TOPIC: COP26

First Person

How backpacking in the Rockies made me rethink having kids

As I gazed upon the majesty of Mount Robson, I wondered if my kids would even have the opportunity to view these shrinking glaciers due to the climate crisis, writes Hafsa Salihue.
Audio

Loss, damage and hope at the UN climate talks

This week, What On Earth dedicates a full episode to the UN climate negotiations getting underway in Egypt. Communities on the frontlines of global warming are heading to COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh to speak out. As talks of 'loss and damage' focus on developing countries, we hear what Canada's responsibilities are internationally and at home. And, we hear what people in Canada hope for at this year's conference.

Rich countries like Canada head to another COP climate conference after failing to meet $100B financing goal

Wealthy countries like Canada that have generated the bulk of climate-altering global carbon emissions are heading into another global climate conference after failing — again — to meet their financial commitments to the countries bearing the brunt of climate change.
Audio

ENCORE: For the love of swamps and for the sake of cities

Mired. Bogged down. Swamped. You might not hold wetlands in high esteem, but many say they're worth protecting in the name of climate change. And, we hear the case for giving cities more money and power as they find themselves on the frontlines of global warming.
Audio

ENCORE: Lessons learned from COP26

As we countdown to COP27 in Egypt, we look back at last year's conference, where it fell short and why trust is an important part of climate negotiations.
Opinion

Are climate activists heroes? Or are they terrorists?

As a climate activist, I've often thought about how far those of us who are fighting to save the planet will need to go to change denial, apathy and empty promises into acceptance, alarm and meaningful action, writes Mark Simmons.
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Video

Inside the Empire State Building’s green retrofit

New York City’s iconic Empire State Building is undergoing an ambitious retrofit to become carbon neutral by 2030. Officials have already cut carbon emissions by more than 50 per cent through efforts such as adding insulating film to prevent heat loss through the building’s windows and upgrading the elevator’s braking system so it can be used as a power source.
Weather

2021 was the warmest year on record in the Gulf of Maine

2021 was one of the warmest years on record across the Maritimes and northeast United States. One big contributing factor for record temperatures in places like Yarmouth, N.S., was offshore in the Gulf of Maine, where sea surface temperatures were also the warmest on record.

With Nova Scotia's reliance on coal, are electric vehicles the greenest option?

Electric vehicles are being hailed by consumers and government as a sustainable alternative to fuel-powered vehicles, and are gaining popularity across the country. Environmentalists weigh the pros and cons.

Ottawa can pay half the cost of saving N.S.-N.B. land link from rising seas

The federal infrastructure minister says Ottawa will consider paying at least half the cost of protecting the land link between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick against climate-related flooding.

Protecting vulnerable isthmus joining N.S. and N.B. will cost hundreds of millions: report

A newly completed study looking for ways to protect the vulnerable strip of land that connects mainland Nova Scotia to New Brunswick, and the rest of Canada, presents three options, all estimated to cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
Weather

2021 was one of the warmest years on record in the Maritimes

CBC meteorologist Ryan Snoddon says the Maritimes has just recorded one of its warmest years, again.

N.S. fishermen being asked to look out for a curious catch — ribbon-decorated lobster

Federal fisheries officials have launched a large-scale project to track lobster movements along the province's Atlantic coast. It's tagged about 3,000 lobsters from the northern tip of Cape Breton to an area around Halifax.

The Labrador Sea keeps the world's oceans alive. Scientists are now closer to understanding how

An international team of researchers spent two years monitoring the flow of oxygen in the Labrador Sea to understand the effects of climate change.
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Why oil and gas heating bans for new homes are a growing trend

Vancouver and Quebec recently banned certain kinds of fossil fuel-based heating in new home construction. Similar bans are happening around the world, from Norway to New York City. But why — and why now? What impact will they have? Here's a closer look.

'Everything about the Gulf of St. Lawrence was warmer in 2021': federal scientist

Warming ocean temperatures — especially in deep water — set more records in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in 2021, according to climate data released Tuesday by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
Editor's Note

The planet is changing. So will our journalism

The impact of climate on our changing planet may be the most pressing story of our time. Canadians have a hunger for information and constructive solutions as the United Nations climate conference, COP26, is set to begin in Glasgow on Oct. 31.
Analysis

High gas prices, oilpatch labour crunch, pipeline friction: The year ahead in energy

Talk of energy these days is rooted in two worlds — the demands of today and the transition ahead — as decarbonization efforts come into even sharper focus with climate change.
Audio

What was the most important international news in 2021? Which story was overshadowed by the pandemic?

It's our annual reporters' notebook. CBC correspondents Chris Brown, Susan Ormiston and Salimah Shivji reflect on the top international news stories of the year. Our question this week: What was the most important international news in 2021? Which story was overshadowed by the pandemic? Plus, an extended Ask Me Anything with Dr. Peter Jüni, scientific director of Ontario's COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, on the Omicron variant, rising coronavirus cases and heading back to work and school after the holidays.

Climate change could stunt the Christmas tree industry. Here's how N.S. growers are preparing

Cold-loving balsam firs could struggle if climate change continues unabated. So some Nova Scotia Christmas tree growers are getting ready now.
First Person

As an Indigenous leader, I didn't feel heard at COP26

Indigenous people need to have a meaningful presence at the policy table if Canada is to meet its climate targets, writes Jordan Michael. We need more than lip service. Reconciliation demands it.
CBC Kids News

They say kids can't save the planet. Here are 5 things I'm doing

Océanne Kahanyshyn-Fontaine explains what she’s doing to fight climate change and offers advice for kids on what they can do.

Choppers, boats and grit: how some health-care workers are adapting to weather disasters

Health-care workers on opposite sides of the country were struggling to help care for patients as severe weather brought torrential rains, mudslides and washed out roads. Here's how some of those doctors got creative and continued to care for their patients.

Yukon's greenhouse gas emissions increased 24% in past decade, report finds

Yukon’s 2021 annual state of the environment report found that greenhouse gas emissions increased 24 per cent between 2009 and 2019. Environmental groups say the territorial government needs to act fast if they want to mitigate the worst effects of climate change.
Opinion

Canada at COP26: A time for leadership

The upcoming UN conference provides a unique opportunity for Canada to become a world leader in climate policy, writes Thomas Gunton, the director of the Resource and Environmental Planning program at Simon Fraser University.

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