The Canadian Writer (and Climate Change Specialist)
I'll admit to being a bad climate change specialist/professional and I did not pay a ton of attention to COP27 while it was going on. The U.S. Midterms, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and some skullduggery around union rights in my home province of Ontario dominated the news during COP, and I didn't see much… Continue reading COP27, Briefly
Climate change is wrought with jargon, concepts that are very hard to summarize in plain English, and lots adjacent fields like 'sustainability' and 'environmentalism' that muddy the waters further and can make climate change seem like an incoherent, abstract, and overwhelming mess. But there's one interesting linguistic slight-of-hand that climate scientists pulled off to impress… Continue reading ‘Business as Usual’ Doesn’t Make a lot of Sense
Reading climate news over the last couple of weeks, you'd be forgiven for wondering what on Earth is going on with global efforts to slow and adapt to climate change. On the one hand, we've made progress on decarbonization to the point that the apocalyptic scenario of climate change destroying most life on Earth is… Continue reading When it Comes to Climate, Things are Getting Better and Worse at the Same Time
The 27th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference is upon us! Usually shorthanded to COP (long story), and individual COPs get a number. So there's COP1, COP2, COP15, COP21, et cetera. This November is COP27. An event where world leaders, business leaders, legislators, lobbyists, celebrities, finance hawks, non-profits, activists, and an army of corporate representatives… Continue reading The Long and Fraught Road to COP27
"You know, you guys should be really worried about climate change" Pete Townshend, guitarist of British rock band 'The Who' told an audience of thousands at a Who concert in Tampa, Florida, in 2019. If I'd been in the crowd, I'd have bellowed, "NO SHIT!" right back to him. Not the most elevated language, to… Continue reading Florida: A Discussion on Managed Retreat
Greta Thunberg makes me uneasy these days. Which is not to discredit or diminish any of her accomplishments or to take away from the enormous impact she has had on the climate crisis. Greta Thunberg has made the single largest contribution to action on the climate crisis and her achievements and dedication are ones for… Continue reading On ‘So-Called Leaders’
Before I talk to someone I've just met about climate change, I like to first ask, "Do you want to go to the moon?" I mean, going to the moon might be kind of cool. If someone built a moon colony that had food, toilets, breathable air, water, and internet, I'd consider it. (Internet? Really?… Continue reading Do you Want to go to the Moon?
On August 16th, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 was signed into law by President Joe Biden, thereby committing the United States of America to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% compared to 2005 levels by 2030. To say the climate change community was ecstatic would be an understatement. I was so happy that… Continue reading The Magnificent Myth of American Leadership
alexander-colvin-climate-change-specialist-2022-reportDownload In April/May of this year, I wrote a colourful and plain-language report meant to help anyone interested on climate change learn the basics about our changing climate in Canada. While not especially deep or comprehensive, this report is meant to bring people into discussions of climate change who perhaps don't give climate change a… Continue reading Alex Colvin’s Intro to Climate Change
I used to admire the work of Jim-Stephanie Sterling, a video game critic/journalist who was notable for being fiercely independent, who loathed having a corporate parent trying to influence their work in any way, and who ultimately went solo on YouTube to cover the topics they cared most about. However, over the years, I've gotten… Continue reading Cynicism is Cheap and Boring
Alex Colvin 
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