Summer Internships in Sustainability Do Exist!

Published June 28, 2011 by iris_author

As an MBA student at the Schulich School of Business at York University interested in sustainability, I started to wonder late this spring what summer internship opportunities are actually available in The City of Toronto? As my friends and colleagues, one by one, received internship offers at financial institutions, consulting firms, consumer packaged goods companies etc. I began to wonder; maybe the summer internship in sustainability was just an urban myth? An experience reserved for the sibling of a friend of a friend…

I can now say, from firsthand experience, that there are opportunities to work in Sustainability. You just need to find them! Talk to anyone and everyone you know – and even people you don't - and let them know what you are looking for. I was able to secure a 16 week internship with the City of Toronto Environment Office (TEO) supported by a grant from York University and the Knowledge Mobilization Unit.

In addition to blogging on the IRIS website, my primary focus is on Climate Change Adaptation. Adaptation? You ask, as you scratch your head quizzically? What is that? I thought we were focusing on mitigation, you know, reducing our Greenhouse Gas emissions?!?

Well, you are right, we are still focusing on reducing our GHG emissions, but TEO is also recognizing that our climate is changing and we are currently experiencing more extreme weather events (remember all that rain in May or the record breaking heat on June 8^th??). There was a great article in the Globe and Mail on Saturday June 4^th, 2011 that further explains adaptation and actions currently being undertaken in Toronto

I have been at TEO for just over a month now, so I can say with some credibility, that it is going to shape up to be a pretty exciting summer! I am working on some really neat projects with regards to Climate Change Adaptation in the Toronto region and with the upcoming Live Green Toronto Festival on July 16^th.

In the coming weeks I hope to be able to update you on my projects!

IRIS Core Faculty Member Awarded Molson Prize

Published June 23, 2011 by iris_author

The following is from the Wednesday, June 22, 2011 edition of the YFile

York environmental studies Professor Peter Victor has been named the recipient of this year’s prestigious Canada Council Molson Prize in the social sciences for outstanding lifetime achievement.

Victor, a renowned research professor in York University’s Faculty of Environmental Studies, is being recognized for his trailblazing research which has led to the emergence of a new discipline named ecological economics. The $50,000 Molson Prize is presented by the Canada Council for the Arts in collaboration with the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council.

Two awards are bestowed upon Canadian scholars annually to honour their lifetime achievements and ongoing contributions to Canada’s cultural and intellectual life. Prizes are awarded in the social sciences and humanities category, or in the arts, with one prize offered in each category.

“A distinguished environmental economist, Peter is a most commendable choice for the Molson Prize,” said Stan Shapson, York’s vice-president research & innovation. “Peter has earned international recognition for his important contribution to the field of environmental studies and his commitment to research excellence. His recent book – Managing Without Growth – has received international attention. His work is a prime example of the leadership York University’s research-intensive faculty members continue to provide in order to advance knowledge and develop solutions to the many challenges we face in our everyday lives.”

A top expert in his field, Victor has examined environmental issues as an academic, consultant and public servant for more than four decades. His pioneering research explores the many ways in which the economy is embedded in and dependent on the environment.

“Professor Victor has demonstrated that we, as a society, can explore novel approaches to managing without economic growth while sustaining our environment and improving our lives,” said Barbara Rahder, dean of York's Faculty of Environmental Studies. “His groundbreaking research can have a far-reaching impact on how people all over the world can develop healthy communities for generations to come.”

Victor has written Managing Without Growth: Slower by Design, not Disaster, among several other publications. His extensive portfolio currently includes serving as a member of the advisory committee on the National Accounts for Statistics Canada, the academic advisory panel of TruCost, the board of the David Suzuki Foundation, the board of the New Economics Institute, and the editorial advisory boards of several academic journals. He was also recently appointed chair of the Greenbelt Council of Ontario (see YFile, June 2).

Bringing a Democratic Canadian Perspective to the Climate Change Conference in South Africa: TAKING ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Published June 23, 2011 by iris_author

Who are we?

We are a growing network of researchers, film makers, activists, indigenous peoples, students, teachers, and youth who want to encourage dialogue about climate politics by creating democratic spaces where all Canadians and other international guests can participate in discussions about what a changing climate means at home, across Canada and internationally -- and what we can do about it! We are inspired, hopeful, and engaged Canadians and early career researchers.

What are our objectives?

To connect Canadians who have something to say or share about their experiences within a changing world.

>>>> LET’S SHARE!

To work together to voice the important issues that should be the focus of climate politics at the upcoming November COP 17 meetings in Durban, South Africa, and thereafter.

>>>> LET’S ACT!

What are we going to do?

York University’s Institute for Research and Innovation in Sustainability (IRIS) and the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) would like to co-host a virtual workshop September 27-29, 2011 to organize in advance of the 17th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties in Durban, South Africa (COP 17). The agenda is being developed through an online collaborative process. Content prepared before, during and after the workshop will be disseminated widely using IRIS, APECS, IsumaTV and other websites (e.g., blogging, webcasts, and news feeds). Prior to the workshop, each attendee’s research objectives, findings, and discussion questions about problems yet to be addressed will be made available on partner websites. This will allow workshop sessions to focus on discussion and development of more targeted questions. This process is being used to prepare proposals for COP 17 Side Events.

In other words, as a collective group, we will need to:

1. decide on 3-4 possible side event application topics and elect coordinators (from the organizing committee and/or workshop attendees) to lead discussion and development (online sharing of resources) of each application for COP 17 (July 2011);

2. submit side event applications through York or other eligible organizations with observer status (August 16-19, 2011); and,

3. participate in pre-COP 17 workshop(s) based on our side event proposals in preparation for COP 17 (September, 2011).

Why is this important?

In 2009, York University’s IRIS hosted its first Ecojustice Conference which brought together activists and academics from the Global South and the North to discuss climate change and community-based responses. Participants worldwide agreed on the need to discover new ways to mobilize, respect traditional knowledge, incorporate community assets and needs in policies, and cherish diversity. Our hope is that this September's workshop, Climate Justice II, will help build a network of researchers and community members interested in being part of an ongoing knowledge co-production process by creating a space for imaginative dialogue leading up to, into, and beyond COP 17.

Why get involved?

Participation in Climate Justice II will allow attendees to share their experiences formally (film screenings or presentations) and informally by identifying and engaging in dialogue about issues they care about. The themes selected for inclusion in the workshop will be used as the basis to propose a range of side events at the COP 17 meeting, and other actions. We hope to send representatives to Durban, and to continue our collaboration on climate justice, action and politics.

Partners in democratic action on COP 17

York University’s Institute for Research and Innovation in Sustainability (IRIS: http://www.irisyorku.ca/)

Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS: http://www.apecs.is/)

Isuma Productions (http://www.isuma.tv/isuma-productions)

Others are welcome!!

For general inquiries please contact rhirsch@yorku.ca.

Presentation: The Under Storey – The Forgotten Forest Layer

Published June 23, 2011 by iris_author

Registration recommended

Date: Wednesday July 6, 2011, 7:00pm to 8:30pm
Location: North York Civic Centre, Council Chambers, 5100 Yonge St, Toronto
Hosts: LEAF with East Don Parkland Partners and North American Native Plant Society
Cost: Free
Door Prize: LEAF Native Garden Kit (perennials, shrubs and suggested garden designs)

Paul Heydon, engaging biologist and native plant expert, will be our guide on a visual journey through the mysterious forest under story. Get a glimpse of the beautiful and unique life forms that make up this delicate layer of the forest, and walk away with practical ideas about native plants suited to the shadier areas of your own yard. This talk will make you see the forest in a whole new light!

From a young age, Paul Heydon was a natural biologist. Identifying plants in the fields across the road from his parents house turned into a lifelong passion. He graduated from the Forestry program at Sir Sandford Fleming College in 2001, and from the Honours Bachelor of Science program in biology at Trent University in 2006. In 2001, he opened Grow Wild, a native Plant nursery and has recently completed a large species at risk study for Parks Canada about Engelmann's Quillwort in the Muskoka's. He has worked with many organizations such as Friends of the Rouge Watershed, Toronto Region Conservation Authority, Kawartha Conservation and Parks Canada to provide consulting advice, plants, and restoration work.

Invitation to a Joint Ryerson University/York University Workshop on Energy

Published June 23, 2011 by iris_author

George Vari Engineering Building, Ryerson Campus, Room ENG-LG06

245 Church Street, Toronto, ON

10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m

In April 2011, the deans of York’s Faculty of Environmental Studies and Faculty of Sciences and Engineering and the dean of Ryerson’s Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Science met to explore the potential for collaboration on energy-related research, scholarship and learning.

One of the main outcomes of this meeting was a commitment to hold a workshop to facilitate the sharing of past and present work, as well as to outline future interests in an effort to build bridges between our institutions and across disciplines. This commitment recognizes that independent academic pursuits simply cannot address the multifaceted and complex research needs required to support the ongoing, global transformation of the energy sector into one that is highly efficient, low carbon, distributed and intelligent.

Invited are all faculty and students engaged in energy-related research to join us for a one-day workshop on Tuesday June 21 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in ENG LG06. If you are interested in attending this workshop, please RSVP to Lynda O’Malley at lynda.omalley@ryerson.ca or 416 979 5000 x 2974.

This will be an exciting day of sharing of research, ideas and energy-related issues!

10:00 a.m. Peter Love, Research Fellow, CUE, Ryerson University and Adjunct Professor, FES, York University – Opening words

10:05 a.m. Dr. Mark Winfield, Assistant Professor and Coordinator Joint MES/JD Program, FES, York University – Welcome on behalf of Dean Barbara Rahder, FES, York University.

10:25 a.m Dr. Russell Richman, Assistant Professor, Architectural Science, Ryerson University – “The Sustainable Buildings Group - Current Research and Future Direction”.

10:45 a.m. Dr. Jose Etcheverry, Assistant Professor, FES, York University – “Renewable Energy Technology Transfer” (invited)

11:05 a.m. Robert Hellier/Dr. Bala Venkatesh – “Research at the CUE”.

11:25 a.m. TBA

11:45 a.m. Question and Answer

12:00 noon Lunch – tour of CUE

1:00 p.m. Dean Mohamed Lachemi, FEAS, Ryerson University – A few words of welcome

1:15 p.m. Dr. Mark Gorgolewski, Professor, Architectural Science and Director of the Graduate Program in Building Science – “Net Zero Energy Home Project”.

1:35 p.m. Dr. Helmut Burkhardt – “The Sunovar: A portable solar thermal collector as a hands-on teaching tool”.

1:55 p.m. Dr. Mark Winfield, Assistant Professor and Coordinator Joint MES/JD Program, FES, York University – “Sustainability, Conservation and Renewal: Towards a Sustainable Electricity System for Ontario”.

2:15 p.m. TBA

2:35 p.m. Question and Answer

3:15 p.m. Next Steps

3:30 p.m. Peter Love, Research Fellow, CUE, Ryerson University and Adjunct Professor, FES, York University – Closing Remarks

Fin

Sustainability Job Growth Only Tied to Other Pertinent Skills

Published June 23, 2011 by iris_author

The following appeared on the San Tan Valley Today website Wednesday June 15th 2011

June 15, 2011 — Many people think the next big job boom will happen in the area of sustainability. Research from the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University shows a huge percentage of employers are already giving positive weight to job candidates with sustainability skills. However, the same research indicates these job applicants also need professional training in existing fields, to push them over the top in the hiring process.

“Right now, sustainability jobs in business are linked to existing organizational structures,” says W. P. Carey School of Business Professor Kevin Dooley, who authored the research. “You’re probably not going to find a sustainability department in many companies, but employees with skills and interest in sustainability will get assigned to related projects and move up the ladder. Job candidates with both sustainability skills and a solid professional background in a field like business or engineering are receiving job offers that far exceed what’s warranted in the current market, and that’s because there aren’t many of them.”

Dooley analyzed about 100 job postings related to sustainability, interviewed several corporate sustainability managers, and surveyed about 200 managers and executives from small, medium and large companies. Across the board, companies valued sustainability training. In the surveys, 65 percent of small-company respondents said they would consider a sustainability concentration when making a hiring decision, 87 percent of the large-firm respondents agreed, and a whopping 97.5 percent of the large-firm executives, in particular, said they would value the concentration.

The survey participants also said certain sustainability-related topics should be taught to all managers and executives. These areas include corporate social responsibility, sustainability strategy, measuring sustainability, sustainability-related product and process improvement, and environmental and health policy and business.

“There is an indication that companies are beginning to hire executives in sustainability-related positions, and it won’t be too long before these executives fill out their staffs with lower-level positions,” says Dooley, who is also academic director of The Sustainability Consortium, a group working to drive innovation to improve consumer-product sustainability. “Also, more ‘green’ companies and non-governmental organizations are emerging, and they need all types of professionals in management, marketing, accounting, purchasing and other fields, who also have knowledge of sustainability.”

Dooley says job applicants who receive “golden opportunities” are those with dual degrees in sustainability and another professional field, or those with an undergraduate degree in one area and a graduate degree in the other.

“Sustainability is solutions-focused,” explains Christopher Boone, associate dean for education and professor in ASU’s School of Sustainability. “Our students want to tackle real-world problems, and we want our students to demonstrate to future employers why a sustainability approach adds value to organizations. As such, students in the School of Sustainability are required to have a meaningful internship or participate in a client-driven workshop. As our alumni network grows and sustainability becomes mainstream, I see fantastic opportunities for students with a sustainability education.”

A student’s opinion of Bob Willard’s talk on the Sustainability Advantage

Published June 20, 2011 by dbazely

Last week, here at the Institute for Research & Innovation in Sustainability (IRIS), we were very fortunate to be able to host a talk by Dr. Bob Willard and to launch his latest book, The Sustainability Champion’s Guidebook. I enjoyed the talk very much because; this book succinctly explains the case for why a sustainable business is a smart business. What personally struck me was the fact that, being a Human Resources management student, I have been taught that change has to be top down in order for it to be effective. We learn in our course, that it is top management’s responsibility to create a vision and ensure that the whole organization shares that vision. Top management has to “walk the walk and talk the talk” to show commitment to any significant change. However, this perspective does not allow us to take into account of how change can be initiated at any level of the organization. Dr.Willard’s new book, The Sustainability Champion’s Guidebook, calls for a paradigm shift and emphasize the fact that any employee, regardless of their position can encourage and initiate change. This book provides a step-by-step guide on how to inspire a shared vision and mobilize commitment and embed and align change within any organization. Dr. Willard kindly shared his slide show with us.

Comments on OPA 2011 IPSP Planning and Consultation document

Published June 17, 2011 by iris_author

This blog was originally published on Professor Mark Winfield's blog.

June 17, 2011

Ontario Power Authority
IPSP Consultation
120 Adelaide St. W., Ste 1600
Toronto, Ontario M5H 1T1

Re: Submission on Planning and Consultation Document.

To whom it may concern,

I am writing to you to provide my comments on the IPSP Planning and Consultation Document

I general I note that the OPA is largely proposing to follow the same approach to the development of the 2011 IPSP as it followed with the original 2007 Plan. Such approach seems likely to reproduce many of the problems that emerged with the original IPSP, particularly with respect to the consideration of environmental sustainability in the development of the plan, as documented in the attached paper authored by myself and colleagues at York University and the University of Waterloo, and published in the international journal Energy Policy August 2010. The OPA’s approach is particularly surprising in light of the developments from 2006 onwards with respect to electricity demand in Ontario, the outcome of the province’s new build nuclear procurement process, continuing serious questions about the capacity of either of the proponents in the 2009 procurement process to file viable new bids in the forseeable future, the Fukishima nuclear disaster, continuing delays and cost-overruns involving current nuclear refurbishment projects in Ontario, the response to the Green Energy and Green Economy Act and changes in the North American natural gas supply and market. Indeed, these developments indicate that fundamental assumptions that underlay the 2007 IPSP were flawed, and that a different approach to electricity system planning in Ontario was required.

I am particularly concerned regarding the reliablity of the demand forecasts to be incorporated into the second IPSP. My understanding is that the medium demand forecast on which the plan is to be based reflects peak demand and annual consumption net of successful conservation efforts as per the province’s conservation targets as expressed in the February 2011 Supply Mix Directive. However, in reviewing recent and historical patterns of electricity demand in Ontario, the projections would seem more reasonable estimates of potential demand before the impact of conservation is taken into account. Many of the points on this matter raised by the Pembina Institute in its 2006 submission on the IPSP demand forecast seem to me to remain relevant today. I therefore attach that document, for which I was the primary author, to this submission (http://pubs.pembina.org/reports/Com_OPA_IPSP_DP2_Load.pdf)

A plan based on these forecasts, if net of conservation, would suggest that either:

1) The plan will result in a massive overbuild of supply if the province’s conservation efforts are successful; or
2) The plan is assuming that the conservation will in fact, largely be unsuccessful and that a realistic demand scenario will have to be meet through supply-side options.

The demand forecast on which the 2011 IPSP is to be based should be reviewed in light of these considerations and a more realistic forecast employed as the basis for the plan.

Yours sincerely,

Mark S. Winfield, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Coordinator Joint MES/JD Program
Chair, Sustainable Energy Initiative
Faculty of Environmental Studies
York University
4700 Keele St.
Toronto, Ontario
M3J 1P3
Tel: 416-736-2100 ext. 21078
Fax: 416-736-5679

Metro Vancouver Walk21 Conference

Published June 16, 2011 by iris_author

Join Us!
In 2011 the International Walk21 Conference is being hosted by Metro Vancouver. The conference's metropolitan focus involves municipalities in the region, health authorities, Translink, the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University, as well as the regional government. Metro Vancouver has teamed together to create an innovative conference focusing on the best practices for urban design, transportation mobility, and health promotion to provide the best places to walk to and through.

We invite you to join us in Metro Vancouver, Canada for the 2011 Walk21 Conference, Oct 3-5. We are proud to host the 12th conference in an international series encouraging and inspiring the best possible environments where people choose to walk. Come and walk with us!

Click Here to Register

Upper Beach Tree Tour

Published June 16, 2011 by iris_author

Join LEAF and Ward 32 Beaches-East York Councillor Mary-Margaret McMahon as we learn about the the trees in this neighbourhood. During the tour, led by LEAF's Lauren Brown, we will examine some of the stresses trees face and how to properly care for your own trees. We’ll also learn about the invasive pest, Emerald Ash Borer, and the impact it will have on Toronto’s canopy.