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!
COVID-19 and climate change have one major thing in common: both are public health emergencies that exposed deep-rooted social inequities in marginalized communities around the globe. Though we're all affected by COVID-19 and climate change in one way or another, marginalized communities take the brunt of it. As climate change progresses, these equity gaps will worsen. How can we learn from the aftermath of COVID-19, and what can we do as a community to mitigate negative consequences as well as close the equity gap?
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.
As Canadian politicians gear up for an early federal election, various residents of Windsor-Essex County are calling attention to bring the climate crisis front and center leading up to their campaign trail. On September 8th, while catastrophic climate events continue to erupt around us, citizens of our region will be demanding emergency-level climate action, at Dieppe Gardens. Windsor of Change interviews Sofie Waters, one of the founding members of the Windsor-Essex Youth Climate Council and leaders of tomorrow’s march, about their rally call and message to Canadian political leaders.
Earth Day is on April 22nd, and every year, community members assemble to plant trees, clean up streets and beaches. This year we put the focus on water. Windsor of Change interviews Jacqueline (Jackie) Serran, the Remedial Action Plan Coordinator at the Detroit River Canadian Clean-Up, about Earth Day celebrations, the work they do, and how we can continue to be involved in protecting our River.
As we in Ontario are pushed indoors again in the face of a third province-wide lockdown, Earth Day celebrations will be remote again. Fret not reader! Windsor of Change is ready with your Earth Day fix with eight stunning and educational documentaries
This year, we at Windsor of Change want to celebrate the ethos of Earth day all month round. Get started with these researched and selected recommendations of films and series that tell stories from across the planet. Each one reveals the intimate balance of life and nature, unexpected friendships, and the value of individual courage.
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!
