Canada is warming at double the rate of the global average caused in part to a fast-growing population and large land transformations, where urban surfaces contribute significantly to the urban heat island (UHI) phenomenon. The federal government released the strengthened climate plan in 2020, which emphasizes using nature-based solutions (NBSs) to combat the effects of UHI phenomenon. Here, the effects of two NBSs techniques are reviewed and analysed: increasing surface greenery/vegetation (ISG) and increasing surface reflectivity (ISR). Policymakers have the challenge of selecting appropriate NBSs to meet a wide range of objectives within the urban environment and Canadian-specific knowledge of how NBSs can perform at various scales is lacking. As such, this state-of-the-art review intends to provide a snapshot of the current understanding of the benefits and risks associated with the implantation of NBSs in urban spaces as well as a review of the current techniques used to model, and evaluate the potential effectiveness of UHI under evolving climate conditions. Thus, if NBSs are to be adopted to mitigate UHI effects and extreme summertime temperatures in Canadian municipalities, an integrated, comprehensive analysis of their contributions is needed. As such, developing methods to quantify and evaluate NBSs’ performance and tools for the effective implementation of NBSs are required.

N-acylethanolamines (NAEs) are endogenous lipid-based signaling molecules best known for their role in the endocannabinoid system in mammals, but they are also known to play roles in signaling pathways in plants. The regulation of NAEs in vivo is partly accomplished by the enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), which hydrolyses NAEs to ethanolamine and their corresponding fatty acid. Inhibition of FAAH has been shown to increase the levels of NAEs in vivo and to produce desirable phenotypes. This has led to the development of pharmaceutical-based therapies for a variety of conditions targeting FAAH. Recently, our group identified a functional FAAH homolog in Dictyostelium discoideum, leading to our hypothesis that D. discoideum also possesses NAEs. In this study, we provide a further characterization of FAAH and identify NAEs in D. discoideum for the first time. We also demonstrate the ability to modulate their levels in vivo through the use of a semispecific FAAH inhibitor and confirm that these NAEs are FAAH substrates through in vitro studies. We believe the demonstration of the in vivo modulation of NAE levels suggests that D. discoideum could be a good simple model organism in which to study NAE-mediated signaling.

Many buildings were designed using building codes that assumed stable climate conditions over their service life. Today, rising greenhouse gas emissions are contributing to more frequent and intense extreme weather events, rendering those assumptions increasingly outdated. Regions previously unaffected by certain hazards may now be facing new risks, increasing pressure on homeowners to undertake unexpected repairs or invest in climate-adapted upgrades; a trend which is expected to grow. Compounding hazards, such as extreme heat, wildfires and wildfire smoke make choosing effective adaptation retrofits complex and increase the risk of maladaptation. This is further intensified by the need to meet other objectives such as emission reductions, affordability goals or a combination of goals. As more groups pursue resilience upgrades, clear, systematic and evidence-based guidance is needed to support sound decision-making, especially since most buildings will undergo only a single major retrofit in their lifetime. This paper proposes a new framework that takes a holistic approach to identifying adaptation retrofits with the aim of minimizing unintended consequences under both single- and multi-hazard scenarios. It outlines the key steps, tools, and resources from hazard identification to implementation and highlights critical research gaps. The framework, along with identified gaps, can guide future research needed for sustainable, low-risk climate adaptation.