Policy and Politics

Science Policy, Intellectual Property, Funding, Government, Politicization of Science

Advocating for Climate Change Action as a Scientist

Yuriy Baglaenko Biology and Life Sciences, Health, Medicine and Veterinary Science, Policy and Politics
Climate change remains a controversial topic that is fiercely debated by members of the public. While most acknowledge the long-term consequences that will arise due to current trends in pollution and emission profiles, others remain skeptical, or even deny that climate change is happening. Currently, there is a sea of uncertainty among the public regarding these concerns, where all sides are quick to argue; how does the scientific community fit into this global issue? It…

Continue reading

A Changing Landscape

Yuriy Baglaenko Biology and Life Sciences, Health, Medicine and Veterinary Science, Policy and Politics
In the past two and a half centuries, the explosive growth in human population has led to increasing demands on our natural environment for resources such as food, fresh water, land, and energy. These benefits are provided to us by the interactions between living and non-living components of ecosystems, termed “ecosystem services”. The concept of ecosystem services is intimately linked to ecosystem health – healthier, more diverse ecosystems provide greater benefits to us. Numerous international…

Continue reading

Case Report: The Polar Bear Controversy

Yuriy Baglaenko Biology and Life Sciences, Health, Medicine and Veterinary Science, Policy and Politics
See that picture at the top? Does it look a little familiar? This picture was taken from a viral video in 2017 that initiated worldwide alarm over the state of the global polar bear population. Captured by Paul Nicklen and Christina Mittermeier, the two co-founders of the conservation group SeaLegacy, on Nunavut’s Somerset Island in 2017, the video was later picked up by National Geographic and published in December with the caption ‘this is what climate…

Continue reading

Thanatologist Kriss Kevorkian on Environmental Grief, Coping with Covid & the Importance of Laughing During a Pandemic

Mark Leiren-Young Biology and Life Sciences, Environmental and Earth Sciences, Policy and Politics
Thanatologist Kriss Kevorkian (@agrievingworld) talks about environmental grief, coping with covid, why we need to laugh at tragedy and much more with Skaana (@skaanapod) host Mark Leiren-Young (@leirenyoung). Kriss came up with the terms “environmental grief” and “ecological grief” and she developed these concepts by working with people working for the southern resident orcas. “I help support people who are dealing with environmental grief or ecological grief, or just the grief that people are feeling from all…

Continue reading

Kriss Kevorkian Quotes

Mark Leiren-Young Biology and Life Sciences, Environmental and Earth Sciences, Policy and Politics
Kriss Kevorkian Thanatologist The lessons I find from grief – and from death – are appreciating what we have in the now. “The lessons I find from grief – and from death – are appreciating what we have in the now.” “What is environmental grief? …It’s the grief reaction stemming from the environmental loss of ecosystems caused by natural or man-made events.” “Ecological grief is the grief reaction stemming from the disconnection and relational loss…

Continue reading