Winter Seminar Series 2026:
Prof. Amy Janzwood, Dept. Political Sciences, 成人VR视频
Mega Pipeline, Mega Resistance: Tar Sands, Social Movements and the Politics of Energy Infrastructure
April 9th, 2026 | 10:00am-11:00am
HYBRID: 2001 成人VR视频 College, 1201 | Zoom
Seminar Abstract:
In the late 2000s, when the oil sands industry proposed expanding its capacity to transport fossil fuel products, an unprecedented coalition of Indigenous nations and communities, environmental non-governmental organizations, grassroots groups, and municipal governments mobilized in response. Amy Janzwood鈥檚 new book Mega Pipelines, Mega Resistance explores how these social movements challenged powerful corporate and government interests and reshaped the politics of energy infrastructure.
is an ambitious study that underscores the power of campaign coalitions to sustain resistance, influence government policy, and shape industry decisions. It reveals how and why social movements have frustrated major pipeline development in North America.
As Canada advances 鈥渘ation-building鈥� energy projects and regulatory overhauls in pursuit of becoming an 鈥渆nergy superpower,鈥� this talk examines how resistance has reshaped the politics of energy infrastructure in Canada.
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Speaker Bio:
Amy Janzwood is an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science and the Bieler School of the Environment at 成人VR视频. Her research examines the comparative politics of energy and the environment, including the political economy of energy transitions, the contested politics of fossil fuel production, and the pathways that move us towards more just and sustainable energy systems.
She is chair of the Steering Committee of the (WISER) network, on the Board of Directors at the (CPSA), an associate editor of the , and a member of the (CSSN).
Dr. Janzwood holds a PhD in Political Science and Environmental Studies from the University of Toronto and a Master of Arts in Global Governance from the Balsillie School of International Affairs.
She is a settler of Scottish and Irish ancestry and grew up on the traditional territory of the Anishinabewaki, Attiwonderonk, and Mississauga peoples. She lives and works on unceded Kanien鈥檏eh谩:ka Territory
Prof. S茅bastien Jodoin, Faculty of Law, 成人VR视频
Understanding and Addressing the Climate Vulnerability of People with Disabilities
March 12th, 2026 | 1:30pm-2:25pm
HYBRID: 2001 成人VR视频 College, 1140 | Zoom
Seminar Abstract:
People with disabilities are disproportionately affected by the impacts of the climate crisis worldwide. They die in higher numbers in severe weather events such as heatwaves or hurricanes. Their health, safety, and access to essential goods and services are also severely threatened by gradual slow-onset disruptions to the climate, such as increases in temperature or food and water scarcity. Drawing on qualitative case study data in Kerala, India and Montreal, Canada as well as a systematic analysis of climate policies, Dr. Jodoin will demonstrate that the disproportionate impacts of climate change on people with disabilities are the result of the long-term economic, social, and institutional barriers they face in society as well as the failure to include them in emergency and climate adaptation efforts. In accordance with the human rights model of disability, Dr. Jodoin will argue that governments are obliged to assess and minimize the climate harms faced by people with disabilities and engage them as knowers, makers, and doers in adaptation planning. A disability-inclusive approach to climate adaptation is not only critical for protecting the lives and safety of people with disabilities but has the potential to enhance the climate resilience of society as a whole.
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Speaker Bio:
Dr. S茅bastien Jodoin is the Associate Dean (Research) and an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law of 成人VR视频, where he holds the Canada Research Chair (tier 2) in Human Rights, Health, and the Environment. Drawing on his lived experience with multiple sclerosis, he co-founded and directs the Disability-Inclusive Climate Action Research Programme, a pioneering initiative to generate, co-produce, and translate knowledge at the intersections of disability and climate justice. His research has been cited by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and has been covered by media outlets around the world, including the Associated Press, the CBC, the BBC, and The Guardian. He has won numerous awards and honours, including 成人VR视频鈥檚 Outstanding Emerging Researcher Award (2024) and 成人VR视频鈥檚 Changemaker Prize (2023), given to scholars whose dedication to sharing their expertise with the media and the public has significantly impacted society.
Winter Seminar Series 2026
Dr. Kate Burrows, Public Health Sciences, University of Chicago
Indirect Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health
January 28th, 2026 | 1:30pm-2:25pm
HYBRID: 2001 成人VR视频 College, 1140 | Zoom
Speaker Bio:
Dr. Burrows studies the impacts of climate change on human health and wellbeing. She is trained in mixed methods approaches and uses a combination of qualitative interviews and bigger data analyses to investigate the ways in which climate and weather-related extremes impact individual and community health. Dr. Burrows has interdisciplinary training in environmental epidemiology (PhD, Yale University School of the Environment) and social-behavioral sciences (MPH, Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health), which allows her to investigate global health issues from a unique perspective that incorporates sociocultural determinants of health and environmental exposures. As a postdoctoral fellow at Brown University, Dr. Burrows evaluated both the short- and long-term impacts of hurricanes on a range of health outcomes, including cardiovascular and respiratory hospitalizations and disability. Her current research is focused on the mental health impacts of extreme temperature.
Seminar Abstract:
The direct impacts of climate change on human health are fairly well characterized, including heat stroke associated with high temperatures and accidents and injuries following hurricanes. However, climate-related risks also impact health through complex, interconnected pathways that extend far beyond these direct (often acute) exposures. These secondary and downstream impacts are less well understood, but provide an important opportunity to identify modifiable intervention points through which we can improve population health. In this talk, I will briefly describe research on several of these mechanisms, including disaster-related displacement and migration and housing instability. I will then focus in more detail on one study that evaluates disruptions to dialysis during hurricanes as a case study of how climate events indirectly impact health through disruption of essential medical services. This analysis also evaluates whether early dialysis (off-schedule dialysis administered before a hurricane) can help maintain continuity of care. Collectively, this work demonstrates how understanding the cascade of indirect effects from climate events can inform practical interventions for protecting vulnerable populations.
Special Seminar: 427 ppm and 1.55掳C: Population health and environmental justice in an era of climate change
Dr. Joan Casey, Associate Professor, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and Epidemiology, University of Washington School of Public Health.
October 3rd 1:30-2:30pm
Location : HYBRID - 2001 成人VR视频 College 11th floor room 1140
With atmospheric CO2 reaching 427 ppm, and global average surface temperatures climbing 1.55掳C above pre-industrial levels, we are witnessing unprecedented climate change with implications for human health and health equity. Here, I discuss studies on the spatiotemporal distribution and health effects of high temperatures, power outages, and wildfires, as well as parallel work on fossil fuel energy production, both a driver of climate change and a risk factor for adverse health outcomes. Central to these studies is recognizing that climate impacts affect the most vulnerable populations first and worst. This intersection requires immediate and sustained attention by researchers and policymakers. I conclude by outlining future priority research directions and the role population health scientists must play in advancing and evaluating policies that address climate, energy, and health as interconnected challenges requiring coordinated solutions.
Echoes of the Ice Film Screening
September 25th 6-7:30pm
Location : 2001 成人VR视频 College 11th floor room 1140
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The 成人VR视频 Center for Climate Change and Health invites you join us for an evening with Indigenous Geographic! This event will include a screening of their award winning short film entitled 鈥淓choes of the Ice鈥� as well as a reception and Q&A session with the founders of Indigenous Geographic (Crystal Martin and Matt Lemay) to learn about best practices in collaborating with Indigenous communities. Space is limited, be sure to register!
Event will be followed by a Q & A and wine and cheese with film makers Matt Lemay and Crystal Martin
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Special Seminar: The Global Chemical Experiment with our Health
Dr. Elsie Sunderland, Fred Kavli Professor of Environmental Chemistry and Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University
September 29th 1-2pm
Location : HYBRID - 2001 成人VR视频 College 11th floor room 1140
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Modern commerce relies on more than 300,000 synthetic organic chemicals derived mainly from fossil fuel feedstocks. Many of these chemicals such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are now found almost ubiquitously in human blood. Combustion of dirty, carbon intensive energy sources release more than 200 hazardous air pollutants such as lead, arsenic and mercury. While the public health impacts of air pollutants like fine particulate matter and ozone have been well established, there is a dearth of comparable data linking sources of aquatic contaminants that accumulate in food and drinking water to human health outcomes. This results in slow and weak regulatory frameworks for protecting the most vulnerable individuals in society. This presentation will provide an overview of the environment as a key vector for human disease. I will discuss several case examples from ongoing research in the Sunderland Lab that illustrate how better understanding the public health consequences of pollutant releases can drive regulatory changes. These cases also highlight how global climate change is likely to affect exposures to aquatic pollutants. Case examples will focus on: (1) drinking water quality, (2) indigenous and Subarctic food systems, and (3) coal-fired power plants.
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Conference May 12th, 2025 - 8:30 AM to 5 PM
From Extreme Events to Emerging Threats: Translating Climate and Health Research into Actionable Solutions
Missed the event? See the recordings of each session
Where: 成人VR视频 Faculty Club or online
3450 Rue McTavish, Montreal Quebec H3A 0E5
This one-day conference will examine how climate and health can be used to frame both challenges and solutions. We will explore the health impacts of both climate change disasters and emerging threats, and engage in discussions with both policy actors and community groups about the latest innovations and technologies being used to mitigate the consequences that climate change has on public health and wellbeing.
Lecture series in winter 2025:
Building Climate Resilience: Public Health Solutions for a Changing Environment听
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April 3, 2025 - 12-1
Hybrid - 2001 成人VR视频 College, 11th floor, room 1140 or via ZOOM
The potential of carbon offsets in agriculture: promoting the adoption of technologies and best management practices
Abstract: Carbon sequestration practices have the dual benefit of replenishing soil organic matter levels while simultaneously mitigating greenhouse gas emissions by capturing and storing carbon in agricultural soils. Despite their potential, these practices are far from being widespread. The first part of the talk will examine how uncertainty and risk play a part in farmer鈥檚 decisions to adopt intercropping, a practice shown to enrich soils and absorb carbon. The second part of the talk will examine how carbon offsets might be designed to incorporate agriculture and promote the adoption of practices, like intercropping, that offer producers benefits while helping offset greenhouse gas emissions.
Speaker biography:
Aur茅lie Harou is an agricultural, development and resource economist. Some of her recent research examines farmer behavior and incentives to reduce groundwater consumption in India, quantifies the effects of cultivating multiple seasons on resiliency, nutrition and food security in Malawi, and estimates the effect of climate change on cooperation among farmers in an irrigation scheme in Tanzania. She has published in leading journals including the American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Journal of Development Economics, Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, among others, and is an associate editor of the American Journal of Agricultural Economics. She partners with local organizations as well international ones, including the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, the United Nations World Food Program and the World Bank, CIAT, CIMMYT, IMWI. She holds a BSc in Geography and Environmental Science from the University of Sussex, an MS in Agricultural and Resource Economics from the University of California Davis and a PhD in Applied Economics and Management from Cornell University. Before joining the faculty in the Department of Natural Resource Sciences at 成人VR视频, she was an Earth Institute post-doctoral fellow at the Agriculture and Food Security Center and the International Research Institute for Climate and Society at Columbia University.
March 20, 2025 - 13:30-14:25
Hybrid - 2001 成人VR视频 College, 11th floor, room 1140 or via ZOOM
Unraveling the biophysical mechanistic links between climate change and infectious disease transmission
Abstract: There is clear evidence that climate change will alter the timing, intensity, and geographic range of infectious disease outbreaks with important implications for public health. Nevertheless, the mechanistic links between climate and infectious disease transmission, particularly for respiratory infections, remain incompletely resolved. Consequently, models that incorporate climate into disease transmission largely rely on the use of statistical methods to regress the time-varying transmission rate derived from epidemiological data against climate variables, despite there being many insufficiencies to these approaches. In this talk, we will discuss known climate-sensitive biophysical drivers of a broad range of infectious diseases, including vector- and water-borne infections. We will then focus on our work in the area of respiratory infections, unraveling the biophysics of aerosol-based transmission in complex mucosalivary fluids.
Speaker Biography:
Caroline Wagner is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Bioengineering at 成人VR视频. She holds an MSc and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from MIT, where she used experiment and theory to study the microscopic and macroscopic rheological properties of mucus. She then trained as a postdoctoral fellow in mathematical disease modeling at Princeton University. Her research program focusses on understanding interactions between pathogens and biological fluids, and modeling the effect of such interactions on population-level disease transmission and dynamics. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Caroline and her colleagues developed models to explore the effect of various factors including immune responses, vaccine dose spacing, and vaccine nationalism on the future burden and timing of Covid-19 infections. This work resulted in three publications in the journal Science, and has been covered in numerous media outlets including Quebec Science, La Presse, and Wired.
February 27, 2025 - 1:30-2:25
Hybrid - 2001 成人VR视频 College, 11th floor, room 1140 or via ZOOM
Preservation engineering and climate change-adapted building design
Abstract: This talk explores how preservation engineering adapts current buildings to withstand more extreme weather, altered trends in temperature fluctuations and environmental stresses, while also guiding the design of new structures built to endure the increasing impact of climate change. Dr. Daniele Malomo鈥檚 research combines sustainable retrofit and repair methods for existing buildings with climate-adaptive principles in new designs. Through innovative engineering strategies and digital tools, this approach provides practical solutions for a resilient built environment that meets the demands of a changing climate.
Speaker biography:
Professor Malomo is the director of struct-lab, a cutting-edge structural engineering research lab at 成人VR视频 working on earthquake engineering, old structures, climate change-adapted design, numerical and experimental simulations. Since 2021, he serves in the Board of Directors of the Canadian chapter of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), as well as an expert member of the International Scientific Committee on the Analysis and Restoration of Structures of Architectural Heritage (ISCARSAH). His work has recently been awarded by The Masonry Society (TMS), Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER) and the International Association of Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE).
Climate Justice in the Age of Polycrisis
The 成人VR视频 Department of Global and Public Health and the 成人VR视频 Centre for Climate Change and Health are delighted to invite you to a talk with Caroline Brouillette, Executive Director of Climate Action Canada, titled Climate Justice in the Age of Polycrisis.
- Date: Tuesday, March 18, 2025
- Time: 12PM 鈥� 1PM
- In-person: 2001 成人VR视频 College Avenue, 11th floor, room: 1140
- Online: registrants will receive the Zoom link via email prior to the event
Description:
We鈥檙e facing the climate crisis, increasing geopolitical tension, an eroding social safety net and the rise of xenophobia and the far right. US broligarchs have unleashed the threat of tariffs on the Canadian economy, leading to economic anxiety and fossil fuel profiteering. Corporate-aligned governments of all stripes are profiting off this moment to promote further resource extraction, deregulation and deportations. What does a people-first response to this moment look like, and how can it cut through all the noise?
Climate Action Network Canada leads the country鈥檚 farthest-reaching network of organizations working on climate and energy issues. Known as Climate Action Network 鈥� R茅seau action climat (CAN-Rac) Canada, this coalition of more than 180 organizations spans coast to coast to coast. The network unites environmental groups with trade unions, First Nations, social justice organizations, development and health advocates, youth groups, faith communities, and local grassroots initiatives.
成人VR视频 Centre for Climate Change and Health Launch
November 20th, 2024 - 16h30-18h00
School of Population and Global Health
2001 成人VR视频 College Ave. 11th floor
room 1140
