Blog

Republishing an article published in The Conversation written by SERS professor Robert Gibson.

Amendments to Canada's Impact Assessment Act are being drafted in response to a Supreme Court ruling in October 2023 where a majority of justices concluded that some aspects of the federal Impact Assessment Act reached too far into provincial jurisdiction. Drafting amendments to Canada's Impact Assessment Act will be a difficult assignment. Officials need to respect Canada's Constitution and also apply new knowledge and act on new imperatives. Challenges include not only bringing the laws into constitutional compliance but also meeting 21st-century needs for assessments and decision-making in the lasting public interest.

In an interview with Waterloo's Co-operative Education, third-year ERS student Putri Cullinane discusses her work experience in government and non-profits roles, along with strategies for maintaining well-being in the face of eco-anxiety.

Brendon Larson reflects on his approach to the redesign of the first year course, ERS 102 “Sustainability and the Really Long View”, for the winter 2024 term, including challenges that he faces.

SERS master's student Rosalind Synder has been collecting positive stories related to land in Ontario's Greenbelt. A favorite is the Alderville Black Oak Savannah project initiated by Mississauga Anishinaabeg biologist and artist Rick Beaver and managed by the Alderville First Nation. The project centres on restoration of a rare Tallgrass Prairie and Savannah ecosystem. Since its start over 20 years ago, the Alderville Black Oak Savannah has been almost fully restored. In addition to ecological restoration, the project ensures community access to traditional foods and medicinal plants.

The Fedy research group tries to understand the distribution and abundance of wildlife populations. Most of our research focuses on applied questions relevant to the management of wildlife populations. Collecting data for this research requires field work in remote locations making the planning and execution challenging at times. Is it worth it?

Fourth year honours co-op student Ishani Dasgupta reflects on students in Environment, Resources and Sustainability - the values, lessons learned and she provides a window into her experiences in the program.

In August 2022, a group of 12 students and two instructors took part in a new SERS field course titled The Ocean, Human Impacts and Sustainability. This course moved quickly through an overview of the ocean, explored human activities and impacts, particularly in the coastal zone, and then looked at some of the brilliant work that is going on to make our activities more sustainable.

Fourth year SERS student, Charlie Jou-ter Woort, explains the game they adapted to promote the learning of Canadian plants and their uses and benefits. This game was created for ERS 402, the Senior Honours Research Seminar course.

In December 2022 SERS 4th year student Emma Kirke attended the 15th meeting of the COP to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity as a youth delegate.  Emma reflects on her experience at the COP, her opinion on the outcome and appreciation for the freedoms afforded Canadian activists.