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The Inside Scoop

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Sports
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Drawing of a character eating a slice of pie with numbers in it.
It’s all fun and games until the football and wrestling questions get asked. ILLUSTRATION: Maple Sukontasukkul / The Peak

By: Isabella Urbani, Sports Editor

Q1: What does the term “and one” apply to in basketball?

  1. Extra time added to the game
  2. What the referee says when a player makes a three
  3. When a player gets fouled in the act of shooting, makes the basket, and gets to shoot their awarded foul shot (100% answered correctly)
  4. What the coach says when they want to make a substitution in the game

Answer: C 

Q2: If a cross country runner said they got a PB in their race, what did they do?

  1. They were disqualified from the race
  2. They failed to finish the race
  3. They recorded their best time in that race category (100% answered correctly)
  4. They beat the record held in that race category

Answer: C 

Q3: In football, how long does the quarterback have on the clock to throw the ball?

  1. 30 seconds  (40%)
  2. 25 seconds (40% answered correctly)
  3. 15 seconds 
  4. 45 seconds (20%)

Answer: B 

Q4: Which two sports have offside rules?

  1. Softball and hockey
  2. Soccer and golf
  3. Lacrosse and tennis 
  4. Hockey and soccer (100% answered correctly) 

Answer: D 

Q5: You just made a bogey, what did you do?

  1. Hit one shot extra than what was expected for the hole (80% answered correctly)
  2. Hit one shot less than what was expected for the hole (20%)
  3. You decided to use one free skip to pass over the hole
  4. You hit the ball too many times for the hole and received a penalty

Answer: A 

Q6: How many balls does the pitcher need to throw in softball to walk a player?

  1. Four (60% answered correctly)
  2. Three (40%)
  3. One
  4. Two

Answer: A 

Q7: If a swimmer has a negative split in their race, they . . . 

  1. Finished the race with the fastest time
  2. Finished slower than their average time
  3. Made an error in the pool which added a five-second penalty to their finished time
  4. Finished the race faster in the second half than the first (100% answered correctly)

Answer: D

Q8: A changeover just occurred in a track race, what happened?

  1. The baton was passed (60% answered correctly)
  2. A runner switched lanes
  3. A new runner moved into first place (40%)
  4. The race is in its last 100 m

Answer: A 

Q9: What is the term in wrestling (which acts like the mercy rule) called?

  1. Full count (40%)
  2. Technical fall (40% answered correctly) 
  3. Deuce
  4. Pinfall (20%)

Answer: B 

Volleyball’s average score: 6.8 / 9 points (75.5%) (B)

Fundamental Rights: Freedom from religion is just as important as freedom of religion

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Opinions
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candlelit prayer
We need to value freedom and reject imposition. Rodolfo Clix / Pexels

By: Cristina Liao, SFU Student
Edited by: Luke Faulks

The overturning of Roe v. Wade is a seismic shift. People around the world have protested this decision as an encroachment against bodily autonomy. It’s a decision that only makes sense if viewed through a Chrisitan lens. The end of Roe is a warning to western democracies: freedom from religion is just as important as freedom of religion.

The decision is wrong because it takes the religious beliefs of just six people and applies them to a country of over 325 million people. The Court, a political body that’s 78% Catholic, should have no right to impose its dogma on a country that’s just 21% Catholic.

The same religious mismatch applies to Congress. Pew Research Centre found that the legislature has “always been overwhelmingly Christian” while only about 20–32% of Americans feel it is important for a president to have “strong religious belief.” A religious Congress that passes its laws onto a population is unfair to whose who don’t practise Christianity.

Just as it’s important to have freedom from religion, it is also important to have the freedom to practise one’s religion that differs from a majority. Now that Roe v. Wade has officially been overturned, some Americans are having trouble seeing the space for their beliefs in the Court’s ruling. Everyone has the right to practice any religion. However, being Christian, Catholic, Muslim, or of any other religious persuasion does not in any way excuse discriminatory policymaking.

Politicians cannot hide behind the words “Christian values” to excuse their actions. In part because it’s deeply undemocratic, and in part, because those same politicians would rebel against different faiths legislating according to their own beliefs. The imposition of Islamic Sharia in western countries is generally a canard, but has generated pushback against immigrants from Muslim-majority countries.

Religious policymaking isn’t just happening in the US. In 2018, Québec legislator François Legault articulated a desire to prevent provincial employees from wearing religious symbols. Where this supposedly secular law comes undone is in Legault’s insistence that the cross transcends religiosity, and therefore cannot be banned alongside the religious items of other faiths. Flashing forward to 2021, and Québec’s top court chose to uphold most of the law. It’s another example of a religious few, in this case, Catholics, imposing religious order on the whole of a citizenry.

As the ACLU states, “The First Amendment to the US Constitution says that everyone in the United States has the right to practice his or her own religion, or no religion at all.” Politicians can be Christian, even openly Christian. Regardless of their faith, they should not be creating laws based on a religion that a large proportion of the population they’re influencing do not practice.

In a free and democratic society, citizens should be free to practise any religion of their choosing. However, it’s important that citizens have freedom from religious demagoguery. We need the freedom to marry the people we want to in flagrant violation of religious teaching. We need the freedom to criticise religious projects when they abuse the rights of others. We need freedom from religion.

Exercising Agency: Quiet quitting is a sign we need to address workplace inequality

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Opinions
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A red and white sign that says for hire
Our cost of living is rising much faster than our wages. Clem Onojeghuo / Unsplash

By: Olivia Visser, Opinions Editor

Recently, news companies and political commentators have latched onto the idea of “quiet quitting” — the practice of only putting in the minimum amount of work required for a job. This can involve avoiding working extra hours or tasks that aren’t in a job description. In every case, quiet quitting highlights the collective burnout experienced by minimum wage workers. Instead of seeing this trend as a symptom of a larger problem with capitalism’s current conditions, conservatives are using it as a scapegoat to uphold toxic work culture mentalities.

What critics call quiet quitting is simply workers setting boundaries that should already exist. The fact that people solely following their job description gets its own defamatory title is a sign something is seriously wrong with North America’s capitalistic work culture. We’re currently living through a crisis of increasing productivity alongside decreasing wages. Our work culture is unsustainable, which is why so many Canadians are working two jobs, or simply checking out emotionally. I can’t blame them.

In order to understand why quiet quitting isn’t just “slacking off,” we need to examine what makes people want to do so in the first place. People working minimum wage jobs are tired of being overworked for wages that don’t cover their basic necessities. Since housing and rental prices are rising much faster than wages, the working class is starting to feel helpless about their material well-being. Minimum wage workers make up 8.8% of our labour force, and they account for a large portion of essential workers. Why should they put maximum effort into jobs with corporations that don’t respect them or their right to a living wage?

People have been asking for a $15 minimum wage for years, but we’re past that point. The average house in Vancouver is now $1.2 million, compared to $180,000 in 1981. Adjusted to match today’s dollar, that equals $486,652. Our wages aren’t catching up to the rising cost of living, as seen by the fact that a third of the province is renting their home. Corporations get away with underpaying workers because of the outdated belief that low paying jobs are unskilled labour, typically since they require different skill sets than jobs in trades or academia. This mentality undermines the colossal impact that underpaid essential workers have on our economy, as highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

There’s no such thing as unskilled labour, just different labour. The problematic myth of unskilled labour allows companies to deem certain jobs as “minimum wage” jobs, and take advantage of employees who already have limited work options. Students and immigrants make up most low paying jobs in Canada due to access barriers.

Society is watching the consequences of late-stage capitalism unravel in front of us. Somehow, we still just can’t make ourselves care enough. Our government needs to swiftly enact living wage legislation and enforce stronger regulations for workplace conditions. Employees should also understand their rights and continue unionizing wherever possible. Labour unions have the ability to stabilize economies and protect fair working conditions through employee-funded mutual aid. It’s time things actually change before class disparities continue to rise, and buying basic necessities becomes impossible.

Monday Music: Songs to cure fall semester blues

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EIC
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“Monday Music” in orange block text on a yellow rectangular background with rounded corners and an orange border.
Monday Music: your weekly themed playlist. Image courtesy of The Peak.

By: Hannah Kazemi, Staff Writer

As yet another summer comes to a close, it’s normal if you’re feeling down about starting school again this fall. The weather gets cooler, mornings start earlier, and the overall cheerful disposition of summertime begins to fade. Below are four songs that are sure to boost your mood.

PHOTO: Artisa Records

“Velcro” by spill tab (feat. Gus Dapperton)

I’ve listened to this song on repeat during my drive up the mountain to SFU countless times with all the windows down and the volume turned all the way up. spill tab is a French-Korean artist whose music, in both French and English, always makes me want to dance and sing my heart out. “Velcro” has a funky electric guitar-heavy bridge that has definitely almost blown the speakers in my car before.

PHOTO: Warner Music France

“Jolie nana” by Aya Nakamura

The vibes are off the chart with this song. Even if you don’t speak French, “Jolie nana” is super fun and easy to listen to. Its chill and laid back vibe makes it a great song to put on when you wake up in the morning and start your day. When I listened to this song for the first time, I couldn’t help but start to dance. Aya Nakamura’s voice is perfection — it’s so smooth you can hear the emotion behind it. 

PHOTO: Polyvinyl Record Co.

“Red Wine” by Grapetooth

This song is a bit more chill and smooth, but really fun and a great mood-booster. It gives me big “I’m on a boat in Greece” vibes, which is great when you really don’t want to go back to school. With a steady rhythm, softer vocals, and some upbeat instrumentals to kick it off, “Red Wine” is the perfect song to put on for your bus ride up the mountain. It’s impossible not to want to vibe to it. 

PHOTO: Sony Music Entertainment

“JAMBO” by Takagi & Ketra, OMI, and Giusy Ferreri

This is the best song to listen to when you’re feeling kind of down about things, because it is an instant mood-booster. I can’t stop my shoulders and hips from moving when I listen to this song. It’s part of the Afrobeat genre and has both English and Italian lyrics — you can feel the fun vibes radiating from it. Best played post-lecture and pre-study session, “JAMBO” is sure to make you want to dance.

Arrieta Art Studio opens in New Westminster

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EIC
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PHOTO: Amirul Anirban / The Peak

By: Nercya Kalino, Staff Writer and Gem Yelin Lee, Copy Editor

Arrieta Art Studio celebrated the grand opening of their New Westminster brick-and-mortar space on September 3. Located on historic Front Street, home to some of the locals’ favourite coffee shops, the studio welcomes you in with a colourful mural by Mishel Arrieta herself: the owner and manager of the studio.

The day before the grand opening event, The Peak interviewed Arrieta to learn more about the studio.

“For the grand opening, I wanted to build off what I already do, which is giving this — the studio — to the artists,” said Arrieta. “I’m trying to get all the things I want the studio to be and put it all in one day.” 

The grand opening featured artist Caleb O’Brien, poet Naaz Sidhu, and Astra Not. To incorporate an engaging art project at the event, visitors were encouraged to paint collaboratively on a large shared canvas. This canvas now resides in the teaching space in the studio, continually revised with leftover paint from the workshops.

Arrieta is the co-curator of the annual pop-up art show in New Westminster called APT POP. One of the first things you see when you walk in is a wall fixture for APT POP where the featured solo exhibitions are displayed, along with a lounge area and the artists’ merchandise for sale. 

Over the past several years, APT POP grew beyond the scope of where it started in co-curator Ben Pilger’s apartment. Each year, Arrieta and Pilger found themselves scrambling to temporarily find or rent a space that would fulfill the project’s needs. Being an artist and educator herself, Arrieta had been searching for a new personal studio space since leaving her old one. Armed with a passionate vision, Arrieta took the lead in searching for a permanent art space. 

Arrieta hoped to reopen her studio and find space for art exhibitions and other creative projects. She found a versatile space in a great location; one that would be able to serve her personal studio needs like teaching art and become the new home base of APT POP.

This was just the beginning of a new chapter for the artist — owning a business in a new location meant a new stream of ideas and new responsibilities.

She explained an important goal for the grand opening celebration was to build connections within the local community. Up to this point, she had mostly taught art one-on-one to children with disabilities and worked alone in her own studio. Through connecting more with the locals of New Westminster, she’s seeing the arts services and opportunities needed by the community and treading new ground — from working in her own bubble to working with all sorts of groups in the community.

“Now I am branching out and I am finding that there are so many groups of people who want to learn art,” said Arrieta. “Sometimes they want it to be in their own group; for example, there are some people who are retired and would like to have an only-retirees group, there’s some others who want to have a mom and baby [group]. 

“There’s a lot of requests, and I think there’s a lot of need.” 

She said a growing pain from this transition was finding a balance between fulfilling community needs, and what she personally wants for the space. 

In addition to fulfilling some of these specific community requests, she plans to have ongoing events such as hosting workshops, solo artist exhibitions, and artist talks. 

PHOTO: Amirul Anirban / The Peak

The warm and eclectic front area which highlights artists and their work, extends into the back, where there is a fairly unexpectedly large space — perfect to hold workshops, teach classes, and hold group events. The large open room in the back will be where the annual APT POP exhibition will take place.

“People come in and ask if I am new, which I am, but I feel like I have been here for so long,” she said.  

September 8 marked two months since the studio’s soft opening, but the space is already the physical representation of Arrieta’s commitment to community and art. 

To learn more about Arrieta Art Studios, shop from local artists, or to sign up for a class, visit them in-person at 707 Front Street, New Westminster or online through their website. 

Study finds frequent breaks are necessary for well-being

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News
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The photo is of a person sitting in front of their computer. Their head is in their hands and they look tired and stressed.
Social media as form of a work break is not found to be productive. PHOTO: Jonadan Cheun / The Peak

By: Pranjali J Mann, News Writer

SFU Beedie School of Business professor Zhanna Lyubykh led a recently published study on the importance of taking breaks from work to increase performance. 

According to the abstract, the research reviewed 83 existing empirical studies pertaining to the “relationship between work breaks and well-being and performance among knowledge workers.” The paper also highlights different categories of work breaks and how they affect the performance of workers differently. They categorized five features of work breaks which includes the initiator, duration of break time, frequency of breaks, activities done during the break, and experience.

To find out more about the research and its implications for students, The Peak interviewed Lyubykh. 

Explaining the motivation behind undertaking the study, she said, “We know on an intuitive level that breaks are good for well-being. But what about performance?” Lyubukh noted some people might hesitate to take breaks because they are time consuming. However, they are an important opportunity for mental recovery. The study revealed breaks are essential to maintain performance. 

Lyubykh noted the majority of the existing studies found a positive correlation between worker breaks and well-being. According to her, this was because taking breaks lowered levels of emotional exhaustion and depression.

Lyubykh’s interview touched on a specific kind of work break — social media. She found it is the most common form of break, used by 97% of people at work. 

“What we see in the data is that social media may have some beneficial effects in the short run, but in the long run it can really harm people’s productivity,” she said. “I would generally suggest taking other types of breaks, especially given how much time we spend on the screen. For example, we’ve seen that engaging in things that are different from your work — exercising, enjoying nature, having a short walk — are usually more beneficial than browsing social media.” 

Additionally, their study found taking unstructured breaks was found to be more beneficial, especially in the case of students. From an organization point of view, Lyubykh mentioned having rigid time slots for a break can be counter productive. Instead she recommended making time for breaks throughout the day, but not scheduling in a strict break time “because breaks are more beneficial when people can choose when they engage in those activities as well as the type of activity they engage in.”

For students, she said it’s important to prioritize breaks, especially when you are most busy. She underlined skipping breaks makes things worse and advised to keep an eye out for the mental indicators of fatigue. 

Horoscopes Sept 12–20

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Humour
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An illustration of a girl with long flowing hair. Astrological signs and stars shine around her.
ILLUSTRATION: Marissa Ouyang / The Peak

By: Max Lorette, Peak Associate and the vessel of an unknowable entity

Aries:

This week, I think you should branch out a little. Go for a walk in nature, collect some sticks off the ground, and join your brethren amongst the forest. I’m not quite sure what this will accomplish, but it feels like a nice September activity regardless.

Taurus:

The Stars have given me a warning for you this week, Taurus. They have informed me constant remarks of “Can you believe it’s September already?” and, “2022 is almost over! It feels like it just started!” will not halt the constant crawl of time passing. They do little but upset the gods of time. Let the passing of days and weeks become a steady stream, lest you invoke the wrath of Kronos.

Gemini:

The Stars have informed me that this week is a perfect time to treat yourself, Gemini! If you’ve been looking for an excuse to finally replace that beat up pair of sneakers you’ve been wearing for several years, this is it. Just don’t blame the Stars for your declining finances.

Cancer:

Listen, I’m just going to say this once. Now that Halloween is approaching, the Stars recommended you avoid making Spooky Season your entire personality for an entire month. The Stars think that you’re a lot better than reusable coffee cups from Wal-mart and Michael’s with silly spooky slogans.

Leo:

Unless you’re up on residence, you probably have a pretty long transit, Leo. The Stars recognize this as a universal experience for all SFU students, but they have specifically told you to put that precious time to use. Take up listening to audiobooks while you drive or ride the skytrain. Did you know most libraries offer them for free? The Stars suggest that you start off with The Necronomicon!

Virgo:

The Stars have a very special task for you this week, Virgo. Listen to me very carefully. In the dead of night, bring a singular black coffee (preferably from Renaissance) to the Avocado in the AQ. Circle the avocado clockwise thrice, then leave the coffee in front of the mirror. Chant, “You are SFU!” thrice before circling the avocado once more, counterclockwise. The Stars won’t tell me exactly what the reward for this will be, only that it shall be grand.

Libra:

The Stars have instructed me to inform you that no amount of fancy stationery shall give you the aura of productivity. Unfortunately, there really isn’t a cheat sheet for that kind of thing. The best thing that you can do is actually study for that upcoming quiz you probably forgot about.

Scorpio:

This week, the Stars are withholding your horoscope unless you are willing to undergo a quest for knowledge. The Stars have long been waiting for a brave student to seek out the forbidden knowledge that has long since evaded them: What actually goes on in the Halpern Centre? Has anyone actually ever stopped to ask that? Wake up sheeple!

Sagittarius:

Times are tough, Sagittarius. The Stars totally recognize that. In this economy, the Stars don’t think that you can really afford to have a freeloader anymore. If you’re struggling on finances, it might be time for you to tell your cat to get a job. Maybe they can pick up a shift at the Catfé? If you don’t have a cat, then tough luck I guess.

Capricorn:

It may be a bit soon, but the Stars have informed me to tell you straight up to stop avoiding taking classes that fulfill your breadth credits. No, seriously. The longer you put those off the worse it’ll be.

Aquarius:

The Stars advise you to take a few days off of social media. It’s seriously becoming a cesspool of terrible takes, and the Stars are concerned that you’re turning into someone who is chronically online. Touch some grass, Aquarius.

Pisces:

The Stars wish to remind you that you can actually get paid for writing for The Peak. Seriously! It’s a good opportunity, it’s easy to sign up for pitch emails, and take up prompts when it strikes your fancy. Who knows! Maybe you can even take up writing the Horoscopes with me! It pays well to become a mouthpiece for dark and unknowable entities dubbed as “the Stars.”

 

Community organisations put out a call to action to protect women amidst housing crisis

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News
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This image is of the downtown east side in Vancouver. Multiple tents can be seen in the middle of an abandoned lot.
Indigenous women are especially affected by this crisis, making up 45% of women experiencing homelessness. PHOTO: Randy Laybourne / Unsplash

By: Chloë Arneson, News Writer

Content warning: This article mentions acts of gender-based violence and violence against Indigenous peoples. 

On August 16, several organisations published a joint press release titled, “Women are not acceptable casualties in the response to the housing crisis.” The organisations who collaborated included the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre, Battered Women’s Support Services, WISH Drop-In Centre Society, and Atria Women’s Resource Society. They condemned the city’s disregard for womens’ safety as the city sweeps homeless encampments in the downtown eastside. 

These encampments, also known as “tent cities” have lined the sides of several streets in Vancouver for many years, offering residents a sense of safety, security, and community. Marie Jameson, who lives in one of these encampments, told North Shore News about the importance this community serves in her life. “These are our neighbours,” Jameson said. “They’re our families. If someone gets sick, we look after them.”

On July 25, Fire Chief Karen Fry issued an order to remove all of the tent cities in the downtown area, citing safety concerns around fire hazards. Vancouver mayor Kennedy Stewart told the Vancouver Sun he supported Fry’s order. He noted Vancouver has recently opened 1,100 units of shelter-rate housing. As city crews continue to dismantle shelters, concerns are being raised as to how this will affect the hundreds of unhoused individuals who are left with nowhere to go. 

The press release condemned “those acts of violence, as well as the continued lack of strategy to address the homelessness crisis.” Specifically, they call upon the city for “a concerted, nuanced action that prioritises women’s safety. 

“Women are among those at greatest risk in encampments,” they said. Alice Kendall, the executive director of the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre, discussed how their organisation sees an increase in gender-based violence due to tent cities. They explained tent cities occur due to overlapping issues including “the housing crisis, opioid crisis, deadly drug supply, lack of appropriate mental health care, and deteriorating access to general health services.” 

“No sustained effort has been made to address the systemic, institutional conditions that give rise to the extreme levels of intimate partner, domestic, and sexualized violence experienced by women in the community,” said Angela MacDougall, executive director of Battered Women’s Support Services. “Considering all this violence, the last thing we need now is the Vancouver Police Department coming to the neighbourhood to bust heads of impoverished and unhoused people.” 

Indigenous women are especially affected, facing both racial and gender-based violence. “These hardships intersect with centuries of sexist and racist colonial policies. And like everywhere, gender-based violence goes often unchallenged, unreported and unnoticed,” the release states.

The community of women-serving organisations is urging the city to create a “structured, concerted, anti-sexist, trauma-informed response” to the crisis. “We cannot settle for tent cities that re-emerge and grow each year,” they state. “Women’s safety cannot wait. Women deserve to be and feel safe in their communities and in public spaces, and women deserve to be safely and appropriately housed.” 

The fallen members of Vancouver’s sports world

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Sports
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A drawing of an orca trying to hold up a basketball, frisbee, and roller skates.f
I’m not one to point fingers, but one businessman played a role in two teams leaving the city. I’m just saying! ILLUSTRATION: Angela Shen / The Peak

By: Isabella Urbani, Sports Editor

The Vancouver Grizzlies (1995–2001)

We can’t start talking about forgotten Vancouver sports teams without starting with the Grizzlies (aka the team with the perfect powder blue jerseys people love to parade around in downtown). In theory, the idea of having a basketball team and hockey team play out of the same arena — the one and only General Motors (GM) Place — was great. Plus, the Grizzles were in operation when Michael Jordan was still playing basketball. Surely, people would flock out to see those games? In practice, a horrible nightmare. 

How bad was it? Well, the original owner, John McCaw Jr., was from Seattle. That didn’t go over well when it came time to acquire local sponsors for the club. The attendance wasn’t anything that stood out on paper for the first few years, but it went rock bottom when the team could barely keep their attendance record beyond 13,000 in a 19,000 arena in their last two years. The real cherry on top was Vancouver never receiving the first overall pick in the NBA draft. This left the team with little to no starpower, and when they eventually got the second overall pick in the 1999 draft, their selection refused to play for the team. Go figure. 

The Vancouver Voodoo (1993–1996)

How the Vancouver Voodoo could fold with a name like that is beyond me. A+ for alliteration. I bet you’re surprised to find out that this was a roller hockey team — one of the twelve founding roller hockey teams in the professional Roller Hockey International league. The league folded three years after the Voodoo’s demise. Just like any other professional sport, the games were aired on television during its brief three-year existence. However, what was unique to this sport was many retired NHL players flipped over to play roller hockey when their career was over. Former Canuck Jose Charbonneau spent a year during the Voodoo’s inaugural season playing for the team while he was still a Canuck. Not to mention, the team itself was also co-founded by former Canuck player Tiger Williams. 

A familiar foe actually played a role in the Voodoo’s disbandment. It was none other than McCaw Jr.! In 1996, the Voodoo started playing at GM Place after playing at both the PNE and the Pacific Coliseum. However, when McCaw bought out Orca Bay Sports & Entertainment, who owned the Voodoo, he put an end to the team. However, the team did finish in first place in their division each year. Post-season? That’s another story. 

The Vancouver Riptide (2014–2017)

I don’t know if you can call this one an oldie, but it definitely wasn’t a goodie. The Riptide finished their final season in the American Ultimate Disc League (AUDL) with only one win in 14 games. The team’s poor showing combined with a lack of community-wide viewership, despite coverage on television, forced the owners to pull the team from the city. In an official statement regarding the decision, co-owner Jim Llyod voiced his frustration about pouring “hundreds of thousands of dollars” into a team the “BC market does not fully embrace.” That may be the case, but the Riptide were also the 10th team in AUDL history to drop out of the league, so maybe there’s a bigger problem there.

SFU student finds bumble bee species declining due to changing climate

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News
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The photo is of a bee sitting on a flower.
Climate change subjects bees to temperatures that are beyond their limits. PHOTO: Sarah Johnson

By: Nathan Tok, Peak Associate

SFU biological sciences masters student Hanna Jackson and her research team recently published a paper in the scientific journal, Biology Letters, on how climate change affects bumble bee populations in BC.

The Peak reached out to Jackson in an email interview to find out more about this landmark study.

According to Jackson, BC has a higher speciation of bumble bees and given their importance in the ecosystem and food production, it was important to understand how they’re being affected.

Jackson explained, “Bumble bees are particularly effective pollinators. Many plants rely on them for pollination that allows them to reproduce and keep our ecosystems functioning.”

Jackson and the research team collected information on all bumble bee observations within North America from 1900 onwards. They also collected data regarding temperature, precipitation and flower abundance variables. A statistical model called an occupancy model was used to see how these environmental variables affected the bumble bee species.

Jackson and the team created two occupancy models. The first looked to see if speciation increased or decreased over the past 120 years. The second model examined how temperature, precipitation and floral resources predicted speciation.

The team found that 37 out of 46 species of bumble bees were adversely affected by temperature changes. Jackson said, “We did note that many of the species that were most negatively affected were species that live in boreal (more northern) climates.

“It is possible that warming temperatures have [led] to bumble bees being subjected to temperatures that are above their limit, leading to that species leaving that place that is now too hot,” explained Jackson.

As bumble bee species tend to be adapted to colder climates, Jackson said, “The negative effect of increases in temperature is not surprising [though] bumble bees’ responses to their environment is very different from species to species.”

As BC is home to a diverse range of bumble bee species, Jackson thinks a few species will increase their range as the climate changes. Though most will find their range inhibited by the changing climate.

Jackson believes the community has a role to play to prevent the decline of bumble bee populations. “People can help by planting gardens with native flowers that bumble bees rely on for food,” she said. Additionally, she suggested participating in community projects. “One easy example is the app iNaturalist where people can take pictures of species they find and scientists can identify them and then use these records in their research.”

Jackson’s research article is available on the Royal Society Publishing website.

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Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

Contact us: [email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society 1965-2024

Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

Contact us:
[email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society 1965-2024