfires see Alberta logging zones go up in smoke
660 News - Vic Lieffers, Chair of the Department of Renewable Resources at the University of Alberta, says if the fires are burning mature timber, a lot of that can still be harvested.
Alberta wildfire out of control: 1,370 square miles torched, and counting
CNN News - The inferno could actually burn through the winter and into next year, University of Alberta wildfire professor Mike Flannigan said.
Fort McMurray wildfire - Alberta agency tasked with preventing wildfires leaves millions unspent
Global News - Mike Flannigan, one of Canada's premier wildfire scientists and the director of the Western Partnership for Wildland Fire Science at the University of Alberta, said communities located in and around the boreal forest should do more to protect themselves against the growing risks posed by wildfires.
Rain Could Be A Double-Edged Sword For Wildfire-Stricken Area
Huffington Post - University of Alberta professor Uldis Silins says that if rain washes contaminants from the blaze into the nearby Athabasca River, it could be difficult to treat, possibly leading to public health concerns for residents.
Improved Gut Health Offers Potential for Reduced Dependence on Antibiotics
Alberta Pork - Ben Willing, Canada Research Chair in Microbiology of Nutrigenomics, says the presence of certain microbes in the gut has been associated with resistance to infections and a healthy barrier prevents pathogenic organisms from attaching and doing damage.
Fighting the demon - Inside the heartbreaking battle to save Fort McMurray
National Post - In the summer, lightning causes many of the fires, but this time of year there is almost always some human connection, said Mike Flannigan, professor of wildland fire at the University of Alberta.
Warm Winter May Increase Wildlife Mortalities of Fort McMurray Fire
Field and Stream - Wolf biology researcher Lu Carbyn, adjunct professor with the Department of Renewable Resources, says that wildlife might not have been able to survive the Fort McMurray fire but that the forest will recover.
Urge to live with trees and nature may be leading wildfire to our front doors
CBC News - Wildfire expert Mike Flannigan says fire is opportunistic and that what we place in our gardens could make the difference between our homes catching on fire or not.
Canada wildfire - why a sleeping giant awoke in Alberta and became relentless
The Guardian - The "nasty, dirty" fire - in the words of the local fire chief - surprised scientists by igniting its own fires, said Mike Flannigan, who studies wildland fire at Edmonton's University of Alberta.
Fort McMurray- Understanding a city of dreams
Maclean's - Wildfire expert Mike Flannigan has been interviewed repeatedly since the Fort McMurray fire began. Over and over he explains that the fire is due to the dry short winter and late spring rains but also due to fire suppression.
Alberta government preparing for climate related disasters
Calgary Herald - Peter Murphy, professor emeritus in forest policy and forest fire management at the University of Alberta, said the threat of increasingly frequent and intense forest fires due to climate warming in Alberta is a legitimate concern.
Outdoors with Neil Waugh - A Fish for the King
Edmonton Sun - John Acorn of the Department of Renewable Resources spoke to a Trout Unlimited Chapter about damselflies and dragonflies, the subject of his new book.
World On Fire
CBC Radio One - Mike Flannigan, professor with the Department of Renewable Resources at the University of Alberta and the director of the Western Partnership for Wildland Fire Science, is featured in the story.
When wildfires rage underground and then rage again
ABC News via CNN - The Fort McMurray fire could easily keep burning into next year, smouldering through the winter and sprouting back up as a wildfire next spring, according to ALES wildland fire expert Mike Flannigan. He is also quoted in the Globe and Mail, New Hampshire Voice, Northern California News and the Mankato Free Press in Minnesota.
Town of Devon adds sustainability intern to staff
Devon Dispatch - ENCS alumnus Andy Tchir has been hired by the Town of Devon in the newly-created position of intern in sustainable initiatives. His responsibilities include, among others, helping local businesses become more environmentally friendly and making municipal, operations more efficient.
Will consumers pay the price for Certified Humane beef
Globe & Mail - Humane beef has been in the news recently but what has not been the prime focus is the economics of that product. Ellen Goddard, an agricultural economist at the University of Alberta, pens an opinion piece.
Dry winter and warm spring set stage for wildfire in Canada
New York Times - Wildland fire expert Mike Flannigan comments on the causes of the massive Fort McMurray fire and the policies that govern how forest fires are managed in Alberta and Canada. Flannigan is quoted in numerous related stories in the Washington Post, CBC Saskatoon, Public Radio International, Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Straits Times, CNN, Globe and Mail, the Weather Network, Seattle Times, Regina Leader Post, Ottawa Citizen, and others.
The environmental impacts of the Canada wildfire
The Guardian - Forest ecologist Ellen Macdonald and wildland fire expert Mike Flannigan provide comment about the environmental impacts the Fort McMurray blaze will have on the area.
Experts say wildfires in western Canad could be worse than last year
Global News - Wildfires have led to evacuation notices for hundreds in Alberta and B.C., as crews continue to battle several blazes and experts say the dry temperatures could make for a long and brutal fire season. U of A wildfire expert Mike Flannigan comments. Coverage also runs in Metro News.
Pure Prairie Eating Plan - flavour and health
When two University of Alberta nutrition professors handed out a class assignment, they had no idea it would lead to a cookbook that eventually sold 4,000 copies. Or that the university would confer diabetic researchers Drs. Catherine Chan and Rhonda Bell with the prestigious Community Connections Award for their tireless efforts in support of healthy eating. The two influential women co-authored the Pure Prairie Eating Plan (PPEP), a cookbook that teaches people with diabetes to prepare naturally grown local food in a healthy way. Chan and Bell will be honoured at today's Community Connection Awards at Edmonton City Hall.
Improved Gut Health Offers Potential for Reduced Dependence on Antibiotics
Farmscape - Ben Willing, Canada Research Chair in Microbiology of Nutrigenomics, says the presence of certain microbes in the gut has been associated with resistance to infections and a healthy barrier prevents pathogenic organisms from attaching and doing damage.
Why the pee of this animal smells like hot buttered popcorn
National Geographic - U of A naturalist John Acorn comments on the citronella ant, a species that defends itself by spraying formic acid at would-be predators. Formic acid tastes and smells like citric acid, giving rise to a fresh, lemony scent.
Swine study tackles next health frontier
Alberta Farmer - Porcine health management represents a tremendous opportunity for the application of innovative genomic tools, ALES professor and genomics expert Michael Dyck said at the 2016 Banff Pork Seminar.
Double-resistant canola variety now available
Alberta Farmer - A new hybrid canola cultivar that offers double resistance to clubroot has been registered and is now available to farmers. Proven Seed PV 580 GC was developed by University of Alberta canola breeder Habibur Rahman and Crop Production Services (CPS).
Wedding bells ring at new University of Alberta exhibit
CBC - For Richer or For Poorer, a new exhibition at the University of Alberta, focuses on how consumer culture has changed weddings over the past 100 years. Clever marketing, it turns out, has a big influence on whether a bride's dress will be white or cream, or how big of a diamond she'll flash on her finger. And diamonds, apparently, weren't always a girl's best friend. "In the 1910s it wasn't necessarily a diamond ring … they grew to be viewed as common or flashy," Julia Petrov, exhibit co-curator and human ecology professor told Edmonton AM. "But De Beers did a wonderful job of marketing their rarity or unusualness, particularly during the war." Coverage also runs on CTV News.
Early spring no boon for birds plants farmers
St. Albert Gazette - St. Albert's warm winter and early spring could spell trouble for local birds, plants, and farmers, say experts. All that warmth caused spring to arrive exceptionally early in the Edmonton region, reported U of A plant ecologist Elisabeth Beaubien, who co-ordinates the Alberta PlantWatch program.
Mild winter could mean an active start for Alberta fire season
Fort McMurray Today - Mike Flannigan, director of the Wildland Fire Partnership at the University of Alberta, says the mild winter experienced in Alberta could result in another busy fire season across the province.
The New Science Officer for Canada Will Have a Tough Job - Here is Who We Think Can Do It
Vice - An article speculating on who might be named as Canada's chief science officer suggests that UAlberta's Brenda Parlee, Canada Research Chair in Social Responses to Ecological Change, would be a good fit for the job.
Edmonton biofuel startup Forge Hydrocarbons gets major capital investment
Metro Edmonton - Forge Hydrocarbons, an Edmonton biofuel company that turns animal fat and crop seed oil into "drop-in" fuels has received $4.2 million to move forward on a production plant. The company is commercializing technology developed and patented by ALES bioresource scientist David Bressler.
Making hay of environmental goods and services
Country Guide - Researchers like ALES rangeland ecologist Edward Bork wrestle with turning an abstract concept into concrete profits for producers.
Study reveals growth promotants in cattle can impact tenderness
Alberta Farmer Express - The longer cattle are exposed to steroids and other growth promotants before slaughter, the more likely its beef will pay a penalty in terms of tenderness, said an ALES researcher. Meat scientist Heather Bruce and her team recently conducted a study on the effects of growth promotants on collagen cross-links - the connective tissue or 'gristle' of beef cattle. They found the age of the cattle played a key role.
Three truths and a lie about the microbiome
Ready for three truths and a lie: science and nutrition edition? This format allows for both facts and fables to be covered, which is especially important with media constantly highlighting questionable research conducted on complex topics such as the microbiome. Microbial ecologist Jens Walter, an associate professor in the Department of AFNS, is quoted in the story.
U of A students create award-winning gelato with fermented beans
Edmonton Journal - Story about food and nutrition students Nicolle Mah, Chandre Van de Merwe and Austen Neil who developed a gelato made with fermented beans. It impressed Alberta Pulse so much, the producer group decided to fund their trip to showcase their product at an international food expo this summer.
Is senior-care really driving health-care costs
EverythingZoomer.com - Human ecology professor Janet Fast says that despite public perceptions, aging populations are not the primary driver of rising healthcare costs.
Wildflowers provide clues on climate change in Alberta
CBC - Conservation biologist Scott Nielsen discusses new research that uses the northern blazing star, an Alberta wildflower, to help understand the impact of climate change on species.
National project names Champion Petfoods one of top 70 employers in Alberta
Edmonton Examiner - Champion Petfoods LP, which was founded in Morinville, was named one of Alberta's top 70 employers of 2016 by the Canada's 100 Top Employers project. This isn't the first time the company has been noticed by government groups. Last year, it received the Premier's Award of Distinction. In April of 2014, the federal government announced it would give the University of Alberta $1.6 million to purchase and develop a single-screw extruder and establish an Animal Nutrition and Ingredient Development Program led by Ruurd Zijlstra. Champion Petfoods was one of several businesses that partnered with government groups and helped the fund grow to over $2.7 million.
Warm winter a concern for summer crops
CBC - Warm weather has made winter a little more tolerable for Albertans this year but one expert says it's both a blessing and a curse for the province's farmers. Faculty of ALES dean Stan Blade says the persistent lack of snow and temperatures hovering above zero province-wide is cause for concern for some producers in Alberta's multi-billion dollar agricultural industry. Interview also runs on CBC Daybreak radio program.
Betting the future of farming on high tech
CTV News - The family farm is going high-tech. Stan Blade, dean of the University of Alberta's faculty of agricultural, life and environmental sciences, says innovation is key for the future of farming. From robotic milking machines to data-gathering drones, industry watchers say technology is making agriculture more precise and efficient as farmers push for increased profits and yields. Story also runs in numerous other print and broadcast outlets through the Canadian Press.
Ravens conspire to make Edmonton home in numbers that puzzle experts
Edmonton Journal - U of A naturalist John Acorn comments on the large number of ravens that inhabit Edmonton.
The story of oat breeding and research
Grainews - Story about oat research in Canada notes the work of Linda Hall of the University of Alberta.
Urban farming growing in Edmonton
CBC - Story chronicles the evolution of Reclaim Urban Farm, a successful urban green garden venture started by two ALES alumni that currently supplies many Edmonton markets and restaurants.
We need to start caring for caregivers
We can no longer afford to treat family care as essentially free labour, undertaken within families as a private matter with no relevance for the rest of society, says Janet Fast, a professor in the Department of Human Ecology at the University of Alberta. She is the author of Caregiving for Older Adults with Disabilities: Present Costs, Future Challenges, published by the Institute for Research on Public Policy.
Review of Alberta grazing leases unlikely to please cattle producers
Canadian Press - An independent review by the University of Alberta's Land Institute suggests the Alberta government would have as much as $45 million in extra annual revenue if it revamped how it handles grazing leases. The independent review looked at alternative models for grazing leases, including one in place in neighbouring Saskatchewan. Each would result in increased compensation to the province ranging from $36 million to $45 million a year, the review suggested.
Methane-guzzling bacteria could feed pets and people
CBC News - U of A microbiologist David Bressler talks about his research into microbes that consume methane and their potential to be used as a food source for pets and people.