Accepting that lasting environmental protection is likely impossible doesn’t mean giving up Peterborough Examiner – April 19, 2025 – by Drew Monkman When I was still teaching, Earth Day was a major event on our school calendar. It wasn’t just a day—it was a celebration and a time of action. We organized Read more…
Replanting is more important than ever – both for nature and for us Peterborough Examiner – April 11, 2025 – by Drew Monkman The recent ice storm that swept through central Ontario has left a trail of devastation in its wake. While power lines, homes, and vehicles suffered significant damage, the most Read more…
Worrisome declines continue across most avian groups Peterborough Examiner – March 28, 2025 – by Drew Monkman Lost in the political turmoil consuming all of our attention since the re-election of Donald Trump is the worrisome state of biodiversity in both Canada and the U.S. The situation stands to get even worse Read more…
Using China’s heavy emissions as an argument for not taking greater climate action is dishonest Peterborough Examiner – January 24, 2025 – by Drew Monkman Writing in the National Observer this week, Max Fawcett reminded us of a prescient quote from Canadian sci-fi novelist William Gibson. “The future is already here. It’s Read more…
Climate conversations are the best way to influence others and speed more action and awareness Peterborough Examiner – August 9, 2024 – by Drew Monkman “What can I do? Little old me alone in the world against such a huge problem as climate change.” Well, the most influential thing we all can do is Read more…
Peterborough Examiner – February 9, 2024 – by Drew Monkman I get it. Reading about climate change is depressing. There’s no doubt that for some people it causes severe anxiety. But, in case you’re tempted to turn away from reading any further, being uninformed will only make the climate crisis worse. It’s akin Read more…
Despite a summer of climate chaos, Pierre Poilievre is soaring in the polls without even having a climate plan Peterborough Examiner – September 22, 2023 – by Drew Monkman I recall writing an article in the 1990s about what it would take for people to really take the necessary action to protect Read more…
Big change begins with small talk Peterborough Examiner – June 16, 2023 – by Drew Monkman As a dystopian orange sun rose over the Kawarthas last week and Peterborough recorded the second worst air quality in all of North America, one thing became abundantly clear: the impact of climate change has descended upon Read more…
Peterborough Examiner – November 25, 2022 – by Drew Monkman This has been a particularly depressing fall for all of us who value nature and a healthy climate. As just two examples, the recent State of the Birds 2022 report has once again sounded the alarm about steep bird population losses in virtually Read more…
Personal testimonies of the emotional impact of May’s derecho windstorm Peterborough Examiner – September 16, 2022 – by Drew Monkman We rarely hear about the ecological grief (sometimes called “solastalgia”) caused by the climate crisis. Many people are still reeling from the impact of May’s derecho windstorm and the loss of beautiful old Read more…
May 21 a taste of all we stand to lose by refusing to commit to action on climate change Peterborough Examiner – June 3, 2022 – by Drew Monkman The devastating reality of climate change has once again unleashed itself on Peterborough and the Kawarthas. If the 100-year floods of 2002 and 2004 Read more…
Another Ford majority government would be disastrous for environmental protection Peterborough Examiner – May 13, 2022 – by Drew Monkman On June 2 as we head to the polls, many voters will have the skyrocketing cost of living top of mind. The cost of everything from food to housing is approaching crisis proportions. Read more…
Trees are important in fighting climate change. You can register for a free tree for your city yard. Peterborough Examiner – April 22, 2022 – by Drew Monkman As we celebrate another Earth Day, I’d like to turn my attention this week to trees and what you and your family can do to Read more…
Peterborough Examiner – October 22, 2021 – by Drew Monkman Our region offers rich experiences in the natural world, but let’s also acknowledge the losses and assaults As the great American ecologist and conservationist, Aldo Leopold, once wrote, “One of the penalties of an ecological education is that one lives alone in a Read more…
Peterborough Examiner – October 8, 2021 – by Drew Monkman Many children are already anxious or have dangerous misconceptions. They want and need to talk about it. For nearly two years now, we’ve all been talking non-stop about Covid with friends, family, and even our kids. You’d almost think we’ve Read more…
Peterborough Examiner – September 3, 2021 – by Drew Monkman Given how quickly climate chaos is unfolding, the Conservative climate plan comes up short. The most alarming story to come out this summer is not the continuing pandemic or the tragedy in Afghanistan. As serious as these problems are, Read more…
Peterborough Examiner – July 9, 2021– by LINDA AND AL SLAVIN Local 4RG climate group connects us all to the biggest crisis modern humans have ever faced We keep hearing about the climate crisis in the news: more than 700 people died in BC in the late-June heatwave, just a Read more…
Peterborough Examiner – June 4, 2021 – by Drew Monkman City’s actions don’t reflect declaration of a Climate Emergency On these beautiful June days, it’s hard to imagine the planet is in the midst of a climate crisis. And, even if we accept the science, isn’t the pandemic a Read more…
Peterborough Examiner – April 23, 2021 17 songs to inspire action to protect our planet As we celebrate Earth Week, I’d like to step back from my usual fact-driven perspective on the state of the environment. Today, I want music to do the talking. I’ve put together a Read more…
Peterborough Examiner – March 19, 2021 – subscription required to read article online Comments from readers provide insights into why so many of us still remain silent This week, I’d like to provide a breakdown of the comments people submitted to me via Facebook and email to my question: Read more…
Last week I looked at the scientific facts about the climate crisis – a problem that will prove to be far worse than the pandemic. This week I’d like to turn to the solutions. Here’s the challenge: According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, in order to avoid Read more…
“It’s getting the facts straight that gets us to act and not to wait. So, I tell you this not to scare you,But to prepare you, to dare youTo dream a different reality. – Amanda Gorman, U.S. National Youth Poet Laureate, from “Earthrise: A Poem About Climate Change” If Read more…
Recently, I was asked to reflect on how nature in the Kawarthas has changed since I was a child and young adult in the 1960s and 70s. Thinking back, what immediately comes to mind is how much more abundant so many species were. In my mind’s eye, I see the Read more…
Despite the onslaught of bad environmental news, there is much to be encouraged about Although it might come as a surprise, there is much to feel positive about when it comes to environmental problems like climate change and biodiversity loss. It’s vitally important that people know this. Not seeing Read more…
A group of dedicated young people is keeping a close eye on the health of local lakes Not everyone would take delight in standing thigh-deep in muck to learn the difference between stinkpot and snapping turtles, but Rosalyn Shepherd was thrilled. The third-year environmental science student at Trent University Read more…
“Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting.” — Mary Oliver, “Wild Geese” From all accounts, nature seems to be doing just fine as human activity has been dialed down in recent months. Read more…
Despite all the chaos and suffering caused by COVID-19, there is much to restore our faith in humanity and brighten our day. In my neighborhood at least, more people are out walking and acknowledging each other with a smile and a few words than I ever recall. Kids are even Read more…
Book outlines challenges and reasons for hope in addressing climate change In last week’s column, I provided a glimpse of our bleak climatic future as described in “The Uninhabitable Earth”, by American journalist David Wallace-Wells. The book lays out in terrifying detail how climate change will soon become the defining Read more…
“The Uninhabitable Earth” explains how climate change is much worse than you think “We declare, with more than 11,000 scientist signatories from around the world, clearly and unequivocally, that planet Earth is facing a climate emergency.” These were the dire opening words of a report published November 4 in the Read more…
Grassland birds and aerial insectivores among the hardest hit When I was a teenager in the 1960s, the Peterborough Field Naturalists made an annual June visit to Harry William’s farm near Millbrook. This was not your average nature outing. You were expected to arrive no later than 4:00 am. Why, Read more…