Reminder: Register soon to have a say on the future of sustainability at York University
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John Robinson from the UofT
York University is in the process of developing a Sustainability Strategy that will guide the University in advancing sustainability into the near and long-term future. As part of this process, the President’s Sustainability Council is hosting a community-wide workshop on Friday, Feb. 10, from 9am to 4:30pm, in Room N109, Seymour Schulich Building, Keele campus.
The workshop will offer a venue for community members to provide input on envisioning a sustainable future for the University. Members of the York community are invited to attend a keynote address in the morning and to participate in afternoon discussions on key issues such as energy, climate change, waste management, transportation, social justice, and many other sustainability issues facing the University now and in the future. Participation is free and lunch and refreshments will be provided.
John Robinson
The workshop will feature a keynote address by University of Toronto Professor John Robinson. Prior to his role at the University of Toronto, Robinson was the associate provost of sustainability at the University of British Columbia (UBC), where he led the integration of academic and operational sustainability on UBC’s Vancouver campus. A widely respected voice on university sustainability, he now teaches in the Geography and Planning Department and the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto, where he also acts as a special advisor on sustainability to the president of U of T. Robinson will bring a unique perspective to the workshop from his experience in developing the 20-year Sustainability Strategy at UBC.
Space is limited and interested participants are asked to confirm their attendance at http://bit.ly/2k4C1lk.
Scat sniffer dogs tell York U researchers a lot about endangered lizards
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image of an endangered snub-nosed lizard
Dogs can be trained to find almost anything (people, drugs, weapons, poached ivory) but one York University researcher had them detect something a little unusual – the scat of endangered blunt-nosed leopard lizards. The scat detection dogs helped biology PhD student Alex Filazzola discover not only scat but the importance of shrubs in preserving lizard populations in the face of climate change.
“The loss of these lizards would likely have a cascade effect on other species,” said Filazzola, the study’s lead researcher.
The research team geotagged 700 Ephedra californica shrubs in a 32.3-hectare area of the Panoche Hills Management Area in San Joaquin Valley, California. They then took two scat detection dogs from Working Dogs for Conservation on the hunt for lizard scat in 2013 and 2014.
In 2014, there was a drought during which time lizard scat was found more frequently under shrubs, especially those with dense canopy cover, than out in the open. The shrubs proved instrumental in providing critical micro-environments for the blunt-nosed leopard lizards, in particular, shady places to regulate their body temperature in extreme heat, as well as refuge from predators. The lizards use rodent burrows, most often found under shrubs, to escape predators.
“As the climate warms and lizards find it more difficult to regulate their body temperatures in the heat, these findings could help preserve them not only in California but globally,” said Filazzola of York U’s Faculty of Science. “It demonstrates how much animals rely on plants for survival that goes beyond that of simply eating them. Positive plant-animal interactions could further support animal populations that are already threatened.”
The research, “Non-trophic interactions in deserts: Facilitation, interference, and an endangered lizard species,” was published in the journal Basic and Applied Ecology.
Once abundant in the San Joaquin Valley, agriculture and industrialization have reduced the lizards’ range by close to 85 per cent. Predictions of increased drought in the area put the lizards at a high risk of being wiped out. The study also pointed out that management techniques used over the past 50 years have done little to change the endangered status of the lizards.
Alex Filazzola of York University’s Faculty of Science explains his research on lizards and climate change
“Planting shrubs, such as the Ephedra californica, could prove critical in managing and preserving endangered species in high-stress or arid ecosystems, such as a desert,” said Filazzola. “Continuing to remove these shrubs to install solar panels, however, further endangers this species.”
In addition, the study found that invasive grasses in the desert were not beneficial. They interfered with the lizards’ ability to move around and limited available habitat by reducing the variety of rodent species which create burrows. The invasive grasses also competed for space with shrubs and caused diminished shrub growth. Managing invasive plant species is, therefore, crucial in these ecosystems.
The research was funded by the Central Coast Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior, a Discovery Grant from the Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada and York University.
Have your say on the future of sustainability at York University
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John Robinson from the UofT
York University is in the process of developing a Sustainability Strategy that will guide the University in advancing sustainability into the near and long-term future. As part of this process, the President’s Sustainability Council is hosting a community-wide workshop on Friday, Feb. 10, from 9am to 4:30pm, in Room N109, Seymour Schulich Building, Keele campus.
The workshop will offer a venue for community members to provide input on envisioning a sustainable future for the University. Members of the York community are invited to attend a keynote address in the morning and to participate in afternoon discussions on key issues such as energy, climate change, waste management, transportation, social justice, and many other sustainability issues facing the University now and in the future. Participation is free and lunch and refreshments will be provided.
John Robinson
The workshop will feature a keynote address by University of Toronto Professor John Robinson. Prior to his role at the University of Toronto, Robinson was the associate provost of sustainability at the University of British Columbia (UBC), where he led the integration of academic and operational sustainability on UBC’s Vancouver campus. A widely respected voice on university sustainability, he now teaches in the Geography and Planning Department and the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto, where he also acts as a special advisor on sustainability to the president of U of T. Robinson will bring a unique perspective to the workshop from his experience in developing the 20-year Sustainability Strategy at UBC.
Space is limited and interested participants are asked to confirm their attendance at http://bit.ly/2k4C1lk.
There’s plenty to enjoy at the Fair Trade Fair on Jan. 18
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FT Fair featured image
York University’s annual Fair Trade Fair will take place Wednesday, Jan. 18 in Vari Hall and the Ross link from 10am to 4pm.
The Fair Trade Fair is an annual celebration of all things fair trade, from coffee and tea to bananas, textiles, arts and crafts. The fair also serves as a forum for the York University community to learn more about fair trade and how purchasing habits can improve the lives of others.
In addition to vendors offering fair trade certified products, there will also be opportunities to design fair trade t-shirts, get a temporary Fair Trade tattoo, or to learn more about fair trade from vendors, students and faculty who work in and study the fair trade movement.
What is fair trade?
Fair Trade Canada describes fair trade as a “way for all of us to identify products that meet our values so we can make choices that have a positive impact on the world.”
Over the years, York University has developed and adopted many fair trade initiatives. The University was the first in Canada to sell certified, fair trade clothing in its campus bookstore, and this year the bookstore will be selling fair trade t-shirts at the fair.
York University also has its own brand of fair trade coffee, Las Nubes, which is grown in the Las Nubes rainforest in Costa Rica (of which York is a part owner). Las Nubes coffee is also available at the York Bookstore. For more information on the Las Nubes project, visit the Las Nubes website at www.lasnubes.org.
David Bell, dean emeritus of the Faculties of Environmental Studies and Graduate Studies, dies at 72
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Featured image of Dr. David Bell with his wife Kaaren
A proponent of sustainability and the power of education to change to change the world, David V. J. Bell, professor emeritus of environmental studies at York University, died on Jan. 10 from pancreatic cancer at the Kensington Hospice in Toronto, Ontario. He was 72 years old.
David Bell
Born April 14, 1944, and raised in Toronto, Professor Bell was an Ontario scholar who won the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship after attending Glendon College. He went on to receive his PhD in political science from Harvard University. Bell taught at Michigan State University and then returned to Canada in 1971 to teach at York University. There, he served as Dean of Graduate Studies and later as Dean of the Faculty of Environmental Studies. An academic and author, he wrote several books and countless articles.
Few people are aware that Bell, in addition to being a professor and a dean, was also the founder of the York University women’s soccer program in 1984 and its head coach until 1997. He guided the team to an Ontario Women’s Intercollegiate Athletic Association (OWIAA, what is now the Ontario University Athletics) silver medal in 1988 and a bronze in 1990.
Bell was an ardently proud Canadian. He was also an accomplished musician who studied with Ray Brown at Oscar Peterson’s Advanced School of Contemporary Music. He was an active bassist for both small jazz ensembles as well as big bands and continued to play even in his retirement.
After retiring from York University at 61, Bell joked in an article that appeared in The Globe and Mail that retirement meant that he could reduce the number of hours he worked in a week to half or just 48 hours per week. As the Chair of the Board of Learning for a Sustainable Future (LSF) for the past 11 years, Bell showed no signs of slowing down in retirement as he worked tirelessly, crisscrossing the planet to talk with politicians, policymakers and educators about the importance of sustainability.
“For the last 25 years or so, I have focused my thinking and energy on what I regard as the greatest challenge facing all of the world’s people, whatever their race, skin colour, nationality or ethnic origin: the challenge of sustainability,” said Bell in a story published in YFile in May 2016 to mark the Harry Jerome Award. “The current path of global development appears to be taking us toward environmental and social disaster. The trajectory we are on is unsustainable. We need to green our economy, reduce social inequity, tackle diversity and inclusion, and provide food water, energy, housing, and clean air for more than nine billion people. To do this, we humans must learn to live more sustainably on this planet.”
To achieve this goal, Bell focused his knowledge, passion and purpose squarely on the role of education in helping society learn its way to a more sustainable future. While the planet’s situation is dire, Bell said that he could see the start of green shoots sprouting in what he described as the early signs of a culture shift towards sustainability, something he described a global chorus of hope.
“The current path of global development appears to be taking us toward environmental and social disaster. The trajectory we are on is unsustainable. We need to green our economy, reduce social inequity, tackle diversity and inclusion, and provide food water, energy, housing, and clean air for more than nine billion people. To do this, we humans must learn to live more sustainably on this planet.” – Professor Emeritus David Bell
Bell’s commitment to sustainability was underpinned by the daily inspiration he received from Kaaren, his wife of 50 years, his two children Kristin and Jason, their spouses Scott Doan and Veronica Syrtash, and their three grandchildren Tatam, Kol and Lia. He adored his family and they were the fuel that kept him focused on a future in which those green shoots could grow into a majestic canopy.
In addition to his work for LSF, Bell was also a member of the National Round Table on the Environment and Economy and he was Chair of the Board of Directors of Parc-Downsview-Park. He served as a consultant in the public and private sectors, advising several universities and governments, including Canada, Jamaica and China.
Visitation for David Bell will be at RS Kane Funeral Home in Thornhill, Ontario on Sunday, Jan. 15, from 2 to 5pm. A funeral service will be held on Monday, Jan. 16 at 2pm at the Thornhill Golf & Country Club, 7994 Yonge St., Thornhill, Ontario.
The family requests that donations in David Bell’s name may be made to the Wallace McCain Centre for Pancreatic Cancer through Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, or the Kensington Hospice in Toronto, or Learning for a Sustainable Future (LSF). Information on how to make a donation can be found at http://bit.ly/2jsxeHr. LSF has established the Dr. David V.J. Bell Memorial Fund to continue his legacy in support of empowering our children to change the world.
The flags on York University’s Keele and Glendon campuses and at the Passey Residence will be lowered to half-mast from 1pm on Jan. 16 until Jan. 17 in tribute to Bell.
York University’s annual Fair Trade Fair will take place Wednesday, Jan. 18 in Vari Hall and the Ross link from 10am to 4pm.
The Fair Trade Fair is an annual celebration of all things fair trade, from coffee and tea to bananas, textiles, arts and crafts. The fair also serves as a forum for the York University community to learn more about fair trade and how purchasing habits can improve the lives of others.
In addition to vendors offering fair trade certified products, there will also be opportunities to design fair trade t-shirts, get a temporary Fair Trade tattoo, or to learn more about fair trade from vendors, students and faculty who work in and study the fair trade movement.
What is fair trade?
Fair Trade Canada describes fair trade as a “way for all of us to identify products that meet our values so we can make choices that have a positive impact on the world.”
Over the years, York University has developed and adopted many fair trade initiatives. The University was the first in Canada to sell certified, fair trade clothing in its campus bookstore, and this year the bookstore will be selling fair trade t-shirts at the fair.
York University also has its own brand of fair trade coffee, Las Nubes, which is grown in the Las Nubes rainforest in Costa Rica (of which York is a part owner). Las Nubes coffee is also available at the York Bookstore. For more information on the Las Nubes project, visit the Las Nubes website at www.lasnubes.org.
York University will be closed Dec. 23, reopening Jan. 3, 2017. During this time, the Energy Management Department in Campus Services & Business Operations will reduce the heating and lighting in common areas of many administrative and academic buildings. This initiative will help the University achieve its sustainability goals by reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions during the holiday break while saving the University thousands of dollars in energy costs.
York community members are reminded to turn off lights and unplug equipment before leaving for the holiday break.By shutting down computers, turning off lights, unplugging small office equipment, and kitchen appliances as well as personal electronics, you will be contributing to York’s energy and cost savings initiative.
This simple gesture can yield tremendous results, given that staff and faculty operate more than 8,000 computers, and together the Keele and Glendon campuses have more than 140,000 internal lights.
The ability to shut down certain electrical devices will vary depending on departmental requirements. If you have questions, contact your area’s information technology personnel or office manager.
York U bookstore offers fair-trade campus wear while it launches its annual holiday sale Nov. 21
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A model shows off the fit of the new fair-trade T-shirts offered through the Bookstore
York University students can show off their school spirit and social conscience at the same time, with a new line of fair-trade T-shirts. Launched in 2011, the fair trade T-shirts were considered a first among Canadian universities.
The York-branded T-shirts were produced by the growing York-based student enterprise, the Green Campus Co-op. The students are committed to fair trade while wanting to offer clothing at a student-friendly price. The T-shirts are available at the York University Bookstore, Keele Campus.
The shirts are made of 100 per cent fair trade organic cotton certified by Fairtrade Canada, a member of Fairtrade International. They retail for $16.95.
“It is particularly satisfying that we are able to price these shirts without the usual premium price that makes people think twice about doing the right thing,” says Steve Glassman, director of the bookstore.
Professor Darryl Reed of York’s Business and Society Program in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies has mentored the Green Campus Co-op through its development, in partnership with the York Bookstore and support from an enthusiastic board composed of students, faculty and alumni. Reed has also fostered direct ties with producer co-ops and social enterprises in India, where the cotton is grown, ginned and fabricated into the final product for Canada. Customized imprinting can be done locally for groups or for special events.
Non-Organic cotton growers in India are exposed to any of 118 different pesticides, commonly without protection. Depressed prices and pressures to adopt unsustainable practices have resulted in economic, environmental and social problems, including high suicide rates among small cotton farmers, says Reed. Fair trade production helps to ensure protection for small producers by offering long term contracts and minimum prices, along with other supports.
The University Bookstore holds its holiday sale from Nov. 21 to Dec. 22. The sale features clothing, books, discount and remaindered books, and other specials. The Fair Trade T-shirts will be included in this massive annual sale.
Get your boots on for Arbour Day tree planting Nov. 1
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York students plant trees during a previous Arbour Day at the Keele campus
According to an old proverb, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now. In this spirit, and as part of York University’s Campus Sustainability Month activities, this year’s Arbour Day tree planting is taking place on Tuesday, Nov. 1 from 12 to 1pm on the Keele Campus. The Arbour Day event will take place on the North Side of the York Arboretum near the Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence.
Up to 100 local trees, including red maple, sugar maple, white pine and white cedar, will be planted in the York Arboretum to the north of Stong Pond. Volunteers are needed, so please join us, and remember to wear sturdy footwear and appropriate clothing for the weather.
Trees provide immeasurable value to the natural and urban environments, and to the quality of life of both humans and wildlife alike. An acre of trees can store 2.6 tons of carbon, while trees also provide protection from the wind, sun and soil erosion. Trees are also valuable natural habitat for birds, insects and other wildlife.
Trees also provide tangible economic benefits to urban and suburban areas. According to the City of Toronto, for every 5 per cent of tree cover area added to a community, storm water run-off is reduced by approximately 2 per cent. In addition, by generating oxygen, recycling water, and eliminating pollutants from the air, a single tree can provide thousands of dollars of economic value to a local community during its lifespan.
York’s Arbour Day tree planting is organized by the Grounds Department in Campus Services & Business Operations and is funded in part by the York University Bookstore. The Bookstore collects 15 cents for each plastic shopping bag purchased during the year and then donates the proceeds for tree purchases. This initiative has been in place for the last several years and has resulted in hundreds of new trees being planted on the Keele and Glendon campuses at York.
York’s Aviva Community Fund submission needs your vote
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The proposed Regenesis York Community Bike Centre would be located on the ground floor of the new Quad student housing community
Have you ever wished there was a place near campus to rent a bike, or to fix the bike you rely on to get around? York University and Regenisis York want to make that dream a reality through the Aviva Community Fund competition, but they need your support. The annual competition provides funding for community-based projects across Canada, supporting great ideas that benefit neighbourhoods in need. Community members have an opportunity to vote for their favourite submissions, and the most popular ideas receive financial support to help bring them to life.
In a region where affordable, easily accessible modes of transportation are in high demand, a need has emerged for a bike centre in the York University area. The proposed Regenesis York Community Bike Centre would provide over 50,000 students and community members with access to bike rentals, tools for bike repair and other cycling resources at an affordable cost.
In alignment with York’s passion for environmentally friendly spaces, this centre would promote advocacy and provide programming to inform residents about the environmental benefits of cycling. Community members would be able to take part in group cycling events and educational classes to further their understanding of cycling, including safety and repair. The bike centre would also take full advantage of the beautiful trails in the North York area, including the planned bike lanes and related infrastructure.
The proposed Regenesis York Community Bike Centre would be located on the ground floor of the new Quad student housing community
The Regenesis York Community Bike Centre can be made a reality through the Aviva Community Fund competition, so members of the York community are being asked to help. The power to make a difference is in your hands – show your support by voting on the competition website and spreading the word. This is your opportunity to get involved and help bring something positive to campus that will continue to benefit the community for years to come.
This initiative is a partnership between York University and Regenisis York, a student-involved environmental and community-building organization that is dedicated to improving quality of life for York community members by promoting sustainability.
To cast your vote for the Regenesis York Community Bike Centre, visit the Aviva Community Fund website. Voting will remain open until Oct. 28.
York University’s annual Fair Trade Fair will take place Wednesday, Jan. 18 in Vari Hall and the Ross link from 10am to 4pm.
York University will be closed Dec. 23, reopening Jan. 3, 2017. During this time, the Energy Management Department in Campus Services & Business Operations will reduce the heating and lighting in common areas of many administrative and academic buildings. This initiative will help the University achieve its sustainability goals by reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions during the holiday break while saving the University thousands of dollars in energy costs.
Professor Darryl Reed of York’s Business and Society Program in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies has mentored the Green Campus Co-op through its development, in partnership with the York Bookstore and support from an enthusiastic board composed of students, faculty and alumni. Reed has also fostered direct ties with producer co-ops and social enterprises in India, where the cotton is grown, ginned and fabricated into the final product for Canada. Customized imprinting can be done locally for groups or for special events.
