Old growth forests in British Columbia: what they are and why they matter

By Sonja Soo, Environmental & Earth Sciences editor In Canada’s largest act of civil disobedience, over 1,000 people were arrested for protesting against the logging of old growth forests. During these protests, which were concentrated in Fairy Creek, a southern Vancouver Island region, many risked fines and jail time to protect old growth forests. But […]

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Building a better future: the youth climate movement in Canada

A crowded rally in Berlin.

By Mary Anne Schoenhardt, Science in Society editor “You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words”. These were the words Greta Thunberg used at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York in 2019. “The young people are starting to understand your betrayal. The eyes of all future generations are upon […]

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How we predict and manage fire – and why it matters

A coniferous forest shrouded in smoke

By Naeema Bhyat, guest contributor With Canada’s wide expanses of forest, grasslands and shrublands, wildfires have always been part of our landscape. But as more Canadians experience eerie, smoky skies and a dull orange sun, these fires loom larger in the public’s imagination. Events like the 2016 wildfire that tore through Fort McMurray, Alberta and […]

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Rebuilding our urban forests with the My Tree app

By Ishara Yahampath, Communication, Education & Outreach editor Tree planting is an essential nature-based action for mitigating the effects of global warming. As trees grow, they absorb and store the carbon dioxide that drives global warming, provide shade for roads, buildings, and people, and food and habitat for local wildlife. While many Canadians recognize the […]

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Microbes could be the solution to our waste plastics problem

By Ishara Yahampath, guest contributor Globally, 400 metric tonnes of plastic are produced annually: 40% is single-use, resulting in significant waste. Every year, 29,000 tonnes of plastic are released into Canada’s environment, causing serious environmental problems—the accumulation of plastic waste in land and water ecosystems, leakage of harmful microbes into the environment, and threats to […]

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