Recorded Sunday, May 27, 2012 at Queen's University MiniU. Human activities have affected ecosystems around the world, yet most people are mainly familiar with environmental issues that are local in nature. Ongoing research shows that our activities are affecting ecosystems around the world, often far from the source of the pollution. In many respects, the Arctic is on the “front line” of many of these developing environmental issues, not least of which are those related to climatic change. This presentation will summarize the most recent research which shows how our activities in temperate regions have resulted in striking environmental repercussions in distant ecosystems. A professor in the Department of Biology at Queen’s University, John also holds the Canada Research Chair in Environmental Change. He co-directs the Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Lab (PEARL), a group of over 30 students and other scientists dedicated to the study of global environmental change, especially as it relates to lake ecosystems.