Environment + Energy – Views & Research

Fast-tracking without foresight: Canada’s risky approach to major projects

Justina C. Ray, University of Toronto and Dave Poulton, The University of Queensland

Aging bridges are crumbling. Here’s how new technologies can help detect danger earlier

Amirreza Torabizadeh, Concordia University and Emre Erkmen, Concordia University

An aerial shot of a concrete bridge spanning a river

Concrete with a human touch: Can we make infrastructure that repairs itself?

Mouna Reda, McMaster University and Samir Chidiac, McMaster University

A person in a hi-vis jacket and hard hat moves across a large concrete surface with a power trowel.

a group of people stand posing for a photo near a body of water. Flag fly of poles behind them

Ontario’s Bill 5 erodes good governance in the province

Kristen Lowitt, Queen's University, Ontario

A sandwich sitting on a wax wrap on a table beside different foods and glass containers.

Zero waste in schools? Why factoring in labour is essential

Mitchell McLarnon, Concordia University

From earthquakes to wildfires, Canada is woefully ill-prepared for disasters

Brodie Ramin, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

Huge flames surrounded by coniferous trees.

Governments need to prepare for more frequent large floods

Samadhee Kaluarachchi, University of British Columbia and Younes Alila, University of British Columbia

floodwaters around an inundated barn in a farm area

Youth Climate Corps: Young Canadians need more action and less tokenization

Lilian Barraclough, University of Guelph

people at a demonstration carry a large banner reading: time to end fossil fuels in English and French

Iran’s president calls for moving its drought-stricken capital amid a worsening water crisis – how Tehran got into water bankruptcy

Ali Mirchi, Oklahoma State University; Amir AghaKouchak, University of California, Irvine; Kaveh Madani, United Nations University, and Mojtaba Sadegh, Boise State University; United Nations University

A large group of men and women pray outside.

Growing pains: An Ontario city’s urban agriculture efforts show good policy requires real capacity

Richard Bloomfield, Western University; Kassie Miedema, Western University, and Rebecca Ellis, Algoma University

The gift that keeps on giving: How solar panels on farms can help increase crop yields

Joshua M. Pearce, Western University

Are harp seals responsible for the stalled recovery of Atlantic cod?

Tyler Eddy, Memorial University of Newfoundland

New study finds Pacific Northwest birds are becoming more common in the mountains as the climate warms

Benjamin Freeman, Georgia Institute of Technology

A black and yellow bird with a small red fruit in its beak

Calls for grizzly hunts to return to Western Canada oversimplify a complex ecological issue

Tandeep Sidhu, University of Manitoba and Lacee O'Neil, University of Manitoba

New study: Ingesting even small amounts of plastic can be fatal for marine animals

Britta Baechler, University of Toronto and Erin Murphy, Arizona State University

a sea turtle in the water with a plastic bag near it's head.

Worker honey bees can sense infections in their queen, leading to revolt

Alison McAfee, University of British Columbia; North Carolina State University

A queen honey bee stands on comb in the middle of a retinue of workers

A building showing part of a missing roof near a school field.

Weak infrastructure leaves Jamaican schools devastated in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa

Giselle Thompson, University of Alberta and Meshia Brown, University of Alberta

Reduced air pollution is making clouds reflect less sunlight

Knut von Salzen, University of Washington

an overcast sky above a boat sailing across a body of water with cranes at a port in the background

The path to responsible mining in northern Ontario starts with Indigenous consent

Tamara Krawchenko, University of Victoria and Darren Godwell

‘Radioactive patriarchy’ documentary: Women examine the impact of Soviet nuclear testing

Rebecca H. Hogue, University of Toronto

People in hard hats seen near a large concrete tower structure and a barren field.

Cop30: five reasons the UN climate conference failed to deliver on its ‘people’s summit’ promise

Simon Chin-Yee, UCL; Mark Maslin, UCL, and Priti Parikh, UCL

The deep sea and the Arctic must be included in efforts to tackle climate change

Juliano Palacios Abrantes, University of British Columbia and Narissa Bax, University of Tasmania

people attend a convention in a large hall. COP30 Brasil is written in large letters on the wall behind a dais

Artificial intelligence is front and centre at COP30

David Tindall, University of British Columbia

COP30: Governments must empower forest communities to keep fossil fuels underground

Philippe Le Billon, University of British Columbia

Why Bill Gates’ climate memo is being celebrated by skeptics while frustrating scientists

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

An elderly man wearing glasses and a dark suit sitting in front of a microphone

Brazil’s upcoming UN climate summit highlights how tricky climate pledges are to keep

Hannah Hughes, Aberystwyth University and Veronica Korber Gonçalves, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS); Universidade de Brasília (UnB)

Belem city skyline with trees in foreground

COP30: Pacific leaders now have world court backing to call countries to account over climate risk

John Sibanda, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

New report reveals how climate change is spreading infectious diseases to new regions

Tulio de Oliveira, Stellenbosch University; Cheryl Baxter, Stellenbosch University, and Maambele Khosa, Stellenbosch University

People in protective clothing and masks spray a smoky substance on the street

brazilian city and river seen from the air, skyscrapers and brown river.

Geopolitics, backsliding and progress: here’s what to expect at this year’s COP30 global climate talks

Jacqueline Peel, The University of Melbourne

A pile of grey and dead coral lies scattered across the ocean floor

Climate tipping points are close: scientists urge radical action before it’s too late

Laura Pereira, University of the Witwatersrand

People and cars move along a busy roadway

Why Africa’s mineral-rich countries are not reaping the rewards of their wealth

Bonnie Campbell, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and Moussa Doumbo, Université des Sciences sociales et de Gestion de Bamako

a pair of hands in white gloves holding a broken pieces of a circuit board

To tackle e-waste, teach kids to be responsible consumers

Saidia Ali, Toronto Metropolitan University

Governments can protect marine environments by supporting small-scale fishing

Rashid Sumaila, University of British Columbia

a man carrying a net standing on a boat floating on a body of water

Hurricane Melissa is a warning – why violent storms are increasingly catching the world off guard

Alexander Baker, University of Reading and Liz Stephens, University of Reading

A snowy owl standing on a log in a forest setting.

How we’re tracking avian flu’s toll on wildlife across North America

Damien Joly, University of Saskatchewan

women in colorful dresses and make up walk in a parade

Drinking tequila and mezcal sustainably on The Day of the Dead

Brendon Larson, University of Waterloo; Raymundo Martínez Jiménez, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, and Ronda L. Brulotte, University of New Mexico

Reef restoration shouldn’t just be about growing corals - but also bringing reefs to life, new study suggests

Dr. Zach Boakes, Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional (BRIN) and Tries Blandine Razak, IPB University

Climate change is making cities hotter. Here’s how planting trees can help

Lingshan Li, Concordia University

Major Canadian banks’ digital emissions stay massive while they disclose less and less

Sylvain Amoros, HEC Montréal and Sylvain Senecal, HEC Montréal

Satellite data shows methane emissions are declining in part of Canada’s oil patch, but more monitoring is needed

Chris Hugenholtz, University of Calgary; Coleman Vollrath, University of Calgary; Thomas Barchyn, University of Calgary, and Zhenyu Xing, University of Calgary

People stand silhouetted in front of an aquarium tank watching a beluga whale swim past

The fate of Marineland’s belugas expose the ethical cracks in Canadian animal law

Maneesha Deckha, University of Victoria

New study reveals how illegal wildlife trade intersects with organized crime in Canada

Michelle Anagnostou, University of Oxford; Ashwell Glasson, Stellenbosch University; Brent Doberstein, University of Waterloo, and Peter Stoett, Ontario Tech University

a small yellowish monkey with a white face on a branch with its baby on its back

Warmer weather is leading to vanishing winters in North America’s Great Lakes

Marguerite Xenopoulos, Trent University and Michael R. Twiss, Algoma University

icy lake shore with trees. A full moon in the sky above

Mark Carney’s climate inaction is at odds with his awareness of climate change’s existential threat

Bruce Campbell, Toronto Metropolitan University; York University, Canada

How wildfires and other climate disasters put health systems under extreme pressure

Bhavini Gohel, University of Calgary

A lake and mountains with orange flame and smoke on the horizon

How anti-vaccine sentiment helped raise funds and saved the lives of some B.C. ostriches

Jeremy Snyder, Simon Fraser University and Claire Wilson, Simon Fraser University

people take photos of an ostrich behind a fence

The disasters we talk about shape our priorities and determine our preparedness

Fatma Ozdogan, Université de Montréal and Ali Asgary, York University, Canada

A man walks across a dried patch of land.

OpenAI’s newly launched Sora 2 makes AI’s environmental impact impossible to ignore

Robert Diab, Thompson Rivers University

The northern migration of the temperate forest isn’t proceeding as expected

Todor Slavchev Minchev, Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR) and Guillaume de Lafontaine, Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR)

Wind turbines and a coal-fired power plant at sunrise in Germany.

Why countries struggle to quit fossil fuels, despite higher costs and 30 years of climate talks and treaties

Kate Hua-Ke Chi, Tufts University

three photos of the same wetland area at three different times of the year.

Harnessing technology and global collaboration to understand peatlands

Scott J. Davidson, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and Avni Malhotra, University of Zurich

Nobel chemistry prize awarded for crystal materials that could revolutionize green technology

John Griffin, Lancaster University

Three men sat at a desk in front of screen with images of three other men.

How Canada can support rural regions in its net-zero transition

Tamara Krawchenko, University of Victoria

A wind turbine in a field next to a grain elevator, snowy mountains can be seen in the background

Our AI model can help improve indoor ventilation during wildfire season

Hoda Khalil, Carleton University and Gabriel Wainer, Carleton University

A woman in a tank top and sunglasses wearing a face mask. tall buildings by the water are seen behind her

a view of a river with yellow trees on one of its banks, tall glass buildings can be seen in the background

Governments, universities and non-profits must work together to safeguard Canada’s lakes and rivers

David Barrett, University of Calgary; Frederick John Wrona, University of Calgary, and Juhi Huda, University of Calgary

How researchers are making precision agriculture more affordable

Samuel Mugo, MacEwan University and Mohammed Elmorsy, MacEwan University

People with schizophrenia were hit hard by B.C.’s deadly 2021 heat dome

Liv Yoon, University of British Columbia and Samantha Mew, University of British Columbia

What the WTO’s deal to curb fisheries subsidies means and what it could achieve

Daniel Skerritt, University of British Columbia and Rashid Sumaila, University of British Columbia

a school of fish swimming near some coral reefs

Canadian cities can prepare for climate change by building with nature

Adam Skoyles, University of Waterloo and Michael Drescher, University of Waterloo

a tree-lined street in an urban area, a tall building in the background

Decision-making on national interest projects demands openness and rigour

Robert B. Gibson, University of Waterloo

Workers in orange vests at hard hats stand inside warehouse at a construction site.

Canada’s $43-billion subsidy scheme for critical minerals misses supply chain steps

Chris Arsenault, Western University; Philippe Le Billon, University of British Columbia, and Raphael Deberdt, Colorado School of Mines

An electric vehicle charging at a station

Canada’s tariff wall on Chinese electric vehicles is deepening dependence on the U.S.

Addisu Lashitew, McMaster University

Today more than ever, biodiversity needs single-species conservation

Chris Johnson, University of Northern British Columbia and Justina C. Ray, University of Toronto

A black and orange butterfly collecting nectar from a flower with red petals.

New research indicates caribou populations could decline 80 per cent by 2100

Elisabetta Canteri, University of Copenhagen and Damien Fordham, University of Adelaide

a row of caribou walk along a grassy area in a line with snow capped mountained in the background

Agreement between Hydro-Québec and the Innu is a must for the development of the battery industry

Jean-Sol Goulet-Poulin, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

A wild river, bordered by a coniferous forest

A view of a lake with green, red and yellow trees on the land in the background

How environmental RNA can give us a real-time picture of freshwater biodiversity

Wendy Morgado Gamero, McGill University and Orianne Tournayre, Université de Montpellier

Evacuations of Indigenous communities during wildfires must prioritize keeping families together

Lily Yumagulova, University of Saskatchewan; Simon Lambert, University of Saskatchewan, and Warrick Baijius, University of Saskatchewan

A woman and young girl stand behind a pile of clothes on a table. The woman holds up an item of clothing.

Working with local communities is a vital part of wildfire response

James Whitehead, Simon Fraser University and Kelsey Copes-Gerbitz, University of British Columbia

a small two-storey building with a sign reading Robertson trading co.

Climate change is profoundly affecting livelihoods across Canada

Sara Dorow, University of Alberta

White mold fungi split their genome across several nuclei, with implications for future gene editing

Xin Li, University of British Columbia; Edan Jackson, University of British Columbia, and Josh Li, University of British Columbia

Our primate ancestors evolved in the cold – not the tropics

Jason Gilchrist, Edinburgh Napier University

Managing soil fertilization levels can make for more efficient and productive crops

JT Cornelis, University of British Columbia

a person's hand holding a plant pulled out from the ground

Droughts don’t just dry up water — they drain livelihoods and weaken local economies

S. Mehmet Ozsoy, Concordia University and Erkan Yonder, Concordia University

A small tree grows out of cracked, dry ground

a black and white killer whale jumps out of the water

In the Salish Sea, tensions surrounding killer whales and salmon are about more than just fishing

Lauren Eckert, University of British Columbia

Warming temperatures affect glaciers’ ability to store meltwater, contributing to rising sea levels

Danielle Halle, University of Waterloo and Wesley Van Wychen, University of Waterloo

New study shows how Amazon trees use recent rainfall in the dry season and support the production of their own rain

Magali Nehemy, University of British Columbia

A boat sails along a river surrounded by thick rainforest

We drilled deep under the sea to learn more about mega-earthquakes and tsunamis

Morgane Brunet, Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR)

Dark sky tourism offers time with darkness and celestial wonders

Glen Hvenegaard, University of Alberta

a large starfish resting on a rock underwater, a diver swims by in the background

The bacteria killing sea stars in the Pacific: How our team uncovered a decade-long mystery

Melanie Prentice, University of British Columbia; Alyssa-Lois Gehman, University of British Columbia; Drew Harvell, Cornell University, and Grace Crandall, University of Washington

Canadian cities are unprepared for climate-driven migration — here’s what they can do

Kent Mundle, University of Hong Kong

A woman in green military fatigues guides two older women, one using a walker, toward a grey military plane on the tarmac

Size matters, but so does beauty and vigour — at least when it comes to peacocks

Rama Shankar Singh, McMaster University

a peacock with his tail feathers fanned out

DIY air cleaners are an easy and cost-effective way to help ventilate homes during wildfires

Anne-Marie Nicol, Simon Fraser University and Prem Gundarah, Simon Fraser University

The world’s longest marine heat wave upended ocean life across the Pacific

Samuel Starko, The University of Western Australia and Julia K. Baum, University of Victoria

View of an ocean from a beach, trees can be seen in the background further down the beach

It’s challenging to predict extreme thunderstorms — improving this will help reduce their deadly and costly impacts

David Sills, Western University and Gregory Kopp, Western University

Here’s how you can make your garden a safe and biodiverse space for urban wildlife

Ann Dale, Royal Roads University and Sabrina Careri, Toronto Metropolitan University

an orange and black monarch butterfly balances on a pink perennial flower

Plastics and human health: what’s at stake in the global treaty talks in Geneva

Cat Acheson, University of Edinburgh; Alice Street, University of Edinburgh, and Rob Ralston, University of Edinburgh; Independent Social Research Foundation

two people stood on landfill overlooking city

Car tires are polluting the environment and killing salmon. A global plastics treaty could help

Timothy Rodgers, University of British Columbia; Rachel Scholes, University of British Columbia, and Simon Drew, University of British Columbia

Ontario’s forest management is falling short on key sustainability test

Jay R. Malcolm, University of Toronto and Justina C. Ray, University of Toronto

Canada could use thermal infrastructure to turn wasted heat emissions into energy

James (Jim) S. Cotton, McMaster University and Caleb Duffield, McMaster University

To protect coral reefs, we must also protect the people who depend on them

Pedro C. González Espinosa, Simon Fraser University

There’s enough natural hydrogen in the Earth’s crust to help power the green energy transition

Omid Haeri Ardakani, University of Calgary; Barbara Sherwood Lollar, University of Toronto, and Chris Ballentine, University of Oxford

Dealing with wildfires requires a whole-of-society approach

Kevin Kriese, University of Victoria; Andrea Barnett, University of Victoria, and Oliver Brandes, University of Victoria

A truck on a highway in a forested area, a large plume of white smoke rises above trees in the distance

A sign reading Giant Mine remediation project, a tall headframe seen in the background

Yellowknife’s Giant Mine: Canada downplayed arsenic exposure as an Indigenous community was poisoned

Arn Keeling, Memorial University of Newfoundland and John Sandlos, Memorial University of Newfoundland

ponds and green foliage in a wetland area

Canadian wetlands are treasures that deserve protection

Maria Strack, University of Waterloo

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

AI and other future technologies will be necessary — but not sufficient — for enacting the UN’s Pact for the Future

Joyeeta Gupta, University of Amsterdam

I research rip currents where Cosby Show star Malcolm-Jamal Warner drowned. Here’s why they’re so deadly

Chris Houser, University of Waterloo

An aerial view of a beach with a rip current.

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

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

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

Meaghan Efford, University of British Columbia

An aerial view of a tanker in a large fjord

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

Roxanne Panchasi, Simon Fraser University

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

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

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

Wildfire smoke can harm your brain, not just your lungs

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

dark smoke fills an orange sky above a line of trees

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

tiny organisms against a black background

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

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

Gwendolyn Blue, University of Calgary

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

Torsten Jaccard, University of British Columbia

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

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

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

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

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

Chris Houser, University of Waterloo

a river winding through a green landscape

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

Charlotte Milne, University of British Columbia

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

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

Goran Calic, McMaster University

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

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

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

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

Karen S. Acton, University of Toronto

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.

‘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.'

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

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

Mohammadamin Ahmadfard, Toronto Metropolitan 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 aerial photo of a wildfire in a forested area

Canada must take action to prevent climate-related migration

Christopher Campbell-Duruflé, Toronto Metropolitan 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

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

Our research-based analyses help keep the spotlight on climate change