taimunro - Network
The impacts of nature play versus non nature play for preschoolersI love it when a random question helps me discover something new. I...
https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...The impacts of nature play versus non nature play for preschoolers
I love it when a random question helps me discover something new. I started listening to Seek: How curiosity can transform your life and change the world by Scott Shigeoka. This inspired a random search through the research literature for articles on curiosity and sustainability. I thought the first one I found was super interesting. Ernst and Burcak (2019) compared growth in children's curiosity,…
17.6.2025 19:04The impacts of nature play versus non nature play for preschoolersI love it when a random question helps me discover something new. I...https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...
It’s smokey outside and it impacts my physical and mental healthI woke up this morning to an air quality warning with levels at 10+ on...
https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...It’s smokey outside and it impacts my physical and mental health
I woke up this morning to an air quality warning with levels at 10+ on the air quality health index. Sadly, with climate change, these warnings are becoming more frequent during the summer months where I live. You can't plan for specific ones, but you do have to plan that they will happen. As an athlete and an asthmatic, each one causes stress.
10.6.2025 19:01It’s smokey outside and it impacts my physical and mental healthI woke up this morning to an air quality warning with levels at 10+ on...https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...
Using solar panels to support grasslands during droughtI admit, I'm the person who wonders why we don't put solar panels on school...
https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...Using solar panels to support grasslands during drought
I admit, I'm the person who wonders why we don't put solar panels on school roofs and over parking lots. It seems like these would be prime places. I have thought less about mixing solar panels and agriculture, mostly because agriculture is not my area of expertise. However, some research by Sturchio and Knapp (2025) shows that locating solar panels over water-limited ecosystems has the potential to reduce the…
http://connectingwithscience.org/2025/06/03/using-solar-panels-to-support-grasslands-during-drought/
3.6.2025 19:02Using solar panels to support grasslands during droughtI admit, I'm the person who wonders why we don't put solar panels on school...https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...
We need reciprocityThere are lots of different definitions of reciprocity but it often includes asking for permission, only taking what is...
https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...We need reciprocity
There are lots of different definitions of reciprocity but it often includes asking for permission, only taking what is needed, sharing what is taken, and giving thanks or giving back (Teixidor-Toneau and colleagues, 2025). I first paid attention to the idea of reciprocity when reading Robin Wall Kimmerer's book Braiding Sweetgrass, which I highly recommend everyone reads or listens to (are libraries an example of reciprocity in Western spaces?).
http://connectingwithscience.org/2025/05/27/we-need-reciprocity/
27.5.2025 19:03We need reciprocityThere are lots of different definitions of reciprocity but it often includes asking for permission, only taking what is...https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...
Climate change and individual responsibilitiesI'm trying to find some articles that discuss the risks of focusing so much of the climate...
https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...Climate change and individual responsibilities
I'm trying to find some articles that discuss the risks of focusing so much of the climate change mitigation responsibilities on individual actions. Somewhat surprisingly papers on this have been harder to find. This week I want to point to a post from Cambridge University International Development on how climate justice relates to this discussion and the fact that we are not equally responsible, nor do we have equal…
http://connectingwithscience.org/2025/05/13/climate-change-and-individual-responsibilities/
13.5.2025 19:02Climate change and individual responsibilitiesI'm trying to find some articles that discuss the risks of focusing so much of the climate...https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...
How do climate change related events impact urban biking?I have definitely had to put my bike away and take the car in response to events...
https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...How do climate change related events impact urban biking?
I have definitely had to put my bike away and take the car in response to events like wildfire smoke. I haven't had to for extreme heat, but extreme heat where I am, while bad, isn't the same as some other places in the world. But, as we approach summer, and remembering that last year we had some intense wildfire smoke in May that forced some changes in my activities, I got to wondering what the impacts of…
29.4.2025 19:00How do climate change related events impact urban biking?I have definitely had to put my bike away and take the car in response to events...https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...
It’s more than just the smokeWildfires are growing in size and intensity with climate change. Clearly the smoke from these fires has...
https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...It’s more than just the smoke
Wildfires are growing in size and intensity with climate change. Clearly the smoke from these fires has direct health consequences; however, some recent research shows that the concern goes beyond the smoke itself. Kelesidis and colleagues (2025) studied the impact of the 2023 Canadian wildfires on New York. They found that there were the expected particles from the smoke itself but the layer of smoke had other impacts.
http://connectingwithscience.org/2025/04/22/its-more-than-just-the-smoke/
22.4.2025 19:00It’s more than just the smokeWildfires are growing in size and intensity with climate change. Clearly the smoke from these fires has...https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...
For adults, plant proteins lead to longer life expectancyThe environmental and social arguments for decreasing animal based protein intake...
https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...For adults, plant proteins lead to longer life expectancy
The environmental and social arguments for decreasing animal based protein intake and increasing plant ones have been around for a while. And surely they have convinced some to make changes in their diets. But what about a health link? If you knew that eating more plant proteins as an adult would help you live longer would you do it? Quick caveat, the researchers found this relationship was flipped for…
15.4.2025 19:09For adults, plant proteins lead to longer life expectancyThe environmental and social arguments for decreasing animal based protein intake...https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...
We know insects are declining but we don’t have the data we needInsects are the dominant form of animal life on earth. There are more...
https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...We know insects are declining but we don’t have the data we need
Insects are the dominant form of animal life on earth. There are more species, more diversity, and more biomass. They are essential for life on the planet engaging in activities like pollination and decomposition. But the population health of 99% of species is poorly understood. Of the 1% of species that have had IUCN assessments, 20% are considered threatened. If this trend continues that is an…
8.4.2025 19:04We know insects are declining but we don’t have the data we needInsects are the dominant form of animal life on earth. There are more...https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...
How will climate change affect athletes?I'm about to undergo a 30°C temperature change so that I can participate in my sport. This is...
https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...How will climate change affect athletes?
I'm about to undergo a 30°C temperature change so that I can participate in my sport. This is clearly a lot, and I will have minimal time to acclimatize before I have to start performing. Thinking about how to manage this has me thinking about how climate change will impact athletes. Schneider and Mücke (2024) asked this same question. Surprisingly, climate change has not received a lot of attention (Schneider and Mücke).
http://connectingwithscience.org/2025/04/01/how-will-climate-change-affect-athletes/
1.4.2025 19:01How will climate change affect athletes?I'm about to undergo a 30°C temperature change so that I can participate in my sport. This is...https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...
Don’t correct, bypassWith misinformation running rampant, it becomes ever more important for people to identify strategies to address it....
https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...Don’t correct, bypass
With misinformation running rampant, it becomes ever more important for people to identify strategies to address it. The standard response is to want to correct the misinformation. However, as we've seen, this often doesn't have the impact we want. A more recent recommendation is to bypass the misinformation. When you bypass misinformation you "introduce different, nonmutually exclusive beliefs whose implications are opposite to that of the…
http://connectingwithscience.org/2025/03/11/dont-correct-bypass/
11.3.2025 19:04Don’t correct, bypassWith misinformation running rampant, it becomes ever more important for people to identify strategies to address it....https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...
Is bike commuting helping or risking my health?I get comments about safety all the time when I bike commute: "I wouldn't risk it,...
https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...Is bike commuting helping or risking my health?
I get comments about safety all the time when I bike commute: "I wouldn't risk it, it's so dangerous." The thing is that I'm healthier when I'm biking in, so how do the health benefits of the biking balance with the higher risk of traffic accidents? Friel and colleagues (2024) looked at long term health outcomes of pedestrians and cyclists over a period of 18 years in Scotland.
http://connectingwithscience.org/2025/03/04/is-bike-commuting-helping-or-risking-my-health/
4.3.2025 20:06Is bike commuting helping or risking my health?I get comments about safety all the time when I bike commute: "I wouldn't risk it,...https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...
Do you have motonormativity?I've been trying to change my language away from car-centric metaphors for a while. I try not to say,...
https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...Do you have motonormativity?
I've been trying to change my language away from car-centric metaphors for a while. I try not to say, "Take the road less travelled," for example, and switch it to "path." When I talk about putting an idea aside to think about or discuss later I've started saying, "we'll put that in the bike rack for a bit" rather than "parking lot." I also try to say things like active transport rather than alternative transport when referring to things…
http://connectingwithscience.org/2025/02/25/do-you-have-motonormativity/
25.2.2025 20:03Do you have motonormativity?I've been trying to change my language away from car-centric metaphors for a while. I try not to say,...https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...
Do recreational or competitive paddlers care about nature more?I'm a paddler. I paddle multiple different sports -- canoeing,...
https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...Do recreational or competitive paddlers care about nature more?
I'm a paddler. I paddle multiple different sports -- canoeing, kayaking, and dragon boating. I'm competitive in dragon boating but recreational in the other two. From my own experience, recreational paddlers seem to think more about nature and environmental impact. Even for myself, I know that I justify a higher environmental impact in my dragon boating than in my other two.
11.2.2025 20:00Do recreational or competitive paddlers care about nature more?I'm a paddler. I paddle multiple different sports -- canoeing,...https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...
Environmental dispossessionI am currently taking a course through Coursera from Western University in Canada. The course is Connecting for...
https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...Environmental dispossession
I am currently taking a course through Coursera from Western University in Canada. The course is Connecting for Climate Change. It uses a two-eyed seeing approach to view climate change through Western and Indigenous science lenses. I think if you are new to this idea and want to learn more about both climate change and how Western and Indigenous perspectives can be different from each other and also support each other it is a good course.
http://connectingwithscience.org/2025/02/04/environmental-dispossession/
4.2.2025 20:02Environmental dispossessionI am currently taking a course through Coursera from Western University in Canada. The course is Connecting for...https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...
Climate change’s impact on mental health of vulnerable populationsI know that climate change, particularly the lack of action on climate...
https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...Climate change’s impact on mental health of vulnerable populations
I know that climate change, particularly the lack of action on climate change, affects my mental health. Therefore, an article about the impact of climate change on the mental health of vulnerable populations caught my eye. The research, done by Fahrudin and colleagues (2024), conducted a review of published research between 2000 and 2023. I'm not surprised that they found that climate change…
28.1.2025 20:03Climate change’s impact on mental health of vulnerable populationsI know that climate change, particularly the lack of action on climate...https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...
Do e-bike incentives reduce greenhouse gas emissions?I'm always curious whether incentive programs work. Some of them seem logical. If...
https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...Do e-bike incentives reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
I'm always curious whether incentive programs work. Some of them seem logical. If you received an incentive to switch to a high energy furnace, then you kind of have to be using that high energy furnace. Of course, you might be keeping the temperature higher than you would have otherwise but that's a topic for another post. But when rebates are for e-bikes is there the same impact?
http://connectingwithscience.org/2025/01/21/do-e-bike-incentives-reduce-greenhouse-gas-emissions/
21.1.2025 20:07Do e-bike incentives reduce greenhouse gas emissions?I'm always curious whether incentive programs work. Some of them seem logical. If...https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...
Everything is connectedThe world is warming through climate change but 2023 was warmer than predicted. This led to questions of why and...
https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...Everything is connected
The world is warming through climate change but 2023 was warmer than predicted. This led to questions of why and Quaglia and Visioni (2024) think they have part of the answer. International shipping regulations came in in January 2020 that significantly reduced sulfate emissions. This is important because sulfate causes both risks for human health such as respiratory problems and environmental damage including acidification.
http://connectingwithscience.org/2025/01/14/everything-is-connected/
15.1.2025 00:36Everything is connectedThe world is warming through climate change but 2023 was warmer than predicted. This led to questions of why and...https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...
How will that apple in your lunch look with climate change?I'm curious about how different foods will be affected by climate change....
https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...How will that apple in your lunch look with climate change?
I'm curious about how different foods will be affected by climate change. We've already been seeing impacts, such as the loss of peach and nectarine harvests in BC, Canada, in 2024 after extreme cold piled onto previous years of extreme heat and harsh winters (see for example Junos, 2024) The podcast Gastropod has a good episode on the impacts of the Western megadrought on several fronts including increasing…
7.1.2025 20:02How will that apple in your lunch look with climate change?I'm curious about how different foods will be affected by climate change....https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...
Will you be as sustainable after a break?As I've been working through the end of the semester, I've struggled with a few of my...
https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...Will you be as sustainable after a break?
As I've been working through the end of the semester, I've struggled with a few of my habits. I'm not as consistent with my workouts or a few chores as I faced a wall of assignment reviews to get students timely feedback. Now, we're looking at the Christmas break where my schedule will vary a lot more. So, will I come back to all my positive habits on the other side?
http://connectingwithscience.org/2024/12/17/will-you-be-as-sustainable-after-a-break/
17.12.2024 20:00Will you be as sustainable after a break?As I've been working through the end of the semester, I've struggled with a few of my...https://urbanists.social/@TaiMun...