Fall 2024

Simon Donner in a pink collared shirt, touching his chin with his finger, against a blurred grassy background.
Net zero: Go big or go home
A UBC climate scientist notes progress on emissions – but says we must be far bolder.
Jared Downing
10 Min
A graphic of a tree made of green conversation bubbles with people conversing underneath.
How to talk about climate change
Facts aren’t enough. To engage everyone in climate action, we need psychological strategies.
Bruce Grierson
9 Min
The Uralkali Potash Mine: spiralling swirls of earth like nautilus shells, shot through with streaks of red.
Clean energy’s catch‑22
Renewable energy sources require non‑renewable resources: minerals and metals.
Richard Littlemore
11 Min
A graphic of hands and people cleaning up the earth with a spray bottle, a cloth, plants, and chemicals.
Making petrochemicals... without the “petro”

A UBC engineer is devoted to making our dirtiest chemicals clean.

Jared Downing
5 Min
A photo of Naomi Klein seated at a metal table against a dark background, wearing glasses and a russet overcoat.
A just transition
As we transform our energy systems, we can build a more equal and democratic economy.
Naomi Klein
13 Min
A nuclear reactor tower against the blue sky.
Why nuclear energy is not the solution to the climate crisis
Professor M.V. Ramana discusses the "Folly of Atomic Power in the Age of Climate Change."
6 Min
Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon wearing a blue suit
More than a place of learning

Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon, UBC President and Vice-Chancellor.

3 Min
An orange graphic of a person with a dial in their head against a blue background.
Seasonal change can affect people’s moods — and their moral values
Moral values are malleable and can sometimes change.
Ian Hohm and Mark Schaller
5 Min
A black and white graphic of three circles: one of someone judging music, one with the AMS logo in a female gender symbol, and one of a Thunderbird getting a haircut.
Mayhem, marathons, and melodies
In which year did the first woman win the AMS presidential election?
A person in a lab coat holding up a blue-violet crystalline structure
Preparing for the next pandemic

UBC is a central player in Canada’s medical biotech boom.

Chris Petty, MFA'86
6 Min
Four people standing around a person in a bed. Attached to the bed is a sign that reads: "UBC Bed Pushing Marathon"
The Intellectual 
Stunts Committee

Meet the mischief‑makers who declared war on apathy.

Rachel Glassman, BA'18, MA'20
3 Min
A collection of headshots of the six interviewees, with a white 'Q.' in the bottom right corner.
What developments in the transition to clean energy make you most optimistic?

One pressing question, multiple expert perspectives.

6 Min
A portrait of Meeru Dhalwala with curly black hair and her chin propped in her hand.
Meeru Dhalwala, LLD’16

Senses alive, kitchen thrives.

3 Min
Standing in front of a United Nations sign, Jennifer Duncan wears a white blazer and skirt with rose designs and a gold trim.
Hunting, fishing… and lawyering

The Dene lawyer devoted to securing self‑determination for First Nations.

Roberta Staley
3 Min
Friba Rezayee wearing a dark blue flowered robe.
Groundwork techniques

Driven from her own country for excelling at judo, this trail-blazing Olympian is helping other...

Rachel Glassman, BA'18, MA'20
3 Min