Oceans play a huge role in defining Canada. With over 243,000 km along the Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific oceans, Canada has the longest coastline in the world. But the oceans are in peril. . . CO2, pollution, climate change and overfishing, are all contributing to major changes in the oceans’ ability to sustain themselves.  A substantial part of Canada’s economy is linked to the oceans. Between fisheries, navigation, international trade, offshore oil and gas, tourism and recreation, the ocean is an essential part of this country.

Water – The Oil of the 21st Century

In Canada we have 20% of the world’s freshwater, and 7% of the world’s renewable water supply. But our water resources are not as bountiful as we may think. Water will be “the oil of the 21st century,” so it’s essential to figure out conservation and management strategies. The importance of protecting our national water resources is imperative.

Western Canadian Glaciers Under Climate Change

Glaciers are ancient rivers of ice that creep through the landscape, shaping the planet’s surface. They are also the Earth’s largest freshwater reservoir. And that has a huge impact on fisheries, on water resources for agriculture, and for hydroelectric power generation. Unfortunately, climate change is impacting these essential natural resources… leaving glaciers in a fragile state.

The Secrets of Pingualuit Crater

At the very top of northern Quebec in the Canadian Arctic, there is a perfectly round, water-filled crater that can be seen from outer space. It was formed when a meteorite hit the Earth 1.4 million years ago, making it one of the oldest lakes in the Western hemisphere.

Pingualuit Crater holds hundreds of thousands of years of sediment, brimming with fossils and organic matter that have escaped glacial erosion. The sediment holds clues to the history climate change and possibly the keys to forecasting future weather and environmental change.

Canadian Prairies Drought

Droughts are one of the world’s most devastating natural hazards. They have a major impact on the environment, health and the economy. In Canada, six of the top 10 costliest natural disasters have been droughts.

The Arctic

Canada is truly an Arctic nation. The Arctic makes up over 40 per cent of our landmass, and includes nearly three quarters of Canada’s coastline. It’s an essential part of our national identity and our climate.

Gordon McBean, an internationally recognized meteorologist and climate change expert, was named as the future President of the International Council for Science (ICSU) at the conclusion of the 30th ICSU General Assembly in Rome on 30 September. He is set to succeed the current ICSU President, Yuan Tseh Lee, in October 2014, and will be the first Canadian to take up this office. More…

Award ceremony and Public Lecture
2:00 pm on Thursday, November 24, 2011 at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography

Dr. Andrew J. Weaver (FRSC) is an international leader in ocean and climate modelling and analysis and, in particular, is a foremost expert on the role of the ocean in climate variability and change. Dr. Weaver received his Ph.D. from the Institute of Applied Mathematics at the University of British Columbia in 1987. He then held postdoctoral positions at the School of Mathematics at the University of New South Wales in Australia and at the Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean at the University of Washington.  Dr. Weaver was Assistant Professor in the Department or Meteorology at McGill University and began his career at the University of Victoria 1992 as Assistant Professor in the newly established School of Earth and Ocean Sciences. He was appointed Associate Professor in 1994 and a Full Professor in 1997.

Dr. Weaver’s research at the University of Victoria involves multiple aspects of ocean, climate, and paleoclimate modeling and analysis and he built a large laboratory of staff, students and research associates. He was instrumental in bringing the Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis to the university. His research group developed an Earth System Climate Model referred to internationally as the University of Victoria climate model.

A novel aspect of Dr. Weaver’s approach to research is his ability to transcend traditional disciplinary barriers. A unifying theme in his work is enhancing our scientific understanding of the natural environment. He recently became interested in how climate and abrupt climate change has affected human dispersal over the last 135,000 years, and together with his colleagues he has published a number of manuscripts in this emerging field. Finally, Dr. Weaver is an outstanding spokesperson on issues concerning climate science and he has dedicated enormous energy conveying sound science to the public at large. Dr. Weaver has served on many national and international committees and his scientific contributions have been recognized internationally through his election to learned societies and his winning of prestigious scientific awards as well as the Order of British Columbia.

Source: A. G. Huntsman Foundation

IPY 2012 Conference Montreal – April 22-27