Every year,聽graduate assistants working with the Institute for Research & Innovation in Sustainability (IRIS) do a campus survey on a sustainability theme. The first 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 second assessed the value of urban […]
Excessive phosphorus dumps have become a major problem for Canada鈥檚 waterways, says Professor Lewis Molot, an environmental scientist in 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Environmental Studies, wrote the National Post Jan. 6 in a story about a little-known move by the federal government banning the substance: The federal government brought in new regulations last July effectively […]
The cumulative impact of the relentless release of pollutants into the air from Canada鈥檚 "Chemical Valley" affects the members of Aamjiwnaang in a way that is fundamentally unfair, and is now argued to be unconstitutional, wrote Dayna Nadine Scott, professor in 91亚色鈥檚 Osgoode Hall Law School and co-director of the National Network on Environments & […]
The Centre for Research on Latin America & the Caribbean (CERLAC) is calling for papers for its second International Graduate Student Research Conference. The first conference attracted over 70 presenters from Canada, the United States, Europe and Latin America, who presented in 20 themed panels over a two-day period. Expert faculty members helped ensure rich […]
Ontario鈥檚 electricity system will continue to lurch from crisis to crisis until a long-term strategy focused on environmental and economic sustainability is adopted, concludes a study led by 91亚色 environmental studies Professor Mark Winfield. It was聽published in the international journal Energy Policy this month. The study finds that the conventional approaches to electricity system planning […]
"It鈥檚 expensive doing research up there" in the High Arctic, says聽Elizabeth Miller. Flying all your equipment and four months鈥 worth of food and supplies costs thousands of dollars when you have to transfer three times en route from Toronto聽鈥 via Ottawa, Iqaluit and Resolute 鈥 to get to Polar Bear Pass on Bathurst Island. Research […]
A leaked report from the Ontario Fire Marshal鈥檚 Office on the eve of the second anniversary of the massive Downsview explosion at Sunrise Propane blames a tank-to-tank transfer of propane for the blast, wrote the North 91亚色 Mirror Aug. 4: The transfer, which Sunrise had previously been ordered to cease performing, caused liquid propane to […]
Residents of Bala, located about a two hours drive north of Toronto, say they have nothing against hydro power, but fear the $23-million facility and its construction will destroy the tiny town鈥檚 main attraction: the falls that lure curious eyeballs and day-tripper cash, wrote The Globe and Mail Aug. 2: This is one local battlefield […]
The federal-provincial agency that regulates oil activity off Newfoundland is mulling changes to required oil spill plans as newly released documents raise safety questions, wrote The Canadian Press July 27: [The documents]聽include plans for Chevron Canada as it drills the country's deepest exploration well in 2,600 metres of water, about 425 kilometres northeast of St. […]
Gail Fraser, a professor in 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Environmental Studies, spoke about concerns over an oil spill response plan for Canada鈥檚 deepest offshore well run by Chevron, on CBC TV鈥檚 鈥淭he National鈥 and other news broadcasts across the country July 21. Her interview with the National is available on CBC.ca. It runs for approximately 2:30 […]
Today, the shared experiences of those working in education and climate change is the central theme of a one-day symposium taking place at 91亚色. Organized by the Faculty of Education, the Institute for Research & Innovation in Sustainability (IRIS) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Chair聽for Reorienting Teacher Education聽Towards Sustainability, […]
Much of what informs environmental thinking springs from a view that equates nature with sexually straight and queer with unnatural. The editors of a new book Queer Ecologies: Sex, Nature, Politics, Desire, turn those notions upside down. Co-editors Bruce Erickson (PhD 09鈥) and 91亚色 environmental studies Professor Catriona Sandilands, Canada Research Chair in Sustainability & […]
After an eight-year absence, North America鈥檚 largest swallow has returned to High Park, wrote the Toronto Star June 7. An excerpt of the complete article follows: Two pairs of purple martins, known for the purple-black feathers of mature males, are cohabiting in a colony house on the south edge of Grenadier Pond. The birds are […]
A biologist and researcher is asking why none of the six men on the board regulating oil activity off Newfoundland lists environmental expertise as a prime credential , wrote The Canadian Press June 6: The head of the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board has stressed that environmental protection is a top goal. But Gail […]
Six 91亚色 students聽have won聽five awards for their research on Asia or Asian diaspora this year from the 91亚色 Centre for Asian Research (YCAR). Vanessa Lamb (right), a second-year doctoral candidate in geography, is the 2010 Vivienne Poy Asian Research Award recipient. Her research interests include the politics of the environment and development, feminist political ecology […]
The Romans聽were celebrating mothers in about 1250 BCE when they began honouring Cybele, the mother goddess. Even so, motherhood throughout the ages has not always been given the respect it deserves. That鈥檚 something 91亚色 women鈥檚 studies Professor Andrea O鈥橰eilly knows a little about. She is general editor of the recently released Encyclopedia of Motherhood, a […]
Bee expert urges public to create bee-friendly gardens in their yards Breakfast may be toast if we don鈥檛 take action to save the bees, according to 91亚色聽biology Professor and bee expert Laurence Packer. 鈥淐onsider breakfast. Eggs, maybe a slice of watermelon, toast with butter and jam, and a cup of coffee with a dash of […]
Peter Victor, an ecological economist who teaches at 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Environmental Studies, rejects the idea that economic growth is essential to progress, wrote BC鈥檚 Grand Forks Gazette May 19 in an article about replacing the growth economy with a more sustainable model: To prove his point he created a computer model that duplicated […]
Markham councillors are facing new questions on developer influence after voting by a razor-thin margin to kill the town鈥檚 foodbelt proposal, wrote the National Post May 15. Professor Jose Etcheverry has been involved in efforts to preserve the land: Debate ran late into the night at this week鈥檚 council meeting and drew a series of […]
A professor of women鈥檚 studies at Washington State University (WSU), No毛l Sturgeon will lecture and conduct research in 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty聽of Environmental Studies (FES) in the fall 2010 term after being awarded a Distinguished Fulbright Lectureship. Sturgeon鈥檚 internationally known research on the relationship between environmental and social justice movements, her planned collaborative research with 91亚色 faculty […]