Emerging Environments

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!

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

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#

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/

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.

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/

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/

In today’s episode, we are speaking with Professor Rebecca Rooney of the University of Waterloo. Rebecca is a wetland ecologist who specializes in studying the influence of human disturbances, such as the introduction of invasive or non-native species, on wetland ecosystem function. Her research includes both fundamental, curiosity-driven science as well as policy-relevant field work and applications that inform wetland restoration and conservation efforts across Canada.

In our chat, Rebecca shared some of her research that has examined wetlands from a biophysical perspective, scaling from micro to macro levels of the ecosystem, as well as some of her social science work that examined public perception of different forms of wetlands. We also talked about the significant loss of wetlands that has occurred as a result of development across Canada, as well as the rising appreciation of wetlands for their role in the mitigation of climate change and current adaptation efforts. A big chunk of our conversation was devoted to the invasive species, Phragmites australis, or the invasive Common Reed. Rebecca has been studying phragmites for several years and is now spearheading an exciting biocontrol project aimed at the control of phragmites in North America. 

Rebecca's website

 In this episode, we are speaking with Professor Laura Tozer. Laura is a social scientist who studies environmental politics and governance focusing on actions that address the climate crisis and also drive transitions to sustainable energy use. Her research explores mitigation and adaptation actions at a variety of jurisdictional scales: including international, federal, provincial, municipal and community, but at the moment, her research emphasizes the critical role of cities to accelerate decarbonization and achieve targets of net zero emissions.

In our interview with Laura, we talked about the ways in which cities are innovating and leading the way in terms of policy, building retrofits and nature-based solutions. The old phrase, “think globally, act locally” certainly applies to Laura’s research program - on the one hand, cities are a huge source of GHG emissions, but, this actually means that significant progress towards net zero can be realized by focusing mitigation actions at the local level. Throughout our conversation, Laura emphasized the need for inclusive action in cities: policies and approaches that mitigate and adapt to climate change while also addressing energy poverty and environmental justice. 

Laura's website: https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/labs/climateandenergy/

Our guest on this episode is Marney Isaac. Marney is a Professor at the University of Toronto-Scarborough and Canada Research Chair in agroecosystems and development. Marney conducts interdisciplinary research on plant strategies and the nutrient economy of agroecosystems. Her lab investigates practices that improve the efficiency of nutrient cycles, optimize plant-soil interactions, and promote landscape scale services in low-input agriculture and agroforestry systems. She draws from mechanistic ecological theory to gain insight into the principles that govern the structure and function of biologically complex agroecosystems. In addition to this type of biophysical analysis, Marney also investigates innovation in social-agroecological systems, particularly the role of informal agrarian networks in agroecosystem management.

In our chat with Marney, we explored the fundamentals of agroecology, including a walk through the multiple scales and topics that agroecology is concerned with: from the small scale dynamics that take place at the root-soil interface, to the assessment of biodiversity and landscape optimization for intercropping and also the social and governance systems that determine how agroecosystems are created, maintained and adapted through time. To explore these different topics, Marney drew from the varied geographical locations that her research has taken her, including Costa Rica, Ghana, France, and recently also into the world of urban ecology, considering the potential for green roof ecosystems to contribute to urban agricultural productivity. Marney is a true interdisciplinary scientist, and it was a pleasure to explore the diversity of her research interests. 

Marney's website: https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/labs/misaac/

Today we are speaking with Prof. Soren Brothers, the Allan and Helaine Shiff  Curator of Climate Change at the Royal Ontario Museum. Soren is a limnologist by training and spent several years as an Assistant Professor at Utah State University before beginning his new position at the ROM and the University of Toronto less than a year ago.

The Curator of Climate Change is a new curatorship at the ROM and a relatively unique position world-wide. We talked with Soren about his vision for the role and how his research on lakes integrates many aspects of climate change; how sediment cores from lakes can tell us about climates of the past and how present-day changes in lake biogeochemistry can indicate how climate change is having an impact on critical lake ecosystems.

By recognizing past, present and future climate change as both a driver and a consequence of natural history, Soren and the ROM will bring a new dimension to the museum experience and we are really excited to see what projects they will be sharing with the public in the coming years. We hope you enjoy our chat with Soren Brothers!

Soren's twitter: @sorenbrothers

Soren's website: https://sorenbrothers.weebly.com/

On today’s podcast, we are speaking with journalist and author Michelle Nijhuis about her beautiful new book, “Beloved Beasts: Fighting for life in an age of extinction”. The book traces the conservation movement’s history from the late nineteenth century to today and explores the evolving science and philosophy of conservation and the major milestones along the way. But it also shines a light on the dark side of the movement, including elements of racism, colonialism and elitism.

In our chat with Michelle, we talked about her inspiration for the book and asked her to reflect on the legacies of key figures in conservation, such as Rachel Carson and Michael Soulé. With the accelerating climate crisis, the book ends by encouraging solidarity and compassion among conservationists and environmentalists, recognizing that the survival of our own species is inextricably intertwined with the survival of others. There was so much that we wanted to talk to Michelle about, but didn’t get to. We highly recommend that you check out the book for yourselves, but in the meantime, we hope you enjoy our conversation.

https://michellenijhuis.com/

Today on the podcast we’re speaking with Joe Bennett and Audrey Turcotte. Joe received his PhD from the Faculty of Forestry at the University of British Columbia in 2012. He held a postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of Queensland in Australia, and is now an associate professor at Carleton University, where he is the co-director of the geomatics and landscape ecology laboratory. As is evident in our chat, Joe has a diversity of research interests, including the development of prioritization approaches for conservation, invasion ecology, paleoecology and spatial statistics. Audrey is a PhD Candidate at Université de Sherbrooke in Quebec, where she is studying behavioural, physiological and genetic responses of painted turtle populations that have been exposed to human-made barriers and activities. In 2018, Joe and his colleague Steve Cooke, selected Audrey to lead a graduate student project focused on exploring the shortcomings of Canada’s species at risk act, which you’ll hear us refer to as SARA in our conversation. In 2021, this project, which involved a total of 10 authors, was published in the open access journal Facets with the title “Fixing the Canadian Species at Risk Act: identifying major issues and recommendations for increasing accountability and efficiency”.

In our conversation, we walk through the main points of their article, focusing on their recommendations for improving the federal legislation. We discuss the possibility of an automatic listing process under SARA for species that have been assessed as at risk by the committee on the status of endangered wildlife in Canada, or COSEWIC, where currently COSEWIC’s recommendations are considered by the federal cabinet alongside other factors, such as the socio-economic implications of applying protections to certain species and their habitats, a dynamic that sometimes ends in COSEWICs recommendations being rejected by the federal minister. Joe and Audrey also discuss their recommendation for improving the transparency and clarity of mandate regarding consultation and equitable recognition of Indigenous rights for those species listings that would impact Indigenous self-determination. We highly recommend exploring Joe and Audrey’s article as it provides a comprehensive and highly accessible description of the federal species at risk act, a critical assessment of its shortcomings, and several solutions that would drastically improve our ability to protect and recover at risk species in Canada. 

Audrey & Joe's article: https://www.facetsjournal.com/doi/10.1139/facets-2020-0064

In this episode, we’re speaking with Dan Kraus. Over the past 25 years, Dan has been working as an ecologist, environmental planner and conservation scientist in public, private and non-governmental organizations. Dan has recently joined Wildlife Conservation Society-Canada as the Director of National Conservation. In this role, he is working to advance the Key Biodiversity Areas initiative, or KBAs for short, which is a new global standard that seeks to identify and map critical habitat for threatened species. Dan discusses how KBAs will help to provide the high resolution biodiversity data that will be essential as we strive to improve our systems of protected areas around the world.

As someone who has worked extensively at conservation NGOs in Canada, Dan has developed a diverse skillset that allows him to thrive at the science-policy interface. In our chat, Dan shares his perspective on the vital role that NGOs will continue to play for the future of environmental protection, and also how an individual’s passion for the environment can continue to lead to conservation successes from grass roots beginnings. We also talked about Dan’s prolific activity as a conservation science communicator and his recent work as both a PhD student and a teacher at the University of Waterloo.

https://www.wcscanada.org/

In this episode we are speaking with Rick Smith, the President of the Canadian Climate Institute (formerly the Canadian Institute for Climate Choices).

Rick has had a long career in environmental activism and spent many years as the Executive Director of Environmental Defence Canada. Prior to his time at Environmental Defence, Rick received his PhD from the University of Guelph, where he worked with the Cree community of Waup-ma-goo-stui, in Nunavik, to assess the status of a local seal population. He was also a prominent voice in the battle to develop Canada’s species at risk act.

He has co-authored two books focused on the effects of environmental contaminants, a topic that we explore in detail in our conversation, focusing both on his role in raising awareness and lobbying for legislation. We also discuss the emergent crisis of microplastics and the lagging policy response to the issue.

This episode was recorded in February and we discuss Canada’s forthcoming Emissions Reduction Plan, now released, which lays out a roadmap for meeting Canada’s target to cut emissions to 40-45% below 2005 levels by 2030.

https://climateinstitute.ca/

In our season 2 premiere, we are speaking with Severn Cullis-Suzuki. When Severn was only 12 years old she warned world leaders about the cost of their inaction on environmental issues at the 1992 United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development, or more commonly known as the Rio Earth Summit. Severn’s words are not only still relevant today, but are now a devastating reminder of the decades of inaction on climate change, biodiversity loss and sustainable development.

As we discuss in our interview, Severn has been extremely busy over these intervening 30 years, advocating for environmental and Indigenous rights, conducting research and raising a family. In this interview, she reflects on her journey, how it led to her recently taking on the role of Executive Director of the David Suzuki Foundation and how her perspective on the climate crisis has evolved.

Great to be back for season 2! 

Welcome to our 2nd COP26 episode where we’re speaking with researchers involved in the climate science and policy landscape. For this episode we’re speaking with Raul Salas Reyes. Raul, who attended this year’s COP, is a senior PhD candidate in the Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences at UTSC. He is currently researching the evolution of the differential treatment norm in the international climate policy regime. This norm is embedded within the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCCC. Raúl has been working in climate governance and transparency issues for more than a decade where he has assisted developing and developed countries in meeting their obligations under the UNFCCC.

COP26 received a huge amount of media attention and climate change awareness is at an all time high. In this episode, we take a look at the history of international climate change policy and how we got to where we are now. Raul also shares his perspective on this year’s COP - on the successes, for example the strong role that science played at this COP, and the disappointments, such as the last-minute revision of the coal phase-out commitment. He also discussed what he sees as emerging issues that will likely be front-and-centre at COP27.

Raul's Twitter: @raul_climate

Although we’re taking a break while we get ready for Season 2 of the podcast, we wanted to shine a light on the science of the recently published 6th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, as well as the COP26 meeting that’s taking place this week in Glasgow scotland for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. So, we are releasing a couple of special episodes dedicated to the climate change conversation.

In this episode, we are chatting with one of the leading experts in the field of detection and attribution, Nathan Gillett. Nathan is a senior research scientist with The Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis in Victoria, B.C., where he uses observational data sets, climate model output and statistical techniques to examine and quantify the human contribution to the climate changes we observe. He is a convening lead author on Chapter 3 of the most recent IPCC report: Human Influence on the Climate System and has also been a chapter lead author on the previous Fifth Assessment Report and on the WMO Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion.

In this interview, Nathan shares his insights on the most recent IPCC report and his optimistic perspective on the future.

The 6th IPCC Assessment report: https://www.ipcc.ch/assessment-report/ar6/

For this final episode of the first season of the podcast, we're speaking with with Professor Marc Cadotte. Marc completed his PhD in Ecology at the University of Tennessee in 2006. Following some postdoctoral work at the University of California, he joined the Department of Biological Science at U of T-Scarborough. Throughout his academic career Marc has been a prolific researcher, receiving several awards for his work. Recently, he has been named, on more than one occasion, as one of the top 1% most-cited scientists in the field of Ecology. And as a result of his impact as a scholar, he was recently appointed to the Royal Society’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists, which honours research excellence and academic leadership.

Marc’s research group focuses on a number of topics, including the ways that biodiversity affects how ecosystems function and how biological invasions can disrupt those functions. More recently, he has been focused on how these questions play out in urban ecosystems. In that regard, he is leading a global network of researchers that are collaborating to examine these questions in different urban centres around the world. Marc has also been highly involved in academic publishing, first as the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Applied Ecology for several years, and now as the editor-in-chief of the new journal Ecological Solutions and Evidence.

In our chat with Marc, we talked about his exciting new research which straddles the worlds of ecology, human health and environmental management. We also spoke about the unique mission of his new journal, the significance of interdisciplinary science and broadly about the academic publishing landscape. It was a pleasure to speak with Marc about his stellar career, and learn about his trajectory from the fundamentals of  ecological theory to applied research for urban sustainability.

Thanks for joining us for this first season of the podcast. Stay tuned for season 2 early next year! (There may be a few special episodes released later this Fall). 

Marc's website: https://cubes-labs.com/

Marc on Twitter: @urban_sci

Articles discussed: 

https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2664.13319

https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/policy/nature-based-solutions/

In episode 11, we speak with Dr. Simon Donner, a climatologist and Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of British Columbia. Simon’s research focuses on the impact of climate change on coral reef ecosystems. Simon also studies the intersection between climate change, marine science and public policy and is actively involved in research and outreach related to sea-level rise and climate change adaptation in small island developing states in the Pacific.

We spoke with Simon about the role that coral reefs play both regionally and globally and what it’s like conducting field work in the Republic of Kiribati in the Central Pacific. It is abundantly clear how much Simon values science communication and public engagement, and he is committed to informing decision-making aimed at avoiding dangerous climate change. At the end of our conversation, we discussed Simon’s new role as a member of the Government of Canada’s Net-Zero Advisory Body. This is a newly established body, so stay tuned for their upcoming recommendations.

Simon's website: https://simondonner.com/

In episode #10, we sit down with Dr. Ian Mauro, an environmental scientist, film-maker, Associate Professor of Geography at the University of Winnipeg and the Executive Director of the Prairie Climate Centre. Ian wears many hats and is involved in a variety of Canadian climate change science and advocacy initiatives. We spoke with Ian about his connection to the north and how he got into film-making. Ian specializes in community-based research and climate change communication and uses film to tell stories about the impacts of climate change, particularly health impacts in northern Indigenous communities. We also spoke with Ian about the work of the Prairie Climate Centre, including their flagship project, the Climate Atlas of Canada, and the ongoing evolution of climate services in the prairies. Enjoy! 

Ian's film Beyond Climate: https://www.beyondclimate.ca/

The Climate Atlas of Canada: https://climateatlas.ca/

The Prairie Climate Centre: https://prairieclimatecentre.ca/

Ian's recently published article about Indigenous perspectives on climate change: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10584-021-03000-8

In episode #8 we speak with Dr. Jodi Hilty. Jodi is the President and Chief Scientist of the Yellowstone to Yukon (Y2Y) Initiative. She is a wildlife corridor ecologist and conservationist with over 20 years of experience managing large-scale conservation programs. She has co-edited or been lead author on four books, the most recent of which is titled Corridor Ecology: Linking Landscapes for Biodiversity Conservation and Climate Adaptation, which was published in 2019. She currently serves as Deputy Chair of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Connectivity Committee. Born and raised in the Rocky Mountains, she has a deep rooted passion for protecting the species and the ecosystems in the Y2Y region.

We spoke with Jodi about the scope of Y2Y, her contributions to international planning efforts for ecological connectivity and the nature of large scale conservation initiatives. Y2Y exemplifies big picture thinking for conservation, and it was fascinating to hear about how their work brings together landscape ecology and management partnerships for biodiversity conservation. Jodi's passion for her work is contagious, and she is a clear leader in strategic planning for the future of Conservation in North America. We hope you enjoy our chat! 

Y2Y: https://y2y.net/

IUCN Guidelines for conserving connectivity through ecological networks and corridors: https://portals.iucn.org/library/node/49061

In episode #7, we speak with environmental journalist, Emma Marris, whose new book, titled Wild Souls - Freedom and Flourishing in the Non-Human World, is being published on June 29th (see link below). Emma has been writing about environmental issues for over 20 years in publications such as the journal Nature, National Geographic, The New York Times, The Atlantic, and many others. A common thread that runs through much of her writing is a critical perspective on what we mean by the terms nature and wilderness. Her new book explores the philosophical and ethical questions that arise when thinking about the responsibility that humans have for conserving the planet’s biodiversity. To develop the book, Emma travelled around the world, immersing herself in the work and practices of both conservation scientists and Indigenous Peoples in order to gain perspective on the various ways that we conceive of the natural world.

In our conversation we talked about the idea of ecological integrity, and whether or not it’s an appropriate measure or guiding principle for conservation, especially given the expected range shifts that species will undergo as a result of climate change, but also because of the historical and ethical baggage that surround the idea. The topic of environmental ethics runs through the entirety of Emma’s book, and we explored the idea in speaking about the role of zoos in conservation and the ethical quandaries that arise in the management of introduced species. We also spoke about how individuals and organizations involved in conservation can process and account for the ethical issues that arise when we try to rectify our impacts on the world’s biodiversity.

Emma’s new book is fantastic, as is her previous work "Rambunctious Garden", so please pick them up! 

Buy Wild Souls: https://www.emmamarris.com/buy-wild-souls

Emma's Website: https://www.emmamarris.com/

Emma's TED talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiIcwt88o94

In episode 6, we speak with Eli Enns, a Nuu-chah-nulth Canadian political scientist and internationally recognized expert in bio-cultural heritage conservation. Eli is the Co-Founder & President of the Iisaak Olam Foundation, which works to support indigenous leadership in the conservation of biological and cultural diversity. Ultimately, Isaak Olam aims to support the establishment of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) in Canada, and to educate Canadians about their importance.

In 2007, Eli co-founded the Ha-uukmin Tribal Park on the territory of the Tla-o-qui-aht Nation. More recently, he co-chaired the Indigenous Circle of Experts for the Pathway to Canada Target 1 initiative, which was focused on how the creation of IPCAs can simultaneously contribute to Canada’s biodiversity conservation commitments and also promote reconciliation with First Nations in Canada. Eli is also a co-leader of the Conservation through Reconciliation Partnership (CRP), which is a coalition of Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders, scholars, conservation groups and communicators working to advance the recommendations put forth by the Indigenous Circle of Experts in their report entitled, We Rise Together (link below).

In talking about his current work with the Conservation through Reconciliation Partnership, Eli took us through the deep historical perspective that informs contemporary nation-to-nation interactions in Canada, and the relevance of that history for both conservation and reconciliation. Eli reflected on Indigenous perspectives on the Covid-19 pandemic, and noted how the discussion of many, if not all, contemporary environmental issues, can benefit from improved cross-cultural literacy. 

Note: Our conversation with Eli was recorded in mid-May, 2021, prior to the news about the finding of the burial site of 215 Indigenous children from a residential school in Kamloops, BC. So while this news isn’t a part of our conversation with Eli, we want to acknowledge that awareness of the atrocities that took place within Canada’s residential school system is also foundational to the notion of cross-cultural literacy in Canada. We hope that our conversation with Eli plays a part in promoting the cross-cultural literacy that’s necessary to advance the process of reconciliation between Indigenous Peoples and settlers in Canada.

Iisaak Olam Foundation: https://www.iisaakolam.ca/

The Conservation Through Reconciliation Partnership: https://conservation-reconciliation.ca/

We Rise Together, the report by the Indigenous Circle of Experts: https://www.conservation2020canada.ca/ice-resources

In episode #5, we explore a local story from southern Ontario involving a proposed development of a wetland habitat in the town of Pickering, the fast tracking of development opportunities in Ontario and recent changes to the role of Conservation Authorities. At the time when this was all taking place, the story got a significant amount of media coverage, which was in large part due to the activism of local youth, such as Devin Mathura, one of our guests in this episode. But many scientists, including Dr. Andrea Kirkwood, who is our other guest today, were also quite vocal about what was happening and were eager to talk about the science of wetland ecosystems and their underappreciated value.

Andrea is an Associate Professor of Biological Science at Ontario Tech University where her research focuses on the ecology of aquatic ecosystems. She has published extensively on a range of topics including water quality of urban wetlands and the functional role of microbial diversity in aquatic systems. She is also actively involved in community-based environmental stewardship initiatives in southern Ontario.

Devin Mathura is an undergraduate student at the University of Waterloo, where he is enrolled in environment, resources, and sustainability studies. As you’ll hear, he has been actively engaged in local environmental issues for a long time. 

We talked about the dual roles of science and advocacy and the need for policy literacy to understand the role and reach of government in both development and conservation. It was great to hear from Devin, who is clearly a passionate emerging leader in sustainability issues, and from Andrea who is teaching and producing the science that can promote evidence-based decision-making for development activities in and around cities. 

Andrea's website: https://kirkwoodlab.weebly.com/

Devin on Twitter: @DevinMathura

National Observer story about the recent use of Ministerial Zoning Orders (MZO) in Ontario: https://www.nationalobserver.com/2021/03/04/news/ford-government-changes-law-lawsuit-controversial-land-zoning-casino

In episode #4, we welcome Dr. Jessica Green, a political scientist and Associate Professor at the University of Toronto. We talked about Jessica's early career and her current research on climate governance, non-state actors, private authority and transnational regulation. Jessica is also the author of the book, “Rethinking Private Authority: Agents and Entrepreneurs in Global Environmental Governance”.

In addition to talking about the basics of carbon pricing, we focused on two of Jessica's recently published articles, the first on the effectiveness of carbon pricing in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and the second on how closing corporate tax loopholes is a mechanism that governments can use to facilitate decarbonization. The conversation was quite timely as the Supreme Court of Canada had just handed down their decision on the constitutionality of the federal price on carbon, so that was fodder for a lively discussion.

Jessica's new article: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3746463

Jessica's book: https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691157580/rethinking-private-authority 

In episode #3 we welcome Dr. Justina Ray. Justina is the President and Senior scientist of Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, which is affiliated with global WCS programs around the world. Justina specializes in large mammal conservation in Canada’s north and is significantly active in policy development for species at risk in Canada. Last year she was the inaugural winner of the President’s Award for Excellence in Societal Engagement by the Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution.

We talked about Justina’s career journey including her early work in conservation through Tropical Ecology research. We also talked about the need for active engagement in policy and broader perspectives on the threats facing biodiversity, the future of conservation in Canada’s north through indigenous-led protected areas and a critical perspective on the role of environmental impact assessments. 

Justina's presentation at the Muskoka Biodiversity Summit: https://muskokasummit.org/2012-biodiversity-summit/speakers/justina-ray/

WCS Canada: https://www.wcscanada.org/

The Key Biodiversity Area Initiative: http://www.kbacanada.org/

George Schaller books: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/313603.George_B_Schaller

For our first episode of Emerging Environments we welcome Conservation Biologist, Dr. Nick Mandrak. Nick is the Director of the Conservation and Biodiversity Stream of the Masters of Environmental Science program at the University of Toronto-Scarborough and is one of the leading experts on Canada’s freshwater fishes. He has authored over 200 scientific publications on topics such as the biology and conservation of endangered fishes, the risks posed by aquatic invasive species, and the actions needed to conserve aquatic biodiversity. In that vein, he’s been heavily involved in Canada’s conservation science organizations and is working to foster the next generation of conservation scientists.   

Nick's website:
https://mandraklab.ca/ 

The MEnvSc program:
https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/gradpes/programs-menvsc-0 

Scientists warning on invasive species:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/brv.12627 

Podcast Music:
Red Carpet Blues, by A Northern Chorus  

More about the podcast:
www.emergingenvironments.com  

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/EmergingEnviro1

A taste of what to expect on the podcast.