Environment + Energy – Views & Research

An aerial view of a tanker in a large fjord

Colonization devastated biodiversity, habitats and human life in the Pacific Northwest

Meaghan Efford, University of British Columbia

A bee collecting pollen sits in the middle of a yellow flower

How AI can help protect bees from dangerous parasites

Farnaz Sheikhi, University of Calgary and Farhad Maleki, University of Calgary

What Canada could learn from the tragic consequences of the Texas flash flood

Gordon McBean, Western University

heavy flooding reaches halfway up buildings

The anatomy of a flash flood: Why the Texas flood was so deadly

Hossein Bonakdari, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

We travelled to Antarctica to see if a Māori lunar calendar might help track environmental change

Holly Winton, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington and Ayla Hoeta, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

Gene-edited pigs may soon enter the Canadian market, but questions about their impact remain

Gwendolyn Blue, University of Calgary

The Great Lakes are powerful. Learning about ‘rip currents’ can help prevent drowning

Chris Houser, University of Waterloo

A sign in the foreground warning 'Danger Zone — No Swimming' while a person in the background prepares to jump into the water

Canada’s proposed east-west energy corridors should prioritize clean energy

Andy Hira, Simon Fraser University and Andrew Simon Wright, Simon Fraser University

a close up of a person picking up a box with a green recycling triangle with plastic bottles inside

How a lottery-style refund system could boost recycling

Jiaying Zhao, University of British Columbia and Jade Radke, University of British Columbia

How China’s green transition is reshaping ethnic minority communities

Reza Hasmath, University of Alberta

A row of yaks and people walk along a green field. Snow capped mountains are in the background

Northern B.C. shows how big resource projects can strain rural health care

Gary N. Wilson, University of Northern British Columbia

two men stand on a vessel under the letters FLOATEL

Overuse of riprap to prevent riverbank erosion is harming B.C. rivers

Charlotte Milne, University of British Columbia

a river winding through a green landscape

Could new pipelines shield Canada from U.S. tariffs? The answer is complicated

Torsten Jaccard, University of British Columbia

Thick columns of vapour pour from the openings of two nuclear power plant cooling towers, which are seen behind power lines

AI is consuming more power than the grid can handle — nuclear might be the answer

Goran Calic, McMaster University

A group of people gathered in front of a fountain and a large sign reading Hamilton

Indigenous engagement is essential for small modular nuclear reactor projects

Rhea Desai, McMaster University and James LeMoine, McMaster University

The oldest rocks on Earth are more than four billion years old

Hanika Rizo, Carleton University and Jonathan O’Neil, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

an outcropping of rock with a knife shown for scale

We don’t know what happens to the waste we recycle, and that’s a problem

Faisal Shennib, Concordia University

overflowing recycling bins next to garbage and green bins

Survey: Only four per cent of Canadians give schools an ‘A’ on climate education – students deserve better

Karen S. Acton, University of Toronto

tiny organisms against a black background

Plankton can investigate crime, affect the climate and influence science

Beatrix Beisner, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM); Maria Grigoratou, Umeå University; Sakina-Dorothée Ayata, Sorbonne Université, and Susanne Menden-Deuer, University of Rhode Island

Autonomous AI systems can help tackle global food insecurity

Woo Soo Kim, Simon Fraser University

Is Mark Carney turning his back on climate action?

Deborah de Lange, Toronto Metropolitan University

A man with short grey hair stands under lights and behind a podium with Canadian flags behind him.

AI applications are producing cleaner cities, smarter homes and more efficient transit

Mohammadamin Ahmadfard, Toronto Metropolitan University

‘Canada is not for sale’ — but new Ontario law prioritizes profits over environmental and Indigenous rights

Martina Jakubchik-Paloheimo, York University, Canada

A man has his eyes closed and is putting on a toque that says 'Canada is not for sale.'

People in protection suits working on grassy area

Colonisation cleared 95% of these woodlands – Indigenous cultural burning is bringing it back

Elle Bowd, Australian National University; Braithan Bell-Garner, Indigenous Knowledge; David Lindenmayer, Australian National University; Dean Freeman, Indigenous Knowledge, and Geoff Cary, Australian National University

a mother white-haired lemur with a baby on her back

Lemurs can help save Madagascan forests, but first we need to protect them

Colombe Nirina Sehenomalala, Université de Montréal and Iulia Bădescu, Université de Montréal

A salmon jumping out of the water near a dam

Habitat loss and over-exploitation are leading to a decline in salmon populations

Kyleisha Foote, Memorial University of Newfoundland; James W.A. Grant, Concordia University, and Pascale Biron, Concordia University

A man gives a speech, people behind him carry placards featuring a mushroom cloud with the word no written in French

France’s final nuclear tests in the South Pacific, 30 years on

Roxanne Panchasi, Simon Fraser University

‘Making decisions closer to the wharf’ can ensure the sustainability of Canada’s fisheries and oceans

Matthew Robertson, Memorial University of Newfoundland; Megan Bailey, Dalhousie University, and Tyler Eddy, Memorial University of Newfoundland

The world needs bold, equitable climate action at the 2025 G7 summit

Sharon E. Straus, University of Toronto and Françoise Baylis, Dalhousie University

Flags on poles in front of a snowy mountain peak

A aerial photo of a wildfire in a forested area

Canada must take action to prevent climate-related migration

Christopher Campbell-Duruflé, Toronto Metropolitan University

dark smoke fills an orange sky above a line of trees

Wildfire smoke can harm your brain, not just your lungs

Bhavini Gohel, University of Calgary and Muskaan Muse Laroyia, University of Calgary

We design cities and buildings for earthquakes and floods — we need to do the same for wildfires

Ramla Karim Qureshi, McMaster University

Why the federal government must act cautiously on fast-tracking project approvals

Mark Winfield, York University, Canada

A man with short grey hair speaks; other men and a woman sit beside him at a long table with provincial/territorial flags behind them

Kids care deeply about our planet, so adults need to start listening

Jen Kostuchuk, University of Victoria; Erik Steiner, York University, Canada, and Sean Lyons, University of Guelph

teenaged girls at protest hold placards reading system change not climate change and planet over profit

Can kelp forests help tackle climate change?

Jennifer McHenry, University of Victoria and Julia K. Baum, University of Victoria

A First Nations power authority could transform electricity generation for Indigenous nations

Christina E. Hoicka, University of Victoria; Adam J. Regier, University of Victoria; Anna Berka, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University, and Sara Chitsaz, University of Victoria

Solar panels in the foreground, blurred vehicles seen in the distance

MIke Allen with Anna Turns on Devon beach

How seaweed is a powerful, yet surprising, climate solution

Mike Allen, University of Exeter

a green sea turtle looks out over the ocean

One green sea turtle can contain the equivalent of 10 ping pong balls in plastic

Xia (Alice) Zhu, Memorial University of Newfoundland; Chelsea Rochman, University of Toronto, and Matthew Mazloff, University of California, San Diego

A woman and a man browse fresh produce at a supermarket

Crop diversification is crucial to Canadian resilience in a changing world

Karen K. Christensen-Dalsgaard, MacEwan University

How outdoor sports can support youth as they navigate climate change

Brett Tomlinson, Nipissing University

Growing up on a farm can prevent asthma and allergies

Catherine Girard, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC); Paul George, Université Laval, and Rébecca Gagnon, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC)

Alberta has long accused Ottawa of trying to destroy its oil industry. Here’s why that’s a dangerous myth

Ian Urquhart, University of Alberta

An aerial view shows two oilsands facilities in an expansive landscape.

rows of wolf skulls against an orange background

Colossal Bioscience’s attempt to de-extinct the dire wolf is a dangerously deceptive publicity stunt

David Coltman, Western University; Carson Mitchell, Western University; Liam Alastair Wayde Carter, Western University, and Tommy Galfano, Western University

Improving Arctic food security through DNA science and respectful collaboration with Indigenous Peoples

Shivangi Mishra, University of Calgary and Srijak Bhatnagar, Athabasca University

Indigenous Elders from the Kitikmeot Heritage Society, community members, hunters and trappers, regional tourism representatives, and scientists engage in an open conversation about integrating genomics with traditional knowledge for muskox co-management.

‘Like an underwater bushfire’: SA’s marine algal bloom is still killing almost everything in its path

Erin Barrera, University of Adelaide

Grim scenes greeted divers in murky water at Edithburgh on Yorke Peninsula, South Australia.

Windows are the No. 1 human threat to birds – an ecologist shares some simple steps to reduce collisions

Jason Hoeksema, University of Mississippi

A yellow bird looks in a window at the camera while clinging to the window sill.

Half the remaining habitat of Australia’s most at-risk species is outside protected areas

Michelle Ward, Griffith University and James Watson, The University of Queensland

cleared land and farm, rainforest behind it.

Carney aims to make Canada an energy superpower. Who will be sacrificed for that goal?

Leah Levac, University of Guelph; Jane Stinson, Carleton University, and Leah M. Fusco, Memorial University of Newfoundland

Current legal frameworks can’t protect the oceans from deep-sea mining and the negative impacts on humankind

Susan Reid, University of British Columbia

Population explosions and declines are related to the stability of the economy and the environment

Ken G. Drouillard, University of Windsor; Claudio N. Verani, University of Windsor, and Marcelo Arbex, University of Windsor

a pictograph of people's silhouettes against a white background, random figures are coloured

Boat wakes aren’t just a nuisance, they harm freshwater shorelines and wildlife

Chris Houser, University of Waterloo

A motorboat pulling a tube on a pristine lake, leave a wake.

Laudato Si’: A look back on Pope Francis’s environmental legacy

Donald Wright, University of New Brunswick

A large mural n a wall depicting a man in a white cassock wiping away smog emanating from smoke stacks to reveal a blue sky

Old growth forests in eastern Canada show that the climate started changing almost 100 years ago

Alexandre Pace, Concordia University

Ambitious changes to Canadian conservation law are needed to reverse the decline in biodiversity

Trevor Swerdfager, University of Waterloo and Derek Armitage, University of Waterloo

a striking orange and black butterfly with its wings spread

Canada-Ecuador free trade agreement threatens Indigenous rights and territories in the Amazon

Martina Jakubchik-Paloheimo, Queen's University, Ontario

Indigenous people from the Amazon protests in the streets. They carry a sign that says: 'Our territory is not for sale,' which is written in Waorani.

Who really killed Canada’s carbon tax? Friends and foes alike

Ryan M. Katz-Rosene, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

A group of people holding signs and flags walk along a highway with snowy mountains in the background.

Wildfire smoke and extreme heat can occur together: Preparing for the combined health effects of a hot, smoky future

Stephanie Cleland, Simon Fraser University

Two women on paddleboards with smoky haze obscuring the horizon

Red shimmering energy particles, depicting the nanoparticles used to create nanotechnologies.

Using fire to produce nanoparticles could revolutionize various industries

Keroles Riad, Carleton University

Coal in Alberta: Neither public outrage nor waning global demand seem to matter to Danielle Smith

Ian Urquhart, University of Alberta

A sign on a grassy patch next to a road reads Mountains not Mines.

Canada’s federal election doesn’t seem like it’s about climate change, but it actually is

Mark Winfield, York University, Canada

A man in a turban speaks into a microphone with a Canadian flag behind him. A gleaming wooden floor is in the foreground and wooden beams are overhead.

The history of ‘common sense’ matters when caring for our common home

Barbara Leckie, Carleton University

Terminations at U.S. government agencies that monitor extreme weather events will have negative effects

Gordon McBean, Western University

Children walk to school as cars spewing exhaust are on the road next to them.

Replacing gas vehicles with electric cars could prevent new cases of childhood asthma

Harshit Gujral, University of Toronto; Meredith Franklin, University of Toronto, and Steve Easterbrook, University of Toronto

How political leaders communicate climate policy should be a defining factor this election

Andrew Heffernan, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

Silhouette of a pumpjack draws out oil from a wellhead against a sunset sky

Imagining what the world could look like without fossil fuels spurs people to action

Michael T. Schmitt, Simon Fraser University and Annika E. Lutz, Simon Fraser University

people prepare plant boxes outside a building

Fungi are among the planet’s most important organisms — yet they’re overlooked in conservation strategies

Jonathan Cazabonne, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT) and Danny Haelewaters, Czech Academy of Sciences

A cluster of orange _Mycena leaiana_ mushrooms growing from a dead log.

A collection of used, single-use medical plastic items — such as syringes, wipes, medicine containers and gloves.

Plant-based plastics could help reduce the millions of tonnes of medical waste hospitals generate each year

Elham Moshk Bid, University of Saskatchewan; Chris Zhang, University of Saskatchewan; Duncan Cree, McMaster University, and Lori Bradford, University of Saskatchewan

Youth are charting new freshwater futures by learning from the water on the water

Andrea Reid, University of British Columbia and Dalal Hanna, Carleton University

A wide blue river with mountains and pine trees surrounding it.

Zombie water apocalypse: Is Trump’s rhetoric over Canada’s water science-fiction or reality?

Tricia Stadnyk, University of Calgary

AI is for the birds: How machine learning can help predict and manage avian flu outbreaks

Rozita Dara, University of Guelph

two signs on a gate one reading "Do Not Enter Biosecurity in Effect" and the second "Chicken Farmers of Canada"

The Canada Carbon Rebate is still widely misunderstood — here’s why

Ruolz Ariste, Carleton University

Wildfire season is changing in Canada — posing even greater risks to the nation’s communities and ecosystems

Hossein Bonakdari, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

The smouldering remains of a residential block in Jasper, Alberta.

A sign stating there is a limit of 3 cartons of eggs due to egg shortages. There are boxes of dozens of packaged eggs beneath the sign.

Soaring U.S. egg prices and millions of dead chickens signal the deep problems and risks in modern poultry production

Tony Weis, Western University

two polar bear cubs curl up with their mother

The secret lives of polar bear families

Louise Archer, University of Toronto

Investors value green labels — but not always for the right reasons

Vasundhara Saravade, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

A stock exchange screen with a green-tinted overlay

Alberta’s oil and gas wells threaten people’s health, but there are disparities in who is most at risk

Martin Lavoie, St. Francis Xavier University; David Risk, St. Francis Xavier University, and Matthew Rygus, St. Francis Xavier University

An oil well situated near a field, which farmers are using combines to harvest.

Big corporations are getting away with catastrophic air pollution – putting Canadians at risk

David R Boyd, University of British Columbia and Amanda Giang, University of British Columbia

Smoke plumes spew from the smokestacks of a chemical industry plant into the air.