Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Simon Donner @simondonner.bsky.social · 1d

Most of the world has recently set all-time heat records - valuable analysis from @hausfath.bsky.social to show that climate change is real and global... even it was hotter in one town 80 years ago. www.theclimatebrink.com/p/most-of-th...

Most of the world has recently set all-time heat records

Regional exceptions like the 1930s in the continental US notwithstanding

www.theclimatebrink.com

18 30

Simon Donner @simondonner.bsky.social · 4d

The federal Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development is holding hearings about Canada's 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan. You can watch the video of yesterday's hearing, in which I participated: www.ourcommons.ca/committees/en/ENVI/StudyActivity?studyActivityId=13130858

ENVI - Canada's 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan

www.ourcommons.ca

1 2

Simon Donner @simondonner.bsky.social · 6d

Had a good chat with @johannawagstaffe.bsky.social about China pledging to reduce emissions, for the first time youtu.be/M3ps0P7uyic?...

Why the world is watching as China pledges emissions cuts

YouTube video by CBC News

youtu.be

1 3

Reposted by Simon Donner

Liz Neeley @lizneeley.bsky.social · 19d

Which climate scientists are doing good work similar to what you've seen me doing with Meeting the Moment (buttondown.email/liminalcreat...) and Unbreaking (unbreaking.org)?

(I have a few already in mind, but want to enlist your help and expand my circles.)

Meeting the Moment

Hi! I’m Liz Neeley and I’m glad you’re here. Each Friday evening, I write a summary of the week’s events in science and higher education. I pull together roughly three bulleted paragraphs about what ...

buttondown.email

6 12

Simon Donner @simondonner.bsky.social · 12d

On the rise of activist tourism, and whether it can help us respond to challenges like climate change.

UBC Oceans @ubcoceans.bsky.social · 13d

“People need to come home feeling inspired to seek systematic, transformational change, not that the trip was their good deed for the year,” said @simondonner.bsky.social. He warns greenwashing can undermine #environmental gains. @ubcgeography.bsky.social @ires.ubc.ca atmos.earth/climate-solu...

Can Tourism Help Save the Places It Endangers? | Atmos

Travel is booming—and straining ecosystems. Activist tourism promises a fix, from reef cleanups to elephant care.

atmos.earth

4 5

Simon Donner @simondonner.bsky.social · 13d

We tend to assume others think like us. The US President and his speechwriters calling climate change a con job is a reflection on them. They're willing to deceive the public for personal gain, so they assume others are as well, and can't conceive of people taking actions for the greater good.

1 1 7

Simon Donner @simondonner.bsky.social · 19d

This article from @bryancurtis.bsky.social is bang on. Institutions bowing to Trump doesn't work. It only stokes a positive feedback loop based largely on a false perception of strength and inevitability.
www.theringer.com/2025/09/19/p...

4 11

Simon Donner @simondonner.bsky.social · 25d

"We'll never change. It's too hard"
I first heard that on my answering machine.
Then by fax. Really.
Next, emails, so many emails
Then blog comments
Facebook posts
The tweets, oh the tweets
Podcasts
Zoom webinar comments
AI-transcribed voicemails
Now, full-on AI videos

Sure, we can't change.

1 4

Simon Donner @simondonner.bsky.social · 27d

What do the international court advisory judgements mean for climate action in Canada, and for youth lawsuits against governments?

Join us tomorrow to hear insight from climate law expert David Boyd!

Register here to attend in-person or virtually: climatesolutions.ubc.ca/news-and-eve...

1

Reposted by Simon Donner

Simon Donner @simondonner.bsky.social · 28d

The choices we face are about today vs. tomorrow, not environment vs. economy. Here my Net-Zero Body Advisory presents four immediate steps the Canadian government can take to prepare for the future, drawn from new research with @climateinstitute.bsky.social. (1/6)
www.hilltimes.com/story/2025/0...

Strengthening climate policy to build long-term prosperity

As we move forward with major new ‘nation–building’ projects and infrastructure investments, the choices we make are about today versus tomorrow, not the environment versus the economy.

www.hilltimes.com

2 8 20

Simon Donner @simondonner.bsky.social · 28d

None of this will happen if we continue to falsely present climate policy as an opponent of economic policy. That incorrect framing needs to end. This is is about making upfront investments in policy and infrastructure today to build low-carbon industries and deliver long-term prosperity. (6/6)

1 1 6

Simon Donner @simondonner.bsky.social · 28d

iv) To do all this, federal and provincial governments need better and more accountable deals on policy implementation. Known as equivalency agreements, these deals are currently not transparent enough nor sufficiently monitored to maximize their efficiency and effectiveness (5/6)

1 1

Simon Donner @simondonner.bsky.social · 28d

iii) Expediting the stalled methane regulations for landfills and the oil and gas industry, providing heat pump incentives to low-income households, and broader adoption of low-carbon building codes would further promote long-term clean growth and reduce emissions (4/6)

1 1

Simon Donner @simondonner.bsky.social · 28d

ii) Adjust, rather than remove, existing policies to save red tape. For example, our research shows that small changes to Canada’s Clean Fuel Regulations, along with reintroducing electric vehicle incentives, is one pathway to reducing unintended and unproductive regulatory overlap (3/6)

1 2

Simon Donner @simondonner.bsky.social · 28d

i) Strengthen the industrial carbon pricing system by tightening performance benchmarks and expanding the system to cover more industrial emitters. Linking the provincial markets isn't enough. The whole system needs to be tightening to create policy certainty and unlock low-carbon investment (2/6)

1

Simon Donner @simondonner.bsky.social · 28d

The choices we face are about today vs. tomorrow, not environment vs. economy. Here my Net-Zero Body Advisory presents four immediate steps the Canadian government can take to prepare for the future, drawn from new research with @climateinstitute.bsky.social. (1/6)
www.hilltimes.com/story/2025/0...

Strengthening climate policy to build long-term prosperity

As we move forward with major new ‘nation–building’ projects and infrastructure investments, the choices we make are about today versus tomorrow, not the environment versus the economy.

www.hilltimes.com

2 8 20

Simon Donner @simondonner.bsky.social · Sep 7

Being Canadian right now is like being chained to your best friend as they stick their feet in a block of wet cement and jump in the ocean. You don't want to abandon them. You're not even sure if it is possible to cut the chain. But you're also afraid of drowning.

3 8 38

Simon Donner @simondonner.bsky.social · Sep 4

The tree planting company paying Kawhi story is a rare collision of my climate and NBA feeds

4

Simon Donner @simondonner.bsky.social · Sep 4

Just incredible that the payment was via a carbon offset company... an industry whose accounting processes might be even more questionable than that of NBA teams.

Bruce Arthur @brucearthur.bsky.social · Sep 4

If the Kawhi Leonard-Clippers-no-show-job case looks this much like salary cap circumvention, that’s probably because it is. www.thestar.com/sports/rapto...

The Clippers appear to have circumvented the salary cap with a third-party payment to Kawhi Leonard. Now the ball is in the NBA’s court

We don’t know how many owners might be skirting the cap and we don't know whether this was a significant aberration in the NBA. We don't know how deep the

www.thestar.com

2 6

Reposted by Simon Donner

bamboolucy.bsky.social @bamboolucy.bsky.social · Aug 28

Enjoyed writing about carbon offsets in Canada as part of @UBC's Solutions Scholars Program. Our conclusions: Carbon offsets probably don't offset carbon. Do we just throw the whole thing out?

Simon Donner @simondonner.bsky.social · Jul 24

Carbon offsets aren't working -- what can we do instead? Great article following on research done by a team here at UBC, as part of our Solutions Scholars program (more here: climatesolutions.ubc.ca).
medium.com/@lucybinfiel...

Canada’s Carbon Offset Projects Probably Don’t Offset Carbon. What Could Replace Them?

This article was written by Lucy Binfield, Isabella Morgante and Professor Hisham Zerrifi as part of the University of British Columbia’s…

medium.com

2 3

Simon Donner @simondonner.bsky.social · Aug 28

Thoughts on what is, and what is not working, on climate change communication in the final (!) blog post from @stewartjc.bsky.social. As with any good writing about climate communication, there's ample mention of the late Stephen Schneider:
doctorclimatechange.com/f/the-future...

The Future of Climate Change Communication Within Social Media

Last month, I announced that doctorclimatechange.com would be closing soon.

doctorclimatechange.com

1 2 7

Simon Donner @simondonner.bsky.social · Aug 28

This discussion went in a direction I didn't expect!

2 1 2

Simon Donner @simondonner.bsky.social · Aug 27

Question for scholars and experts on countries that descended into authoritarianism or fascism:

In the countries you study, how long did it take for the majority of citizens to recognize the path the country was on?

(I'm not subtweeting the US, I'm curious about other experiences)

7 5 24

Simon Donner @simondonner.bsky.social · Aug 27

Yes, though that's more indirect because climate change is globally driven. Canada's emissions are only one driver of climate change, and local emissions don't directly cause the local impacts.

1

Simon Donner @simondonner.bsky.social · Aug 26

What's the state of climate policy in Canada? What happens if we miss the 2030 emissions target? I talked about these and other questions with CTV's Your Morning... from an undisclosed location with lighting issues...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=edsa...

How Far Along is Canada to Reaching its 2030 Climate Targets? | Your Morning

YouTube video by CTV Your Morning

www.youtube.com

2 3 9