Algal assemblage change in a shallow boreal lake as a response to climate intensified permafrost thaw

by Thomas Wu The past half century of climate change has seen the Canadian boreal subarctic experience warming air temperatures, more thunderstorms, and changes to local vegetation, resulting in increased forest fires. This has accelerated permafrost thaw, converting boreal peatland forests into new wetlands and small lakes, completely altering water quality and how water flows

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Urban community garden as an assemblage of more-than-human environmental justice

by Käthe Ploeger While there has been quite some research on environmental justice in Toronto's urban agriculture, few of them have included internal micropolitical landscapes and even fewer have considered the more-than-human world in the gardens. I am pleased to have the chance to delve deeper into the human and more-than-human relations that form the

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Trans activism within the realm of urban planning

by Carmen Armignonette, Master in Environmental Studies (MES) Planning Alumna My research focuses on trans activism within the realm of urban planning, framing it as a form of counter-planning. This interest stems from my position at the intersection of multiple marginalities, motivating me to explore how marginalized groups can shape their urban environments. I argue

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Planetary health risks in urban agriculture

by Nilanjana Ganguli , Anna Maria Subic, Janani Maheswaran and Byomkesh Talukder  Abstract: Urban agriculture is gaining recognition for its potential contributions to environmental resilience and climate change adaptation, providing advantages such as urban greening, reduced heat island effects, and decreased air pollution. Moreover, it indirectly supports communities during weather events and natural disasters, ensuring food security and fostering community cohesion. However, concerns about planetary health

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Modeling urban runoff: Uncovering hydrologic changes in the Black Creek Basin with HEC-HMS

By Katherine Tse Introduction The Humber River Catchment (HRC), covering around 900 square kilometers, is the largest catchment managed by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA). Rapid urban development to accommodate population growth will likely impact the catchment's hydrology, sparking concerns about its resilience and response to increased impervious surfaces and stormwater runoff. Under

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Perceptions of wellbeing among youth climate activists in climate-just futures: Bridging climate education and degrowth

By Kelly Gingrich This project began when I realized, during my studies of climate education, that the literature kept skirting around directly questioning economic growth. We know that continuous economic growth cannot be maintained on a finite planet without overshooting Earth’s biocapacity (which is already well underway). Continuing to run into this roadblock in climate

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Comparing trail camera images with passive acoustic monitoring to measure predator disturbances in a double-crested cormorant colony at Tommy Thompson Park

by Meetkumar Patel For my EUCURA research project, I studied predator disturbance events at a ground-nesting double-crested cormorant colony at Tommy Thompson Park with Professor Gail Fraser. It is important to understand predation because it can cause birds to move to other areas to nest. For example, some cormorants have recently moved to nest in trees

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Ghanaian researchers visit York for collaborative project on women's health and trade

The Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change recently hosted a renowned group of visitors from Ghana as part of an ongoing collaboration, marking a significant step in their collaborative project under the IDRC Women RISE initiative. The partnership focuses on action-oriented, gender-transformative research exploring improved understanding of an insufficiently known livelihood activity for women, increased

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Bringing degrowth to York University

From Fall 2023-Summer 2024, a series of monthly webinars titled "Aim High, Degrow: Dialogues on Degrowth" was held that brought together degrowth scholars from various countries with EUC faculty as moderators for virtual discussions on degrowth. The seminars explored definitions and reflections on degrowth, key debates in this emerging academic field and social movement, and

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Shallow depths: Anomalies of consent in nuclear waste siting

by Laura Tanguay Nuclear energy is often touted as a critical solution to decarbonize our day-to-day lives. Walking through the city of Toronto, you’ll see Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) posters plastered as part of the “recast nuclear” campaign, which is centered on the premise that the nuclear industry’s bad reputation is a consequence of pop

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