Hosted by the (IRIS) in collaboration with the Ecologically Conscious Organization and Schulich Net Impact clubs, the evening will feature an Old to Gold fashion show that features designs created by 91亚色 students that use pre-loved clothing. Also featured in the fashion show are creations made from vintage clothing聽from Pre-loved, a fashion boutique located in downtown Toronto.

As part of the evening, (left), president & chief strategy officer at EC3, will deliver a special lecture on sustainability. Bowerbank is a respected authority on green buildings, sustainable development, industrial design and low-carbon economics. He regularly draws from his diverse background in efforts to engage industry leaders and support new business strategies in response to current energy and environmental issues. Bowerbank was the executive director of the World Green Building Council from 2007 to 2009.

The evening will conclude with a live music performance. The event is free and open to the community. The dress code is evening casual. As seating is limited, organizers request that those interested in attending this event should visit the website. RSVPs should be e-mailed to irisatyork@gmail.com. The menu will include vegetarian and vegan options in addition to traditional fare.

is an international event that asks individuals, families, businesses and public institutions, to turn off their lights and non-essential electrical appliances for one hour on the evening of March 26, from 8 to 9pm local time, to promote electricity conservation and lower carbon emissions.

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The survey in 2006, asked students what they knew about climate change and resulted in more environmentally friendly course kits (see YFile, April 2, 2008); the assessed the value of urban forest on Keele campus; and the surveyed students about their food choices and needs.

This year's survey looks at volunteerism and engagement on campus. The theme arose following an open space event held during Earth Hour 2010, where community members expressed a desire to explore campus volunteerism and engagement as a means to improve campus sustainability. IRIS researchers聽felt that people would engage in initiatives that they care about, and by exploring the community鈥檚 values, interests and current involvement, a better sense could be achieved on聽how to structure and focus University initiatives.

91亚色 students, staff, librarians and faculty will have an opportunity to voice their opinions on volunteerism and engagement via the IRIS survey.聽To participate, look for IRIS survey stations at the Keele and Glendon campuses, pick up the link from posters around campus, or visit the website. The survey closes Friday, Jan. 21.

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For one thing, those most heavily engaged in environmentalism have become significantly younger 鈥� from middle-aged mothers with higher incomes and education in the 鈥�90s, to adolescents and university students today, Winfield says. And that means increased involvement in an age bracket where traditionally there has been little. 鈥淭his constituency is very important because it鈥檚 a whole new generation that is carrying these values forward.鈥�

It鈥檚 in part because of this that Earth Hour has become an international phenomenon since launching in 2007 in Australia.

This year will be another record-setting event for organizers, as 1,100 cities in 110 countries have signed on to the event 鈥� 100 cities and 22 countries more than last year. It鈥檚 a testament to how broad-based support has become for the environment, experts say.

So much so that sorting our garbage in several ways has become part of our normal, everyday routine in Canada 鈥� an act of 鈥渃omplex social behaviour鈥� that amazes visitors from other countries, Winfield says. 鈥淲hat鈥檚 happening with each successive wave is that the environment is becoming more embedded in our public consciousness.鈥�

To knowingly pollute and show little concern for the environment has become a secular sin, Winfield says. As former US vice-president Al Gore preached in An Inconvenient Truth, it has now become a moral imperative to take care of the planet.

You see it in grocery store lineups, where customers with reusable cloth bags are slowly outnumbering those without. It鈥檚 a subtle shift, driven by peer pressure. 鈥淭hese values have become so deeply embedded that if you鈥檙e not recycling, your neighbours will look down on you,鈥� Winfield says. 鈥淭hose are very powerful drivers.鈥�

Similarly, while the environment traditionally falls off the radar during economic downturns, polls show it has endured as a priority during the latest recession.

But the current wave of public support doesn鈥檛 impress Professor Catriona Sandilands,聽 Canada Research Chair in Sustainability & Culture in FES. It means little if it doesn鈥檛 translate into constructive public policy, she says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 public anxiety over global warming, but the question is, will this mean any long-lasting presence? I鈥檓 less optimistic.鈥�

The climate change talks in Copenhagen were a dismal failure, she says, and Canada has been rebuked globally for being an environmental laggard and an obstacle to progress. Moreover, there鈥檚 been no movement to curtail the tar sands, which she calls a gargantuan blight on our environmental record.

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