More alarmism turned into more hard cash

UVic climatologists win $535,000 grant

Permafrost isn't so permanent.

That's one of the preliminary findings of University of Victoria climatologist Andrew Weaver. Weaver and fellow professors just won a $535,000 grant from the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences to study the effects of climate change on our environment and our lives.

Weaver will examine how melting permafrost -- which covers half of Canada -- contributes to greenhouse gas levels. Colleague Katrin Meissner will look at the effects of global warming on our forests, including frequent fires and insect infestations. And University of Victoria mathematician Boualem Khouider will work on forecasting the next El Nino.

Climate change research is now a race against time. New studies predict that Canada will face natural disasters with increasing frequency as a result of global warming.