Dodos have been extinct for centuries, but it’s not a simple matter to definitively designate a species as extinct. (Shutterstock) Arne Mooers, Simon Fraser University https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/when-is-a-species-really-extinct As the saying goes: “extinction is forever.” The list of extinct animals, like Steller’s sea cow, the Tasmanian wolf and the dodo, is depressing. And despite various efforts, extinction seems final. But when does extinction start? That would seem … Continue reading When is a species really extinct?

A child from the Mayuruna ethnic group stands on a pier on the banks of the Atalaia do Norte River in Amazonas state, Brazil, on June 12, 2022. Federal police and military forces are searching and investigating the disappearance of British journalist Dom Phillips and Indigenous affairs expert Bruno Araujo Pereira. (AP Photo/Edmar Barros) Félix Bhérer-Magnan, Université Laval Forests throughout the world are shrinking year … Continue reading The Amazon rainforest is disappearing quickly — and threatening Indigenous people who live there

Children participate in a water fight in Lake Ontario in Mississauga, Ontario, during a heat wave on June 5, 2021. Zou Zheng/Xinhua via Getty Images Daniel Macfarlane, Western Michigan University The Great Lakes cover nearly 95,000 square miles (250,000 square kilometers) and hold over 20% of Earth’s surface fresh water. More than 30 million people in the U.S. and Canada rely on them for drinking … Continue reading Restoring the Great Lakes: After 50 years of US-Canada joint efforts, some success and lots of unfinished business

Patricia Rosa, St. George’s University Grassland songbirds have been steadily decreasing for decades in Canada. In addition to having to endure strenuous migration every year, they are confronted with the symphonies of oil extraction and drilling once they finally reach their prairie breeding grounds. This noise pollution may increase risks to species that are already experiencing significant population declines by further reducing their abundance, interfering … Continue reading Prairie songbirds are affected by unpredictable noise produced by oil drilling

The Burren, in western Ireland, is home to a traditional regenerative system of cattle management known as winterage. (Philip Loring), CC BY-NC-SA Philip A Loring, University of Guelph Global food systems are at a breaking point. Not only are they responsible for roughly a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions, they are also the top contributors to water pollution and biodiversity collapse. On top of … Continue reading Long-standing systems for sustainable farming could feed people and the planet — if industry is willing to step back