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UBC IRES

@ires.ubc.ca
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🌏 We are UBC's Institute for #Resources, #Environment and #Sustainability 🌎 communications@ires.ubc.ca 🌍 DM for links and/or PDFs to all our research!

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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 29/09/2026
What is UP with all the construction on Broadway?! What do Vancouverites think about all these changes? If you’re curious what the research says (before forming your hot take 👀), Giulia Belotti’s latest work is a good place to start. Watch 👇 Research: doi.org/10.1177/2399...
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 24/09/2026
In this presentation, Connor McGookin will summarize his project's solar energy assessment and outline ongoing work to understand how these tools can support local government energy planning. Click the link for more info! ires.ubc.ca/october-1st-...
ires.ubc.ca
Browser Verification | UBC Cybersecurity
UBC Cybersecurity
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 22/09/2026
IRES's Mauricio Carvallo Aceves offers a description of coastal erosion due to the warming climate: the ocean will always win. Change is inevitable. More localized studies, in areas most vulnerable to coastal changes, can help people adapt to these changes: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
cbc.ca
As sea ice vanishes, Tuktoyaktuk’s shoreline defences buy crucial time against Arctic surges | CBC News
Experts warn that the warming climate expands open-water seasons and melts sea ice leaving Arctic shorelines increasingly vulnerable to harsh waves. As the hamlet awaits federal response on expanded m...
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 21/09/2026
The 18 new menus used more Asian- and Pacific Northwest-inspired dishes that patients reported were tastier than the default menu, which was typically a bland Western-style meal that included a lot of meat and highly processed food. vancouversun.com/news/ubc-res...
vancouversun.com
Should B.C. hospitals ditch the Jell-O and meatloaf? UBC research suggests increasing plant-based meals
UBC researchers tested a plant-based menu in hospitals and found high satisfaction rates, decreased waste and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 18/09/2026
“So much old growth has been lost that any further loss is of concern throughout the whole world,” said Kai Chan, calling the continuing destruction of B.C.’s remaining old-growth forests “a dire situation.” thetyee.ca/News/2026/09...
thetyee.ca
Old Growth on the Chopping Block for the North Coast Transmission Line | The Tyee
BC Hydro’s preferred route cuts through the Swan Creek Protected Area, a ‘remnant’ of intact forest surrounded by cutblocks.
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 17/09/2026
Transparency is widely promoted in mining governance as a pathway to accountability, yet disclosure does not automatically produce these outcomes. Bulgan Batdorj draws on four transparency frameworks to show how interventions could be designed to support disclosure. ires.ubc.ca/september-24...
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 07/09/2026
🏘️💧 Community-led research in action! Dr. Bavisha Kalyan discusses a water monitoring project in Newark, NJ, exploring how environmental health research can center equitable partnerships. Seminar happening next week, on Sept 17th! ires.ubc.ca/september-17...
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 09/09/2026
Professor Claire Kremen has been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, one of the highest honours recognizing outstanding scholarly achievement in Canada. We are so pleased to share the news, and hope you'll join us in congratulating Claire! science.ubc.ca/news/2026-09...
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UBC Science @science.ubc.ca · 09/09/2026
Congratulations to Drs. Colin Brauner, Claire Kremen and Xin Li on being named fellows of the Royal Society of Canada. They join over 60 Faculty of Science researchers recognized by the RSC since 2000. @src-rsc.bsky.social @ubcbiodiversity.bsky.social @zoology.ubc.ca science.ubc.ca/news/2026-09...
science.ubc.ca
Science researchers honoured by RSC
New fellows are leading experts on sustainable agriculture, fish adaption and plant immune response.
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 07/09/2026
🏘️💧 Community-led research in action! Dr. Bavisha Kalyan discusses a water monitoring project in Newark, NJ, exploring how environmental health research can center equitable partnerships. Seminar happening next week, on Sept 17th! ires.ubc.ca/september-17...
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 05/09/2026
As carbon removal technologies continue to develop, how we measure their impacts matters. This new paper argues that research and monitoring for carbon removal technologies must account for the fact that measurement is never purely technical. 🔗 doi.org/10.1016/j.en...
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 03/09/2026
Our alumna’s latest in @thelancetplanet.bsky.social shows how her team developed and implemented a new menu at VGH...cutting GHG emissions by 39% and land use by 51%, while keeping patients satisfied. A model for healthier, lower-carbon healthcare! Open access: www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 02/09/2026
SFU is hosting the upcoming APRU Food Security & Agritech Conference (October 5–7, 2026)...and the conference features panel discussions by IRES’s own Hannah Wittman and alum Sarah-Louise Ruder! Register now at www.sfu.ca/internationa...
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 02/09/2026
Think "do more of" rather than "stop doing". Instead of saying, "Eat less meat," say, "Eat more plants." When it comes to changing our climate habits, actions that make us feel better are more likely to be repeated. www.forbes.com/sites/kevink...
forbes.com
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2026/07/08/stop-shaming-yourself-into-better-habits-science-says-this-emotion-works-better/
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 31/08/2026
🌱 Thursdays = sustainability! Join us 12:30-1:20pm, starting Sept 17, for weekly seminars on community research, bees, mining, Ghana’s cocoa sector & more. Save the dates! We'll be updating this page frequently: ires.ubc.ca/seminar-series
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 26/08/2026
After two B.C. vet clinics warned pet owners to watch out for bats, IRES alum Aaron Aguirre hopes the public won't demonize the whole species. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
cbc.ca
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/rabies-positive-bat-in-whistler-campbell-river-9.7314305
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 18/08/2026
This summer IRES grad student Charlotte Milne worked with the City of Surrey to scope out an integrated floodplain strategy for the Bridgeview and South Westminster neighborhoods. 🌊 🌧️ You can read the final UBC public report here: sustain.ubc.ca/about/resour...
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 12/08/2026
While most climate change discourse is learned passively through media and news outlets, Yunfei Li explores new ways to engage people on climate change through Urban Future Walks. 🔗https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/can-a-walk-downtown-change-your-mind-on-climate/id1135887105?i=1000773961009
podcasts.apple.com
Can a Walk Downtown Change Your Mind on Climate?
Podcast Episode · The Jas Johal Show · June 24 · Bonus · 13m
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 05/08/2026
If you make joyful changes, other people will follow suit, quickly. This is just one insight from Dunn and Zhao's new book Leave the Lights On, outlining how so many environmentally friendly choices add joy to life! 😊💚 🔗 nextbigideaclub.com/magazine/hap...
nextbigideaclub.com
The Happiest Way to Fight Climate Change
Co-authors Elizabeth Dunn and Jiaying Zhao share 5 key insights from their new book, Leave the Lights On: How Joyful Decisions Can Save Our Species.
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 28/07/2026
Improv meets climate action... 🌿🎭 IRES grad student Anaïs Pronovost-Morgan brought eco-improv to the UBC community! With 10+ years in theatre and now pursuing her second master's, Anaïs blends head, heart and hands to spark fresh perspectives on environmental challenges:
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 21/07/2026
"Armed conflict pushes humanity even closer to the precipice of climate catastrophe and is an idiotic way to spend our shrinking carbon budget" - Dr. David Boyd, featured in the Extinction Rebellion Read more: xrpdx.org/war-genocide...
xrpdx.org
War/Genocide Is Hell on the Climate
War is hell on the climate, thanks to the fossil fuel that powers most military activities.
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 17/07/2026
Public perception of different energy sources should be an input into any democratic energy decision. This study reveals that India’s public views nuclear energy as very risky, but this perception varies by region and is shaped by social, political, and developmental values doi.org/10.1088/1748...
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 16/07/2026
IRES alum Bassam Javed explains why low speed vehicles (like electric carts) are becoming more common for industries such as aviation: www.cbc.ca/news/climate...
cbc.ca
Electric golf carts are another EV option hitting the streets | CBC Climate Change News
In this issue of our environmental newsletter, we find how people are using EVs with four wheels that seat multiple people and start at around $10,000; get an aerial view of methane-emitting lines cri...
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 14/07/2026
“Decision support” is a growing academic and professional field, said Simone Philpot, who led the UBC-NRC-Clear Seas research project team as a post-doctoral fellow at IRES. www.theenergymix.com/new-decision...
theenergymix.com
New Decision Framework Helps Chart the Course to Zero-Impact Shipping
The complex goal of getting the marine shipping industry down to zero environmental impacts by 2050 means weighing trade-offs for each situation rather than reaching for a single fix, and a new…
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Markus W. Gehring @mwgehring.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
We are just before a new era of cases that use the new human rights approach to address the triple planetary challenge. The SDGs are based on a rock solid foundation of international human rights law says Prof David Boyd ( @ires.ubc.ca) @cisdl.bsky.social #SDLaw26
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 08/07/2026
A few suggestions from Jiaying Zhao and Liz Dunn's new book on how to save the planet and make yourself happier at the same time! www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sex-...
psychologytoday.com
7 Ways to Make Yourself Happy While Saving the Planet
Climate change can trigger lots of negative emotions. But a new book suggests ways to make ourselves happier while saving the planet. Here are seven of them.
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 07/07/2026
A more legitimate approach to compensating harms requires moving beyond improved methods toward rethinking the rules that frame the overall decision-making process. From IRES's Terre Satterfield & Robin Gregory, and U of Oregon's Paul Slovic: policyoptions.irpp.org/2026/06/eval...
policyoptions.irpp.org
Decisions on major projects often ignore cultural and social losses
Major-project reviews often overlook cultural and social losses, treating deep community harms as trade-offs.
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 06/07/2026
The newly released draft strategy on environmental racism and justice fails to identify any practical actions, says IRES prof David Boyd. Unless strengthened substantially, it won't ensure that all Canadians can enjoy their right to a healthy environment. www.nationalobserver.com/2026/07/03/n...
nationalobserver.com
Liberals had two years to deliver environmental racism strategy and failed: Elizabeth May
As the federal government backs a new pipeline to BC's coast, the Green Party leader is accusing it of slacking on promised environmental racism legislation.
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 06/07/2026
John Driscoll and Edward Gregr, adjunct professors at IRES, on seaweed farming: this form of aquaculture has a lot of benefits but needs new regulations to manage potential environmental threats. thetyee.ca/News/2026/06...
thetyee.ca
Seaweed Farming is Growing in BC. Mind the Risks | The Tyee
This form of aquaculture has a lot of benefits but needs new regulations to manage potential environmental threats.
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 03/07/2026
The PNW faces immediate climate risks: sea level rise, extreme weather, infrastructure vulnerability. Resilience has become an operational necessity. IRES prof Amanda Giang will speak on a panel exploring what workforce skills are needed to execute resilience strategies at scale. luma.com/ej1efx9q
buff.ly
Climate Adaptation: Preparing Vancouver’s Workforce for Coastal Reality · Luma
The Pacific Northwest faces immediate climate risks: sea level rise, extreme weather, infrastructure vulnerability. Resilience has become an operational…
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 02/07/2026
Shake up the Estab, led by IRES PhD Student Manvi Bhalla, is hosting an event where you'll learn about environmental racism and how it impacts your community. And, you’ll be given the opportunity to directly help shape Canadian policy on environmental racism and justice! TinyURL.com/SUTE-PNW-Event
tinyurl.com
Policy & Penmanship: Write to your Government Officials for Environmental Justice · Luma
Join us for an evening of nourishing food, free prizes, environmental policy action and a chance to connect and be in community with one another! The federal…
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 30/06/2026
Consultations on a draft Environmental Justice Strategy are now open. www.canada.ca/en/environme... @manvi.bsky.social explains why everyone should participate:
canada.ca
Share your ideas: National Strategy Respecting Environmental Racism and Environmental Justice - Canada.ca
A consultation page inviting interested people to share their feedback on a draft national Strategy respecting environmental racism ER) and environmental justice (EJ). The draft Strategy examines unde...
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BC Policy Solutions @bcpolicy.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
WorkSafeBC hasn't updated its extreme heat protections since 2005, and it’s not clear to employers when they're required to start adopting cooling measures—said Susanna Klassen and Anelyse Weiler. Read their op-ed in the Vancouver Sun:
vancouversun.com
Opinion: Why doesn't B.C. have a trigger temperature to protect workers from extreme heat?
Opinion: Workers are feeling the heat, but WorkSafeBC hasn't updated its extreme heat protections since 2005.
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 26/06/2026
A research report for a RES course last spring has flourished into a national campaign calling for lint traps on washers! Rockstar students Sam Blackwell, Chloë Chang, Kevin Landrini, and Clare Price, alongside Dr. Kai Chan, have been busy building support: ires.ubc.ca/qa-microfibr...
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 23/06/2026
🏢 🚶‍♀️Yunfei Li, an IRES PhD student, explores new ways to engage people on climate change through Urban Future Walks! news.ubc.ca/2026/06/down...
news.ubc.ca
Can a walk through downtown Vancouver change how we think about climate change? - UBC News
UBC researchers are exploring new ways to engage people on climate change through Urban Future Walks, an experience that highlights real-world sustainability solutions in Vancouver through guided, vir...
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 18/06/2026
🙃 Joy is a powerful climate strategy! 🌞 @jiayingzhao.bsky.social and Elizabeth Dunn's new book is out now...check it out: happyclimate.org
happyclimate.org
Leave the Lights On - Make Climate Action Joyful
What if the most effective ways to fight climate change made you happy? Psychologist Elizabeth Dunn and climate behavior scientist Jiaying Zhao challenge everything we think we know about sustainable ...
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UBC Oceans @ubcoceans.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
#UBCOceans announces the laureates of its 2nd cohort Africa-UBC Oceans and Fisheries Visiting Fellows: Dr. Rael Adhiambo (Kenya) - who will be working with @ires.ubc.ca's Leila Harris - and Dr. Ahmad Muhammad Talba (Nigeria) working @zoology.ubc.ca's Chris Wood oceans.ubc.ca/2026/06/15/s...
#UBCOceans announces the laureates of its 2nd cohort Africa-UBC Oceans and Fisheries Visiting Fellows: Dr. Rael Adhiambo (Kenya) - who will be working with @ires.ubc.ca's Leila Harris 
https://oceans.ubc.ca/2026/06/15/second-cohort-of-africa-ubc-oceans-and-fisheries-visiting-fellow-selected/#UBCOceans announces the laureates of its 2nd cohort Africa-UBC Oceans and Fisheries Visiting Fellows: Dr. Ahmad Muhammad Talba (Nigeria) working @zoology.ubc.ca's Chris Wood
https://oceans.ubc.ca/2026/06/15/second-cohort-of-africa-ubc-oceans-and-fisheries-visiting-fellow-selected/
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UBC Oceans @ubcoceans.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
"You can't be saying these deals are still compatible with net-zero by 2050. They're not. The deal is not compatible with it. Just be honest with Canadians about this." said @simondonner.bsky.social @ubcgeography.bsky.social @ires.ubc.ca www.cbc.ca/news/politic... via @cbcnews.ca
cbc.ca
'Be honest with Canadians': Ex-member of top climate body criticizes Alberta pipeline deal | CBC News
A former member of Canada's top climate body said the pipeline deal Canada signed with Alberta is incompatible with Carney government's net-zero target.
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 08/06/2026
Ottawa calls it co-operation. Climate scientist Dr. Simon Donner calls it math that does not add up. “If this wasn’t going to affect the system outside Alberta, fine. But when you add it all up, the emissions math just doesn’t work.” 🔗 www.bnnbloomberg.ca/business/202...
bnnbloomberg.ca
Feds didn't push carbon price backstop in Alberta in show of co-operation: Dabrusin
The government didn’t enforce the federal standard on Alberta’s industrial carbon price as a gesture of co-operation with the province, Federal Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin said Tuesday.
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UBC Oceans @ubcoceans.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
Today’s solution is for Canada to mandate laundry appliances include a built-in microfiber filter—like a lint trap that captures up to 90% of fibers at the source. Oregon, California, and Ontario have proposed legislation, and it's already law in France www.hilltimes.com/2026/06/04/p... @ires.ubc.ca
hilltimes.com
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 05/06/2026
IRES students and CoSphere colleagues call for microfibre filter standards and bold biofibre investment, protecting oceans while creating economic opportunity for Canada. www.hilltimes.com/2026/06/04/p... @science.ubc.ca @ubcoceans.bsky.social
hilltimes.com
Plastic sunset: Canada has a generational chance to protect the oceans while boosting the economy - The Hill Times
Today’s solution is for this country to mandate that laundry appliances include a built-in microfiber filter—like a lint trap for your washer that captures up to 90 per cent of fibers at the source.…
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 04/06/2026
Jiaying Zhao and Elizabeth Dunn (@ubcpsych)'s new book earned praise from the New Scientist, which calls it a "counter-intuitive climate book" packed with practical, hopeful ways to help the planet and boost wellbeing. Woohoo! 🎉 www.newscientist.com/article/2528...
newscientist.com
The best new popular science books of June 2026
The most exciting popular science reads this month explore everything from symbiosis to hormones, while Alice Roberts takes on an editor-in-chief role in her latest book
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 03/06/2026
Let's imagine the future of cities together! Join this FREE walking or virtual experience, May 16 - September 7, 2026, organized by one of our PhD students... What you get: 🎟️ Chance to win $100 CAD 💵 $5 gift card for optional focus group ☕ Complimentary treats Reserve now → urbanfuturewalks.com
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 03/06/2026
Ethical data governance that centers farmers’ perspectives is essential for creating a just and sustainable agri-food system. Sarah-Louise Ruder and Hannah Wittman are advancing this work by examining farmers’ views on trust and data sharing across Canada. 🔗 doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104076
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 03/06/2026
Facing geopolitical and economic pressures, Dr. Simon Donner warns Canada may be heading “the wrong path in the long term," noting that Canada is concentrating on incremental emission cuts from current activities instead of planning how to replace them 🔗 www.canadianaffairs.news/2026/05/20/c...
canadianaffairs.news
Climate scientists reject highest emission, highest warming climate scenario
Researchers say the highest emissions climate scenario used in global climate reports is no longer plausible. But the debate over why it was removed remains hot
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 02/06/2026
For RES 505, led by Dr. Leila Harris, graduate students produced 3 knowledge mobilization projects that explore how to implement more sustainability and well-being at UBC. For more details about the projects: ires.ubc.ca/courses/cour...
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 29/05/2026
Countries are increasingly worried about becoming dependent on foreign-owned AI systems in the same way many became dependent on foreign energy, manufacturing or supply chains explains Milind Kandlikar in the National Observer Read more: www.nationalobserver.com/2026/05/13/n...
nationalobserver.com
BC's new data centre cluster sparks new discussion of 'sovereign' AI push
Putting a data centre in Canada does not automatically mean Canada controls it. The servers may be inside Canada but the technology, software, customers or parent companies behind the project could…
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 25/05/2026
Congrats to our IRES graduates, Glory Apantaku, Rudri Bhatt, Joanne Fitzgibbons, Samantha Gorle, Annie Lalande, Sveinar Lunde Soldal, Valerie Zimmermann, and Anna Santo! 🎓
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 20/05/2026
Canada has finally acknowledged environmental injustice. Now the real work begins. With consultations on the horizon, public participation will be key to turning recognition into action. @manvi.bsky.social explains what’s at stake in her new op-ed: www.hilltimes.com/2026/05/06/c...
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UBC IRES @ires.ubc.ca · 19/05/2026
Simon Donner is featured in Blue Dot Living for his insights on helping young people build genuine climate hope through action and solutions. 🔗https://bluedotliving.com/daily-dot-helping-young-people-feel-genuine-hope/
bluedotliving.com
Daily Dot: Helping Young People Feel Genuine Hope
More than half of Canadian young people feel anxious and powerless about climate change, according to a 2023 study.
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