Climate change

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), eleven of the hottest twelve years ever observed were recorded since 1995 and are attributable to rising levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. North American cities “that currently experience heat waves are expected to be further challenged by an increased number, intensity and duration of heat waves”.

In Québec, the hottest ten years of the century have been recorded since the 1980s (Natural Resources Canada…

One of the projected consequences of climate change (CC) is an increase in weather events or situations which until now have been rare, such as heavy precipitation or extended periods of drought. In this context, major infrastructure is likely to be affected by changes in the water regime, including the drinking water supply. Climatic variables that may affect volumes available for drinking water in a context of CC include rainfall and temperature. In the event of a significant change in…

Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic bacteria that are naturally present in the earth’s fresh water and salt water ecosystems; they are not algae despite the fact that they are referred to as blue-green algae. For millions of years, these micro-organisms have been intimately associated with the development of life on the planet, since they helped enrich the earth’s atmosphere with oxygen. Through biosynthesis, they also produce several groups of substances including cyanotoxins. From an…

The activities of hunting, fishing and collection of resources from the land and sea are of central importance to the health of Inuit in Nunavik. For approximately twenty years now, confidence in these resources and Inuit access to them have been threatened by reports of environmental contaminants in wildlife, social and economic trends influencing the time available to hunt and fish, and more recently, reports of climate change and variability and influences on the availability and…