Keyword Health

The 2021 heat dome killed more people than any other natural disaster in Canada. In a world struggling with more frequent heat waves, this film investigates the delicate balance between the life saving use of air conditioning to stay cool and the environmental risks associated with its overuse. Researchers focused on the impact of rising temperatures on heart health explore the challenge of keeping cool without succumbing to the dangers of overheating. This documentary prompts viewers to consider the broader implications of our reliance on air conditioning, and offers cool solutions in an increasingly warming world.

Anyone who has experienced seasonal allergies knows the suffering that comes with itchy eyes and blocked sinuses. Looking to the future, this discomfort may get worse, as Canadians are expected to face new allergens and higher levels. Climate change is bringing longer growing seasons, which means more pollen in the air. In this video, experts from Aerobiology Research Laboratories explain the increase in pollen they have seen in recent years, and how they are monitoring pollen levels to help Canadians respond and adapt.

AVAILABLE WITH DESCRIPTIVE AUDIO: https://youtu.be/vUDsjqmQWu4 People with disabilities are the world's largest minority group and are disproportionately affected by climate change. As disability justice and climate issues collide, Cripping Climate Adaptation lays bare the often disastrous consequences of overlooking people with disabilities and illustrates the need to consider the unique needs of people with disabilities and include them in climate adaptation. Set to a lively visual backdrop of dance, music, and activism, this documentary defines the incredible toolkit on adaptation from the disability community, one that adds depth, texture and creativity to get beyond traditional ways of how the environment is used. Let's not miss out on this tool kit of ways of seeing.

What can you do when everyday you wake up and don’t know what the future will look like? When everything around you is already falling apart. When your generation's future is having to deal with the climate crisis. Youth activists talk about connecting and organising with other young people as a way to channel climate anxiety and despair. Hope is active and lies in the community.

Told through the voices of 24 people from Nunatsiavut, Labrador, Lament for the Land weaves together the voices and wisdom of Labrador Inuit with stunning visual scenery to tell a powerful story of change, loss, and hope in the context of rapid climate change in the North. A collaboration between researcher Dr. Ashlee Cunsolo and the five communities of Nunatsiavut, this film brings attention to some of the most pressing climatic and environmental issues of our time, and the resulting mental, emotional, and cultural impacts on one of Canada’s oldest and most enduring cultures.

Did you know that the climate crisis is also a health crisis? Climate change impacts the health of Canadians - from increasing heat stroke to spreading new infectious diseases - and these impacts are getting worse. At the same time, there is a lot that we can do to protect ourselves and reduce climate pollution for healthier, safer futures.

Climate change is a daunting and complex threat that can lead to distressing emotions, such as anxiety, depression, grief and hopelessness. Since climate change is a long-term threat, we must learn to cope with the potentially difficult emotions that it may cause to ensure our well-being over time. If we learn to manage these feelings, we can recognize them as signs of our compassion and connection to the world around us, and harness them as important motivators for taking action on climate change.

Dustin Thiesen’s concerns about climate change escalated into serious anxiety and depression after his son was born. “Sometimes I fall back into that depressive state,” he says, “but I always find a way to pull myself back out.” Dustin shares his story of working with these difficult emotions, moving through the dark times, and finding the motivation to be part of the solution.

With the existential threat of climate change, it’s only natural to feel overwhelming emotions of anxiety, fear, or anger. But at the same time it is critically important to find sources of hope that can allow us to imagine a better future and work towards it. In this video, author and expert Dr. Elin Kelsey explains the importance of being hopeful and offers tips on where to look for motivation in difficult times. For Kelsey, hope is a “brave political act” that requires courage and commitment in the face of uncertainty.

More and more people around the world - particularly young people and those most affected by the impacts of climate change and related crises - are struggling to stay hopeful about the uncertain and changing future.[1] Living in this era of ‘wicked problems’ is impacting people’s mental health.[2]