Emerging Environments

Emerging Environments

Join hosts Stu Livingstone and Karen Smith as they put a spotlight on the people that are studying and thinking about environmental change. There is so much science happening that's shedding light on not only our current impact on the planet but also the things that we can do to find a new path forward. Part of that story is about following the science, but the other part is about the people that are doing the science and the action that will spur transformative change. Subscribe to learn about our place in the environments that are emerging around us.

  1. 2025-07-28

    #50 It's all happening at the Toronto Zoo! A conversation with Dolf Dejong

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 In the wildlife conservation world, Zoos are sometimes portrayed as relics of an outdated conservation ethos.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

    45 min

  2. 2025-07-10

    #49 Is hydrogen the energy source of the future? a conversation with Joe Romm

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

    1h 15m

  3. 2025-06-10

    #48 Climate science in the crosshairs with Adam Sobel

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

    1h 5m

  4. 2025-05-29

    #47 Elevating plant life in conservation research and practice with Jenny McCune

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

    51 min

  5. 2025-05-12

    #46 The epitome of deregulation: calling Ontario's Bill 5 into question with Connie O'Connor

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

    39 min

  6. 2025-05-07

    #45 Examining the intersection of energy, carbon and climate change in Canada with Nicholas Rivers

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

    59 min

  7. 2025-04-22

    #44 Using paleoecology to inform natural climate solutions with Sarah Finkelstein

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

    47 min

  8. 2024-07-29

    #43 Coordinating global action for invasive species management with Peter Stoett

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

    55 min
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Join hosts Stu Livingstone and Karen Smith as they put a spotlight on the people that are studying and thinking about environmental change. There is so much science happening that's shedding light on not only our current impact on the planet but also the things that we can do to find a new path forward. Part of that story is about following the science, but the other part is about the people that are doing the science and the action that will spur transformative change. Subscribe to learn about our place in the environments that are emerging around us.

Information

  • Creator
    Emerging Environments
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2025
  • Episodes
    51
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Emerging Environments
  • Show Website
    Emerging Environments