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Background: Indigenous populations in Canada and the United States (US) have maintained reciprocal relationships with nature, grounded in respect for and stewardship of the environment; however, disconnection from traditional food systems has generated a plethora of physical and mental health challenges for communities. Indigenous food sovereignty including control of lands were found to be factors contributing to these concerns. Therefore, our aim was to conduct a scoping review of the peer-reviewed literature to describe Indigenous disconnection from Indigenous food systems (IFS) in Canada and the US. Methods: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-SR) and Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines, we searched MEDLINE, SCOPUS, International Bibliography of the Social Sciences, Sociological Abstracts, and Bibliography of Native North Americans. Data was extracted from 41 studies and a narrative review completed based on study themes. Results: The overarching theme identified in the included studies was the impact of colonization on IFS. Four sub-themes emerged as causes for Indigenous disconnection from traditional food systems, including: climate change; capitalism; legal change; and socio-cultural change. These sub-themes highlight the multiple ways in which colonization has impacted Indigenous food systems in Canada and the US and important areas for transformation. Conclusions: Efforts to reconnect Indigenous knowledge and values systems with future food systems are essential for planetary health and sustainable development. Traditional knowledge sharing must foreground authentic Indigenous inclusion within policymaking. Highlights: • The main theme identified amongst the SR literature was the lasting impacts of colonization on Indigenous food systems in Canada and the US, which is described through four key areas: climate change; capitalism; legal changes; and socio-cultural changes. • Less than 20% of included papers report author positionality, with only 7% of included papers reporting Indigenous authorship, emphasizing an opportunity for more reporting and Indigenous engagement in the future. • Loss of cultural knowledge and practices was highlighted by many articles reviewed. • Revitalisation of IFS must include authentic Indigenous engagement, support Indigenous knowledge frameworks, community sharing networks, education programs and co-management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper represents one of the first critical social science interrogations of an agrifood just-in-case transition. The just-in-case transition speaks to a philosophy that values building buffers and flexibility into longer value chains to make them more resilient to shocks, which stands in contrast to the just-in-time philosophy with its emphasis on long, specialized, and often inflexible networks. Influenced by COVID-related disruptions and climate change induced uncertainties, the just-in-case transition examined here centers on the heightened interest in vertical farm-anchored supply chains. Interviewing actors responsible for promoting vertical farm-anchored local supply chains in the US and Canada, I attempt to sketch out how these spaces, infrastructures, and practices care. Put differently, as understood through a feminist ethics of care, whom and what are cared for and how is care practiced in these just-in-case transitions and why? Enumerative politics was observed in the data—the idea that we can make care count. Practices and discourses linked to infrastructural/supply chain transitions are highlighted that result in care being narrowly conceived as a technical or transactional matter. The paper concludes reflecting on what it means to afford just-in-case agrifood transitions animated by matters of care that hold greater emancipatory potentials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The building sector is responsible for nearly 40% of the total global direct and indirect CO2 emissions. Urban green infrastructure, which includes features such as urban trees, vegetation, green roofs, and green facades, are examples of nature-based solutions often employed as municipal climate mitigation and adaptation strategies. This approach offers a range of cost-effective strategies for reducing municipal CO2 emissions and presents compelling public policy co-benefits such as improved urban livability and enhanced environmental conditions. For municipalities to confidently deploy these solutions at a scale necessary to achieve climate benefits, acquiring knowledge of quantifiable and demonstrated outcomes is an essential requirement. The objectives of this paper are to (1) provide a comprehensive analysis of the advantages and limitations of nature-based solutions (NBS) to address the challenge of reducing CO2 emissions; (2) evaluate existing design guidelines and policies as may be available across Canada, and that that support the of implementation of NBS in urban agglomerations; (3) identify knowledge gaps and research needs to address challenges to the implementation of NBS. In this review, suggestions and requirements as presented in these documents are examined while giving due consideration to the scientific evidence available in research papers. It was found that the adoption of NBS can contribute to carbon neutral communities through reduced building energy consumption and carbon sequestration. Supportive guidelines and policies have been developed, or are in development, to promote the implementation of NBS at the city scale, despite challenges in assessing, quantitatively, their impact due to uncertainties in data, methods, and scale. Nonetheless, existing research provides sufficient evidence to qualify the measures and suggestions outlined in the guidelines and policies described in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Canadian Prairies are associated with high natural hydroclimatic variability including the frequent periodic occurrence of droughts and pluvials. These extremes carry various risks including significant damage to the economy, environment and society. The well-documented level of damage necessitates further risk assessment and planned reductions to vulnerability, particularly in light of a warming climate. A logical starting point involves awareness and information about the changing characteristics of such climate extremes. We focus on the compound occurrence of droughts and pluvials as the risks from this type of event are magnified compared to the hydroclimatic extremes in isolation. Compound droughts and pluvials (CDP) are drought and pluvial events that occur in close succession in time or in close proximity in area. Also, research on CDP is limited even for the worldwide literature. Therefore, the purposes of this paper are to synthesize recent literature concerning the risks of CDP, and to provide examples of past occurrences, with a focus on the Canadian Prairies. Since literature from the Prairies is limited, global work is also reviewed. That literature indicates increasing concern and interest in CDP. Relationships between drought and pluvials are also characterized using the SPEI Global Monitor for the Prairies, emphasizing the recent past. Research mostly considers drought and pluvials as separate events in the Prairies, but is integrated here to characterize the relationships of these extremes. The spatiotemporal patterns showed that several of the extreme to record pluvials were found to be closely associated with extreme droughts in the Prairies. The intensities of the extremes and their dry to wet boundaries were described. This is the first research to explore the concept of and to provide examples of CDP for the Prairies and for Canada. Examples of CDP provide insights into the regional hydroclimatic variability. Furthermore, most literature on future projections strongly suggests that this variability is likely to increase, mainly driven by anthropogenic climate change. Therefore, improved methods to characterize and to quantify CDP are required. These findings suggest means of decreasing vulnerability and associated damages. Although the study area is the Canadian Prairies, the work is relevant to other regions that are becoming more vulnerable to increasing risks of and vulnerabilities to such compound extremes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2015, The Truth and Reconciliation Report (TRC) was released in Canada, outlining 94 Calls to Action which, include pushing Canadian post-secondary institutions to ethically engage Indigenous communities and knowledge systems. This paper seeks to respond to the TRC by offering a spatial analysis of the differences, broadly conceived, between Indigenous and western ontological structures. We consider these differences in terms of 'circles and lines' through a novice, settler understanding of how Mi'kmaw concepts of etuaptmumk (two-eyed seeing), netukulimk (conservation laws) and m'sɨt No'kmaq (all our relations) can be brought to support decolonial teaching and learning about such important and urgent matters as climate change. A related goal in this paper is pedagogic: we hope our own ambivalent learning here can be used as an example to reflect deeply on how settlers like us might/should/can't work with the ethical, political, and practical challenges of responding to the TRC in our research, involving, and considering Indigenous ways of knowing and being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landslides are common across Canada and they pose hazards to human safety, economic activities, and the environment. Robust risk management strategies are necessary for sustainable development. A slope risk management framework has been adopted by the geotechnical community for approximately four decades allowing a systematic, consistent and transparent framework for managing risks. Implementing this framework is associated with uncertainties embedded in our estimates of risk. This paper presents a brief summary of the sources and categories of uncertainty in geotechnical slope engineering and focuses on two topics: (1) estimates of uncertainty in risk calculations and (2) temporal changes in landslide likelihood as a function of weather and steps towards estimating landslide risk changes with climate change. The paper argues that a quantitative risk assessment should not focus on the final risk calculation, but the overall knowledge gained. This allows comprehensive documentation of sources of uncertainty and how they impact geotechnical and risk assessments. Furthermore, the paper outlines approaches to define quantitative correlations between rock fall occurrences and weather, which can be leveraged to estimate changes in rock fall risk with climate change. The paper corresponds to, and expands on, the 2021 Canadian Geotechnical Colloquium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forestry offsets, recognized for their diverse environmental and social co-benefits, are gaining a growing interest as nature-based solutions to combat climate change. Despite Canada's extensive forest resources, its potential for carbon credit remains largely untapped. This study aims to unveil the prevailing challenges in developing forestry offsets in Canada and propose potential solutions, drawing on insights from in-depth semi-structured interviews (SSIs) with 23 experts in the field. A qualitative thematic analysis highlighted 14 challenges under four major frequently discussed themes: methodological (37%), social (29%), economic (22%), and implementation challenges (12%). Our findings highlighted the urgency of addressing key obstacles, including the impermanent nature of forestry carbon offsets, substantial public knowledge gaps, uncertainties in the cost-effectiveness impacting financial viability, and the need for enhanced capacity for project implementation. Building on the discussions on the identified challenges, this study further presented a comprehensive analysis of the future directions for Canada, emphasizing the importance of addressing key methodological issues, enhancing public and Indigenous education and engagement, and leveraging advanced technologies and innovative approaches like ton-year accounting for economic viability. This paper delivers pivotal insights that have the potential to shape the direction and integrity of the forestry offset markets in both Canada and globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Culture & Local Governance / Culture et Gouvernance Locale is the property of Culture & Local Governance, Centre on Governance and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Climate changes are happening at an unprecedented rate, as identified in the 2021 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Environmental philanthropy, those acts of contributions toward the conservation and preservation of the environment, need to be better understood, as research suggests there is insufficient literature in this area. For Muslims living in Canada, the concept of charity, khalifa (a sacred entrustment whereby Muslims strive to support and preserve all of the Earth and what is in it), and worship take root and have developed within a context of immigration, identity formation, and broader Canadian contexts. The Muslim Canadian identity is informed by the social, political, economic, and historical elements of the Muslim Canadian experience. In turn, this informs the Muslim Canadian environmental philanthropy narrative. This paper explores the relationship between Islam, eco-consciousness, and its manifestations in environmental philanthropy in Canada and how this is informing the climate change crisis. Centered on the narratives of ten Muslim Canadians currently leading and involved with environmental philanthropy, the paper also offers insight on future considerations for environmental philanthropy within the Muslim Canadian context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Botany is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Vineyards are agroecosystems of great importance in the Niagara Region, Ontario (Canada). Due to its microclimate, this region is projected to be impacted by climate change with temperature increases, changes in precipitation patterns in all seasons, and greater frequency of extreme weather events. The aim of this review paper is to summarize which seasonal changes are expected to occur in the Niagara Region and assess how such changes are likely to affect the main components of the vineyard ecosystem (i.e., soil, vines, invertebrates, and pathogens). It is expected that by 2080 the region will experience an increase in temperature in all four seasons; an increase in precipitation during the fall, winter, and spring; and a decrease in precipitation during summer months. Impacts of the projected changes will likely lead to vine water stress, yield loss, increases in incidents of diseases, increases in the spread of new pests, and changes in grape quality ultimately resulting in lower wine quality and/or production. Current management practices will need to be better understood and adaptive strategies introduced to enhance grape growers' ability to minimize these impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we explore how the power wielded by regional incumbents has impacted subnational innovation agendas. Our findings suggest that the design of mission-oriented innovation policies should be more attentive to regional innovation policies and their relationship to how innovation may serve to bolster incumbents and not undermine them. We use a case-study of innovation in fossil fuels. Recently, innovation policy literature has explored innovation policy and global climate as a major topic. On the one hand, carbon lock-in has been used to explain why there has been such difficulty in reducing carbon emissions, in many cases, despite an increasing emphasis of mission-innovation policies. On the other hand, mission-innovation policies are believed to be a key to the development of disruptive innovations that could break this carbon intensive path dependency. Although the two literatures explore the same problem, there could be more integration. While carbon lock-in is being considered in the mission-innovation literature, it nevertheless has been largely overlooked at the mission-setting stage. On the other hand, the lock-in literature has tended to overlook the findings of mission-oriented innovation literature in offering solutions, which suggests that there is a more productive role for mission-oriented innovations in breaking free of previous constraints to serve in the low-carbon energy transition. To make our case, we argue it is important to distinguish among the various impacts disruptive innovations have on the market shares of incumbents'. We propose the following three schema: new market, market rewarding and market destroying. By variegating the potential impact of innovations, we suggest that mission-oriented innovation polices may be designed to only support certain types of innovations that do not directly undermine the market share of incumbents. Using a detailed case study of the Province of Alberta, Canada, we then explore the role of the province's mission-oriented policy in the development of technology to produce the Canadian oil sands. The case study illustrates how incumbents influenced the establishment and direction of the mission's goal. Shifts in incumbency opposition toward the province's mission-oriented innovation policy coincided with the changing impact of the innovation from being market destroying to market rewarding. We suggest that future research should be more attentive to the role of incumbents in influencing mission-oriented innovation policy and the importance of their influence at the mission-setting stage. Furthermore, we suggest that to meet the grand challenge of addressing climate change through mission-oriented innovation policies, these policies must be designed to break free of these institutional constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Without fundamentally altering how humans generate and utilise energy, there is no effective strategy to safeguard the environment. The motivation behind this study was to analyse the effectiveness of renewable energy in addressing climate change, as it is one of the most pressing global issues. This study involved the analysis of panel data covering 138 nations over a 27 year period, from 1995 to 2021, making it the latest addition to the existing literature. We examined the extent of the impact of renewable energy on carbon dioxide over time using panel, linear, and non-linear regression approaches. The results of our analysis, revealed that the majority of countries with the exception of Canada, exhibited a downward trend, underscoring the potential of increasing renewable energy consumption as an effective method to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and combat climate change. Furthermore, to reduce emissions and combat climate change, it is advisable for nations with the highest carbon dioxide emissions to adopt and successfully transition to renewable energy sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This collaborative paper explores the interconnections between climate change and the mental health and well‐being of Indigenous women in Western Canada. As the impacts of climate change intensify globally, vulnerable populations, particularly Indigenous communities, face disproportionate and multifaceted challenges. Centering on Indigenous women in Western Canada, this study explores how the climate crisis magnifies Indigenous communities' mental health disparities. Drawing from the Indigenist feminist research approach, the investigation focuses on Indigenous women's lived experiences, perceptions, and land‐based coping strategies amidst climate challenges, while simultaneously addressing the unique social, cultural, and historical factors influencing their mental health vulnerabilities within the context of climate change. The findings shed light on the complex relationships between environmental degradation, ongoing colonial impacts on traditional practices, and the mental well‐being of Indigenous women. Concluding with implications for policy and community‐led interventions, this research contributes to the discourse on the intersectionality of climate change impacts and mental health, particularly focusing on Indigenous women in Western Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canadian environmental governance formally began in the 1970s with an ambitious vision critical of the status quo. Until the Justin Trudeau government from 2015, this vision had been largely eroded when compared to the transformative environmental ideas, ambition, and efforts initially put forth. Drawing on elite interviews in Canadian environmental politics and an articulation of the dominant system, we develop and demonstrate a novel explanation for Canada's systematic failure to act more ambitiously on the environment. We argue that this failure is the result of progressive selection of Canadian environmental governance in relation to the dominant system at key selection moments. It is at those moments when the environment is least prioritized and the economy most urgently needs attention that environmental governance suffers the most. The paper concludes by emphasizing how features of the dominant political-economic system not typically thought of as environmental can have systematic environmental impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an outlook on the effects of climate change and the severity and frequency of extreme weather events on the performance of flexible pavements across North America. Now more than ever, the climate is changing at a rapid pace, which will alter long-term environmental loading parameters and extreme weather events. Such alterations will pose implications for the design, maintenance, and rehabilitation of flexible pavements, especially in terms of their serviceability, safety, and functionality. In northern Canada, roads are founded on various terrain types, including thaw-sensitive ice-rich permafrost underlying terrains. Such roads have experienced signs of embankment and pavement damage, which are usually induced by the degradation of the underlying permafrost due to climate change. Therefore, the development and implementation of new permafrost thaw mitigation techniques for vulnerable roads are essential and will be discussed in this paper. Resilient flexible roads should be designed to withstand the conditions that are likely to occur during their design life, taking into account the impact of the climate change on pavement performance in response to daily and seasonal changes in heat, precipitation, freeze–thaw cycles, and extreme weather events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that Canadian climate policy under the Trudeau government is both self-defeating and immoral. Focusing on the central facet of the government's strategy – which trades a small carbon price for significant expansions of oil pipelines – the paper develops this argument in three principal ways. First, it situates the strategy in relation to the global warming potential of new extracted/exported emissions facilitated by new pipelines, which would overwhelm the savings created by the carbon price. Second, the paper focuses on the policy's potential to exacerbate a perilous national accumulation strategy that leaves workers and communities highly vulnerable to unstable global commodity markets. Finally, it situates the policy in relation to a centuries-old process of colonial theft of Indigenous lands to facilitate extractive development. The paper closes by considering what an environmentally sound and morally just Canadian climate policy would look like along eco-socialist lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infrastructure development in Canada's northern regions remains a challenge. Although scholars and policy-makers recognize the significant socio-economic potential of northern infrastructure, the prevailing piecemeal approach does not respond to many of the challenges faced by Indigenous communities. A pan-Canadian approach, such as a Northern Corridor, can circumvent some of the disadvantages stemming from fractured and uncoordinated initiatives but it still underlies the diverse environmental and socio-economic conditions across the Canadian North. The Nordicity index, originally developed by Hamelin, reflects northern Canada's diversity and has been applied as a public policy tool, e.g. for determining northern living allowances or adapted for transportation development. However, these indices are spatio-temporally fixed which means they do not recognize changing spatial patterns of northern mobility. Thus, this paper argues that northern infrastructure development should be informed by Indigenous spatial practices of mobility. To this aim, the paper investigates the role of Nordicity in Canadian policy-making and analyses how northern Indigenous spatial practices of mobility have transformed throughout the last century. The Nordicity index recognizes the environmental and socio-economic conditions across Canada's diverse northern regions but it should be complemented with an analysis of the spatial practices of northern Indigenous Peoples to inform future infrastructure development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this empirical case study is to study and explain the role of public leadership in the expansion of municipal climate action in Canada. Design/methodology/approach: In 2017 and 2018, the authors conducted13 semi-directed interviews with municipal staff and elected officials from three municipalities, a documentary analysis of primary and secondary sources. Interviews and documentation collected were also coded using the software NVIVO 12. The authors compared three municipal case studies: the City of Toronto (Ontario), the City of Guelph (Ontario), and the Town of Bridgewater (Nova Scotia). Findings: The authors found that leadership is a prominent factor explaining the expansion of municipal climate action in Canada. Municipal climate action is initiated and championed by an individual, elected officials or municipal staff, who lead and engage in the development of policy instruments to mitigate and/or adapt to climate change. These leaders facilitate the formulation and implementation of instruments, encourage a paradigm shift within the municipality, overcome structural and behavioural barriers, and foster collaboration around a common vision. Optimal municipal climate leadership occurs when the leadership of elected officials and municipal is congruent, though networks play a significant role by amplifying municipal sustainability leadership. They support staff and elected officials leadership within municipalities, provide more information and funding to grow the capacity of municipalities to develop instruments, to the point that conditions under which municipalities are driving climate action are changing. Research limitations/implications: This paper hopes to contribute to better understand under what conditions municipalities drive change. Originality/value: There is an international scholarly recognition that municipalities should be further explored and considered important actors in the Canadian and international climate change governance. Gore (2010) and Robinson and Gore (2015) highlighted that we are yet to understand the extent to which municipalities are involved in climate governance in Canada. This article directly addresses this gap in the current scholarly literature and explores the expansion of climate municipal leadership with the aspects of interviews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Economics is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Enhancing community capacity towards resilience is key to reducing climate disaster risk, especially in Black immigrant communities in Canada. While there are many extreme climate change events occurring, such as hailstorms, floods, snowstorms, forest fires, droughts, and heat waves in western Canada, there is no known study that has explored resilience within sub‐Saharan African immigrant communities to climate disaster risks in western Canada. All these extreme climate change events have devastated Black populations threatening their ability to cope with disaster risks. Following a decolonial phenomenology methodological framework research approach; our study explores sub‐Saharan African immigrant communities' adaptation strategies to address climate disaster risk in western Canada. In this research, our main purpose was to investigate whether community resilience strategies implemented by the two provinces (Saskatchewan and Alberta) meet the unique needs of sub‐Saharan African Immigrants. By exploring local communities' perspectives on climate change, we highlighted the relevance of inclusivity in climate capacity building to reduce disaster risk and cope with climate change‐related disasters in the localities. Our findings revealed that personal experiences with climate change risks significantly influenced communities' strength and resilience and contributed to their resilience strategies. We view this paper as a first step in developing a community‐led climate change resilience research agenda that will have a practical application for the community in the face of climate change in Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how politicians respond to the public salience of policy issues when determining which topics to publicly address. Using new data and state-of-the-art methodology, our study provides a fresh perspective on this fundamental question. We focus on a multi-party parliamentary system, specifically the Canadian House of Commons, with a specific emphasis on the issue of climate change. To assess the attention given by political parties to various policy issues, we analyze transcripts from the Question Period spanning from April 2006 to June 2021. To gauge the public's level of concern for these issues, we incorporate data obtained from Google Trends. Employing an instrumental variable estimation strategy, our study causally estimates the extent to which the public salience of climate change influences elite attention. Our findings reveal that the public salience of climate change significantly influences the attention given to this issue by parties, albeit with noticeable partisan variations. Moreover, our research highlights the effectiveness of the Question Period in compelling the government to address challenging or potentially embarrassing issues. Lastly, we uncover evidence suggesting that the Liberal Party of Canada successfully increased the public salience of climate change during its tenure in government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Media wildfire coverage can shape public knowledge on fire-related issues, and potentially influence management decisions, so understanding the content of its coverage is important. Previous research examining media wildfire coverage has primarily focused on either a single fire or issue, and provides little insight about the range of wildfire-related topics discussed in the media. Aims: We aimed to assess wildfire topics covered in print media between 1986 and 2016 across the USA, Canada and Australia. Methods: Machine learning-based automated content analyses were conducted to identify primary topics within news articles and to map relationships between topics. Key results: News articles related to wildfire were clustered into four topic areas: Fire Response, Management, Environmental Conditions and Property Preparedness. Notable between-country differences emerge: the US media coverage focuses most on firefighting; Canadian coverage, climate change; and Australian coverage, preparedness. Conclusions: Our results reveal that: (1) wildfire media coverage has increased over the past 30 years; (2) coverage is more varied than the common perspective, i.e. media continues to portray fires in a negative light; and (3) topic coverage varies significantly between countries. Implications: These findings can help identify gaps in media coverage, and provide insights into critical topics, or relationships between topics, that may need additional emphasis in conversations about how to better learn to live with fire. This paper presents the results of a large-scale analysis of news media coverage of wildfires across 30 years and three countries: the USA, Canada and Australia. It describes the wildfire-relevant topics that are most common and the interrelationships between them in each of these three contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flood behaviour is likely to alter as a result of the impacts of climate change. This paper investigates the non-stationarity in the flood regime of several Canadian rivers through an analysis of peaks over threshold (POT) data. Identification of thresholds and ensuring the independence of POT events are the two major challenges in the implementation of a POT approach. In the present research, a semi-automatic approach based on the POT package in R – an open-source software environment for statistical computing has been used. A total of 127 hydrometric reference streamflow gauging stations that are reasonably free from human intervention have been considered in the present analysis. This ensured the reliability of the trends identified in the flow and timing measures considered herein. The POT data have been extracted from daily streamflow data for each hydrometric station. Four flow and timing measures, such as (1) duration of POT events, (2) volume of POT events, (3) annual sum of durations in POT events, and (4) annual sum of volumes of POT events, were extracted using the daily flow data. The trends in the flow and timing measures were investigated using the Mann–Kendall nonparametric test, and the significance of trends was evaluated using the bootstrap resampling approach. The results of the analysis clearly indicated a predominance of decreasing trends at a greater number of stations in all the four measures of flow and timings considered. It can be concluded that the present analysis indicates a remarkable change in the flood regime of the Canadian watersheds considered herein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impacts of climate change and development present significant challenges and complexities that require new solutions, wise choices, and multi-disciplinary integration. In this context, emotional intelligence (EI) plays a crucial role. However, traditional engineering education and practice overlook the importance of understanding and managing emotions. This research aims to determine the impact of EI as a tool to enhance proactive decision-making and implement sustainable measures within the engineering profession.The study makes three main research contributions. First, it confirms a positive relationship between EI and proactive sustainable decision-making among engineers. This means that engineers with high EI are more likely to consider the impacts of their decisions on various stakeholders and dimensions of sustainability. Second, it suggests that EI can enhance creativity and innovative thinking in engineering, helping engineers to develop effective solutions for challenges related to climate change. Third, the study advocates for incorporating EI training and assessment into engineering curriculums to foster a sustainable and ethical engineering culture. By improving EI, engineers can enhance their interpersonal skills, self-awareness, and emotional management, which in turn can significantly improve teamwork in addressing challenges related to climate change. • Innovative Approach: The paper introduces emotional intelligence (EI) as a novel factor in engineering decision-making for climate change adaptation, which provides a fresh perspective within the realm of sustainable practices. • Relevance to Sustainability: It emphasizes the role of EI in fostering proactive and strategic decision-making, which is crucial for mitigating and adapting to a changing climate, aligning with the journal's focus on sustainable solutions1. • Multidisciplinary Integration: The study bridges engineering, psychology, and environmental science, reflecting the journal's interdisciplinary approach to addressing sustainability challenges. • Practical Implications: By exploring the attitudes of engineers and their decision-making tendencies in relation to EI, the paper offers insights that can lead to targeted interventions, contributing to the journal's aim of promoting sustainable practices. • This paper does not constitute a bibliometric study; rather, it provides empirical research on the impact of EI on sustainable decision-making among engineers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Foreign Policy Journal (CFPJ) is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Foreign Policy Journal (CFPJ) is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Climate change has facilitated the introduction, establishment, and movement of invasive species in northern regions, enabling the colonization of previously unsuitable areas. While the responses of insects to these changes have been increasingly studied, our understanding of how such alterations impact trophic interactions still requires further research to make reliable predictions about the spread of diseases in a warming world. Phytoplasmas, a group of obligate parasitic unculturable Mollicutes, primarily rely on leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) for transmission, spread, and survival. Phytoplasmas are associated with over 600 diseases affecting more than 1,000 plant species, including berries, grapevines, and other small fruits. In North America, diseases such as grapevine yellows, blueberry stunt, and strawberry green petal diseases have been linked to phytoplasma strains transmitted by known leafhopper species. However, the number of phytoplasma diseases has significantly increased in North America over the past decade, suggesting the presence of unidentified vectors or an abundance of leafhopper vectors. This short review provides an overview of the current knowledge on leafhoppers as vectors of phytoplasmas to berries, focusing on the last decade's research in Canada. This paper also explores the potential implications of climate change on this pathosystem, including the anticipated range expansion of leafhopper species, changes in phytoplasma acquisition and transmission, and the risk of new leafhopper-transmitted plant-pathogen introductions through the arrival of new leafhopper species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nature based tourism (NBT) is becoming increasingly popular, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic as people began to sought outdoor activities. Accompanying the projected rise in NBT demand in a post COVID-19 era are increasing challenges associated with climate change, particularly in mountain regions. However, there is limited local knowledge documented to date from those who are intricately involved in mountain NBT activities and have experienced the impacts of climate change first hand. Using an online survey (n = 169), this research is the first to present the intimate knowledge of mountain guides in Canada, offering novel insight into climate change risks and opportunities for NBT in mountain regions, including strategies to contend with risk and adaptation. From this survey, 99% of guides indicated that they have experienced change in the mountain environment throughout the course of their career and due to the adaptive nature of guides, many have already implemented strategies to adapt to the impacts of climate change. While findings presented in this paper offer practical knowledge to plan for a future threatened with rapid climatic change, further research is required to explore effectiveness of adaptation strategies, scope of adaptive capacity, changes in natural infrastructure, and guides' roles as educators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fire activity in 288 areas (2.5° N × 10° E) in the Arctic region (50°–70° N, 0°–360° E) was analyzed using about 4.4 million satellite hotspot (HS) data from 2002 to 2021. A total of 21 high fire density areas from eastern Europe to western Canada were selected, and their fire–weather conditions during each active fire period were analyzed using about 1820 various weather maps at the upper and the lower air level. Analysis results showed that the active fires in the Arctic region occurred under the fire–weather conditions associated with the northward movement of cut-off high (COH) and warm air masses detached from the south caused by large westerly meandering (LWM). LWM is a sign of the beginning of an active fire period. Very active fires on HS peak days occurred several days after the start of the northward movement of COHs and under mainly high-pressure conditions in the upper air and strong wind conditions in the lower air. The time lag of these several days suggests that we may be prepared for very active fires. The fire–weather analysis approach described in this paper has shown that future large-scale fire outbreaks are predictable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

There is a range of remote sensing technology that can be applied to the task of fire mapping. As identified by the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements in Australia in 2020, 'There is widespread support for further investigation, improvement and more cost-effective collection of fuel data using remote sensing and satellite technology' (Commonwealth of Australia 2020, Section 17.10). There is a lot of effort underway to achieve that goal. This paper reviews fire mapping and the potential solutions with the aim to identify ways to improve public safety and fire crew safety. It aims to explain the benefits that may be pursued in the coming years by demonstrating clear examples. It is hoped that improvement can be made before the next serious fire season arrives. Recent events in Canada came only 3 years after their last serious fire season and 4 years since, what was until recently, the worst fire season on record. The catastrophic bushfire events during the eastern Australian bushfire season in 2019-20 are the new record holder by a large margin. The accelerating pace of climate change will affect bushfire frequency and severity and requires that we need to hasten towards better goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has historically exploited Indigenous communities, particularly in the medical and health sciences, due to the dominance of discriminatory colonial systems. In many regions across Canada and worldwide, historical and continued injustices have worsened health among Indigenous Peoples. Global health crises such as climate change are most adversely impacting Indigenous communities, as their strong connection to the land means that even subtle changes in the environment can disproportionately affect local food and health systems. As we explore strategies for climate change preparedness and adaptation, Indigenous Peoples have a wealth of Traditional Knowledge to tackle specific climate and related health issues. If combined with digital citizen science, data collection by citizens within a community could provide relevant and timely information about specific jurisdictions. Digital devices such as smartphones, which have widespread ownership, can enable equitable participation in citizen science projects to obtain big data for mitigating and managing climate change impacts. Informed by a Two-Eyed Seeing approach, a decolonized lens to digital citizen science can advance climate change adaptation and preparedness efforts. This paper describes the 'Bridge Framework' for decolonizing digital citizen science using a case study with a subarctic Indigenous community in Saskatchewan, Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate changes over the past two millennia in the central part of the Gulf of St. Lawrence are documented in this paper with the aim of determining and understanding the natural climate variability and the impact of anthropogenic forcing at a regional scale. The palynological content (dinocysts, pollen, and spores) of the composite marine sediment core MSM46-03 collected in the Laurentian Channel was used to reconstruct oceanographic and climatic changes with a multidecadal temporal resolution. Sea-surface conditions, including summer salinity and temperature, sea-ice cover, and primary productivity, were reconstructed from dinocyst assemblages. Results revealed a remarkable cooling trend of about 4°C after 1230 cal yr BP (720 CE) and a culmination with a cold pulse dated to 170-40 cal yr BP (1780-1910 CE), which likely corresponds to the regional signal of the Little Ice Age. This cold interval was followed by a rapid warming of about 3°C. In the pollen assemblages, the decrease of Pinus abundance over the past 1700 yr suggests changes in wind regimes, likely resulting from increased southerly incursions of cold and dry Arctic air masses into southeastern Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change impacts on Indigenous peoples in remote regions pose unique institutional challenges and opportunities for governments. Reducing vulnerability and enabling collaborative knowledge creation through the inclusive consideration of Indigenous peoples' perspectives in government and institutional efforts can help to advance adaptation to environmental change. In Northern Canada, Indigenous communities and multiple levels of the Canadian government and its institutions, including the Canadian Armed Forces, share the commensurate task and responsibility of responding to, tracking, monitoring and adapting to rapid climatic changes and impacts associated with climate change in the Arctic. In this review paper, we explore how Canadian governments may effectively work as partners and catalysts for advancing mutually beneficial climate change adaptation efforts with Indigenous peoples and communities affected by climate change in remote Arctic regions of Northern Canada. We review knowledge and concepts related to Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge in the context of institutional adaptation planning and policy approaches in remote regions. First, we provide a geographical and contextual background that informs the efforts of institutional partners and Indigenous communities seeking to mutually address long-term challenges associated with adapting to climate change, specifically in the remote Canadian Arctic. Second, we unpack knowledge for advancing collaborative adaptation efforts between Indigenous peoples and institutions in the Arctic. We identify relevant gaps and opportunities for enhancing institutional approaches to climate change adaptation involving Indigenous peoples in remote regions like the Arctic. We conclude with a summary of policy relevant insights for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study is to estimate the nexus between energy insecurity and energy poverty with the role of climate change and other environmental concerns. We used DEA like WP methods and properties of MCDA, a most common form of data envelopment analysis (DEA) to estimate the nexus between constructs. This paper presents a measurement and analysis of G7 countries' energy, economic, social, and environmental performance associated with energy poverty indexes. The study used the multiple, comprehensive, and relevant set of indicators, including energy economics and environmental consideration of energy poverty. The net energy consumption of al G7 economies is equal to 34 percent of the entire world along with the net estimate GDP score of around 50 percent. Using DEA modelling and estimation technique, our research presented valuable insights for readers, theorists and policy makers on energy, environment, energy poverty and climate change mitigation. For this reasons, all these indicators combined in a mathematical composite indicator to measure energy, economic, social, and environmental performance index (EPI). Results show that Canada has the highest EPII score, which shows that Canada's capacity to deal with energy self-sufficiency, economic development, and environmental performance is greater than the other G7 countries. France and Italy rank second and third. Japan comes next with 0.50 EPI scores, while the USA has the lowest average EPI score environment vulnerable even though have higher economic development among the G7 group countries. We suggest a policy framework to strengthen the subject matter of the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of nuisance and negligence tort claims in the US against “Big Oil” companies have grown significantly in the last five years. The Netherlands case of Milieudefensie et al v Royal Dutch Shell represents the first major success of such a claim internationally. While the US cases and Milieudefensie demonstrate starkly different approaches as to how to seek accountability from Big Oil for climate change harms, the increasing judicial engagement on these issues may mean the time is right for similar lawsuits in Canada. Three Canadian common law causes of action are examined: nuisance, negligence, and unjust enrichment. Defences and arguments which stem from society’s (and any potential plaintiff’s) acquiescence and authorization to allow the defendants’ conduct may present difficult barriers to success. This paper focuses on these types of defences, and argues that the responsibility of Big Oil for climate change harms should not be completely vitiated even if governments and plaintiffs have acquiesced, authorized, and arguably contributed to our climate crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Forestry Chronicle is the property of Canadian Institute of Forestry and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Seasonal freeze–thaw (F–T) cycles significantly affect the mechanical properties of soils and the behavior of pile foundations in soils subjected to F–T cycles under different loading conditions. Soils exposed to F–T cycles can impact the performance of pile foundations. Consequently, the effects of F–T cycles should be taken into account when designing piles, particularly in cold regions such as Canada. In recent years, climatic conditions in Canada have changed due to global warming, increasing the number of F–T cycles in many regions each year. This study aimed to investigate the influence of different numbers of F–T cycles on the behavior of piles in sandy soils. Laboratory experiments were conducted on physical models of piles subjected to axial (uplift) and lateral loads combined with F–T cycles. The model was scaled using standard scaling principles, and the test apparatus was equipped with various sensors to measure temperatures, forces, and displacements. The results showed that as the number of F–T cycles increased, the lateral capacities of the piles under individual and combined loads increased steadily. The lateral load capacity increased from 350 to 430 N after five F–T cycles under individual loading and from 225 to 455 N after five F–T cycles under combined loading. However, the pile's uplift load capacity remained constant under individual and combined loads and there was no change due to F–T cycles. The results of this experimental study will be useful for understanding the behavior of piles subjected to seasonal F–T cycles and for improving the design of pile foundations in cold regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gulf of St. Lawrence (GSL), along with the St. Lawrence Estuary, is the largest estuarine system in North America. It is a biologically productive sea and an important fishing ground in Canada. The objectives of this study are to determine how climate changes will affect primary production in the GSL and on the eastern Scotian Shelf, and to determine the drivers of the changes. We use a regional ocean model forced with downscaled output of the Max-Planck Institute Earth System Model to study the changes in net primary production under the climate change scenario of Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 (RCP8.5). Results reveal a projected 13.4% decrease in annual primary production across the GSL system over the next 70 years. This decline primarily stems from reduced nutrient concentrations in the upper layer, despite the increase in nutrients supplied by rivers. Enhanced freshwater influx and ocean surface warming contribute to heightened stratification, that in turn reduce the vertical nutrient fluxes from deeper layers. This mechanism affects the upwelling of nutrient-rich water at the head of the Laurentian Channel in the Lower St. Lawrence Estuary, leading to a 22% reduction in the vertical nitrate flux in the future. Additionally, nutrient concentrations in the water masses entering the GSL at the Strait of Belle Isle and at Cabot Strait are also reduced. Due to declining sea-ice concentration, the phytoplankton bloom is expected to occur between 9 and 23 days earlier under a warmer climate, and last for up to 24 days longer, depending on the GSL subregions, compared to the historical period (2001-2020). Biological productivity at higher trophic levels, and thus fisheries productivity, could be negatively impacted under the RCP8.5 climate change scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A consideration of the site-specific spatial experience created by urban trees and their cultural dimensions can enrich climate adaptive tree planting strategies in Winnipeg, a city of 850,000 in the central prairies of Canada. The paper begins with an introduction to traditional urban tree planting types and analyses the range of tree planting techniques that currently define public spaces in Winnipeg. A review of the recently published Urban Forest Strategy for Winnipeg highlights current strengths and challenges to climate change related tree planting in the city. Urban tree planting strategies and practices demonstrate a focus on quantifiable goals such as canopy coverage, number of trees planted or ecosystem services, with little reference to how trees define places. However, cities are constituted by the visible forest -the form and patterns of how trees are planted and the spaces they create. They are also shaped by the invisible forest , the diverse ways in which trees evoke different functions, values, and modes of occupation to different people at different times. Two basic approaches to urban tree planting will enrich climate-related tree planting initiatives by synthesizing the visible and invisible dimensions of the urban forest: Prioritizing the collective planting of trees as opposed to the single specimen and acknowledging the cultural dimensions of trees. Two design propositions from students at University of Manitoba demonstrate how trees can articulate the diverse ways people interact with trees through their spatial configuration and planting techniques. One draws upon tree types that acknowledge local agricultural tree planting strategies and the second responds to historical and contemporary Indigenous relationships to riparian trees. Acknowledging the planting of trees as a complex interplay between spatial, ecological, and cultural specificity allows for the communication of new values for the design and stewardship of urban trees and the provision of shade in a climate adaptive city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As climate disasters increase, social workers will increasingly be called upon to help communities with the related dislocations, eco-anxieties, and social transformations. This article explores the extent to which Canadian social work schools are preparing social workers to advance socio-ecological justice. It examines the coursework in these programmes as new standards come into effect in 2023. We consider radical, eco-social, feminist and Indigenous pedagogies, and focus on how experiential learning and transformative hope can address the manifold systemic challenges we now face. Rather than bolting eco-education onto existing programming, radical perspectives and transformative praxis must be embedded into social work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societal Impact Statement: Cultural use berries are prized foods and medicines across the United States and Canada, with almost 200 different species used by Indigenous Peoples. Berries are increasingly being impacted by environmental and land‐use change. Berry habitats, how and when berry plants reproduce, and the volume of berries available for harvest each year are shifting widely. These changes are impacting access to, availability of, and consumption of berries. Biocultural stewardship practices, like low‐intensity fire, transplanting, and thinning, can be used in response to these stressors to support berry plant health and productivity as well as a sustained relationship with this important food. Summary: Almost 200 different species of berries are used for food and medicine by Indigenous Peoples, with unparalleled nutritional and cultural significance among plant foods. Environmental and land‐use change is increasingly compromising access to, availability of, and consumption of berries. In this review, I consider (a) how climate and land‐use change are impacting cultural use berries across species and places, as documented by Indigenous Peoples and in the scientific literature, and (b) how stewardship practices are being applied to promote resilience and sustainability in berrying landscapes experiencing stress. Climate impacts on Arctic and subarctic berry species include earlier ripening, changes in taste, or increased variability in abundance. These same regions are experiencing a proliferation of shrubs, while forests throughout the lower 48 and Canada are suffering from suffocating fuel loads and stand densities that are not conducive to berry habitat for many species. In the Pacific West, berries are influenced by prolonged droughts and increasing spring and summer temperatures. Climate change impacts are amplified by shifts in land use for forestry and agriculture. Biocultural stewardship practices, like low‐intensity fire, thinning, transplanting, and cultural care, can be used to mitigate these impacts and promote berry microclimate habitats. There is opportunity for intertribal networking and knowledge sharing around berry stewardship practices that will support local and regional climate change responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The rapidly changing Arctic is ideal for investigating uncertainties in climate projections. Despite the challenges of collecting data in this region, an unprecedented large‐scale survey of shorebirds has been conducted over the last 30 years. Our study aimed to (1) develop probabilistic estimates for the change in suitable habitat for 10 Arctic shorebird species in Canada by 2075 and (2) assess the contribution of modelling decisions to the uncertainty in these estimates. Location: Arctic Canada. Methods: To evaluate uncertainty, we considered six classes of modelling decisions, yielding 216 unique projections for each species. We tested three decisions that are less commonly explored − the pool of candidate variables, a method for selecting variables, and the maximum distance of tree line dispersal, as well as the modelling algorithm, carbon emissions scenario, and global circulation model. We used a bootstrapping approach, creating a probability distribution for the proportional change in suitable habitat for each species. Results: Our findings indicated a substantial risk for 8/10 species to lose over half of their suitable breeding habitat, but this projection is much less certain than has been described previously. While much uncertainty is unexplained, we were surprised that the largest source of uncertainty among our modelling decisions was from our choice of methods for variable selection, that the other modelling decisions were relatively small sources of uncertainty, overshadowing other modelling decisions. Main Conclusions: While most scenarios predict a northward shift and significant habitat loss for Arctic‐breeding shorebirds, the Arctic Archipelago of Canada will remain an important refuge because in many other Arctic regions, there is no land farther north for these species to shift into. A comprehensive understanding of uncertainty is important for deciding if future projections can or should be used when planning climate‐resilient protected area networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the perceptions and future imaginaries of a group of union members in Manitoba, Canada, concerning climate change, energy transition, and the roles of unions and workers in climate politics. Based on interviews with 30 rank and file workers carried out through the winter of 2020, the results suggest some starting points for a more active engagement between the labour movement and climate politics—an engagement that is central to climate justice, and that becomes more vital every moment as workers both participate through their waged labour in the production of ecological crisis, and stand to suffer intensely from both climate change and from elite-led energy transitions. • Unionized workers broadly agree with the characterization of "climate emergency." • Participants connect to climate change through expanded spatial and temporal considerations. • There is broad agreement that climate change is a key consideration in unions' protective role. • Union workers' future imaginaries of energy transition do not frequently engage with "system change" narratives. • Union workers characterize transition as something done to, rather than by, workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Central Asia is among the most heavily affected regions worldwide by climate change and water shortages. Impacts include changes in precipitation patterns, more frequent temperature extremes and increased aridity causing a negative impact on agricultural production, food availability, and environmental security. To combat this threat, it is important to enhance information literacy among all water users. This can be done through awareness campaigns, blended learning by providing the proper Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programs and utilizing all available facilities. This will address relevant issues, such as miscommunication, complexities of transboundary water sharing issues, overexploitation of water resources, and poor flood-drought mitigation techniques. Proper and user-friendly lifelong blended learning for scientific information dissemination focusing water issues can provide stronger support to increase awareness among water users and decision policy makers. Worldwide, especially in North America and Australia, information literacy campaigns have proven successful. This strategy can be replicated in the Mountainous Kyrgyz-Kazakh Chu-Talas transboundary river basin. The issues concerning the Mountainous KyrgyzKazakh Chu-Talas transboundary river basin is elaborated and compared with Australian, Canadian, and US river basin management programs. The foresight analysis is presented, as to what would be a rationale to improve water resources more sustainably in Central Asia. Methodologies, programs, technologies, communities-based river basin committees, snow-water collection with agroforestry, and basin-based water market opportunities were analyzed to assess potential applications in Central Asia region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study analyzed publicly available resources related to environmental and climate change material available within the Canadian Bachelor of Nursing Program curricula. Method: This thematic review project contained two stages of data collection: (1) a comprehensive team-based review of Internet materials and (2) a digital survey of program faculties. Results: Most content reviewed included references to climate change. According to survey responses from program directors (n = 12), barriers to integrating climate change content included lack of institutional support, the perception that content was not important in undergraduate curriculum, a conviction that the material would be more appropriate for public health, and an overall lack of understanding of the topic by course authors. Conclusion: With increasing emphasis on the importance of geopolitical health and climate change to many facets of nursing practice, nurse educators require support from colleagues and postsecondary institutions to incorporate this material into undergraduate nursing curricula. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(4):212–217.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heat-related health burden is expected to persist and worsen in the coming years due to an aging global population and climate change. Defining the breadth and depth of our understanding of age-related changes in thermoregulation can identify underlying causes and strategies to protect vulnerable individuals from heat. We conducted the first systematic quantitative literature review to provide context to the historical experimental research of healthy older adults – compared to younger adults or unhealthy age matched cases – during exogenous heat strain, focusing on factors that influence thermoregulatory function (e.g. co-morbidities). We identified 4,455 articles, with 147 meeting eligibility criteria. Most studies were conducted in the US (39%), Canada (29%), or Japan (12%), with 71% of the 3,411 participants being male. About 71% of the studies compared younger and older adults, while 34% compared two groups of older adults with and without factors influencing thermoregulation. Key factors included age combined with another factor (23%), underlying biological mechanisms (18%), age independently (15%), influencing health conditions (15%), adaptation potential (12%), environmental conditions (9%), and therapeutic/pharmacological interventions (7%). Our results suggest that controlled experimental research should focus on the age-related changes in thermoregulation in the very old, females, those with overlooked chronic heat-sensitive health conditions (e.g. pulmonary, renal, mental disorders), the impact of multimorbidity, prolonged and cumulative effects of extreme heat, evidence-based policy of control measures (e.g. personal cooling strategies), pharmaceutical interactions, and interventions stimulating protective physiological adaptation. These controlled studies will inform the directions and use of limited resources in ecologically valid fieldwork studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change interacts with ecological processes leading to changes in tree and forest growth rate, biome shifts and species composition, all of which are influenced by disturbances. This study explores future overarching climate trends of eight of Canada's ecozones containing managed forests. For the 2071 to 2100 period, climate projections indicate a warming trend of up to an additional 5.5 °C and an overall increase in annual precipitation. Future trends suggest marked contrast between coastal and interior forests and polarization between western and eastern forests. Warmer temperatures, accumulating degree-days above 5 °C and frost-free days suggest longer and drier growing seasons and greater risk of drought particularly in moisture-limited areas such as montane cordillera, taiga shield and boreal shield ecozones. Warmer temperatures and rising precipitation combined with less snow suggest shorter and wetter future winters. This indicates greater risk of rain-on-snow and freeze-thaw events, flooding and landslides particularly in coastal ecozones. We discuss how these projections are likely to result in shifts in dominant species and abundance, which when coupled with the cumulative effects of future disturbances, is likely to alter future forest dynamics and impact harvestable wood volumes for Canada's forestry industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]