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1. #50 It's all happening at the Toronto Zoo! A conversation with Dolf Dejong28.07.2025 (00:45:03)

   In this episode, we are speaking with Dolf DeJong, Chief Executive Officer of the Toronto Zoo. Dolf has had an exciting career at the intersection of conservation, public spaces and education. Dolf joined the Toronto Zoo in 2018 after acting as Vice President and General Manager of the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre. At the Toronto Zoo, Dolf has focused on strengthening the zoo’s relationship with the surrounding community, and finding new and creative ways to connect the public with animals and conservation science to help raise awareness and fight extinction.Chatting with Dolf, he reflected on his personal journey into conservation and how it relates to the scientific and strategic work happening at the Toronto Zoo. We explore how the Zoo's location within Rouge National Urban Park informs its partnerships with Parks Canada, and the exciting plans for the Zoo’s upcoming Conservation Campus, which is being built in collaboration with the University of Toronto Scarborough. We also talked about the emergence of so-called “de-extinction” technologies and their implication for both wildlife conservation and zoos. We then reflect on a recent trip to East Africa that Dolf and I took part in with some colleagues and unpack some of the ethical and ecological complexities of ecotourism in developing nations. In the wildlife conservation world, Zoos are sometimes portrayed as relics of an outdated conservation ethos. But we hope our conversation with Dolf works to dispel that view, highlighting the vibrant science happening at the zoo, and the deep connection to applied conservation biology.

2. #49 Is hydrogen the energy source of the future? a conversation with Joe Romm 10.07.2025 (01:14:39)

   Today we are speaking with Joseph Romm, a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media. Joe holds a PhD in physics from MIT and has authored numerous articles and 10 books on climate change, clean energy, and communications. In the 1990s, he worked on climate solutions at the US Department of Energy, and helped to run the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. He then became very active in climate change communications, founding the influential blog, Climate Progress, and was recognized by the AAAS and Rolling Stone and Time Magazines for his efforts.One of Joe’s signature books is his 2003 book entitled: “The Hype about Hydrogen: False Promises and Real Solutions in the Race to Save the Climate”, which he has recently revised and updated. In the book, Joe made the case that hydrogen did not live up to the hype at the time - it was not going to be an economically viable alternative to fossil fuels. We chatted with Joe about whether anything has changed in the 20+ years since the book first came out and about his thoughts on the renewed investment in hydrogen. We also spoke to Joe about his work as a science communicator and his new endeavours to share what he has learned about how to connect with an audience.Buy the new revised edition of Joe's book here: https://www.amazon.ca/Hype-About-Hydrogen-Revised-Solutions/dp/1642834025

3. #48 Climate science in the crosshairs with Adam Sobel10.06.2025 (01:05:17)

   In this episode we are speaking with Adam Sobel, Professor of Applied Physics, Mathematics and Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University. Adam is an atmospheric and climate scientist and his research focuses on tropical meteorology and extreme weather events, particularly hurricanes. Adam is also actively engaged in public outreach through media interviews, op-eds, podcasting and his popular science book about Hurricane Sandy that made landfall in New York in 2012. In light of the current and proposed US funding cuts to science and climate science specifically, Adam and others have been raising awareness about the potential harm to American science and society more broadly. In our conversation with Adam, we talked about his own research program, his journey to becoming a more public-facing scientist, and the scale of the funding cuts facing US federal agencies and academic institutions. America is a leader in science and innovation and Adam stressed that this is not by chance; it is the result of a curiosity-driven, highly productive and government-funded science ecosystem established in the US post-World War II. It was a difficult conversation, but an important one. So, with that, here’s our conversation with Adam Sobel.

4. #47 Elevating plant life in conservation research and practice with Jenny McCune29.05.2025 (00:50:32)

   In this episode we are chatting with plant community ecologist, Professor Jenny McCune of the University of Lethbridge. The goal of Jenny's research is to determine what factors drive the patterns and long-term dynamics of plant community diversity and composition within landscapes dominated by humans. Her research group uses field surveys of forests, grasslands, or savannahs to identify which plant species are present and compare this data to data from past surveys, or from paleoecological data. These comparisons allow her group to assess how plant communities have changed, and how those changes are related to human activities or natural disturbances like storms and fires. Jenny’s research also focuses on the conservation of plant species at risk.With Jenny we talked about where her passion for plants comes from and why plants seem to be underrepresented in conservation teaching and practice. We also revisit the concept of ecological integrity in the context of Jenny’s work, which involves the relationship between conservation translocation and the integrity of local ecosystems. A lot of Jenny’s recent research is focused on post-fire ecological recovery, and she shared some findings from her work on this in Western Canada. We wrapped up our chat with some reflections on how we teach conservation, and what strategies can be effective for conveying the complexity of environmental management in Canada. Jenny's website: https://jlmccune.weebly.com/

5. #46 The epitome of deregulation: calling Ontario's Bill 5 into question with Connie O'Connor12.05.2025 (00:38:50)

   Today we’re releasing a special episode in response to recent changes to environmental policy in Ontario. To understand these changes and their implications we had a conversation with Dr. Connie O’Connor, the Director of the Ontario Northern Boreal Program with Wildlife Conservation Society-Canada. Before joining WCS-Canada, Connie completed her PhD at Carleton University under the supervision of Dr. Steven Cooke, and also completed a postdoctoral fellowship at McMaster University, where she was recognized with the Alice Wilson Medal from the Royal Society of Canada for outstanding academic qualifications in Science! Connie has been with WCS-Canada for 10 years now, working on fish ecophysiology and conservation prioritization. She is also a past member of the Freshwater Fish Specialist Subcommittee of the committee on the status of endangered wildlife in Canada (or COSEWIC), and is an Adjunct Professor at Lakehead and Laurentian Universities. With Connie, we discussed the new Ontario Provincial Omnibus Bill 5, also known as the “Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act”. For this discussion we’re hoping to raise awareness about the Bill, which if passed, will work to weaken environmental governance, and even democratic process in Ontario. We want to encourage listeners to familiarize themselves with the Bill and consider submitting their comments while the bill is still undergoing legislative process. After two readings in parliament, the Bill has now been referred to Ontario’s Standing Committee on the Interior which will review the Bill, and this may include public consultations, expert testimonies, and proposed amendments. After the committee's review, the Bill will return to the Legislative Assembly for a third reading. So there are a few ways for the public to engage with the Bill’s review (links below)- You can submit comments on the different aspects of the Bill through Ontario’s Environmental Registry until May 17th, and The Standing Committee on the Interior is accepting oral presentations on May 22 and May 26 in Toronto and Written submissions until May 26. You can also add your name to a petition that’s being assembled by Ecojustice. Overall, Bill 5 represents a continuation of environmental deregulation that we’ve seen from this Provincial government, and will implement changes that effectively nullify the efforts that conservation advocates have been advancing for decades in Ontario. So we hope our chat with Connie conveys the implications of these changes, and can spur those listening to make their opinion heard. Bill details: https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/bills/parliament-44/session-1/bill-5Submit comments to the Environmental Registry: https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/025-0380 and https://ero.ontario.ca/index.php/notice/025-0391Submit comments for the Standing Committee: https://www.ola.org/en/apply-committeesEcojustice Petition: https://ecojustice.ca/take-action/tell-doug-ford-ontarios-wildlife-isnt-for-sale/

6. #45 Examining the intersection of energy, carbon and climate change in Canada with Nicholas Rivers07.05.2025 (00:58:37)

   Today, we are chatting with Dr. Nicholas Rivers, Professor in the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa. His research focuses on the economics of Canadian environmental policy, particularly decarbonization policies. Nicholas actively engages in the public discourse on climate change mitigation in Canada and contributes his expertise to the policy research organization, the Canadian Climate Institute, as a member of the Expert Panel on Mitigation.We had a wide-ranging conversation with Nicholas, covering the basics of carbon accounting, how carbon pricing has been implemented in Canada and other policy options aimed at reducing GHG emissions. We also talked about the opportunities and challenges of electrification, a key element of decarbonization. Nicholas' website: https://sites.google.com/site/nicholasjrivers/

7. #44 Using paleoecology to inform natural climate solutions with Sarah Finkelstein22.04.2025 (00:46:55)

   In this first episode of season 5, we are speaking with Dr. Sarah Finkelstein, professor and Chair of the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Toronto. Sarah’s research group seeks to better understand climates of the past and the drivers of climate and ecological change over the past 12,000 years. Studying paleoclimate involves collecting and analyzing geologic records and Sarah’s group specializes in analyzing the composition of lake and wetland sediment records from locations across the world, including the high Arctic, the Hudson Bay Lowlands, Panama and Southern Africa.We spoke to Sarah about her academic journey thus far, which has spanned several disciplines and a number of different geographical and environmental contexts. We talked about the controversy surrounding the designation of the so-called anthropocene epoch, which has not been accepted by the International Union of Geological Sciences. We also explored Sarah’s work on the connection between biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration in Ontario’s north and how those topics intersect with Indigenous rights and appropriate engagement with Indigenous communities. Sarah is a research powerhouse and her passion for her work is contagious. We hope you enjoy the conversation as much as we did! Sarah's website: https://utpaleolab.wordpress.com/dr-sarah-finkelstein/

8. #43 Coordinating global action for invasive species management with Peter Stoett 29.07.2024 (00:55:02)

   Today we’re speaking with Dr. Peter Stoett. Peter is Dean of the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities at Ontario Tech University. His main research interests include international relations and law, global environmental politics, and human rights, and all of the nuanced intersections between these themes. Prior to joining Ontario Tech University, Peter was Director of the Loyola Sustainability Research Centre, and Chair of the Department of Political Science, at Concordia University in Montreal, Québec. Our primary reason for connecting with Peter was to discuss his recent role as co-chair of the Global assessment of invasive alien species, which was conducted by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). With Peter, we explored several aspects of the new IPBES global assessment. We spoke about how community-engaged environmental action is really the best approach for navigating the ethical debates surrounding invasive species management, including the importance of engaging with Indigenous communities and Indigenous knowledge. We also talked about the necessity of national leadership in developing governance solutions for invasive species, including coordination across  levels of government and efforts to gather widespread public buy-in on the problem. Peter is a strong proponent of science communication and encourages scientists to access the media to get their work into public discourse, where it can have the greatest probability of affecting policy change. It was a pleasure to speak to Peter about his leadership of this truly global-scale science-policy synthesis.

9. #42 Dispersals: on plants, borders and belonging with Jessica Lee15.07.2024 (00:50:53)

   In today's episode we’re speaking with Dr. Jessica Lee. Jessica is a British-Canadian-Taiwanese author and environmental historian, and winner of the 2019 RBC Taylor Emerging Writer Prize. She completed her doctorate at York University in environmental history and aesthetics, focusing on the history of Hampstead Heath, an urban park in London England. During her doctorate, she was a visiting scholar at the Royal College of Art in London. Jessica is the founding editor of The Willowherb Review and teaches creative writing at the University of Cambridge and the University of King’s College. We connected with Jessica to talk about her new book Dispersals - on plants, borders, and belonging. In Dispersals, Jessica brings together her personal story and her wealth of knowledge on how humans interact with plants around the world. We reflected on several sections of her book, examining how early exploration and global trade have reshaped local plant ecologies, critical perspectives on the conceptualization of nature, conservation and biological invasions, and how our daily interactions with plants, either in the environment or in our diets, provide opportunities for mindful reflection and critical examination. We recommend you pick up Jessica’s book, Dispersals, for an immersive summer read and one that will conjure some of your own memories of how you’ve interacted with plants in your own life, and greater insights on how we are all deeply connected to plants.

10. #41 Climate proofing Canada with Jason Clark01.07.2024 (00:48:41)

    Welcome back to another episode of Emerging Environments. Today we are chatting with Jason Clark, the National Director of Climate Change Advocacy at the Insurance Bureau of Canada and the Chair of Climate Proof Canada, a national coalition of insurers, municipalities and not-for-profits that advocates for climate change adaptation measures to protect Canadians and their property from extreme weather, flood and wildfire. The insurance and reinsurance industries have been at the forefront of climate change risk assessment. What happens within the insurance industry has ripple effects throughout the economy - property values of houses that become uninsurable due to climate change-related risks like flood or wildfire plummet. This translates into economic hardship for individual homeowners and also into regional economic impacts due to reduced municipal property tax revenue - revenue that is used to pay for infrastructure and a variety of municipal services.  We spoke with Jason about some of the exciting work he has been doing to ensure that Canadians and the insurance industry are resilient to climate change. We hope you enjoy our conversation!

11. #40 Unpacking the climate geo-engineering controversy with Gwynne Dyer19.06.2024 (01:07:52)

    Today on the podcast, we speak to Dr. Gwynne Dyer. Gwynne is a British-Canadian military historian, author, professor, journalist, broadcaster, and retired naval officer. Gwynne received his PhD in 1973 from King’s College London, and went on to create several popular television documentaries, including the miniseries “War”, which received an Academy Award nomination. Gwynne is now a syndicated columnist, writing about Middle Eastern affairs and global politics, including environmental issues. In 2008, he published “Climate Wars: the fight for survival as the world overheats”, and has recently come back to this topic in his writing with the publishing of his new book “Intervention Earth: life-saving ideas from the world’s climate engineers”. We spoke to Gynne about his research into climate geo-engineering for his new book, focusing on emerging technologies and the uncertainty surrounding them.  Intervention Earth emphasizes the urgency of addressing the climate crisis by discussing potential tipping points in the climate system. In the early part of the interview, Gwynne refers to these as feedbacks and states that we cannot simulate these in climate models. Here, I want to distinguish between feedbacks that we can simulate and feedbacks that are not well represented or missing in models. Climate models include many important feedbacks and would not credibly simulate historical climate change if they did not. However, longer-time scale carbon cycle processes, such as permafrost thaw and the associated methane release, are not well-simulated and processes associated with ice sheets are not included in most global climate models. With respect to these under-represented or missing processes in models, uncertainties are large. As hosts of this podcast, we are not endorsing or dismissing solar radiation management, but awareness of this topic is extremely important as both research and private sector investment in solar radiation management grow.  The bottom line is that more needs to be done faster to mitigate climate change. The Earth has just experienced the 12th-consecutive hottest month on record and based on current international greenhouse gas emissions, the global average temperature will likely surpass the Paris Agreement target of 2C within 10-30 years.

12. #39 Diving into marine ethnoecology with Natalie Ban and Jade Steel03.06.2024 (00:55:58)

    In this episode, we connect with Dr. Natalie Ban and PhD student, Jade Steel. Natalie Ban is a professor in the School of Environmental Studies at the University of Victoria. Natalie’s research encompasses the broad field of marine ethnoecology. Specifically, her group focuses on coastal and marine conservation and fisheries and the social-ecological systems that connect them. Her group’s work integrates natural and social sciences, and bridges western and traditional ecological knowledge. Jade Steel is a doctoral candidate in Natalie’s research group. Her research focuses on Indigenous-led salmon monitoring along the Central Coast of BC.  We had a great conversation with Natalie and Jade, exploring the range of research projects happening in Natalie’s lab. We spoke about their work on fisheries reconciliation in British Columbia, including the centering of Indigenous perspectives in marine protected area network planning, and also supporting fisheries monitoring efforts by First Nations, which is the focus of Jade’s PhD. Jade and Natalie talked about the importance of the local scale expertise held by First Nations, which is highlighting some gaps in climate change modeling for marine environments. We also talked about the interactions between Indigenous rights, justice and fisheries management, where declining fish populations resulting from commercial overharvesting is now being rightly characterized as an infringement on the rights of Indigenous communities. We closed out our conversation with some thoughts on how to find positivity as individuals working within, and thinking deeply about, the environmental crisis.

13. #38 The business of climate solutions with Hansi Singh20.05.2024 (00:55:31)

    Today we are chatting with Dr. Hansi Singh, climate scientist and co-founder and CEO of Planette, a climate tech start-up. Hansi was formerly an Assistant Professor at the University of Victoria. During the pandemic she began working on a research project that evolved into Planette and she recently decided to leave academia and dedicate her time to growing her business. In our conversation with Hansi, we talked about her past research program at the University of Victoria and her transition to the private sector. Planette’s aim is to provide decision-ready probabilistic seasonal to decadal climate forecasts for business, so we also spent some time talking about the evolution and growing academic and societal interest in decadal climate prediction in recent years. Hansi encouraged more climate scientists to consider entrepreneurship to help ensure that the private sector makes use of the best science for adaptation and transitional planning and action. We hope you enjoy our conversation with Hansi Singh.

14. #37 From the prairies to the nation: Canadian conservation politics with Andrea Olive 06.05.2024 (01:05:03)

    In this episode, we are speaking with Andrea Olive, a Professor in the Department of Political Science and the Department of Geography, Geomatics and Environment at the University of Toronto Mississauga. Her primary research and teaching interest is in environmental policy and politics, primarily with respect to wildlife conservation in the prairie regions of Canada and the US. She is the author of multiple books - and, in this episode, we chat with her about her two most recent books that both came out in 2023: the first is entitled, Protecting the prairies: Lorne Scott and the politics of conservation and the second is a collection that she co-edited entitled, Transformative politics of nature: overcoming barriers to conservation in Canada We had a wide ranging conversation with Andrea. We first covered the life of Lorne Scott, and how his early fascination with nature set the stage for life long journey into environmental politics. And by reflecting on Lorne’s life, we were able to explore the unique socio-ecological context of the Canadian prairies. It was fascinating to learn that the impetus for a lot of our current federal environmental policy can actually be traced back to the assessment of major resource development projects in Saskatchewan. So there’s some important history there that gives some perspective on the trajectory of environmental management in Canada. Andrea also reflected back on her time putting together her other recent book, transformative politics of nature, noting the importance of the social connections that were made among authors and also how the book was likely influenced by the variable experiences that authors had through the Covid-19 pandemic. The diversity of authorship and topics covered in the book really set it apart from traditional conservation textbooks, and despite acknowledging some of the hard truths about where we are now for biodiversity and how we got to this point, there’s a thread of hope throughout the book that will likely catch the eye of the next generation of conservation scientists.

15. #36 Stewarding biocultural relations with Faisal Moola22.04.2024 (00:56:16)

    We are thrilled to have Dr. Faisal Moola as the first guest for our 4th season of the podcast. Faisal is an Associate Professor at the University of Guelph in the Department of Geography, Environment & Geomatics. As a professor, his research focuses on forest conservation and management, Ecology and ethnoecology of plants, environmental policy and Indigenous-led conservation, and he has been publishing extensively in academic journals on these topics. Prior to his arrival at the University of Guelph, he spent 16 years at the David Suzuki Foundation, first as a forest ecologist and eventually in the positions of Director of Science and then Director General. Faisal is also the lead for the Biological Outcomes and Indicators Research Stream of the Conservation Through Reconciliation Partnership, which is a Canada-wide initiative that aims to support and promote Indigenous-led conservation.   We talked about his path from the non-governmental world to academia, where he now has a vibrant interdisciplinary research program. He shared how his lab has moved towards a rights-based approach to conservation, exploring the connections between the health of Indigenous communities and their access to traditional lands and resources, with recent focus on urban environments. We also spoke about his work as a conservation educator where he is adamant about the importance of policy literacy in emerging conservation scientists, as well as the necessity of building meaningful connections with Indigenous communities. It was a pleasure to speak with Faisal and we’re excited to have this conversation kick off our 4th season of Emerging Environments!

16. #35 Behind the lens with Caitlin Starowicz23.09.2023 (00:47:27)

    Welcome back to the final episode of Season 3 of Emerging Environments. In this episode we continue exploring the power of story-telling with award-winning film producer and director, Caitlin Starowicz. Caitlin has over 10 years of experience in television and film, from comedy to drama to documentary. Her extensive documentary work spans broad environmental themes including conservation and climate change. In our conversation, we chat about three of Caitlin’s recent projects.  Her 2018 film She Walks with Apes follows the work of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas, sometimes known as the “Trimates”, who studied great apes in the wild. The film also introduces the next generation of young women scientists who were inspired by them and discusses the current state of great ape conservation. It premiered on BBC America on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. ​Recently, Caitlin has worked on two climate change documentaries. Her 2020 documentary about Greta Thunberg and the youth climate justice movement, entitled Rebellion, was the season premiere of the 60th anniversary CBC’s The Nature of Things, and, most recently, her 2023 documentary, entitled Apocalypse Plan B investigates the potential perils of climate geoengineering to mitigate global warming. Documentary film-making is such an integral vehicle for science communication and it was so inspiring to have Caitlin share her insights with us. We hope you enjoy our conversation with Caitlin Starowicz and we look forward to reconnecting with you for Season 4!

17. #34 From persuasion to connection: better communication of environmental science with Anne Toomey06.07.2023 (01:01:52)

    On this episode we connected with Dr. Anne Toomey. Anne is an interdisciplinary conservation scientist with interests in how people connect to their natural environment and the role of scientific research in supporting that connection. Currently she holds the post of Assistant Professor at Pace University’s Department of Environmental Studies and Science, where she teaches courses on sustainability and multiple environmental perspectives. Her most recent research focuses on science communication in conservation, citizen science, civic environmental stewardship, and sense of place along urban waterfronts. Anne received her Ph.D. in Human Geography from Lancaster University in the UK, her Masters in Sustainable Development and Natural Resources from American University, and her B.A. in Political Science and Communications from the University of Rhode Island. In our conversation, we chatted about Anne’s early forays into environmental science. As a graduate student she spent a significant amount of time in Nicaragua studying sustainable farming practices, and then in Bolivia investigating the impact of local scientific studies, and the subsequent transfer of knowledge to local communities. We wanted to connect with Anne after coming across her recent article titled “Why facts don't change minds: Insights from cognitive science for the improved communication of conservation research”, which was published in the journal Biological Conservation earlier this year. In our chat, we walk through the different sections of Anne’s article to explore some of the barriers and pathways for effective communication of conservation science. These included the role of the individual vs. collectives for engaging with science and making systemic change, tapping into alternative science communication channels and focusing on authentic interactions as opposed to strategies of persuasion. It was a very engaging conservation about a challenging topic, and we hope you’re able to find some insights to carry forward in your own interactions with science. So with that, we bring your our conversation with Dr. Anne Toomey.

18. #33 What do massive bushfires mean for stratospheric ozone levels? A conversation with Kane Stone.26.06.2023 (00:50:52)

    Joining us on the podcast today is Dr. Kane Stone, a research scientist in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Kane completed his PhD at the University of Melbourne on the impacts of stratospheric ozone depletion on climate. He then moved to MIT as a post-doc in Susan Solomon’s Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Change group and has stayed on as a research scientist. Kane was a co-lead author on a recent paper in Nature exploring chemical pathways for wildfire smoke particles to facilitate stratospheric ozone depletion. This study was motivated by the devastating 2019/2020 Australian bushfires, in which smoke extended all the way into the stratosphere. This study is a great example of how new insights into the Earth system can be gained by blending theory, lab experiments, observations and climate modeling. In our conversation, we also chatted about some of the other phenomena that have been perturbing the stratosphere in recent years, including the eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai undersea volcano. https://www.ssolomongroup.mit.edu/kanestone

19. #32 Computing the climate with Steve Easterbrook05.06.2023 (01:07:28)

    We are delighted to share our interview with Dr. Steve Easterbrook, Professor of Computer Science and Director of the School for the Environment at the University of Toronto. Before coming to U of T, Steve was a faculty member at the University of Sussex and then a lead scientist at the NASA Independent Verification and Validation Facility. Karen first met Steve when I was a visiting graduate student at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, where one of the world’s leading climate models is developed. Steve studies climate modelling from a computer science perspective and, as you will hear, Steve visited several of these climate modelling institutions, exploring how climate models are developed and how scientists use them. His research in this area has evolved into a new book entitled, Computing the Climate: How we know what we know about climate change, appearing on bookshelves this summer.  In our conversation with Steve, he shared his motivation for writing the book and what he hopes readers will get out of it. We also talked about where the field of climate modelling is headed and how AI has the potential to improve the representation of complex processes within climate models. As Director of the School for the Environment, Steve has a keen interest in student learning and transdisciplinary research and education, and we talked about approaches to embedding sustainability literacy into post-secondary education across the board. It was great to chat with Steve and don’t forget to keep an eye out for his book, Computing the Climate, which arrives this summer.  https://www.environment.utoronto.ca/people/directories/all-faculty/steve-easterbrook https://www.cambridge.org/ca/academic/subjects/computer-science/computing-and-society/computing-climate-how-we-know-what-we-know-about-climate-change?format=PB&isbn=9781107589926#

20. #31 The climate change media landscape with Hanna Morris25.05.2023 (00:57:44)

    Today we welcome Dr. Hanna Morris. Hanna is an Assistant Professor at the School of the Environment at the University of Toronto with research interests in climate change media and communication, culture and politics, and transnational climate movements. Previously, Hanna was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, where she also completed her MA and PhD. Hanna completed her BSc. at the University of California-Berkely, an her MSc at the London School of Economics and political Science. Hanna’s research and writing have been published in academic journals and popular media outlets including Environmental Communication and Media Theory. Her scholarship has been recognized by the IAMCR Stuart Hall Award, New Directions for Climate Communication Research Fellowship, and Top Paper Awards from the International Communication Association and Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences.  In our conversation with Hanna we explored many of the topics that will be in her upcoming book which is titled Apocalyptic Authoritarianism: Climate Crisis, Media and Power. We spoke about the history of climate change journalism, the various media channels through which the topic of climate change is communicated, and the inadequate coverage of the disproportionate impacts of climate change. We talked in depth about the balance of power in environmental media, with Hanna reflecting on the implications of that for the future of climate change journalism. We also spoke about the challenge of disentangling the relationship between public opinion of climate change and climate change activism and how those topics are covered in the media. We ended with some thoughts on how to have those tough conversations about climate change with an emphasis on trying to find shared values, and common concerns.  It was a pleasure to dig into this challenging topic with Hanna, and we hope you enjoy our conversation! Hanna's website: https://hannamorris.com/ Hanna on twitter: @sustaintheconvo

21. #30 Forging alliances for the recovery of species at risk in Canada with Christie Whelan13.05.2023 (00:52:35)

    Christie Whelan is the National Manager of Species at Risk Recovery with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). She completed her Bachelor of Science in Biology at Queen’s University, and her Masters degree in Biology at Florida Atlantic University. Prior to her current role, she was a Science Advisor and Coordinator for the department of fisheries and oceans Canada (DFO). In these roles at DFO she was responsible for implementation of the Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat and the DFO member to the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). At DFO, Christie was working on the assessment and recovery of marine species, but now looks after the development and implementation of recovery strategies and action plans for terrestrial species at risk in Canada.  Christie reviewed the structure and process of Canada’s Species at Risk Act (or SARA for short), including the cyclical nature of the legislation and the protections that species are given once they’re listed under the act. She also gave a clear summary of the jurisdictional complexity of species at risk management in Canada, including the roles and responsibilities of the federal, provincial, territorial and Indigenous governments. Christie shared some insights into the collaborative nature of SARA by looking at the case of Peary Caribou, which are one of the four subspecies of caribou recognized in Canada. Peary Caribou are currently listed as Endangered under the federal legislation and have a recovery strategy in place, but have recently been assessed and given a status of threatened by COSEWIC, which is a reflection of positive action on the ground. Christie and her team are doing vital work at the interface of conservation science and policy, and we hope our chat provides some insight into the process of species at risk recovery in Canada. Species at risk - Canada.ca Species at risk: the act, the accord and the funding programs - Canada.ca Species at risk public registry - Canada.ca Critical habitat identification toolbox: Species at Risk Act guidance - Canada.ca Canada Gazette

22. #29 Quicksilver and the black kite with David McLagan03.05.2023 (01:00:30)

    Today on the podcast we welcome Dr. David McLagan.  David is an Assistant Professor at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. He specializes in environmental geochemistry with a focus on mercury dynamics, but his work is thoroughly interdisciplinary, drawing from the fields of atmospheric chemistry, dendrochronology, and human health. David is part of a team of researchers that recently received the Governor General’s Innovation Award for their work developing technology to monitor mercury levels in the atmosphere, which you’ll hear about in our conversation. David completed his PhD in Environmental Science here at the University of Toronto-Scarborough (UTSC), where he was co-supervised by Drs Carl Mitchell and Frank Wania. He held a postdoctoral fellowship at the Technical University of Braunschweig from 2018 to 2021, and then reconnected with us here at UTSC for a year as an Instructor and Director of the terrestrial and aquatics systems field of our master of environmental science program. We spoke with David about the history of mercury as an environmental contaminant, his research in advancing technology to monitor mercury around the globe, the effect of wildfire on atmospheric mercury concentrations, and the importance of thinking critically about our relationship with fire, including its role in Indigenous land relations. We also talked about David’s passion for teaching, and the value of experimenting in the classroom. He’s truly a rising star in the field of environmental science and it was a pleasure to hear about his journey thus far. David's website: https://fewalab.ca/

23. #28 The department of wild salmon with Alexandra Morton22.04.2023 (01:35:23)

    For this 1st episode of season 3, we welcomed author, scientist and activist, Alexandra Morton. In 2021, Alexandra published her book entitled Not on my watch: how a renegade whale biologist took on governments and industry to save wild salmon to great interest and acclaim. Her book details the history and controversy surrounding the impact of salmon farming on wild salmon populations on the coast of British Columbia. This episode was unique because we were also joined by students from the Conservation and Biodiversity field of our Master of Environmental Science program here at the University of Toronto-Scarborough. I assigned Alexandra’s book for my Scientific Literacy class this past semester and we invited the students to take part in the conversation with Alexandra, and as you’ll hear they had many fantastic questions about Alexandra’s science and activism, and also the more personal side of her journey. We had a fascinating conversation with Alexandra where we explored the history and controversy of salmon farming in BC, including her scientific contributions on the ecological impact of salmon farming and her challenges towards both the work and actions of both the department of fisheries and oceans (which we refer to as DFO) and the provincial government of BC. The full extent of the story is also captured in the documentary the unofficial trial of Alexandra Morton, which details her experience testifying for the cohen commission on the decline of the Fraser River Sockeye. We also spoke about her relationship with Indigenous communities along the British Columbia coast and the variable positions of Indigenous governments on the practice of salmon farming.  It was truly an immersive conversation about a very complex topic, and one that demands a perspective grounded in scientific literacy. Alexandra’s work exposed the environmental externalities resulting from the poorly regulated salmon farming industry, and it was a privilege to speak to her about her story and her science. And we’d like to also thank the Master of Environmental Science students for being a huge part of the conversation.

24. #27 Cultivating leadership for transformative change with Eliane Ubalijoro02.09.2022 (00:49:36)

    Éliane Ubalijoro is the Executive Director of Sustainability in the Digital Age, the Global Hub Director Future Earth in Canada and a Professor of Practice for Public-Private Sector Partnerships at McGill University’s Institute for the Study of International Development. Eliane has decades of experience spanning academia, and working at the science-policy interface in the non-profit and international development sectors. In our conversation with Eliane, she reflected on how growing up in Rwanda has shaped her unique perspective and how her career has shifted from science to policy and the role that institutions and leadership play in driving societal change. Her current focus is on leveraging the digital age to accelerate sustainable and equitable change, while also recognizing and anticipating the challenges and we spoke about how training in sustainability and digital competencies needs to be prioritized and better integrated into core educational experiences. We had a thought-provoking and wide ranging conversation with Eliane - we hope you enjoy this final episode of the 2nd season of emerging environments. https://futureearth.org/contacts/eliane-ubalijoro/

25. #26 The frontier of microplastics research with Chelsea Rochman22.08.2022 (00:43:13)

    For episode 26, we welcome Chelsea Rochman. Chelsea is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Toronto. She studies the sources, fates and ecological implications of anthropogenic pollutants in freshwater and marine ecosystems, with a large focus on microplastics. Her work has been highly impactful in the developing field of microplastics research, where she has conducted empirical and synthetic research that has advanced experimental methodologies and informed both environmental policy and public awareness of the issue. In our interview with Chelsea, we talked about the ubiquity of microplastics in the environment. Microplastics are everywhere! They are not only in aquatic systems, but also in the atmosphere and the potential negative impacts of these particles and the associated chemicals on ecosystems are a growing concern. As such, plastic pollution has been getting much more public attention. Chelsea shared some of her thoughts on the various approaches being considered for a global policy framework to curb the manufacturing of plastics and mitigate the accumulation of the microplastics in the environment and she also talked about some of the public awareness-raising her lab is engaged in via the U of T Trash Team. Chelsea's website: https://rochmanlab.wordpress.com/