January 23, 2020: IRES Faculty Seminar with Lenore Newman

January 23, 2020: IRES Faculty Seminar with Lenore Newman

IRES Seminar Series

Time: 12:30pm to 1:30pm (every Thursday)

Location: AERL Theatre (room 120), 2202 Main Mall

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*** VIEW SEMINAR RECORDING (Audio begins at 4:18min)***

Farm in a Bottle: Implications of the Coming Future of Dairy

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.

Lenore Newman

Associate Professor, University of the Fraser Valley
Director, Food and Agriculture Institute Canada Research Chair 

Bio:

Lenore Newman is the director of the Food and Agriculture Institute at the University of the Fraser Valley where she holds a Canada Research Chair in Food Security. Lenore is also a member of the Royal Society of Canada’s New College. Lenore researches agricultural land use policy, bioengineering in the food system, and the role of food and agriculture in the creation of place. Her first book, Speaking in Cod Tongues, was published to wide acclaim in January, 2017. Her second book, Lost Feast, was published by ECW Press in 2019. She holds a PhD in Environmental Studies from York University.

Website: http://lenorenewman.com/

Faculty Profile: https://www.ufv.ca/geography/faculty-and-staff/faculty-members/newman-lenore.htm

January 16, 2020: IRES Student Seminar with Bronwyn McIlroy-Young and Harold Eyster

IRES Seminar Series

Time: 12:30pm to 1:30pm (every Thursday)

Location: AERL Theatre (room 120), 2202 Main Mall

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*** CLICK HERE TO VIEW RECORDING (Harold 04:08-31:36 ) (Bronwyn 32:38-1:02:06)***

Chemical controversy: exploring scientific disagreements about the assessment of endocrine disrupting chemicals

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) pose a wicked dilemma for science and regulation. EDCs interact with the endocrine (hormonal) system effecting development and reproduction. They are constitutive of numerous products that promote health, nutrition and beauty; however, EDCs also pose a potential threat to human and environmental health. Globally, scientists lack consensus over how to assess EDC risk: some advocate for a precautionary, hazard categorization approach; others for a more permissive risk assessment approach. Each side accuses the other of being unscientific and biased. This controversy has exacerbated difficulties in developing EDC regulation. Our study employed focus groups with scientists supporting a hazard and risk approach. The findings reveal fundamental differences in the framing of the challenge posed by EDCs, including the nature of the EDC problem, influences on chemical policymaking, and the roles of scientists in supporting or impeding effective regulation.

Bronwyn McIlroy-Young

IRES MA Program

Bio:

Bronwyn is a second year Masters student at UBC working with Dr Gunilla Oberg at the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability. She received her Bachelors in Knowledge Integration from the University of Waterloo in 2018 with her honour’s thesis on weather and climate change communication. Bronwyn’s research interests include risk perception, environmental justice, and values in post-normal science. Her Masters research explores scientific controversy around endocrine disrupting chemicals. She hopes her work will help to improve the conduct and communication of science for environmental policy.

January 9, 2020: IRES Faculty Seminar with Rashid Sumaila

IRES Seminar Series

Time: 12:30pm to 1:30pm (every Thursday)

Location: AERL Theatre (room 120), 2202 Main Mall

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*** VIEW SEMINAR RECORDING (Audio begins at 8:30)***

The Global Struggle to Discipline Overfishing Subsidies

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.

Rashid Sumaila

Professor, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries
Canada Research Chair (t1, Interdisciplinary Ocean and Fisheries Economics)

Bio:

Dr. Rashid Sumaila is Professor and Director of the Fisheries Economics Research Unit, University of British Columbia. He specializes in bioeconomics, marine ecosystem valuation and the analysis of global issues, e.g., fisheries subsidies, illegal fishing, climate change and oil spills. Dr. Sumaila is widely published including in journals such as Science, Nature and the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management. He has won a number of awards, including, the 2017 Volvo Environment Prize and the 2017 Benchley Oceans Award in Science. Dr. Sumaila is a FRSC; named a Hokkaido University Ambassador in 2016 and serves on the Board of Oceana. He is also a Faculty Associate in IRES.

IOF Profile: https://oceans.ubc.ca/rashid-sumaila/

Don’t demonise farmers

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.

IRES Seminar Series resumes January 9, 2020 with IRES Faculty Associate Rashid Sumaila

The IRES Seminar Series will resume on January 9, 2020 with speaker Rashid Sumaila.

2019/2020 Canada Graduate Scholarships-Doctoral (CGS D) Program Award Recipient: Jo Fitzgibbons

 

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 support for a high-quality research training experience to awardees, the CGS D program strives to foster impacts within and beyond the research environment.

Jo Fitzgibbons, IRES PhD Student

 

Research Summary:

Jo’s PhD research will expand on her previous work on participatory processes, exploring how relational values can be harnessed to enhance the inclusiveness, communication, and effectiveness of conservation efforts. Specifically, during her PhD, Jo hopes to design and pilot an experimental platform for multi-stakeholder collaboration to advance net-positive sustainability in BC’s Lower Mainland region. The project will test key hypotheses about value-based engagement with the goal of producing an adaptable template for advancing net-positive sustainability at a regional scale. The project will be situated within “CoSphere“, a CHANS Lab initiative that strives to create transformative change in supply chains, conservation, and community-building efforts.”

 

Bio:

Jo Fitzgibbons is a PhD student in CHANS Lab at the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability (IRES) at the University of British Columbia (UBC). With a background in urban planning, geography and international development, her work has always been oriented to issues of inclusion and participation in co-creative processes surrounding sustainability and community resilience.

During her undergraduate studies at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, NS, Jo gained experience facilitating citizen science and community-based research both locally and abroad, on topics ranging from water quality to local economic development. These experiences sparked an interest in issues of equity and representation in participatory processes, which she explored further in her Honours and Masters theses. In 2019, Jo completed a Master’s of Environmental Studies in Planning at the University of Waterloo, where her research examined issues of justice and inclusion in the processes of planning for urban resilience.

IRES Graduate Students on the Global Climate Strike

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 UBC Climate Strike and then marched in the Vancouver Climate Strike downtown.

 

Photo Credit: Rocio Lopez de la Lama

 

Photo Credit: Bri Della Savia

 

IRES students share their thoughts on the Global Climate Strike:

Stephen Chignell (PhD student) Erika Gavenus (PhD student) Narayan Gopinathan (MA student)

What does the climate strike mean to you?

Stephen: It’s embarrassing for me to admit, but the climate strike was the first time I’ve participated in a big public march for something I really care about.  I have strong opinions about a lot of issues, but I wasn’t raised to voice them in an overtly political way, so going out there with a sign and chanting demands for action was a new experience for me.  I found it very empowering to walk around the city with so many people, and I’m excited to do more things like that.

Erika: For me the Climate Strike was a demonstration of our collective understanding that the path we are on now isn’t tenable, and was a commitment to disrupt business as usual.

Narayan: The climate strike means that citizens around the world are uniting to speak up for climate action, and demand an end to business as usual.

What message are you hoping to share with others by participating in the climate strike?

Stephen: The world feels very heavy these days, and climate change looms over all of the other issues in a way that makes me feel very powerless at times.  I guess I want people–myself included–to feel like they have some agency to change things for the better.

Erika: Participating made me think about the many processes, like land dispossession and oppression, and systems, like patriarchy, that are all tied up together in “business as usual”. In marching I wanted to highlight the need to disrupt these aspects of the system as much as we need to transform our energy system.

Narayan: I am hoping to share with the world the message that we must unite in favor of climate solutions. We must phase out fossil fuels and decarbonize our energy systems as rapidly as possible, and we must do so in a way that brings everyone along.

 

Photo Credit: Rocio Lopez de la Lama

 

Photo Credit: Alejandra Echeverri

Kai Chan Named One of Canada’s Clean50 for 2020

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 Ecosystem Services report. Within four weeks of publication, the report was covered in 49 languages and 165 nations, with an aggregate circulation of 20.1 billion. He also helped launch, as a Lead Editor, a new journal—People and Nature—which is providing an open-access venue for high-quality interdisciplinary socio-ecological research. Additionally, Dr. Chan’s research has been cited over 13,000 times, including 110 journal articles.

 

SESSIONAL LECTURER/POST-DOCTORAL TEACHING FELLOW OPPORTUNITY

 

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 be enrolled in a PhD Program) in a related field and have demonstrated an interest in teaching at the undergraduate level.  Successful candidates will also have excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work within a team environment.

 

ASIC 220:  This is an introductory review course, and as such it will provide a comprehensive introduction to sustainability. This means that the coverage of topics will be broad and encompass a number of disciplines including environmental science, economics, political science and psychology. Students are not expected to have a background in any of these disciplines.

 The course will explore questions related to the sustainability for which people may have strong opinions. These include:

  • How and why do humans misuse and abuse the environment?
  • What has a greater impact on the planet’s health: population or consumption?
  • Are economic development and environmental protection incompatible?
  • Can technological fixes solve environmental problems?
  • How do you know if a product or action is ‘green’?
  • Is economics the key? Can ‘getting the price’ solve environmental problems?
  • Are there limits to growth? Can we leave the world better off for future generations?
  • How might we live sustainably and equitably on the planet?

 

UBC hires on the basis of merit and is committed to employment equity. We encourage all qualified persons to apply. The position is subject to Canadian immigration requirements; priority will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

 

Applicants should submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae and names of two referees directly to  ires.applicants@ubc.ca

 

Deadline for complete applications is October 11th, 2019

UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report: The Special Report on the Oceans and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate

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 the ocean and cryosphere.

More than 100 authors from 36 countries assessed the latest scientific literature related to the ocean and cryosphere in a changing climate for the report, referencing about 7,000 scientific publications.

UBC IRES PhD student, Graham McDowell, is a Contributing Author for the report’s High Mountain Areas’ chapter.

 

More information:

High Level Summary: https://www.ipcc.ch/2019/09/25/srocc-press-release/?fbclid=IwAR2_7jg24iuinqeON4sy4-qnkEXvjraF30Cj-zULvMJQR5BgsyN3Ai56lXA

Full report: https://report.ipcc.ch/srocc/pdf/SROCC_FinalDraft_FullReport.pdf

High Mountain Areas chapter: https://report.ipcc.ch/srocc/pdf/SROCC_FinalDraft_Chapter2.pdf

Video overview: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=532751317521304