Alan Emery

Experience

My research career centred on marine biology using various diving techniques, in the Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic, and Indian Oceans. I have seen the gradual changes – especially in coral reef ecology – that are the direct result of global warming. The result has been a combination of increasing temperature, declining pH, shifting distribution of marine organisms, and decline of relationships in corals with their algal symbionts that has led to extensive coral bleaching and invasion by sponges and macro algae, which in turn destabilizes the ecology of the reef. I have also worked in the Arctic both underwater and on the land, so have watched the relatively rapid changes in Arctic environments as well.

As an undergraduate I carried out the first biological surveys of the Douglas Point nuclear plant, so that has meant a continuing interest and involvement in nuclear energy. I was part of the team developing the energy policy for Ontario in the early 1970s (including siting of nuclear plants) and worked with the International Joint Commission on oil transport and pollution in the Great Lakes. One fun adventure was kick-starting Canada’s Fathom Five underwater park in Lake Huron/Georgian Bay. While President of the Canadian Museum of Nature, I was active in Canada’s role in developing the 1992 Biodiversity Convention (one of the three including Climate Change and Desertification), hosted sessions in the subsequent several conventions of the parties (COP), and enabled the first country study of biodiversity resources (Canada) which was carried out under the museum’s auspices.

My experience with wicked problem approaches includes the work with the Nuclear Waste Management Organization, leading training sessions at the Banff Centre, bringing stakeholders together (CEOs, government executives, Indigenous Elders, Industry associations etc.) to resolve legal, cultural, political, and community issues in the north dealing with mining, tar sands, the effects of climate change, and policy development arising from the COP series of meetings.