Anxious about the environment? Our new weekly newsletter is here to help

From devastatingwildfires to massivestorms, the extreme weather this yearhas been a reminder that climate change is already happening and we think that's worth talking about.

With that in mind,CBCNews is launching a weekly environmentalnewslettercalledWhat on Earth? delivered to your inbox every Thursday afternoon.

Here's what readers will get every week: A smart, snappy, constructive take on the state of the environment. We will highlight trends and solutions that are moving us to a more sustainable world, as well as what each of us can do, individually, to be more green.

• Sign up here and have What on Earth? emailed to you every Thursday

The newsletter will explore topics such as green energy, ethical eating, plastic packaging, electric vehicles and the "circular economy" (an economic model that aims to reduce waste and encourage the reuseof materials in industry and manufacturing).

While last week's gloomy report from the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change illustrated the risks of damage to the environment in the coming decades, manycountries, companies and individuals are meeting this challenge head-on with positive results.

Without minimizing the scale of the problem, we'd like to keep you informed about thewaysin which people are solving some of the most pressing concerns,especially in Canada.

What on Earth? will draw on a variety ofCBCjournalists, including sciencereporters Emily Chung and Nicole Mortillaro.

The first issue will be published later today. In the meantime, here are some on-topic stories CBC has produced in the last year to get you in a green frame of mind: