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Yearly Archives: 2011

IRIS Speaker Series presents…BOOK LAUNCH — Climate, Culture, Change: Western and Inuit Dialogues with a Warming North by Timothy B. Leduc

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When: March 3rd, 3:00 p.m

Where: HNES 140

Join us in celebrating the launch of Climate, Culture, Change: Western and Inuit Dialogues with a Warming North, the new book by York professor Timothy B. Leduc. York professor Anders Sandberg and Stephen Scharper of the Centre on Environment at the University of Toronto will discuss Leduc's look at the impact of northern warming on traditional Inuit knowledge. Book sale and author signing will follow. The event is free and open to everyone. Light refreshments will be served. Hope to see you there!

Home Sweet Home Student Challenge 2011

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Calling all Ontario post-secondary students!  Just one month left to enter the OntarioGreenSpec.ca Home Sweet Home Student Challenge!

Don't miss this chance to win cash prizes and valuable recognition from Ontario's green home building and renovation industry. Winners will be awarded their prizes alongside industry professionals at the April 12th Home Sweet Home awards gala in Toronto.  All student finalists will also be invited to the exclusive  Home Sweet Home green building career bootcamp - a special session which will help the top Student Challenge finalists gain career advice and connections from green building professionals.  And if possible, plan to stay in Toronto after the gala for the Canada Green Building Council's National Symposium on April 13-14th for more career networking.

More info:
Home Sweet Home Student Challenge webpage: http://hsh-competition.ca/?page_id=98
YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ms-DuDRE4o4
Canada Green Building Council National Symposium webpage:  http://www.cagbc.org/Content/NavigationMenu/TheCaGBC/NationalEvents/2011Symposium/default.htm

The IRIS Speaker Series Presents… A Case for Diversity

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When: February 8th, from 11:00a.m-12:00p.m

Where: 305 York Lanes, York University

IRIS, in collaboration with Learning for a Sustainable Future and the Education Alliance for a Sustainable Ontario, will be hosting a discussion with Sonia Dong, the Diversity Project Manager at the Sustainability Network. Dong has been working in the environmental non-profit industry for seven years building long-term capacity in the sector. On February 8th, she will be discussing the lessons learned from the Environment and Diversity project.

The Sustainability Network works with non-profit organizations providing programs, services, and support to increase institutional capacities. Their mission is ensuring that sustainability organizations survive by improving management, leadership and organizational development.

Dong will be speaking about the Environment and Diversity project, a four year collaborative initiative. The project is designed to increase the participation of under-represented communities through strategy formulation focusing on ethno-diversity and Aboriginal communities. The Sustainability Network lists three main tasks for this project. Firstly, they plan to train, support and inspire organizations planning to diversify. Secondly, they will integrate young professionals into organizations with the goal of incorporating under-represented communities in the organizations they join. Lastly, they hope to create links between organizations to increase resources and the strength of the sustainability community.

Come join us on Tuesday for a discussion and refreshments.

Special Screening of Ghost Bird

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Celebrate Biodiversity! 

Faculty of Environmental Studies invites you to a special screening of GHOST BIRD  a documentary by Scott Crocker
www.ghostbirdmovie.com
Wednesday, February 2, 2011   5:45PM  
Nat Taylor Cinema, Ross Bldg. N102

Every year another bird species vanishes forever.  What are the chances of one coming back?

"Beautifully crafted, heartbreaking, ironic and frustrating...It's a stunner." ...NPR San Francisco

"a witty, wistful documentary that turns a bird-watching tale into a multilayered story that will fascinate practically everybody." ...New York Times.

Green Jobs – Green Community Forum

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Feb12GreenJobsForum

Keynote Speaker: Majora Carter

Majora Carter made her mark on the South Bronx and the world, by connecting one of America's most economically & environmentally challenged communities to a new brand of solutions-based strategy.

Majora notes, residents "shouldn't have to leave their neighbourhoods to live a better one"

Session 1: Green Community Action Plan
Facilitated by: Toronto Region and Conservation Authority
Developing a Sustainable Neighbourhood Retrofit Action Plan. Identifying transformation of existing communities to urban sustainability and increase their contributions to climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Session 2: Public Investment in Green Jobs
Facilitated by: Good Jobs for All Coalition
A camping to remove systemic barriers in employment and training, and ensure equitable access to opportunities, programs and apprenticeships.

Session 3: Resident Initiatives to Create Green Jobs
Facilitated by: Jane Finch Green Jobs Coalition
A collective strategy to make money while building your community using your interest, skills and knowledge.

When: February 12, 2011 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Where: HNES 140

Design for Sustainability in the Built Environment: Interactive Workshop

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When: February 7th, 4:00-5:00

Where: HNES 140

Dear BES and Other York Undergraduate Students,

Learn how green building design can provide solutions to climate change and sustainable community development.  This summer the Faculty of Environmental Studies, along will collaborations from York International, the Institute for Research and Innovation in Sustainability (IRIS), and the World Green Building Council, will once again offer ENVS 4230 6.0,  Design for Sustainability in the Built Environment: Interactive Workshop.  The course will be held July 4, 2011 to July 29, 2011.  The workshop is hosted by the Faculty of Environmental Studies, but is open to third and fourth year students from all disciplines.

Highlights of the Workshop Include:

unique interactive workshop

practice design methodologies & tools

collaborate with students from around the world

field trips and cross-disciplinary design charrette

guest lectures by Ontario experts in green building

Student Speak

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Concerned? Opinionated? Hopeful? Is there an issue, event, an innovation, or a movement that has caught your interest?  If so... BLOG about it!

IRIS has created a space on its website for students to write about issues and events that interests, frustrates or intrigues them. As a sustainable, interdisciplinary research center, IRIS is seeking out pieces which address  topics related to the economic, social, and/or natural environment. The piece should be focused on one or more of these three environmental spheres.

In terms of guidelines, the following should be considered:

  • The blog should be related to sustainability
  • There is no word limit, but you should aim for no more than 400 words
  • The subject is not limited to York University
  • The blog must respect the guidelines set out in York University’s Student Code of Conduct and Hate Propaganda Guidelines

There are very few restrictions on this blog space- so feel free to get creative! For some blogging tips, you can visit this website for some helpful ideas. You can also check out the current pieces students have contributed.

To learn more about how to contribute, or to send in a blog please e-mail us at irisatyork@gmail.com.

The survey responses are in!

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On January 10th IRIS announced the launch of its fourth annual survey through various media outlets at York University. Tabling took place from January 10th-23rd in Vari Hall, the Student Center, Osgoode Hall, Schulich, and Glendon. Over 1,000 York University and Seneca@York students, faculty and staff members filled out the survey, helping IRIS achieve its goal for 1,000 participants.

This year’s survey focused on student engagement and volunteerism. In an effort to increase campus sustainability, members of IRIS decided to explore the values and interests of the York community. The goal of this year’s survey is to establish the university’s core values, interests, and engagement with campus groups with the hope that it would be used to tailor campus organizations initiatives to enhance participation.

Past surveys have resulted in the carbon neutral course kits and have been used by student organizations to establish policy initiatives and by individuals interested in the opinions of students, faculty and staff on issues such as waste management, campus food providers, campus woodlots, and carbon offsetting. The results of the survey will be released later this year.

Hamilton Workers Arts and Heritage Centre Tour

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Where: Hamilton [carpool will depart from York]

When: February 5, 2011 at 12:00pm

Join us for a tour of the Hamilton Workers Arts and Heritage centre to engage in some of Hamilton’s rich working class labour movement, followed by an afternoon social. Please e-mail wlssa@yorku.ca for carpool details.

For more information on the Work and Labour Students Assciation please visit: http://www.yorkulssa.com/.

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