March 5, 2020: IRES Professional Development Seminar with Tom Hetherington
Posted on: January 3, 2020
People from all walks to life are struggling to cope with the emotional impact of the climate crisis. In this Professional Development Seminar, Tom will share strategies and supports from the “From Climate Grief to Acton (FCGA)” group for dealing with feelings associated with eco-grief and/or climate anxiety, including non-judgmental personal storytelling, building communities of mutual support, mindfulness exercises, and self-empowering action planning.
February 27, 2020: IRES Faculty Seminar with Jiaying Zhao
Posted on: January 3, 2020
A growing body of research suggests that direct cash transfers are an effective solution to reduce global poverty, although most evidence comes from developing countries. The current study is the first randomized control trial in developed countries examining the impact of unconditional cash transfers on homeless individuals. Specifically, we distributed a one-time unconditional cash grant of $7,500 to each of 50 homeless individuals in Vancouver, with another group as controls. Our preliminary data show that the cash transfer results in significant improvements in housing stability, food security, savings, and cognitive function, with no increases in spending on temptation goods. Based on a cost-benefit analysis, the cash transfer results in net savings per person per month via reduced shelter use. Our preliminary findings suggest that unconditional cash transfers can be an effective and cost-effective solution to reduce homelessness in developed countries.
February 13, 2020: IRES Student Seminar with Juan Diego Martinez and Andrea Byfuglien
Posted on: January 2, 2020
February 13, 2020: IRES Student Seminar with Juan Diego Martinez and Andrea Byfuglien
February 6, 2020: IRES Faculty Seminar with Mark Harris
Posted on: January 2, 2020
On December 1, 2019, for the first time in history, Indigenous communities from across Australia danced in unison at the same time, dancing for Country, for ancestors and for healing. For the first time in over 150 years, Corroboree took place on Gundungurra Country (in south-eastern New South Wales). In this presentation I want to juxtapose this moment with the recent history of moves to achieve Reconciliation in Australia that began with the establishment of a Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation in 1991 and was followed by the attempts to comprehend Australia’s history of forced removal of Aboriginal children from the 1900s through to the 1970s (dubbed the Stolen Generations). This presentation will consider this historical context and the question of whether Reconciliation is possible in a settler-colonial society such as Australia and what lessons (if any) might be drawn for non-Indigenous peoples seeking to achieve Reconciliation.
January 30, 2020: IRES Professional Development Seminar with Steve Chignell and Erika Luna
Posted on: January 2, 2020
Scholarly publishing is in crisis. A handful of corporations own most of the world’s top academic journals, making as much as 37% profit from library subscriptions, paywalls, and the volunteered time of researchers. Publishers have also found new ways of monetizing open access, as scholars seeking to make their results open to the public pay thousands of dollars for each paper published without a paywall. Meanwhile, companies have developed a suite of metrics that are now being sold to universities as a way to ‘track impact’ and boost rankings. This increases the pressure to publish, spurring the proliferation of hundreds of new journals of varying quality. This seminar will describe how we got here and how you, as scholars and authors, can navigate this complex system. It will then open into a discussion exploring potential alternatives and challenges to realizing them.
January 23, 2020: IRES Faculty Seminar with Lenore Newman
Posted on: January 1, 2020
The global environmental impact of rising consumption of animal products presents serious environmental challenges. One alternative is cellular agriculture: the production of animal products in-vitro. Such “clean meat” technologies promise improvements in environmental metrics, animal welfare, and human health. This discussion highlights research into the potential impact of cellular agriculture on the dairy industry; though cellular dairy could offer significant ecological benefits, these could be countered by intensification of agricultural activity in equatorial regions for the production of feedstocks for cellular agriculture. Using the concept of telecoupling, an umbrella concept that refers to socioeconomic and environmental interactions over distances, this talk examines the policy landscape needed to prevent unequal distribution of the costs and benefits of alternatives to animal products.
January 16, 2020: IRES Student Seminar with Bronwyn McIlroy-Young and Harold Eyster
Posted on: January 1, 2020
January 16, 2020: IRES Student Seminar with Bronwyn McIlroy-Young and Harold Eyster
January 9, 2020: IRES Faculty Seminar with Rashid Sumaila
Posted on: January 1, 2020
The World Trade Organization (WTO) was tasked with eliminating overfishing fisheries subsidies way back in 2001. This is yet to be accomplished. To support the ongoing WTO negotiations, the Fisheries Economics Research Unit at UBC has been providing fisheries subsidies data and analysis to the global community since the early 2000s. Dr. Rashid Sumaila will present his latest findings and describe the state of play in the struggle to discipline harmful subsidies.
Don’t demonise farmers
Posted on: December 9, 2019
Balsher Singh Sidhu, a PhD student at UBC's Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, wrote an article about agricultural burning and air pollution in North India.
2019/2020 Canada Graduate Scholarships-Doctoral (CGS D) Program Award Recipient: Jo Fitzgibbons
Posted on: November 6, 2019
Congratulations to Jo Fitzgibbons, a 2019/2020 recipient of the Canada Graduate Scholarship Doctoral (CGS D) program! About the Canada Graduate Scholarship Doctoral (CGS D) Program: The objective of the Canada Graduate Scholarships-Doctoral (CGS D) Program is to promote continued excellence in Canadian research by rewarding and retaining high-calibre doctoral students at Canadian institutions. By providing […]
IRES Graduate Students on the Global Climate Strike
Posted on: October 8, 2019
On September 27th, 2019, students, staff, and faculty members from the UBC Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability (IRES) participated in the Global Climate Strike. The department’s Statement of Support for the Global Climate Strike can be found here. UBC IRES Students began the day by making posters out of reused pizza boxes, attending the […]
Kai Chan Named One of Canada’s Clean50 for 2020
Posted on: October 3, 2019
Kai Chan is a Clean16 Honouree for 2020. The 2020 Clean16 are truly the leaders of the leaders in sustainability in Canada. www.clean50.com. Kai coordinated an international team of experts on a ground-breaking analysis of the ways forward, culminating in the “Pathways” chapter of the UN Global Assessment of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and […]
SESSIONAL LECTURER/POST-DOCTORAL TEACHING FELLOW OPPORTUNITY
Posted on: September 27, 2019
The Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability invites applications for the position of sessional lecturer/ post-doctoral teaching fellow for the January – April 2020 period to teach an undergraduate course focusing on an introduction to sustainability. The salary range for this position will depend on qualifications and experience. Applicants must hold a PhD (or […]
UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report: The Special Report on the Oceans and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate
Posted on: September 27, 2019
UBC IRES PhD candidate, Graham McDowell, a Contributing Author for the IPCC Special Report on the Oceans and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate’s High Mountain Areas’ chapter. The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report highlights the urgency of prioritizing timely, ambitious and coordinated action to address unprecedented and enduring changes in […]
UBC ecologist honored by American Museum of Natural History
Posted on: September 26, 2019
UBC ecologist Claire Kremen has been awarded an honorary degree by the American Museum of Natural History. Claire Kremen, a UBC ecologist and biologist whose research involves reconciling agricultural land use with biodiversity conservation, has been awarded an honorary degree by the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH). Kremen received the degree Doctor […]
Congratulations to the September 2019 Graduates!
Posted on: September 25, 2019
Congratulations to our RES & RMES September 2019 Graduates! Sending you all of our best wishes! If you wish to check out the graduate theses & dissertations, click here. Nayadeth Arriagada (MA) Supervisor: David Boyd Poushali Maji (PhD) Supervisors: Milind Kandlikar Marco Vazquez Perez (MSc) Supervisor: Gunilla Oberg and Daniel Steel Sean Smillie (MSc) Supervisor: […]
UBC IRES – Statement of Support for Global Climate Strike
Posted on: September 20, 2019
September 20, 2019 The Institute of Resources, Environment and Sustainability dedicates its teaching and research to solving critical sustainability challenges. Our research is fundamentally linked to the search for climate solutions and we are deeply committed to climate research and education. We recognize the need for a drastic shift in public policy to combat the growing threat of climate change and […]
2019/2020 Canada Graduate Scholarships-Master’s (CGS M) Program Award Recipients
Posted on: September 16, 2019
Congratulations to the 2019/2020 recipients of the Canada Graduate Scholarships Master’s (CGS M) program! About the Canada Graduate Scholarships Master’s (CGS M) Program: The objective of the Canada Graduate Scholarships-Master’s (CGS M) Program is to help develop research skills and assist in the training of highly qualified personnel by supporting students who demonstrate a high […]
Congratulations Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS) Award Winner Stephen Chignell
Posted on: September 12, 2019
Congratulations to Stephen Chignell for recieving the the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS).
November 28, 2019: IRES Professional Development Seminar with Navin Ramankutty and Terre Satterfield
Posted on: August 20, 2019
November 28, 2019: IRES Professional Development Seminar with Navin Ramankutty and Terre Satterfield