Suchergebnisse

We continue to be intrigued by the Scottish Enlightenment. How was it that a relatively remote country on the geographical periphery of Europe—with a harsh climate, a largely mountainous terrain, a strict Calvinist creed, a small population and a history of civil strife—emerged in the 1740s as a "hotbed of genius" and a center of the European Enlightenment? The subject, to be sure, has been well studied. There is an immense literature and it can seem that there is little new to be said. Indeed, it may be, as the eminent historian Colin Kidd has observed in this journal, that "the very concept of the 'Scottish Enlightenment' has become a stale historiographical commonplace." And yet the subject continues to intrigue, continues to attract scholars from a variety of disciplines. For something extraordinary happened in eighteenth-century Scotland. Simply to list some of the names cannot fail to impress: David Hume in philosophy and historical writing, Frances Hutcheson in moral philosophy, Adam Smith in moral philosophy and economic thought, Adam Ferguson in social thought, Thomas Reid in philosophy, William Robertson in historical writing, Hugh Blair in rhetoric and literary studies, James Hutton in geology, and Joseph Black in chemistry. The achievements of the Scottish Enlightenment were immense; its world influence has been enduring. And at its heart was the study of moral philosophy and of the moral progress of humankind.

Global climate change, also known as global warming, is one of the most challenging elements of global environmental change. It atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide and other "greenhouse gases" continue to increase, global mean air temperatures are expected to rise 1.5 to 4.5 C within the next several decades. High-latitude regions are projected to experience above-average increases. What effects would such a warming have in the Canadian Arctic? In a recently completed study of the Mackenzie Basin in northwestern Canada, regional stakeholders provided their responses to the "what if?" scenario of climate change in their region. This scenario includes more frequent landslides due to permafrost thaw, lower minimum annual river and lake levels, more forest fires, and lower yields from softwoods. These impacts could offset potential benefits from a longer growing and ice-free season. Regional stakeholders, including provincial and territorial governments, aboriginal organizations and the private sector, felt confident about their abilities to adapt, so long as climate change would be predictable and gradual. Some potential impacts, however, could be very significant for renewable resources and aboriginal communities, and some stakeholders spoke of intervention into national and international policy arenas to raise awareness of the Mackenzie Basin. ; Le changement climatique mondial, qu'on appelle aussi «réchauffement de la planète», est l'un des aspects du changement de l'environnement planétaire qui présente le plus de défis. Si les concentrations atmosphériques en gaz carbonique et autres «gaz à effet de serre» continuent d'augmenter, les températures moyennes globales de l'air devraient s'élever de 1,5 à 4,5 °C au cours des prochaines décennies. Quelles seront les répercussions d'un tel réchauffement sur l'Arctique canadien? Dans une étude récemment achevée, portant sur le bassin du Mackenzie situé dans le nord-ouest du Canada, les parties concernées ont fourni leurs réponses au scénario d'anticipation du changement climatique dans leur région. Ce scénario comprend une augmentation de la fréquence des glissements de terrain dus au dégel du pergélisol, une baisse des niveaux minimaux de l'année des lacs et cours d'eau, une augmentation des incendies de forêt, et une baisse du rendement des résineux. Ces retombées pourraient neutraliser les bénéfices potentiels d'une plus longue saison de croissance et d'inter-glaciel. Les intervenants régionaux, y compris les gouvernements provinciaux et territoriaux, les organismes autochtones et le secteur privé, se sont dit confiants quant à leurs capacités d'adaptation, pour autant que le changement climatique soit prévisible et graduel. Certaines répercussions potentielles pourraient cependant avoir une importance majeure pour les ressources renouvelables et les collectivités autochtones. Des intervenants souhaitaient même une intervention au niveau de la politique nationale et internationale afin de sensibiliser l'opinion à l'extérieur du bassin du Mackenzie.