Resources For Journalists

Are you a journalist reporting on climate change in Canada? This curated list of resources is for you.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Attribution Studies
• Climate Data & Mapping
• Climate Science 101
• Economic Impact of Climate Change
• Extreme Events and Climate Change
  • Drought
  • Extreme Heat
  • Floods
  • Wildfires
• Elections Reporting
• Experts
• Greenhouse Gas Sources
• Health and Climate
• Indigenous Communities and Climate Impacts
• Interviewing Climate Disaster Survivors
• Misinformation
  • Renewables
  • “Unproven” Technologies: Carbon Capture & Sequestration
  • “Unproven” Technologies: Hydrogen
• Visuals

Attribution Studies

• CCNow’s ‘Extreme Weather’ Guide summarizes how climate change affects various types of extreme weather and explains attribution science.
• World Weather Attribution calculates if, and to what degree, climate change affects the likelihood and intensity of individual extreme weather events.
• ECCC rapid heat wave attribution analysis details how Canadian scientists trace and attribute the connections between extreme weather events and climate change, offering insights into their methodologies and findings.
• The science of linking climate change to extreme weather events unpacks the science behind attributing climate change to extreme weather focusing on how researchers quantify impacts and identify links through advanced analysis.
• 500 attribution studies trace the connection between climate change and extreme weather events with the help of data and attribution studies while also helping users understand the scientific methods used to link climate change with weather patterns.

Climate Data & Mapping

• CBC Climate Dashboard tracks weather forecasts across Canada and compares them to historical trends. The dashboard flags which weather records are being broken across the country, forest fires, the extent of smoke and air quality across all provinces and territories.
• Climate Central’s Climate Shift Index, a tool to help identify the impact climate change is having on local temperatures worldwide (Link to tool).
• Climate Central’s Climate Shift Index: Ocean is a map tool that quantifies the influence of climate change on sea surface temperatures globally (Link to tool).
• Coastal Risk Screening Tool is an interactive map showing areas at risk for sea level rise and flooding. It includes maps and details on temperatures, ice sheets, etc. 
• ClimateData.ca is an online data portal that allows access, visualization and analysis of historical data and future projections of climate related information.
• Statistics Canada’s Climate Change Statistics Portal displays data, research and insights on climate change impacts with key indicators related to energy consumption.

Climate Science 101

• CCNow’s Climate Change Reporting Guide provides essential tips for accurate climate coverage with key terms, story angles, and effective communication strategies.
• IHJN’s Tip Sheet: Covering Climate Change – A Journalist’s Guide to Science, Stories, and Solutions offers a concise overview on the weather event, El Nino and its connection to climate change and its impacts on public health and safety risks.

Economic Impact of Climate Change 

• Damage Control by the Canadian Climate Institute is a multi-year modeling and research project which quantifies the potential costs of a changing climate in Canada.
• Imperial College Attribution Studies runs studies on economic damages from climate events. They attribute the impact of climate change on the severity and intensity of an event.
• CCI’s Tip of the Iceberg Report shows the average cost of unnatural disasters and catastrophic losses each year over the last decade.
• The Insurance Bureau of Canada on the losses from Jasper wildfire shows that the wildfire in the Municipality of Jasper and Jasper National Park resulted in over $880 million in insured damage.
• The IPCC Report on North America expects increased risks to Canada’s economy as the world heats up due to burning fossil fuels, with no economic sector unaffected.

Extreme Events and Climate Change

DROUGHT 

• GC’s Canadian Drought Monitor shows a visual map of Canada’s drought conditions and intensity with drought assessments in all regions of Canada.
• CCI’s Climate Change and Drought Fact Sheet ties the connection between the two by detailing the rising severity of droughts, its economic impacts (like insurance payouts), health risks and link to increasing floods and wildfires.

EXTREME HEAT

• Re.Climate’s Heat Waves and Un-natural Disasters Tip Sheet provides practical advice for reporting on heat waves while focusing on climate context and effective communication approaches.
• CCI’s Climate Change and Heat Waves Fact Sheet offers essential data on the causes, impacts, and safety measures for extreme heat events, with a focus on public health risks and community preparedness strategies.
• CCNow’s Reporting Guide on Extreme Heat outlines tips on making the connection to climate change and strengthening stories with reporting tools and coverage tips.
• Climate Atlas of Canada’s Health Impacts of Extreme Heat Report outlines the health impacts of extreme heat and identifies risks that vulnerable populations face.
• Climate Change Is Increasing Risks to Canadians from Extreme Heat Fact Sheet highlights health risks from extreme heat and offers strategies to protect communities and minimize heat impacts.
• SciLine’s Heat Waves and Climate Change Guide puts forth the connection between climate change as a driving factor of heat waves and offers quick facts for coverage (including pitfalls to avoid).
• SEJ’s Extreme Heat Changes Landscape for Summer Recreation Stories Tip Sheet lists the ways heat waves can affect various activities like camping, fishing etc. and tips to communicate the connection between the two.

FLOODS 

• CCI’s Climate Change and Floods Fact Sheet delivers practical insights on how climate change is driving more severe flooding in Canada, with data and solutions to help report on its impacts and necessary community adaptations.
• Quick Facts: Torrential rain, flooding, and climate change displays data showing how human-driven climate change intensifies heavy rainfall, increasing the frequency and severity of flooding events.

WILDFIRES

• Re.Climate’s Wildfires and Unnatural Disasters Tip Sheet offers actionable insights on wildfire coverage, emphasizing safety tips, climate context, and effective messaging strategies.
• CCI’s Climate Change and Wildfires Fact Sheet provides essential statistics on wildfire causes, impacts, and prevention strategies for effective climate reporting.

Elections Reporting 

• CCNow’s Reporting on Climate and the 2024 US Elections offers crucial insights and strategies for covering climate issues during the US elections 2024.

Experts 

• Carbon Brief’s Global South Climate Database is a publicly available database with scientists and experts in the fields of climate science, policy and energy.

Greenhouse Gas Sources

• Greenhouse gas sources and sinks in Canada, an executive summary report provides an in-depth view of Canada’s GHG emissions and trends.

Health and Climate

• NCCIH’s Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples Fact Sheet ties the relationship between climate change and health impacts by listing the various climate causes to possible health effects for Indigenous communities.
• Climate Atlas of Canada’s Health Impacts of Extreme Heat report outlines the health impacts of extreme heat and identifies risks that vulnerable populations face.
• Climate Change Is Increasing Risks to Canadians from Extreme Heat Fact Sheet highlights health risks from extreme heat and offers strategies to protect communities and minimize heat impacts.
• Public Health Ontario’s FAQ on Wildfire and Health Effects answers questions related to the impact of wildfires on human health and air quality.
• Climate Change Increases Infectious Disease Risks to Canadians Fact Sheet lists the ways climate change is influencing the spread of infectious diseases in Canada (transmitted by mosquitoes, ticks, and wildlife). It also provides actionable steps for addressing these growing health risks.

Indigenous Communities and Climate Impacts 

• NCCIH’s Indigenous Knowledges, Rights and Climate Change in Canada Fact Sheet provides basics on what Indigenous knowledge is, what Indigenous rights are in relation to climate change, and the current gaps in knowledge related to Indigenous knowledges and climate change.
• NCCIH’s Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples Fact Sheet in Canada Fact Sheet ties the relationship between climate change and health impacts by listing the various climate causes to possible health effects for Indigenous communities.
• Climate Atlas’s Indigenous Climate Change Maps provide climate data with indicators like hot weather, temperature and precipitation etc. for 634 First Nations and 53 Inuit communities as well as climate projects across the Métis homeland.

Interviewing Climate Disaster Survivors

• Climate Disaster Project identifies methods to incorporate climate survivors’ accounts in climate reporting: Through deriving testimonies and investigations. 
• GIJN’s Tips for Interviewing Victims of Tragedy, Witnesses, and Survivors offers essential tips for interviewing survivors or witnesses of tragedies and how to ensure informed consent, maintaining sensitivity, and balancing empathy with objectivity.

Misinformation 

• CAAD’S Navigating Climate Misinformation Tip Sheet offers 10 tips for accurate reporting by helping identify climate misinformation in the media.

RENEWABLES

• Columbia Climate School’s Rebutting 33 False Claims about Solar, Wind and Electric Vehicles Report identifies 33 false misconceptions and claims about the three types of renewables with the aim to clarify misinformation and disinformation.

“UNPROVEN” TECHNOLOGIES: CARBON CAPTURE & SEQUESTRATION 

• Solutions Journalism Network’s Tips for Reporting on Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) provides key information and stats on Carbon Dioxide Removal.
• IEEFA’s ‘Carbon Capture and Storage has a poor track record’ Fact Sheet presents critical insights into the disappointing performance of CCS projects, detailing their high rates of failure, underperformance, and limited impact on overall emission reduction.

“UNPROVEN” TECHNOLOGIES: HYDROGEN

• Pembina Institute’s Hydrogen Primer outlines how hydrogen acts as a  climate solution and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Key takeaways on kinds of hydrogen technologies and policies are also listed.

Visuals

• Climate Visuals offers a diverse selection of impactful climate change images to enhance climate reporting. The topics range from Visualising Air Pollution, Climate Causes to Climate Impacts etc.
• Climate Central’s Picturing our Future Tool offers photorealistic and downloadable visuals that show how sea level rise could impact specific locations.
• Re.Climate’s Wildfires and Un-natural Disasters Tip Sheet offers actionable insights on wildfire coverage, emphasizing safety tips, climate context, and effective messaging strategies.
• Re.Climate’s Heat Waves and Un-natural Disasters Tip Sheet provides practical advice for reporting on heat waves while focusing on climate context and effective communication approaches.