Selected Writing
Enterprise was among the hardest hit during the 2023 wildfire season. Today, a fractured community searches for answers.
The Globe and Mail, April 17, 2026
What should we learn from another Northwest Passage close call?
While the Thamesborg freighter's grounding could have been worse, with Northwest Passage shipping on the rise, experts say the risks are increasing.
Cabin Radio, September 23, 2025
A mineral rush in the North risks eroding years of consultation on the Nunavut Land Use Plan — and when it comes to protecting the land, time is running out.
The Narwhal, August 14, 2025
What an effort to save Arctic sea ice means to the people who depend on it
Five residents of Cambridge Bay, Nvt., reflect on their connection to ice and the changes they are seeing.
The Narwhal, July 3, 2025
On solid ice: the plan to refreeze the Arctic
As sea ice melts, Inuit cultural traditions are at risk of disappearing too. Could a geoengineering experiment save them?
The Narwhal, June 21, 2025
How NWT power changes aim to promote community-led clean energy
Examine the detail under the hood of recent NWT government announcements that are set to change the way energy policy works in the territory. What's the goal?
Cabin Radio, April 28, 2025
We know how to protect homes from wildfires. Why don’t more people do it?
It’s not a mystery why some houses survive catastrophic fires while their neighbours burn. Still, few people follow FireSmart recommendations — these experts are trying to fix that.
$375M Indigenous-Led Conservation Deal Just Signed in the Northwest Territories
The agreement uses a Wall Street-inspired approach to conservation finance, with 380,000 square kilometres of land and water in its scope.
The Narwhal, November 21, 2024
Paulatuk's Long Road to 100-Percent Renewable Energy
The Arctic coastal hamlet of Paulatuk has set an "incredibly ambitious" target of generating all electricity and heat from renewables. How could that happen?
Cabin Radio, May 27, 2024
A Weird Winter on One of the North's Most Isolated Highways
"If this is climate change, we better be way more prepared." Even by the Dempster Highway's standards, last winter was difficult. It might be the future.
Cabin Radio, May 7, 2024
A Lot More Water Is Flowing Through This NWT River. Why?
One NWT river is behaving in a way the others aren't, prompting scientists to ask: Where is all the water coming from?
Cabin Radio, October 18, 2023
What Wildfires Might Mean for Your NWT Water Supply
Wildfires are known to affect water in many ways—sometimes making it harder to treat. Here’s why some experts are concerned about the NWT.
Cabin Radio, September 19, 2023
How a Crew of Yellowknifers Fed Workers in Their Evacuated City
These Yellowknifers created extraordinary meals from anything left in stores and gardens to feed firefighters defending the evacuated city. Here's their story.
Cabin Radio, September 4, 2023
How Will the NWT’s Fires—and Its Evacuations—Come to an End?
When do we get to go home? "When it's safe." But what counts as safe to the NWT's fire crews, and how do we get the fires to that point? We asked.
Cabin Radio, August 22, 2023
Do Endangered Species Laws Set Culturally Meaningful Targets?
Definitions of recovery under endangered species laws are one thing. Restoring numbers to the point of Indigenous food sovereignty is another, a new paper says.
Cabin Radio, June 5, 2023
Canada Wants More Indigenous Knowledge in IPCC Climate Reports
"There is clearly work to be done." Canada's delegates to the IPCC have requested the inclusion of more Indigenous knowledge in future major climate reports.
Cabin Radio, April 11, 2023
Lack of Transparency Angers Communities Affected by Tailings Leaks
A months-long wastewater leak and a separate, huge spill at a northern Alberta oil sands mine have unnerved communities nearby—as has Imperial Oil's approach.
Cabin Radio, March 3, 2023
Why Biomass District Heating Could Help Decarbonize the North
Biomass systems in Canada often heat two to five buildings, but the North is crying out for larger-scale heating solutions. Where does NWT biomass go from here?
Cabin Radio, February 15, 2023
As Permafrost Thaws, Experts Learn to Build on Shifting Ground
We're slowly learning how to build for the long term on frozen and thawing ground, and those lessons are making their way into everyday use. But it's a process.
Cabin Radio, December 23, 2022
NWT Research Facility Sustains Major Wildfire Damage
"A gut punch." The Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́ First Nation says the NWT's Scotty Creek research station has been almost completely destroyed by a forest fire.
Cabin Radio, October 19, 2022
More Men Are Seeking Out Testosterone Tests. Are They Getting Duped?
Online low-T services have proliferated during the pandemic. But treatment can come with risks.
New York Times, August 3, 2022
Warning! Signs Are Not Enough to Save Beachgoers from Deadly Currents
Keeping people out of rip currents is more about reading human behavior than reading warning signs.
Hakai Magazine, June 14, 2022
A Mad Dash to Save Stranded Crayfish
When masses of crayfish end up on the beach after an algal bloom strips oxygen from the water, South African communities and authorities race to ship the valuable crustaceans back out to sea.
Hakai Magazine, June 13, 2022
Cracking Autism's Sleep Conundrum
Sleep problems may contribute to, or derive from, autism traits — or both. After decades of work, researchers are beginning to uncover the biological connections between the two conditions, revealing new paths to potential treatments.
Spectrum, February 25, 2022
Cold Water Plunges Are Trendy. Can They Really Reduce Anxiety and Depression?
Early research suggests this age-old practice might benefit mental health, but more research is needed.
New York Times, February 21, 2022
Scientists can now borrow the bodies of one fish species to produce another — whether they should, though, is an open question.
Hakai Magazine, September 28, 2021
Finding a Path Forward for Fragile X Drugs
The stubborn lack of treatments for fragile X syndrome is spurring researchers to revise their clinical trial techniques and revisit old drug candidates.
Spectrum, September 23, 2021
Researchers are working to find the best ways to help soggy ecosystems recover.
Sierra, July 27, 2021
Can We Live to 200? Here's a Roadmap
In the last century, the average human life expectancy doubled. Here's a roadmap to the innovations that could help us do it again — maybe.
New York Times Magazine, April 27, 2021
As South Africa Clings to Coal, A Struggle for the Right to Breathe
Close ties between the ruling elite and the coal industry have helped perpetuate South Africa’s dependence on the dirtiest fossil fuel for electricity. But now residents of the nation’s most coal-intensive region are suing to force the government to clean up choking air pollution.
Yale Environment 360, November 24, 2020
Peck by Peck, Seabirds Are Eating Live Whales
Giant petrels see surfaced whales as a swimming snack bar.
Hakai Magazine, October 15, 2020
The Art of Turning Fish Into Leather
Fish skin leather was once common in fishing communities; now artisans and designers are breathing new life into the tradition.
Hakai Magazine, April 28, 2020
Esvelt's career has gone from straight science into ethics and safety.
Inverse, April 1, 2020
Meet the Scientists Who Pollute Lakes on Purpose
For half a century, researchers have been spilling chemicals in the waters of northwestern Ontario.
Atlas Obscura, July 30, 2019
From Canadian Coal Mines, Toxic Pollution That Knows No Borders
Massive open-pit coal mines in British Columbia are leaching high concentrations of selenium into the Elk River watershed, damaging fish populations and contaminating drinking water. Now this pollution is flowing across the Canadian-U.S. border, threatening the quality of U.S. waters.
Yale Environment 360, April 1, 2019
For updates on my work, find me on Bluesky @chloewilliams.bsky.social or LinkedIn.