Alaa Hassan’s project, “Vital Signs,” shows a country in transition.

After delaying an earlier ultimatum, the European Union has passed a new sanctions package against Russia. The sanctions come as a result of Russia rejecting plans for a 30-day ceasefire that the US, the UK, and Ukraine signed off on, bringing negotiations to a standstill. What is the potential impact of further sanctions, given the current state of the Russian economy?

Summer is in full swing in India, and many cities are experiencing scorching heat, fueled in part by climate change. And in India’s bustling cities, as the sun sets and the worst of the day’s heat subsides, a sinister threat emerges: high nighttime temperatures. But some low-tech solutions may help address the problem. 

Alaa Hassan was 25 years old when the uprisings against Bashar al-Assad began in Syria. He was part of the movement that grew quickly against the former president, and turned into a civil war. In 2013, facing mandatory military conscription and the death of some of his closest friends at the hands of security forces, Hassan decided to leave the country. It wasn’t until last December, when the Assad government fell, that he was able to return. Now, he has a new mission: to document both the loss and the rebirth of his country.

As part of The Big Fix series, Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Chris Bataille, a fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, about the state of small modular nuclear technology and Ontario’s plans to construct four of these new reactors.