Climate & Environment

UBC launches world’s first mushroom-powered waterless toilet

UBC researchers are launching the world’s first mushroom-powered waterless toilet at the UBC Botanical Garden on Sept. 26. The MycoToilet turns human waste into nutrient-rich compost and features a modern, sustainable design.
B.C.’s e-bike rebates boost affordability, health and sustainable mobility

New UBC study finds B.C.’s income-based e-bike rebate program improved access, encouraged active travel and reduced car use.
UBC opens $45M Beaty Biodiversity Centre expansion

UBC unveils a $45M expansion to the Beaty Biodiversity Centre, boosting research and collaboration to tackle biodiversity loss with new spaces and technologies.
The future is compostable. Period.

UBC biomedical engineering alumna Rashmi Prakash, who has developed sustainable and reliable menstrual pad, winning her the James Dyson Award's Canada prize for design innovation.
Climate change is making rollercoaster harvests the new normal

Once-in-a-century crop failures could strike every decade by 2100, according to new research from UBC.
Fast-tracking mining in B.C. without repeating past mistakes

B.C. is pushing mineral mining to meet clean energy demand, but UBC experts stress the need to balance growth with Indigenous rights and the environment.
Why these hairy caterpillars swarm every decade – then vanish without a trace

Western tent caterpillars swarm in massive numbers every decade, then vanish. UBC’s Dr. Judith Myers shares insights from 50 years of research into their mysterious cycles.
New mega RNA virus may hold the key to mass oyster die-offs

UBC researchers uncover a massive new RNA virus in farmed Pacific oysters during a mass die-off in B.C., Canada.
‘Disease detectives’ discover cause of sea star wasting disease that wiped out billions of sea stars

UBC researchers have identified the bacterial culprit behind sea star wasting disease, solving a decade-long mystery and opening the door to recovery efforts for devastated marine ecosystems.