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President’s Sustainability Council Annual Report – IRIS recognized as one of the key campus partners in sustainability

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The following article appeared on the October 2nd, 2012 edition of  YFile. Items in bold are IRIS additions to the YFile text.

Today marks the release of the third annual President’s Sustainability Council Annual Report.

The report, which covers the period from May 2011 to April 2012, summarizes progress York University has made towards implementing the 59 recommendations the President’s Sustainability Council (PSC) has made to the University over the past three years. It also includes 12 new recommendations that were advanced by the working groups of the council over the past year. (Click on the graphic to download a PDF of the report.)

The PSC recognizes and promotes the Institute for Research and Innovation in Sustainability (IRIS) as one of the key campus partners in sustainability and showcases the importance of its regular events such as speaker series and film screenings, many of which are open to the university and broader community. The sub-committee participated in the annual Earth Hour Day (March 28, 2012) event in coordination with the IRIS to encourage community engagement.

“I am very proud of the work being done by the President’s Sustainability Council,” said York University President and Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri. “York University is committed to being one of the leading institutions in Canada on sustainability and the new Annual Report highlights the significant progress we have made in that regard over the past year. We are particularly pleased with the creation of two new staff positions in sustainability, the launch of new programs like the Sustainability Ambassadors and Green Office programs, and the announcement earlier this year of the phase out of the sale of bottled water on campus by September 2015.”

The report also highlights a number of new recommendations that will be advanced in the coming year. Some of the recommendations include: the development of new performance measurement targets and policies relating to sustainability; new co-curricular opportunities in sustainability; enhancing the incorporation of social justice and human rights considerations into sustainability initiatives; and the creation of a multi-stakeholder committee on responsible investing.

“We are very encouraged by the accomplishments of the President’s Sustainability Council over the past year,” said President’s Sustainability Council Chair Ilan Kapoor, a professor in the Faculty of Environmental Studies. “The new Annual Report will help us communicate these accomplishments to the broader York community and we also hope it will encourage others to get involved in sustainability initiatives at York.”

Consisting of students, faculty and staff, the PSC is an advisory body to the president with responsibility for providing input and recommendations on how to advance York University’s sustainability initiatives, projects and practices, and to provide oversight of the required actions from approved recommendations.

To view the infographic (above) click on the image to produce a full size PDF. To view the full report and executive summary, and for more information on the PSC and sustainability initiatives at York, visit the Sustainability website and click on the Annual Report link.

York members interested in attending COP 18 need apply by Friday

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The 18th United Nations climate change conference and the Conference of the Parties (COP 18) will be held from Nov. 26 to Dec. 7 in the State of Qatar.

York community members interested in attending COP 18 should e-mail Annette Dubreuil, coordinator of York’s Institute for Research & Innovation in Sustainability (IRIS) by Friday, Oct. 5 at noon.

Dubreuil can be reached at afdubreu@yorku.ca.

For more information about COP 18, visit the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change website.

Dawn Bazely on CBC Radio Points North speaking about Invasive Plants

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Invasive plants discussed in Sault Ste. Marie

There are some unwanted visitors creeping around Ontario. And they come in the form of plants.

Listen audio (runs 5:19)

Dawn Bazely mentioned a number of links to help gardeners choose non-invasive plants:

http://www.ontarioinvasiveplants.ca/
http://www.ontarioinvasiveplants.ca/files/GMI_2012_web_North.pdf
http://www.ontarioinvasiveplants.ca/files/GMI2012web.pdf
http://www.invasivespeciescentre.ca/

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/pointsnorth/episodes/2012/08/21/invasive-plants-discussed-in-sault-ste-marie/

Director Dawn Bazely is back from sabbatical!

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To quote Sam Gamgee "Well I'm back", after a wonderful sabbatical year, most recently, from 3 months in my old department at Oxford University. Nearly every day I walked past The Eagle and Child pub where JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis and their fellow Inklings hung out. Oxford is dripping with history and it was fun to be back there after 22 years.

I extend my thanks and appreciation to Professor Stepan Wood, for the stellar job that he did as IRIS' Acting Director this past academic year (2011-2012). Details of his and IRIS’ activities can be found in the annual report.

I return as IRIS Director for 2012-2013, refreshed and recharged by the work of my sabbatical, and I look forward to re-engaging with my IRIS colleagues, the York community and fellow Canadians.

The Sabbatical, in which we are paid 80% of our salary for 12 months, continues to be an important perk in Academia. Many consider it essential for allowing quality research to flourish and develop. The concept comes from the biblical tradition of resting every seventh year,

During the past year I had the opportunity to recalibrate my academic reputation and achievements and also to calibrate the standing and achievements of IRIS. I spent the year as a Research Fellow at Harvard Forest, Harvard University and as a Visiting Researcher in the Biodiversity Institute, an Oxford University Martin Interdisciplinary School.

As a science professor, I usually thinking of "recalibration" as sending out pieces of laboratory equipment that measure some factor with high accuracy, for testing and re-setting or re-calibrating. However, a colleague in the UK used the term in relation to some of her team members needing to recalibrate themselves and their achievements against their peers. In other words, it’s a reality check. I predict that "recalibration" will become a new buzzword, given that the title of a recent article in the UK's Daily Telegraph was "We need to recalibrate what we think of as success”. Still, I kind of like it.

So, how did IRIS stack up against Harvard’s, Oxford’s and other institution’s efforts to drive forward the environmental, economic and social sustainability agenda?

Actually, remarkably well.

IRIS has done a lot with very little cash. We have a director who is a full-time faculty member, with course-release, paid for by the university, and a co-ordinator, whose salary is 100% soft-money, plus some office space (that's a big "in-kind"), and access to parts of the university infrastructure. Our business model is that of a small NGO – often running on fumes.

Nevertheless, we have had great success in leveraging the talent and energy of members of the York community and beyond. We have also been innovative and creative in delivering cutting edge research and action on the sustainability front, which compares favourably with far better-funded efforts here and abroad.

I have been gratified to receive many complements and kudos for IRIS-developed programmes from colleagues from across the UK and USA, this past year. I have also received, over the past 6 years, many inquiries about how colleagues from other institutions might replicate IRIS' achievements.

To these questions I usually reply that “it’s xxxxxx hard work – only those willing to roll up their sleeves and pitch in, should consider getting involved here.”

While it's certainly the case that top-reputation institutions like Oxford and Harvard have much deeper pockets than York, it's also the case that they, too, often do a lot with relatively little; there is a high degree of competition for funds in these institutions. What IRIS has in common with sustainability researchers at these institutions is a smart, energetic, positive “can-do” attitude, and hard workers. In this, we stack up well against the best of them. Let’s be clear that the average Harvard and Oxford professor works many more than 40 hours in a week. Excellent research and outreach results come not just from talent and decent funding, but from hard, uncomplaining work.

I cannot emphasize this message enough to the York community and to Canada in general. Particularly in light of Federal Government cuts to Environment Canada, Parks Canada and Statistics Canada. Society as we know it, in Canada is built on the work of dedicated scientists and social scientists. I continue to believe that the average Canadian has relatively poor understanding of the work of scientists and other academics and that that solid advocacy for research funding is one of the tasks of every academic. It’s not enough to say that what we do has societal relevance – we must prove it – every day.

However, there is also no doubt, that given a common buzzword, namely, "austerity", that excellent sustainability research is not enough to guarantee support and funding. In a shrinking pool of resources, the politics surrounding sustainability and other areas of academic are increasingly in evidence. A large part of my research this past year was aimed at gaining insight into the politics-policy-science issue and the question "Why don't ecologists in particular, and scientists in general, get more respect?" I had great fun with this, and you can read about this and my other sabbatical activities in my official report to York University.

IRIS is a community sponsor for the Toronto Youth Shorts Film Festival

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The Smash Girls Adventure,Our Best Friends, In Bubble Trouble

PROGRAM #1 - YOUNG AT HEART
Relive your childhood and revel in high energy entertainment that is loaded with bouncy fun.   Plus it has cute kids and puppies.

The Smash Girls Adventure by Melodie Nguyen and Miranda MacAskill - Comedy
Melodie and her partner Mirandachu must explore game-land to find seven magical cookies.  Because cookies are fun.

Feathered Bullets by David Fyfe - Documentary
Richard Fyfe's efforts 40 years ago kept the peregrine falcon from going extinct.  His grandson, David, documents others who continues Richard's efforts.

I Wish For… by Dhenzel Obeny - Animation/Alternative
An experimental animation asks if we have forgotten the gifts that have made our society functional.

24 to Life by Daniel Whidden - Drama
A janitor at an orphanage helps a boy fulfill a few of his wishes.

Mask of Insecurities by Nicole Monticchio - Public Service Announcement
Do you dare take of your mask and show the world who you are?

In Bubble Trouble by Iain Lew Kee - Animation
A boy finds a way to escape detention.

Jordans or Justice by the U Shift Film Program - Documentary
A group of youth examine the intracacies of Jordan sneakers, how they come about and the meaning of wearing them.

Blind Luck by Diane Aarts - Animation
A seeing eye dog must choose between playing with his ball and guiding its owner.

Some Other Just Ones by Caroline O'Neill - Animation/Alternative
An experimental animation set to poetry about the unsung heroes of the world.

Our Best Friends by Aiden Jeans - Documentary
Pet-owners provide interviews and reenactments of when they lost a dear friend.

 

The Music Box, Backwards Rider, Loss Together

PROGRAM #2 - OUR ZANY ADVENTURES
Life's an adventure and some are much more wacky than others.  An exploration of the physical world and some of the more and eccentric characters within it.

Spectra by Kirsten Whiteley - Animation
Spectra is a happy little girl who wants to make a difference in her dark and depressing world.

Mile Zero by Roop Gill and Jean Francois Taylor - Documentary
Two friends travel across the country to raise money and awareness for prostate cancer research.

Bang by Alex Kingsmill - Animation/Fiction
What's there to do on Mars?

The Hidden Land of Cano Palma by Julia Kim - Documentary
Documenting the biodiversity and conservation challenges of the Cano Palma Biological Station and the hope for success in the area.

Backwards Rider by Chris Barnard - Documentary
Lesley Slowley is a local artist and environmentalist with a backwards riding philosophy.

Raising Bigfoot by Aaron Robson - Comedy
Bigfoot is caught and a scientist tries to domesticate it in his home.

The Music Box by Nicole Bazuin - Drama
A music box provides inspiration to a girl as she dreams of her aspirations for when she grows up.

Open Invitation by Jae Woo Park - Comedy
A Korean man tries to avoid his mandatory military service.

Bad Movie by Trevor Chartrand - Documentary
Some people love guilty-pleasure cheesy movies and would flock to the cinemas to see them over and over again.

Loss Together by Earl Oliveros - Comedy
How do you express pain for the loss of someone you barely know?

A Slice of Life by Emily Powell - Documentary
Emily decides to test her luck and serve up something sweet.

 

Vernal Equinox, Prolepsis, Heart of Perception

PROGRAM #3 - A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
A powerful and inspiring dramatic program with some films offering a different perspective of the world around you and others tugging at your heartstrings.

Vernal Equinox by Haiwei Hou - Animation
A warrior must fight the beast holding Spring hostage to end the torment of a forever winter.

Tainted by Ben Brommell - Documentary
Kyle Freeman became an accidental activist when Canadian Blood Services sued him for flaunting a controversial policy on who can donate blood.

Feathers and Roots by Andrew Bundas - Documentary
An artist reflects on his upbringing and reveals some of his inner pain.

Ostrichcized by Benjamin Brook - Animation
One member of a group is left out until a hidden talent is revealed.

The Beautiful Dead by Spencer Ryerson - Documentary
Joe Caputo, a forensics photographer for the Toronto Police, uses fine art photography as a hobby to cope with the job.

Amare by Katarina Antonic - Animation
A seductress threatens to break a couple up.

Prolepsis by Maikol Pinto - Drama
When a news signal seemingly from the future is aired, causing political factions and communities to be at odds with each other.

Dolime Dilemma: Water Proof? By Kristy Neville - Documentary
Guelph’s pure water source is threatened from the actions of a mining company and the various levels of government are at odds due to different interests.

Breaking Over Me by Luise Docherty - Drama
Isla never understood the concept of losing someone until she visits a funeral service one afternoon.

Heart of Perception by Fabiola Alliu - Drama
John is a homeless man visited frequently by his daughter Alice.  Alice takes up photography as a way to make peace with the situation.

See the Toronto Youth Shorts Film Festival website for more information.

IRIS Speaker Series: Greening universities talk and tour

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The following appeared in the May 16, 2012 edition of YFile.

Paul Rowland, executive director of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), will discuss making universities green at the Institute for Research & Innovation in Sustainability (IRIS) speakers’ series on Friday.

The “Greening University Campuses: A Global Perspective” talk will take place May 18, from 9 to 10 am, at 280A York Lanes, Keele campus. At 10am, Campus Services & Business Operations (CSBO) staff will lead a green campus tour of the Keele campus, which will depart from 280A York Lanes following the talk. Everyone is welcome to attend both the talk and the tour.

Left: Paul Rowland

Rowland sees sustainability at universities evolving and continuing over time.

Former dean of the School of Education at the University of Montana and dean of the College of Education at the University of Idaho, Rowland has been the executive director of AASHE since 2009.

He is one of the founders of the Ponderosa Project at Northern Arizona University, where he served in a variety of capacities including director of the Center for Environmental Sciences and Education, coordinator of Environmental Education and director of Academic Assessment.

This talk is occurring during the UNESCO Reorienting Teacher Education to Address Sustainability: 7th Biennial Meeting of the International Network of Teacher Education Institutions, happening at York until May 20.

For more information, visit the Institute for Research & Innovation in Sustainability website.

For more information about UNESCO Reorienting Teacher Education to Address Sustainability, visit York’s CSBO Accommodation & Conference Services website.

IRIS is an early adopter of the Green Office Program

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The following appeared in the Wednesday, May 16, 2012 edition of YFile.

Offices across York University are turning green.

The Green Office Program is a new initiative that is designed to help offices at York incorporate a variety of sustainable practices into day-to-day operations and recognize those offices already doing so.

“I am proud that offices at York University are adopting the Green Office Program,” says York President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri.  “This commitment will help us maintain our high standard as responsible stewards of the environment for future generations.”

The program focuses on dozens of actions in key areas such as waste, energy, transportation, purchasing and “change”, and provides guidance on how to make sustainable choices that contribute to achieving York’s overall sustainability goals. The checklist also allows offices to gauge how they are doing on sustainability, and to determine what areas they can improve upon.

“The Green Office Program is a natural extension of sustainability programs like ZeroWaste,” said Helen Psathas, York’s senior manager of environmental design and sustainability.  “There are many ways for the community to contribute to sustainability at York by doing simple things each and every day, and we hope that many offices participate in this program to help us meet our sustainability targets.”

Office tri-bins are used to separate items that can be recycled from garbage

The interactive checklist includes many links with tips and resources on energy conservation, instructions on recycling and composting, green purchasing suggestions and a wide variety of other information that will enable faculty, staff and students to learn more about how they can contribute to York’s success as a leader on sustainability in Canada.

Participating in the Green Office Program is easy. Simply visit the Sustainability website and click on the Green Office button to download a copy of the checklist. Complete the checklist with other members of your office and submit for review. All offices that receive a minimum score will be certified and recognized as a Green Office.

“What we like about the Green Office Program is that many resources on sustainability can be found in one place,” said Glenn Craney, executive director, Office of Institutional Research & Analysis, and one of the first offices to sign up for the program.  “Sustainability can be a complex issue, and it can also seem like someone else’s responsibility. We appreciate the way that this program makes it easier for us to do our part.”

For more information on the Green Office Program and other sustainability initiatives at York, visit the Sustainability website, or contact Andrew Plunkett, sustainability project coordinator, at aplunket@yorku.ca, or Pavel Graymason, sustainability engagement coordinator, at pavel@york.ca.

York plans to phase out the sale of bottled water

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York University is phasing out the sale of bottled water.

The move to phase out the sale of bottled water on the Keele and Glendon campuses by September 2015 was announced Tuesday. As part of the announcement, York President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri and Vanessa Hunt, president of the York Federation of Students (YFS), signed a pledge to phase out sales of bottled water on both campuses and improve free access to clean, safe drinking water.

“York University was built on a strong commitment to social responsibility,” said Shoukri. “One of the aspects of this commitment to social responsibility is to ensure that the University continues to be a leader in sustainability and protecting the environment. I am here today to announce York University’s pledge to phase out the sale of bottled water by September 2015.”

Mamdouh Shoukri and Vanessa Hunt sign the pledge on behalf of the University community to phase out the sale of bottled water

Ilan Kapoor, professor of environment studies and the chair of the President’s Sustainability Council, said the move to phase out the sale of bottled water was a significant symbolic act in favour of sustainability. “We really should not be paying for water, which is a basic component of our lives,” he said. “This campus is an autonomous community – we have reasonable control over our ecological footprint and this is a significant step in that direction.”

Kapoor said that while other universities and colleges have banned the sale of disposable bottles of water, the bans have been difficult to implement.

“There needs to be alternatives to bottled water ” he said. “People often turn to sugary, unhealthy drinks and we want to avoid that at York. A phase out will give the University time to install more water refill stations and engage and educate the community so that we are all part of the campaign.”

“In other words, it’s not what you do to be sustainable, it’s how you do it that must be sustainable and that is the approach we have taken,” he said.

York’s president tries out one of the hydration stations

The University has already made significant progress in improving free access to drinking water with the installation of 25 water bottle refill stations on its Keele and Glendon campuses. Another five water fountains have also been converted to all for refill of reusable water bottles. Among the many departments and administrative offices on campus, the Office of the President and the Faculty of Environmental Studies has already voluntarily phased out the purchase of bottled water.

“This campaign is not only about phasing out the sale of bottled water, it also acknowledges that water is a basic human right,” said Hunt. “We need to be sustainable in our practices across this University.”

To mark this occasion, the York University Bookstore is taking 50 per cent off all reusable water bottles until the end of the business day on Friday.

The President’s Sustainability Council and its Campus Operations & Development working group had a number of discussions about phasing out disposable bottles of water on campus with several campus stakeholders, including the YFS, York Food Services, Campus Services & Business Operations, the Office of the President, the Office of the Vice-President Finance & Administration, the Faculty of Environmental Studies and the Institute for Research and Innovation in Sustainability.

To view photographs of the announcement, click here.

Stewardship conference to explore species at risk

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Stewardship conference to explore species at risk

 

SPECIES AT RISK. The Massasauga rattlesnake is just one of the 34 species at risk found in Muskoka that participants will learn about at the 2012 Muskoka Stewardship Conference on April 28. Photo by Jan McDonnell

BRACEBRIDGE - Parry Sound-Muskoka is home to 34 species at risk, some of which, while plentiful here, are found nowhere else in the world. That is why stewardship of these imperilled species is critical to their survival.

Would you know if one of these species was on your property? Do you know what to do if you find one?

Species at risk will feature prominently at the 2012 Muskoka Stewardship Conference in April with a number of speakers scheduled to provide information about many of the turtles, snakes, and birds found in our area.

Species at Risk was one of four stewardship guides developed by the Muskoka Watershed Council (MWC) and Muskoka Heritage Foundation (MHF) over the past year and a half. All four stewardship guides provide the inspiration for presentations at the 2012 conference, also including living with beavers, building a trail in your woodlands and restoring your shoreline.

The Muskoka Stewardship Conference is organized by Muskoka Watershed Council, Muskoka Heritage Foundation and the District Municipality of Muskoka as a way to bring together local land and water stewards to learn and network.

In addition to the stewardship guide topics, the conference will feature keynote speaker Andrew Watson, a York University PhD candidate from the department of history and the Institute for Research and Innovation in Sustainability.

Watson will be discussing the ways in which the human footprint along the shoreline has changed over the last 100 years by focussing on what the pressures and concerns were a century ago. His presentation will illustrate the importance of the past in making responsible choices for the present and future.

The 2012 Muskoka Stewardship Conference will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 28 at Nipissing University, Muskoka Campus, 125 Wellington Street in Bracebridge. The cost is $30.

To register visit muskokaheritage.org/mwc.

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