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Environment - 04.08.2022
Reef 'hope spots' may help rescue coral habitats damaged by climate change: Researchers
Reef ’hope spots’ may help rescue coral habitats damaged by climate change: Researchers
With coral reefs imperiled by climate change, coral refugia - reefs in habitats that are protected from environmental stressors - may hold the key to sustaining these diverse underwater ecosystems.

Life Sciences - Environment - 28.07.2022
Whales' eyes offer glimpse into their evolution from land to sea
Whales’ eyes offer glimpse into their evolution from land to sea
University of Toronto researchers have shed light on the evolutionary transition of whales' early ancestors from on-shore living to deep-sea foraging, suggesting that these ancestors had visual systems that could quickly adapt to the dark. Their findings show that the common ancestor of living whales was already a deep diver, able to see in the blue twilight zone of the ocean, with eyes that swiftly adjusted to dim conditions as the whale rushed down on a deep breath of surface air.

Environment - Life Sciences - 25.07.2022
Measuring the environmental impact of a hydroelectric dam at Inukjuak
Measuring the environmental impact of a hydroelectric dam at Inukjuak
A research team led by Marc Amyot is assessing the environmental impact of building a dam on permafrost at Inukjuak, in collaboration with the Inuit community. The Innavik Hydro Project currently being built by the Pituvik Landholding Corporation in partnership with Hydro-Québec, Innergex Renewable Energy Inc.

Life Sciences - Environment - 21.07.2022
The tiny bodies of bats allow perfect balance between flight costs and heat dissipation
The tiny bodies of bats allow perfect balance between flight costs and heat dissipation
Many mammal species living in cold climates tend to have large bodies and short limbs to reduce heat loss - a general pattern known as Bergmann's rule. However, bats are the exception to the rule, displaying small body sizes in both hot and cold regions. A McGill-led team of researchers is shedding light on this long-standing debate over bats- body sizes and focus on why bats are seemingly non-conforming to ecogeographical patterns found in other mammals.

Earth Sciences - Environment - 19.07.2022
New map shows where fracking-induced earthquakes could hit in Canada
Maps help us to better understand and predict induced seismicity during subsurface engineering processes Scientists from the University of Waterloo have developed a map showing which regions and population centres of Western Canada are likely to experience earthquakes induced by underground energy extraction.

Health - Environment - 14.07.2022
Even low levels of air pollution contribute to increased health risk
Even low levels of air pollution contribute to increased health risk
Science, Health & Technology Brett Goldhawk Levels of air pollution well below national and international air quality guidelines are associated with an increased risk of death, according to a new Canada-wide study led by researchers at the University of British Columbia. The study , published today in a Health Effects Institute (HEI) report, provides an in-depth analysis of air pollution levels across Canada and their relationship with mortality.

Environment - 14.07.2022
Lemmings: female predation at the heart of cyclical variations
Lemmings: female predation at the heart of cyclical variations
Differential mortality of females would cause them to be three times less numerous than males when the population reaches a low point The intriguing cyclical variations of lemmings continue to surprise. The few answers that shed some light on this elusive phenomenon raise new questions that further thicken the mystery.

Environment - Agronomy / Food Science - 13.07.2022
Using compost instead of nitrogen as fertilizer in Canada can slow global warming
Using compost instead of nitrogen as fertilizer in Canada can slow global warming
Greenhouse gas production is significantly less when biobased residues like compost replaces widely used nitrogen fertilizer during spring freeze-thaw events in cold temperate regions. A new study led from the University of Waterloo discovered greenhouse gas production is significantly less when biobased residues like compost replaces widely used nitrogen fertilizer during spring freeze-thaw events in cold temperate regions.

Earth Sciences - Environment - 13.07.2022
Two volcanic eruptions forever changed the brown kiwi
Two volcanic eruptions forever changed the brown kiwi
When two massive volcanic eruptions blanketed New Zealand in ash, they forever changed the genetics of the brown kiwi bird, a new study from the University of Toronto Scarborough has found. The brown kiwi are split into four distinct lineages that inhabit different parts of New Zealand's North Island.

Environment - 12.07.2022
Canadians are not nearly as divided about environmental issues as we may think: Study
Canadians are not nearly as divided about environmental issues as we may think: Study
Canadians are not nearly as divided about many important environmental issues as we may think - and that lack of division could offer common ground in drafting national environmental policies, according to a new study. Researchers in the department of physical and environmental sciences at the University of Toronto Scarborough used Statistics Canada data to explore Canadians' behaviours and attitudes towards the environment.

Environment - 04.07.2022
Reforesting fallow land: a false sense of security?
Reforesting fallow land: a false sense of security?
Uncultivated agricultural land can capture as much carbon as land that has been reforested The federal government has committed to planting 2 billion trees by 2030 in order to reduce the amount of atmospheric CO2 and slow global warming. With this in mind, the idea of using abandoned farmland to plant some of these trees seems like an obvious and interesting strategy, but work by a team of scientists has shown that it is not.However, work carried out by a Quebec research team shows that one should be wary of the obvious.

Environment - Computer Science - 28.06.2022
Is AI good or bad for the climate? It's complicated
Is AI good or bad for the climate? It’s complicated
As the world fights climate change, will the increasingly widespread use of artificial intelligence (AI) be a help or a hindrance? In a paper published this week in Nature Climate Change , a team of experts in AI, climate change, and public policy present a framework for understanding the complex and multifaceted relationship of AI with greenhouse gas emissions, and suggest ways to better align AI with climate change goals.

Environment - Campus - 27.06.2022
Researchers study plants sprouting from century-old seeds uncovered during Toronto Port Lands excavation
Researchers study plants sprouting from century-old seeds uncovered during Toronto Port Lands excavation
At a Toronto Port Lands construction site on the city's waterfront, keen-eyed workers recently spotted plants that had sprouted from soil recently exposed by the removal of tonnes of earth. The plants were hard stem bulrush and cattails, which are commonly found in freshwater marshes. Because the plants grew from a patch of ground that had been seven metres below the surface for a century, conservationists concluded that they had grown from seeds buried when Ashbridges Bay Marsh at the mouth of the Don River was covered with landfill in the early 1900s.

Environment - 24.06.2022
Climate change negatively impacting bumble bees: Study
Temperature changes have negatively impacted most species of bumble bees over the past 120 years, according to new research published this week in Biology Letters . The researchers note that changes in temperature had more of a negative impact than other factors - such as precipitation or floral resources.

Environment - 22.06.2022
Reducing air pollution can support healthy brain development: Study
A new study finds that having a portable air cleaner in the home can reduce the negative impacts of air pollution on brain development in children. Simon Fraser researchers collaborated with U.S. and Mongolian scientists to study the benefits of using air filters to reduce exposure to air pollution during pregnancy, and assessed the impact on children's intelligence.

Environment - Life Sciences - 22.06.2022
Researchers and Indigenous students learn about Grand River
Six Nations Polytechnic partners with McMaster University and the University of Waterloo to explore STEM field work in the Grand River By Staff On June 15, grade nine students from Six Nations Polytechnic (SNP) and the STEAM Academy program donned their waders to join researchers Charles de Lannoy , Karen Kidd and Waterloo Biology Professor Mark Servos to conduct experiments in the Grand River.

Life Sciences - Environment - 21.06.2022
A blueprint for life forms on Mars?
A blueprint for life forms on Mars?
The extremely salty, very cold, and almost oxygen-free environment under the permafrost of Lost Hammer Spring in Canada's High Arctic is the one that most closely resembles certain areas on Mars. So, if you want to learn more about the kinds of life forms that could once have existed - or may still exist - on Mars, this is a good place to look.

Environment - Life Sciences - 08.06.2022
The secret lives of Darwin's finches reveal daily commutes the equivalent of 30 soccer fields
The secret lives of Darwin’s finches reveal daily commutes the equivalent of 30 soccer fields
Using radio transmitters, scientists have gained new insights into the behaviour of medium ground finches in the Galapagos Islands. A study led by McGill researchers reveals daily movement patterns covering an area equivalent to the size of 30 soccer fields. Until now researchers knew little about the secret lives of these birds, due in part to challenges studying them in their natural habitat, involving rough volcanic rock terrain and harsh climate conditions.

Environment - Life Sciences - 02.06.2022
Canada ranks third worldwide in permeable landscapes for wildlife
Canada ranks third worldwide in permeable landscapes for wildlife
Science, Health & Technology Alex Walls Canada ranks third in the world for animal movement between protected areas, finds new UBC research. Researchers created the first global map of where mammals are most likely to move between protected areas, such as national parks and nature reserves. Lead author Dr. Angela Brennan, a research associate at the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, says she hopes the data will help countries measure their success at protecting biodiversity over time.

Environment - Chemistry - 27.05.2022
How chemicals are trapped in the body by studying polar bear poop
How chemicals are trapped in the body by studying polar bear poop
A new University of Toronto study is using polar bear scat to reveal how certain chemical contaminants can become trapped - and build up - inside the body. Polar bears are prone to storing certain contaminants in their bodies because they are at the top of the food chain, have a very fatty diet and have evolved to absorb high amounts of fat.