Articles I've Written

Global plastics treaty negotiations fail to reach a consensus — again | CBC News

What was supposed to be the final round of negotiations for a legally binding global treaty to end plastic pollution has failed to reach a consensus. After delegates spent 10 days in Geneva, Switzerland, trying to address plastic pollution, the session was adjourned, with no immediate plans to resume efforts to reach a treaty. The World Wildlife Fund called on ambitious states to pursue a separate deal, with the hope of getting plastics-producing nations on board later.

One of the biggest black holes ever was discovered — with a mass of 35 billion suns | CBC News

Astronomers have discovered what they say is among the most massive black holes ever detected.The cosmic behemoth is close to the theoretical upper limit of what's possible in the universe, and is 10,000 times heavier than the black hole at the centre of our own galaxy. It's also 35 billion times as large as our sun, which makes it able to be classified as an ultramassive black hole. Carlos Roberto de Melo-Carneiro, who discovered the black hole, told CBC News it was "among the most massive black...

Plastic pollution is still a problem. A UN meeting in Geneva is hoping to change that | CBC News

On Thursday, Tony Walker will be heading to Geneva. The Dalhousie University professor will be meeting with the UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC), which is in its sixth round of talks over an international, legally binding treaty on plastic pollution. The session started Tuesday and is scheduled to take place until Aug. 14, with 175 countries — including Canada — at the negotiating table. While Walker says Canada has made progress in fighting plastic pollution, he believes the count...

After a decade of death, Canadian scientists say they've found the sea star killer | CBC News

Giant sea stars are melting away — and now scientists know why Scientists say they have found the cause behind the disease that turns vibrant, 24-armed sea stars into puddles of goo. Melanie Prentice, a research scientist at the Hakai Institute, is part of a team that has spent years investigating the cause of this disease. Their research was published on Monday in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution. "The agent is a bacteria. It's called Vibrio pectinicida," Prentice told CBC News.After a de...

How 'eco improv' can help manage climate anxiety | CBC News

"I really appreciate you all being here," said Anaïs Pronovost-Morgan, as she welcomed participants to eco improv on Granville Island in Vancouver. "It takes a lot of courage to try something new, and I hope we're going to have some fun and we're going to learn things together today." Last week's event was one of hundreds as part of Pacific Northwest Climate Week, and started with 13 people introducing themselves in a circle. Some hadn't done improv in years, but they were all excited to try it wi...

How daytime parties are fuelled by the wellness movement and a need for community | CBC News

Daytime parties are trending across Canada, with people trading alcohol and all-night clubbing for coffee and croissants. One such party is Croissound in Montreal, which is rethinking nightlife culture by gathering local DJs at cafés. So far, it's presented four Canadian events this year, with thousands of attendees. Its most recent party was a free, ticketed event at a popular Montreal food court.

American singer Connie Francis, whose hits included Pretty Little Baby, dead at 87 | CBC News

Connie Francis, the wholesome pop star of the 1950s and '60s whose hits include Pretty Little Baby, has died at 87. Her death was announced Thursday by her friend and publicist Ron Roberts, who did not immediately provide additional details. Francis was a top performer of the pre-Beatles era, rarely off the charts from 1957 to 1964. Able to appeal to both young people and adults, she had more than a dozen top-20 hits, starting with Who's Sorry Now? and including the No. 1 songs Don't Break the Hea...

Lead cast announced for The Legend of Zelda live-action film, coming May 2027 | CBC News

The lead actors, along with an expected release date, were announced Wednesday for the live-action film of the popular Nintendo game,The Legend of Zelda. The announcement from Shigeru Miyamoto, Nintendo's representative director and renowned video game designer, was posted on X. Link, the main protagonist, will be played by English actor Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, while English actress Bo Bragason will play Princess Zelda.

Solar was the leading source of electricity in the EU last month, says report | CBC News

Solar power was the European Union's largest source of electricity for the first time in June, overtaking nuclear and wind while coal's contribution fell to an all-time low, data from energy think tank Ember showed on Thursday. Solar generated 22.1 per cent of the EU's electricity last month, up from 18.9 per cent a year earlier, as record sunshine and continued solar installations pushed output to 45.4 terawatt hours.

No, David Suzuki hasn't given up on the climate fight — but his battle plan is changing | CBC News

Canadian environmentalist David Suzuki made headlines last week when he said in an interview with iPolitics that humanity has lost its fight against climate change. "We're in deep trouble," Suzuki told the outlet. "I've never said this before to the media, but it's too late." Though he made it clear that he hasn't entirely given up, Suzuki says that rather than getting caught up in trying to force change through legal, political and economic systems, we now need to focus on community action.

Bezos-backed methane tracking satellite lost in space | CBC News

An $88 million satellite backed by billionaire Jeff Bezos that detected oil and gas industry's emissions of the powerful greenhouse gas methane has been lost in space, the group that operates it told Reuters on Tuesday. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, with 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. But many methane leaks go undetected, making the scale of pollution unclear. MethaneSAT had been collecting emissions data and images from drilling sites, pipelines, and pro...

U.S. delays cutoff of key hurricane forecasting satellites | CBC News

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Monday it is delaying by one month the planned cutoff of satellite data that helps forecasters track hurricanes. Meteorologists and scientists warned of severe consequences last week when NOAA said, in the midst of this year's hurricane season, that it would almost immediately discontinue key data collected by three weather satellites that the agency jointly runs with the U.S. Defense Department.

Hurricane expert says U.S. government cutting access to satellite data is 'insanity' | CBC News

Weather experts are warning that hurricane forecasts will be severely hampered by the upcoming cut-off of key data from U.S. Department of Defence satellites, the latest Trump administration move with potential consequences for the quality of forecasting. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said it would discontinue the "ingest, processing and distribution" of data collected by three weather satellites that the agency jointly runs with the Defence Department.

Orcas use kelp tools to groom and bond off B.C.'s coast, study suggests | CBC News

In pricey spas, kelp facials and body wraps can set the esthetically inclined human back hundreds of dollars. But in the Salish Sea off British Columbia's coast, southern resident killer whales are also using the sea plants for what scientists suspect are grooming purposes. Researchers who have spent years studying the endangered whales say higher-quality drones helped them spot the whales regularly breaking off pieces of kelp to use as a tool, pressed between their bodies.

From roundabout gardens to park meadows, how cities across Canada are encouraging pollinators | CBC News

It's taken a lot of work to rehabilitate the tiny patch of land at the centre of the small roundabout on Glen Drive and 10th Ave. in Vancouver, but for Katie Berlinguette, it was a labour of love. "I live in an apartment, like a lot of Vancouverites, and I don't have a patio or a yard," she said, adding that when she went looking for space in a community garden earlier this spring, she found the wait list was long — about three to five years on average.

Canadian technology could be used to mine the deep seas, but there's growing alarm over the risks | CBC News

In dark waters near Collingwood, Ont., a giant yellow machine with metallic claws precisely snatches tiny rock balls from the lakebed, kicking up sediment with each grab. While it looks like a claw game at an arcade, for Impossible Metals, it's a demonstration of the technology the company plans to use more than 10,000 kilometres away, to mine mineral-rich nodules from the Pacific Ocean seabed. But for some scientists, it is a concerning signal of the push for more deep-sea mining.

North Vancouver RCMP warn of scam targeting seniors | CBC News

North Vancouver RCMP have noticed a recent spike in fraud targeting seniors. On May 15, 2025, police say an older woman was contacted by someone impersonating a financial institution fraud investigator. The woman was told that fraudulent purchases had been made on her account and that the chips on her cards had to be checked. She then handed them over to someone who visited her residence and claimed to be from her bank.

B.C. Ferries prepares for busy summer as it maintains aging fleet | CBC News

Officials with B.C. Ferries say they are preparing for the upcoming May long weekend and a busy summer season ahead. B.C. Ferries called last summer their busiest season ever, and said they're expecting even higher demand this year as they deal with an increasingly complex operating environment. "We are working with aging vessels and terminal infrastructure, and this means that we have to plan for worst-case scenarios to protect service," said Stephen Jones, vice-president of engineering with B.C. Ferries.
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