UNBC Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences

THE CLIMATE CONVERSATIONS, Episode 4 - In this week’s Climate Conversation with Dr. Joseph Shea & Dr. Todd Whitcombe they talk chemistry as foundational.

Chair of UNBC’s Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, Dr. Todd Whitcombe joins the Climate Conversation for a candid, wide-ranging discussion that starts light — guitars, Abbey Road, time machines — before getting real.

The conversation dives into the science most people get wrong: why CO2’s molecules physically vibrate to trap heat, why wildfire smoke is the climate signal most people miss, and why transportation remains BC’s single biggest emissions sector.

Dr. Whitcombe traces his own climate awakening back to 1970s nuclear-winter fears and 30-plus years of newspaper columns, weaving in scientific history from Arrhenius to Eunice Foote. He’s refreshingly frank about the trade-offs too — the hidden water cost behind an EV battery, the mountain problem standing between BC and high-speed rail — while still finding real hope in how quickly the next generation grasps the science. Equal parts classroom lecture and personal reflection, delivered with humour throughout.

Dr. Todd Whitcombe is Chair of the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department at the University of Northern British Columbia, where he has taught and researched for 31 years. An inorganic chemist and kineticist by training, he earned his PhD from the University of Victoria. Todd has written about climate change and science for over 30 years, including newspaper columns dating back to the mid-1990s and a long-running segment with CBC. In the classroom, he’s known for bringing climate science into first-year chemistry courses, using hands-on demonstrations — including acting out the vibrational modes of carbon dioxide — to make the science tangible for students.

Watch, Listen & Share!

📺 UNBC’ Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences YouTube Channel:

🛜 Direct to Episode: https://youtu.be/ZFQyht8gFmk?si=rz9oqUMYwXra1kOT

🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gupbKRh3

📻 UNBC’s CFUR 88.5 Radio: https://lnkd.in/ggQykzSq

Congratulations to UNBC Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences Professor Dr. Phil Owens, a recipient
of a 2026 University Excellence in Professional Practice, Mentorship or Stewardship Award!

Colleagues nominated Owens in recognition of his dedication to mentorship and his significant contributions to professional organizations in his field.

His 20 years of service on the board of the International Association for Sediment Water Science, holding several senior leadership positions, is one example of his sustained contributions to his international professional community.

Through his leadership, the FRBC Endowed Research in Landscape Ecology has actively created structural opportunities for young researchers investigating the effects of landscape disturbances on aquatic systems.

The award recognizes Owens’ exceptional commitment to mentorship, professional leadership and stewardship in supporting and advancing knowledge to improve management of land and water resources.

THE CLIMATE CONVERSATIONS, Episode 3 - In this week’s Climate Conversation , Dr. Joseph Shea & Dr. Brian Menounos talk about recent glacier losses that are ringing five-alarm fire bells.

Dr. Brian Menounos is a Professor of Geography in UNBC’s Department of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences, Chief Scientist with the Hakai Institute Airborne Coastal Observatory & former Canada Research Chair in Glacier Change. Recently, Brian was seconded for 2 years as a research scientist with Natural Resources Canada.

Join them for insights on the importance of glaciers, the tragedy of mis- (and dis-) information, and a Black Sabbath album recommendation.

Brian’s research centres on how past and present climate shapes earth surface systems — glaciers, lakes, and drainage basins — spanning glaciers and glacier change, process geomorphology, paleoenvironmental reconstruction, Quaternary and surficial geology, and surface hydrology. Brian has led high-profile international collaborations, including a Science paper showing the Cordilleran ice sheet melted sooner and more complexly than previously thought, and contributed to the Nature-published Glacier Mass Balance Intercomparison Exercise (GlaMBIE), which reconciled global measurements to show accelerating worldwide glacier loss. He’s also known for actively communicating climate science to the public and students, not just academic peers.

Watch, Listen & Share!

📺 UNBC’ Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences YouTube Channel:

🛜 Direct to Episode: https://lnkd.in/ggK9g9kM

🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gupbKRh3

📻 UNBC’s CFUR 88.5 Radio: https://lnkd.in/ggQykzSq

✅ New UNBC Environmental Science (ENSC) course in Fall 2026 with Dr. Hossein Kazemian! Open to 4th year students AND graduate students.

Repost from Northern Analytical Laboratory Services
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🔬🌎 NEW COURSE AT UNBC — FALL 2026!

ENSC 400-3 / ENSC 600-3
🌱 Environmental Instrumental Analysis

Want to learn how an environmental sample becomes reliable analytical data — and ultimately an environmental decision?

This new course takes you through the full pathway:

💧 Environmental samples
➡️ 🧪 Sample preparation
➡️ 🔬 Instrumental analysis
➡️ ✅ QA/QC
➡️ 📊 Data interpretation
➡️ 🌎 Environmental decision-making

Students will gain practical exposure to advanced analytical techniques and instrumentation through ’s Northern Analytical Laboratory Services ( ).

Techniques may include:

🧪 ICP-MS / ICP-OES / AAS
📈 GC-MS & chromatography
💡 UV-Vis & FTIR
🔹 XRD / XRF
🔬 SEM-EDS
⚗️ BET surface-area analysis
🌡️ TGA / DSC
…and more.

🎓 Who should enrol?

Senior undergraduate and graduate students in:

🌎 Environmental Science
🧪 Chemistry
⚙️ Environmental Engineering
🧬 Biology & Biochemistry
⚛️ Physics
🩺 Health Sciences
🌲 Natural Resources / Forestry
…and related disciplines.

⚠️ LIMITED SEATS

Because this is a hands-on course using NALS laboratory facilities and advanced instrumentation, enrolment is intentionally limited.

👉 First come, first served — register early!

If analytical skills will help your research, graduate studies, environmental career, laboratory work, or future employment, this course is designed for you.

📅 Fall 2026
📘 ENSC 400 / ENSC 600
👨‍🏫 Dr. Hossein Kazemian
🏫 Environmental Science Program | GEES | UNBC

📩 Questions? Feel free to reach out.

Please share with UNBC students who may be interested! 🙌
UNBC GEES Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences
Faculty of Environment, UNBC
UNBC Chemistry & Biochemistry
UNBC Geography Earth and Environmental Science Club
Graduate Ambassadors
UNBC Faculty of Science & Engineering
UNBC School of Engineering
Catherine Nolin
UNBC Student Life

Chemistry EnvironmentalEngineering Biology Biochemistry Physics HealthSciences NaturalResources EnvironmentalAnalysis AnalyticalChemistry Instrumentation NALS STEM GraduateSchool UndergraduateResearch ResearchSkills EnvironmentalMonitoring

FIELDWORK PHOTO
Shared by Dr. Alex Bevington

Getting ready for two weeks of geophysics mapping and in using Electrical Resistivity Tomography and Induced Polarization

FIELDWORK PHOTOS Repost from Joseph Shea
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- our recent work in the Premier Range was accompanied by voracious mosquitos and black flies. Madison (Madison Seely) and Ismael (Vicompte ismael de rival) were tough and tenacious through it all.

THE CLIMATE CONVERSATIONS, Episode 2 - This week’s Climate Conversation with UNBC Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences Dr. Joseph Shea & Dr. Nancy Stevens, Chair of the First Nations Studies Department at UNBC, they talk about generational thinking, the responsibility we have to honour the earth, and about just being human.

Dr. Nancy Stevens (she/her), Associate Professor and Chair, First Nations Studies, and Coordinator, Women’s and Gender Studies, holds a PhD in Indigenous Studies from Trent University, an MEd in Adult Education (Indigenous Specialization) from OISE/University of Toronto, and a BA in Social Development Studies (Social Work stream) from the University of Waterloo.

She spent most of her career as a counsellor and program coordinator in Indigenous mental health and women’s services across Ontario and the Yukon, while also teaching part-time in post-secondary Indigenous social work and human service programs. A woman of Kaien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) and European descent, and an adoptee, Nancy has a deep interest in the intersections of identity, trauma, and healing. Though she didn’t grow up connected to her ancestral culture, her practice as a helper and her education have been strongly shaped by Anishinaabe teachings.

Her research extends directly from her counselling background, focusing on the ethical and cross-cultural challenges that arise in Indigenous helping services — both for clients and for helpers themselves. A central thread is ensuring Indigenous clients of mainstream services receive culturally safe, appropriate care. She also has extensive experience developing and facilitating curriculum, workshops, and training for front-line community workers, educators, and administrators.

Watch, Listen & Share!

📺 UNBC’ Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences YouTube Channel:

🛜 Direct to Episode: https://youtu.be/F__HIe5J3-A

🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-climate-conversations/id6794354466

📻 UNBC’s CFUR 88.5 Radio: https://cfur.ca/listen-live

THE CLIMATE CONVERSATIONS, Episode 2 - This week’s Climate Conversation with Dr. Joseph Shea & Dr. Nancy Stevens, Chair of the First Nations Studies Department at UNBC, they talk about generational thinking, the responsibility we have to honour the earth, and about just being human.

Dr. Nancy Stevens (she/her), Associate Professor and Chair, First Nations Studies, and Coordinator, Women’s and Gender Studies, holds a PhD in Indigenous Studies from Trent University, an MEd in Adult Education (Indigenous Specialization) from OISE/University of Toronto, and a BA in Social Development Studies (Social Work stream) from the University of Waterloo.

She spent most of her career as a counsellor and program coordinator in Indigenous mental health and women’s services across Ontario and the Yukon, while also teaching part-time in post-secondary Indigenous social work and human service programs. A woman of Kaien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) and European descent, and an adoptee, Nancy has a deep interest in the intersections of identity, trauma, and healing. Though she didn’t grow up connected to her ancestral culture, her practice as a helper and her education have been strongly shaped by Anishinaabe teachings.

Her research extends directly from her counselling background, focusing on the ethical and cross-cultural challenges that arise in Indigenous helping services — both for clients and for helpers themselves. A central thread is ensuring Indigenous clients of mainstream services receive culturally safe, appropriate care. She also has extensive experience developing and facilitating curriculum, workshops, and training for front-line community workers, educators, and administrators.

Watch, Listen & Share!

📺 UNBC’ Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences YouTube Channel:

🛜 Direct to Episode: https://youtu.be/F__HIe5J3-A

🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-climate-conversations/id6794354466

📻 UNBC’s CFUR 88.5 Radio: https://cfur.ca/listen-live