Ep 586 - Trees, Genomics, and Climate

Guest: Dr. Sally Aitken, University of British Columbia and AdapTree project

By Stuart McNish

According to a 2015 Nature report, there are more than 3 trillion trees on Earth. “Trees are amazing. They’re the lungs of the Earth and home to millions of organisms, fungi, and animals,” says Sally Aitken at the University of British Columbia’s Forestry Department and lead of the AdapTree project. “Without a doubt: one of the most successful species on Earth.” Aitken also warns, “They are a species under threat due to rapid environmental changes.”

The biggest challenge for trees is the rate of change. “For time immemorial, trees have adapted to a changing environment and they continue to do so,” says Aitken. The objective of the AdapTree project is to address that pace of change by identifying alleles in douglas fir, spruce, western larch, jack pine, and lodgepole pine trees that have adapted to a variety of environments.

Using genetic tools, the team at AdapTree works with a variety of stakeholders within forestry to identify strains of species that will survive in regions where environmental conditions are changing. The long term goal is to ensure the health of the trees and forests using sophisticated genome-based intelligence.

We invited Dr. Sally Aitken of the Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences at UBC to join us for a Conversation That Matters about working with our trees to ensure they have long and healthy lives.

You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/

Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca

Ep 585 - The Cowichan Case and Your Property Rights

Guest: Radha Curpen & Robin Junger

By Stuart McNish

Cowichan Tribes v. Canada has rapidly become the most significant land title case in Canada – and possibly in Canadian history. It has sparked intense and competing arguments in private, in public, and in the Legislative Assembly in Victoria. Premier Eby was grilled mercilessly about his defence of private property rights, his government’s slow response to file a stay, and what the decision means to homeowners.

Tensions flowing from the decision reflect the need to recognize that, while indigenous Nations are entitled to seek recognition of their constitutionally protected rights, there is also a need for fee-simple owners to maintain certainty in title. Central to this tension is the law does not allow for aboriginal title and fee-simple to co-exist on territory under First Nations ownership.

During the case, the impact on private property rights was recognized, to which the court invited the parties to inform fee-simple land owners to be notified. All parties decided not to inform private land owners.

We invited Radha Curpen and Robin Junger of McMillan LLP to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the Cowichan case and its implications to landowners in Richmond and the entire province of British Columbia.

You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/

Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca

Ep 584 - Ocean Wise

Guest: Lasse Gustavsson

By Stuart McNish

The Earth’s oceans add up to 71% of the surface of the planet and contain 96% of the water on this precious blue marble in space. The ocean produces 60% of the oxygen we need to be able to breathe. “The oceans are our greatest natural resource,” says Lasse Gustovsson, the CEO of Ocean Wise, “and they are at risk due to human activity.”

According to data collected by the Argo Network – a program utilizing over 4,000 robotic floats moving around the globe riding the currents and sinking to depths of 2,000 meters, rising to the surface, and beaming back valuable data that scientists are using to monitor the heart of the world’s climate system – the ocean is heating up.

Gustovsson says, “The data shows temperatures are up by more than 1 degree Celsius over the past 145 years.” The oceans are warming because they absorb more than 90% of excess energy trapped by greenhouse gases. “In the process of absorbing that energy, the acidification level of ocean waters is also rising,” says Gustavsson.

We invited Lasse Gustavsson, the CEO of Ocean Wise, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the vital role the ocean plays in our survival, the risks the world’s oceans face, and how we can mitigate those harms.

You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/

Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca