The Windsor-Essex municipal elections are just around the corner and in preparation, we sent out a questionnaire to candidates across all municipalities in the region to better understand their stances on climate change and sustainability.
Staying on top of platforms and issues in a sea of information can be overwhelming; our goal is to equip you with knowledge about where your potential representatives stand regarding climate change mitigation and resilience building—so, we’ve summarized larger trends for an overview of where our local politics are leaning, pertinent climate issues and corresponding possible solutions, and what we can look out for as informed voters in local government.
What important lessons does the infamous pre-historic animated squirrel from the Ice Age movies have with respect to modern day climate change? Baird Langenbrunner takes us on an inter-epoch ride with his tales of what the Last Ice Age has to say about the adaptive capacities of plants today.
Originally featured on Massive Science, this article unpacks layers of information of what lies ahead, from what has already occurred!
Windsor’s warmest winter in 157 years… With snow scarce this season and Spring sneaking in as early as February, 2024 has been breaking significant weather records. While some have enjoyed the unexpected warmth, many have heard alarm bells ring. How unusual is this weather? Will it be our new normal? What is causing it? What can we do? Read on to find out!
Transitioning into a new year is often a time of gratitude, reflection, excitement, and planning. While 2022 saw some milestone moments for climate policy in Canada, 2023 will be even more important as Canada steps up implementation of climate actions.
So, to prepare ourselves for another year of hard work and progress, the WoC team has assembled a list of 10 big things in the climate and environmental realm you should watch out for in 2023!
Our Canadian wildlife is more diverse than we might realize, especially our avian friends - the birds. Though we're used to geese, ducks, chickadees, and the like, the species in Windsor-Essex County extend far beyond that. Besides being diverse and beautiful, birds are essential parts of the ecosystem and they have immeasurable value balancing the food chain. This Fall migration season, we shine a light on the importance of birds in our region, get wrapped in raptor-talk, and cue the drumroll for the upcoming Festival of Hawks at Holiday Beach!
Most of us have grown up with the Great Lakes in one way or another—from colouring them in during geography class to swimming in them during the summer. It can be easy to take for granted bodies of water we’ve known for a lifetime. But where do the Great Lakes fit in on a larger scale and how do they function? How are they doing? And why do we need to concern ourselves with governing them? Read on to learn about freshwater access, water governance, how our Great Lakes fit into the system, as well as what we can do to shape their future in a climate change future.
Eco-dread and climate anxiety are becoming a fast reality for many who are direct or indirect victims of climate change. This can be counter-productive in the fight against the crisis and can have profound implications. In the second and final part of our series on climate change and mental health, guest author and Policy Planner at the Town of Essex, Jeff Watson, writes about the changes we can make in our daily lives that will help with both alleviating mental health issues arising from climate change as well as climate change itself.
The conversation surrounding Canadian seniors and climate change has a very consistent tone: seniors are vulnerable. While care for older Canadians is one of the areas that we must seriously continue investing in, the focus on seniors’ vulnerability, puts them squarely in the category of passive victims. Emma Bider, draws from her work with the seniors-led group Climate Legacy, and writes about why and how institutions and agencies would be wise to include this demographic as active agents of change.
News of extreme weather events in Canada and beyond have plagued us this summer and in the past. The physical and economic damages from climate change impacts are quite well-documented; however, there remains one aspect of impacts that is possibly the least discussed and most overlooked - mental health. Over the upcoming weeks, Windsor of Change will share a series of articles on the toll of climate change on our minds and health, written by guest author and Policy Planner at the Town of Essex, Jeff Watson.
While experts are trying to find answers to the climate crisis through social, economic, and policy changes, some are betting on an unexpected ally. Could the genetic code in all living beings be the leg up we need to be resilient to such changes? WOC writer Prabarna Ganguly breaks down the latest in the intersecting worlds of climate science and genomics.
This story comes from the other side of the aisle. From across the Detroit River, Michele Arquette-Palermo from the Freshwater Forum at the Cranbrook Institute of Science, draws our attention to the failing state of Great Lakes infrastructure. In an era of climate change, rising lake levels, and increased precipitation in the region, is the Great Lakes region prepared enough for a surge?
What important lessons does the infamous pre-historic animated squirrel from the Ice Age movies have with respect to modern day climate change? Baird Langenbrunner takes us on an inter-epoch ride with his tales of what the Last Ice Age has to say about the adaptive capacities of plants today.
Originally featured on Massive Science, this article unpacks layers of information of what lies ahead, from what has already occurred!
