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?

Professor Rob de Loë's new research program brings art and science together to improve environmental awareness and understanding. Working with contacts from Ontario's conservation authorities, he has developed several projects that use photography for environmental storytelling about key watershed processes.

Augustine Osei discusses his selection of the PhD program in Social and Ecological Sustainability and his research which he is conducting under the supervision of Dr. Maren Oelbermann. He is currently studying greenhouse gas emissions during growing and non-growing seasons and using spectroscopy techniques to measure carbon sequestration.

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.

Professor Andrea Collins interviews MES-Water student Chloé St. Amand on her choice to design a research project to understand the role of activism and community engagement in the decision-making process about the wastewater treatment facility in Victoria, B.C.