Dean:  Until recently, the climate crisis has been the domain of science and scientists. Now humanities scholars are stepping up.  New interdisciplinary courses, centres, journals and programs are appearing.  Joanna Dean has been teaching climate history for many years, initially as a component of an environmental history course and now as a core course in Carleton University’s new minor in Environmental and Climate Humanities.  She will argue that the humanities do more than improve communication about climate, they further our understanding of the ways we frame narratives and interpret data. She will also reflect on how teaching climate has broadened her thinking as a historian to encompass deep time and imagined futures.

Boulanger:  Wildfires are one of the most important natural disturbances in Canada. Anthropogenic climate change is significantly impacting fire regimes across the country. Increasing temperatures, more severe and prolonged drought conditions, and the lengthening of the fire season makes the vegetation drier and much more flammable while causing fire prone weather conditions to be more severe and more frequent. The consequences of these changing fire regimes are numerous, affecting the several aspects of the socio-ecological realm. Adaptation is needed as we will need to learn to live in world where fire is much more prevalent.

Jean:  The world of meteorology and climate was one of the first examples of massive data generators, as well as being a major driver of innovation in the development of high-performance computers. Already in the 1970s-1980s-1990s, the application of statistical methods (in the post-processing of output from numerical weather prediction models), the ancestors of machine learning approaches (analog, perfect prog, MOS, UMOS, etc.), were being used with the massive data of the time. The last two decades have seen an explosion in the volume, accessibility and diversity of data, and improved accessibility to low-cost, high-performance computing systems, leading to an acceleration in machine learning applications and more sophisticated artificial intelligence techniques.  
The World Meteorological Organization, through its member countries, plays a leading role in the development and use of these technologies. The presentation will provide a brief background on the current structure of the WMO, a portrait of the atmospheric and climate sciences 'playground', a reflection on the aspects associated with massive data, and a consideration of the global infrastructures required. Examples and reflections on the implications for Canada will be shared.

Brunet:  Extreme weather events are causing unprecedented floods, droughts, fires, and ecosystem damage on all scales. This necessitates better early warnings, climate, weather services, especially for transitioning to carbon-neutral economies. These challenges demand faster innovation, technological advancements, and stronger interdisciplinary collaboration, with a significant role for the private sector. The UN's Early Warnings for All aims to establish crucial early warning systems by 2027. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has outlined eight recommendations for its future research and service development, especially for poorer nations. The top long term recommendation emphasizes the need for high-resolution climate models to depict localized weather changes. Harnessing digital technologies like Exascale computing and Machine Learning will be essential for this. Global collaboration and adequate training are crucial to maximize local benefits from global science. The WMO is expected to boost scientific partnerships to deliver detailed global climate data. Investments should prioritize areas that offer the most societal benefits, and this involves leveraging digital strategies, quality assurance, and broadening educational efforts.

McLean:  With our planet being covered by 70% water,  the non-political nature and shear expanse of the world's ocean makes science coordination efforts enormous.  Priorities amongst governments are often not aligned to ocean and marine life beyond the coastal shelves, and efforts to align domestic political interests with those of the international communities are challenging. The ocean and marine life are key building blocks to life as we know it on our planet and many countries look to the ocean for food, security, transportation, energy, and more. While the ocean and the very ecosystems it houses are under great stress, many nations are looking to the oceans for expanding their prosperity and optimizing potential benefits from the emerging emphasis on the blue economy.  All these actions should be based on sound science - understanding the importance of ocean system resilience, sustainability and responsible development.  The UN, under the leadership of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Committee of UNESCO laid out ambitions to improve the state of our understanding through the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. This talk will draw out some of these key elements, including the challenges and opportunities that the Decade on Ocean Science will offer.