Blog Archives

Struggling to discuss climate change with older relatives? These 3 scenarios can help

Struggling to discuss climate change with older relatives? These 3 scenarios can help

Have you ever felt it difficult to express your climate anxiety in conversation with older relatives? You are likely not alone, as climate change is a topic rife with high stakes, differing views and strong emotions. Discussions can devolve into arguments, and arguments invite fallacies. Climate change is making communication harder as temperatures flare tempers and we […] … learn more→

Trauma-sensitive climate change education can develop truthful hope

Trauma-sensitive climate change education can develop truthful hope

Summer is a time for educators and students to recharge. For educators, this opportunity to reflect and regroup often includes planning for how to support students in the next school year. It is becoming increasingly important that this support involves helping students navigate the impacts of the climate crisis. Doom and gloom discourses encountered at […] … learn more→

The treatment of environmental activists at Olympic Games contradicts IOC’s Olympism ideals

The treatment of environmental activists at Olympic Games contradicts IOC’s Olympism ideals

With the Paris Olympics fast approaching under the shadow of the climate crisis, activists and advocates continue to raise questions about the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) commitment to one of three pillars of the Olympic Agenda: sustainability. And for good reason. Despite optimistic rhetoric from the IOC and host committees, environmental exploitation by host nations, and […] … learn more→

Here’s how climate social scientists are finding their way in the era of climate crisis

Here’s how climate social scientists are finding their way in the era of climate crisis

In early May The Guardian reported on a survey that explored the thoughts and feelings of 380 climate scientists. It was not uplifting. The pull quotes tell a story of anguish. “Sometimes it is almost impossible not to feel hopeless and broken…Running away from it is impossible.” Wrenching articles like these showcase climatologists’ anxiety. They are watching […] … learn more→

Why artificial submarine curtains won’t save West Antarctica’s retreating glaciers

Why artificial submarine curtains won’t save West Antarctica’s retreating glaciers

Some researchers have recently proposed the construction of artificial structures – submarine curtains or walls – to stop the warming ocean from getting to the most rapidly melting glaciers in West Antarctica. If effective, these interventions could save trillions of dollars in avoided coastal impacts. But such a large-scale operation in one of the most inaccessible places on Earth […] … learn more→

New islands are being built at sea – but they won’t help millions made homeless by sea-level rise

New islands are being built at sea – but they won’t help millions made homeless by sea-level rise

Dubai’s famous Palm Jumeirah is not the only man-made island to have emerged from the sea this century. Over the past 20 years, many islands have been built to accommodate both tourists and well-heeled residents – especially in the Arabian Gulf states and China. In an era of sea-level rise and increased storm activity, new islands may […] … learn more→

Ultra-fast fashion is a disturbing trend undermining efforts to make the whole industry more sustainable

Ultra-fast fashion is a disturbing trend undermining efforts to make the whole industry more sustainable

Since the 1990s, fast fashion has enabled everyday people to buy the latest catwalk trends. But the sheer volume of garments being whipped up, sold and soon discarded is contributing to a global sustainability crisis. Now, just when the fashion industry should be waking up and breaking free of this vicious cycle, it’s heading in the opposite direction. […] … learn more→

Campus garden initiatives can help grow the next generation of environmental change-makers

Campus garden initiatives can help grow the next generation of environmental change-makers

No longer a problem of the future, the climate crisis is now driving devastating real-world impacts here in Canada and worldwide. For many Canadians, one of the most visible climate impacts is on the availability and cost of the food we eat as climate change, global crises and profit-driven food companies have combined to drive food insecurity. […] … learn more→