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How a lottery-style refund system could boost recycling
Dr. Jiaying Zhao and Jade Radke are featured in the Conversation for their innovative study to increase recycling rates through a green lottery. If done right, offering a chance to win a higher amount of money for recycling can meaningfully increase recycling rates, contribute to a circular economy and allow people to choose the refund option that works best for them.
Tianjia Liu
Assistant Professor, Department of Geography
This is a climate election
Dr. Simon Donner is featured in the analysis of the main party platforms on climate change seems to suggest that emissions would continue a gradual decline under a Mark Carney government, but not under one run by Pierre Poilievre.
March 26, 2026: IRES Faculty Seminar with Dr. Andrew Jorgenson
How does militarization drive climate change? Our next seminar explores how military power fuels global carbon emissions—from national growth patterns to U.S. defense spending and outsourced pollution.
April 16, 2026: IRES Student Symposium with Samantha Blackwell, Anaïs Pronovost-Morgan, Renata Rovelo and Valerie Zimmermann (Last seminar in Term 2)
Join us for our student symposium, given by four IRES grad students!
Talk titles:
1. “Birding is like a gateway drug”: The role of bird observation in urban human-nature relationships
2. Exploring Non-Indigenous City Employees’ Emotions and Responsibilities in the Implementation of Vancouver’s UNDRIP Strategy
3. Listening to the River: Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Relationships with Water
4. Assessing the Impacts of Organic Farming Practices on Farm Economics and Climate Resilience in British Columbia
April 9, 2026: IRES Faculty Seminar with Dr. Kaitlyn Gaynor
This talk explores how human disturbance shapes risks and resources for wild animals, and how responses of animals can have implications for ecological dynamics and human societies. This can help inform more effective biodiversity conservation and human-wildlife coexistence on an increasingly crowded planet.
April 2, 2026: IRES Professional Development Seminar with Rich Francis
This session offers a broad overview of the history and implementation of the US federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known as Superfund, that governs the cleanup of historical hazardous material waste sites.
The age of extinction – Why fear of billion-dollar lawsuits stops countries phasing out fossil fuels
A UN report by Dr. David Boyd has been featured in the Guardian to explain how companies can sue governments for closing oilfields and mines – and this risk of huge damages is already stopping countries from passing green laws!
March 20, 2025: IRES Student Seminar with Sam Gorle and Verena Rossa-Roccor
Talk 1: Simulating the Impacts of Hedgerow Restoration on Metapopulation Capacity in Southern Ontario.
Talk 2: Academics as activists: exploring and building political knowledge mobilization capacities to influence climate policy
April 3, 2025: IRES Professional Development Seminar with Angela Danyluk
So you want to save the planet? Join Angela Danyluk, Manager of Climate Adaptation and Equity at the City of Vancouver, for stories about working in local government on climate action and environmental policy.