Dr. Raymond Desjardins looks back on a life of science

Dr. Raymond Desjardins looks back on a life of science

Dr. Raymond Desjardins, a local agricultural meteorologist, was named a member of the Order of Ontario on Monday, just one of many accolades he’s collected in his lifelong career as a scientist. Originally from the francophone town of Carlsbad Springs, Ontario, he currently resides in the Breckenridge community in the Municipality of Pontiac. The Order of Ontario is the province’s highest civilian honour and is awarded to those whose “contributions have shaped – and continue to shape – the province’s history and place in Canada.”

He said that he’d known about the award for some time, but it wasn’t until this week that they were able to have the in-person ceremony in Toronto.

Desjardins was an innovator in using planes outfitted with special instruments to measure changes in greenhouse gasses from various crops as well as certain types of forest and grassland. He has worked with agricultural associations such as the Dairy Farmers of Canada and published a book in 2008 titled “Better farming, better air – a scientific analysis of farming practice and greenhouse gasses in Canada”.

He said that growing up on a farm, he had always been interested in agriculture, so studying it as a profession was a natural fit.

Desjardins was named a Member of the Order of Canada back in 2019 and is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. He was part of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.

He said that he studied under George Robertson, the first agrometeorologist in Canada, and had high praise for one of his first mentors.

The full interview with Desjardins (17m) is available here.