Author: Hubert Brychczyński, Łukasz Jarząbek, Nicole Arbour and Brendan Frank
Content Writer, Centre for Systems Solutions
Senior Game Designer, Centre for Systems Solutions
External Relations Manager, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis
Senior Research Associate, Institute for Science, Society and Policy
Let’s travel to 2035. According to scientists, the Arctic is going to become ice-free by the end of the decade. Vessels will soon start rushing there, enticed by the promise of year-round sailing opportunities. An international organization, called the Arctic League, safeguards the region’s future development while balancing economic, societal, and environmental considerations…
Senior Fellow and former Fulbright Research Chair in Science and Society, ISSP uOttawa President Emeritus of the Center for Policy on Emerging Technologies, Washington, DC
It’s exactly 40 years since President Reagan nominated as Surgeon General the man who would go on to lead the fight-back against AIDS, renowned social conservative and presbyterian Christian Dr. C. Everett Koop (Chick, to his friends). As Dr. Fauci (Tony, to his friends) summed him up, “Chick was always respectful, but he did not much care what other people thought of him… He had such a strong inner moral compass.”
As Canada’s 2030 greenhouse gas emissions targets creep closer, our menu of technological options will grow increasingly fixed. A new study from Positive Energy at the University of Ottawa articulates what it might take to change that.
Faculty Affiliate, ISSP
Full Professor, Department of Mathematics and Faculty of Medicine, uOttawa
When the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic on March 11, there were over 118,000 infections globally. The very next day, I was contacted by the uOttawa administration, who urgently needed some modelling to better understand their options for addressing the virus on campus.
The power outage in Texas is a devastating reminder of the importance of energy security. It’s a powerful cautionary tale of why decision-makers need to keep electricity reliability top of mind.
China has become dangerously comfortable with the practice of detaining foreign nationals on fabricated charges. This tactic is often referred to as “hostage diplomacy,” but we should not call it that. There is nothing diplomatic about it.
If scientific leadership and global knowledge partnerships are to be the benchmarks of a new post-pandemic image then clearly both Canada and the US have an opportunity to reimagine their unique science and technology relationship. The bilateral summit held on February 23 between Justin Trudeau and Joe Biden mapped out some key areas of interest, many of which will require attention to ongoing and long term investments in knowledge and research.
As Canada and the world look to achieve more ambitious climate targets, accelerating the transition from fossil fuels to lower-carbon and carbon-neutral energy sources is more important than ever. Today, hydrogen is increasingly being discussed as a promising fuel that could reduce the amount of fossil fuels burned in several sectors, such as transportation, buildings, and heavy industry.
The opinions expressed in these articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the ISSP or its staff.
