Student documentary explores climate migration, urban development crises
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Members of the York University community are invited to attend a documentary screening of Climate Migration and the Urban Environment: Dhaka’s Story of Development and Disaster on Friday, Nov. 24 from 6 to 9 p.m. in 140 Health, Nursing and Environmental Studies Building on York’s Keele Campus.
Mara Mahmud
To culminate the research for her master of environmental studies in York’s Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change, York student Mara Mahmud along with photographer and videographer Emily Bruno embarked on 30 days of fieldwork in Dhaka, Bangladesh. There, they filmed and conducted interviews with academics and development practitioners focused on answering the following research question: what does Bangladesh have to teach about modelling effective adaptation strategies to respond to the climate-induced migration and rapid urban development in the Global South?
The resulting investigative documentary explores the relationship between climate change and migration within urban development and planning practices in Bangladesh, a country experiencing severe consequences of anthropogenic climate change (climate change caused by human activity). The film tells stories about the complex field of resistance and resilience in Dhaka, and Bangladesh more generally, in response to the climate crisis.
Through the examination of ongoing efforts to resolve the urban development crises in Dhaka, the film identifies innovative approaches to the environmental challenges brought on by the effects of climate change. Though this film uses Dhaka as a case study, opportunity exists for application in countries that will be facing similar crises in the near future.
Join the community for an evening filled with curiosity, knowledge sharing and an inquiry into the capacity of human resilience in the wake of climatic disaster.
For more information and to register for the film screening, visit the Eventbrite page.
Collaborative project on global climate modelling wins prestigious supercomputing award
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Miles Couchman, a York University assistant professor in applied mathematics, Faculty of Science, is part of an international research collaboration featuring a multidisciplinary network of researchers – including applied mathematicians and mechanical, civil and environmental engineers – that has been been awarded a highly competitive 2024 Innovative and Novel Computational Impact on Theory and Experiment (INCITE) Supercomputing Award.
York University Assistant Professor Miles Couchman (left) and collaborator Professor Steve de Bruyn Kops (right) in front of the Frontier Supercomputer at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the largest supercomputer in the world.
The winning collaborative project looks to better understand turbulence in stratified flows, notably scenarios where a fluid has variable density. One application of particular interest is developing more robust mathematical models for characterizing the turbulence-enhanced mixing of heat in the ocean, a leading area of uncertainty in global climate modelling and a topic of direct importance to global society.
The INCITE program, run by the Office of Science at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), grants 75 computational intensive science projects access to the world’s fastest supercomputers, located at the DOE’s Argonne and Oak Ridge national laboratories, to further innovation across the fields of science, engineering and computer science.
Couchman’s co-project was among 108 total proposals received by INCITE this year from international researchers or research organizations asking for supercomputer access. The evaluation process was highly competitive, with proposals evaluated over the course of four months based on computational readiness, the scalability of a project’s code and algorithms, and more.
Couchman’s team was awarded use of Frontier, the largest supercomputer in the world, in 2024 to perform numerical research simulations, allowing the researchers to simulate turbulent processes with unprecedented resolution, leading to more accurate and universal turbulent models. They hope what they learn won’t just apply to the mixing of heat in water, but how pollutants mix in the atmosphere and more.
The research team is made up of individuals from Duke University, the University of Washington and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in the U.S., as well as the University of Cambridge in the U.K.
YCAR launches lecture series on climate change
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The York Centre for Asian Research (YCAR) is launching a new lecture series, titled “Climate Dystopias in Asia,” set to begin Nov. 22 and explore the relationship between climate change challenge and societal impact throughout Asia.
The “Climate Dystopias in Asia” series will feature scholars presenting their research and findings on the complex relationship between environmental shifts and societal impacts in Asia, focusing on the various adaptations that communities and organizations are undertaking in response to these challenges.
“Asia, as we know, is warming faster than the global average. It increasingly faces extreme weather events like floods, droughts and heat waves that significantly impact lives and livelihoods. To put the spotlight on climate challenges that cities, coasts and hinterlands face in different parts of Asia, we will invite scholars from interdisciplinary backgrounds to offer grounded analyses of the complexities and limitations of climate adaptation strategies,” says Professor Shubhra Gururani, the director of YCAR.
Kasia Paprocki
The inaugural lecture of the series will feature Professor Kasia Paprocki from the Department of Geography & Environment at the London School of Economics & Political Science. The in-person talk, titled “Threatening Dystopias: Development, Scientific Knowledge and Adaptation to Climate Change,” will draw on Paprocki’s book, also named Threatening Dystopias, that examines the politics of climate change adaptation in Bangladesh.
By situating climate change in a longer history of growth and development, Paprocki will explore the oversimplified crisis narratives that define Bangladesh’s approach towards climate change. In global climate change policy and media circles, Bangladesh is the poster child for climate disasters related to rising sea levels and is often portrayed as “the world’s most vulnerable country to climate change.” Paprocki will critically evaluate these narratives and offer an analysis that digs deeper and shows how the prevailing storyline may overlook the political and economic forces that contour Bangladesh’s climate geography.
The talk will draw on Paprocki’s research and publications’ focus on climate change adaptation in South Asia, specifically in Bangladesh. Forging a conversation between political ecology, agrarian studies, climate change and risk narratives, Paprocki will examine the narrative of climate change as it circulates in Bangladesh and situate the responses to climatic change in the deeper histories of colonial policies and agrarian politics of land and underdevelopment.
“With this event and the series more generally, we hope to offer a platform for a deeper understanding of the nuanced interactions between environmental challenges and societal change in Asia,” says Gururani.
More information about the series can be accessed here.
York Circle Lecture Series presents experts on topical subjects
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In collaboration with Jennifer Steeves, the York Circle Chair and associate vice-president research, the Office of Alumni Engagement invites the community to York University’s Keele campus for a new instalment of the York Circle Lecture series.
Beginning Nov. 25 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Life Sciences Building, prominent faculty members will delve into a diverse array of compelling subjects, reflecting the defining themes of York University.
The York Circle Lecture Series is held four times a year and is open to York’s community, including alumni and friends. Tickets are $5 and include coffee, light snacks and lunch.
Sessions will feature the guest speakers, and attendees will be asked to select one lecture from each session during registration.
10 a.m. sessions
Maxim Voronov
Maxim Voronov, professor, organizational behaviour and industrial relations, Schulich School of Business, presenting “The good, the bad, and the ugly of authenticity.”
Authenticity seems ever-present in today’s society, and it has become an important research topic among organizational scholars. Much of the time, both scholars and practitioners see authenticity as unambiguously good. But we need to acknowledge the darker side of authenticity and explore its implications. The purpose of this talk is to explore “the good, the bad and the ugly” of authenticity, shifting the focus away from authenticity as an attribute of people and things and toward unpacking the process by which people and things are cast as authentic. A particular focus will be on unpacking the contribution of authenticity to both social good and social harm.
Emilie Roudier
Emilie Roudier, assistant professor, School of Kinesiology & Health Science, Faculty of Health, presenting “Wildland fires: studying our blood vessels to better understand the impact on health.”
Over the past decade, the intensity and size of wildland fires have increased. Wildland fire seasons have lengthened, and these fires contribute to global air pollution. This presentation will highlight how wildland fire-related air pollution can impact our heart and blood vessels.
11:20 a.m. sessions
Usman Khan
Usman Khan, associate professor and department Chair, Department of Civil Engineering, Lassonde School of Engineering, presenting “Harnessing the power of AI for flood forecasting.”
Floods are the most frequent weather-related natural disasters, affecting the largest number of people globally, with economic damages in excess of $900 billion (between 1994 and 2013). Globally, climate change and urbanization have led to an increase in floods in recent decades and this trend is projected to continue in the coming years, including in Canada. Despite this, Canada is the only G7 country without nationwide flood forecasting systems, which are key to saving lives and reducing the damages associated with floods. Hydroinformatics, the study of complex hydrological systems by combining water science, data science and computer science, attempts to improve traditional flood forecasting through the use of advanced techniques such as artificial intelligence (AI). This talk will outline recent research in this area and plans to build a Canada-wide, open-source, real-time, operational flood forecasting system that harnesses the power of AI to improves our ability to predict and prepare for floods.
Antony Chum
Antony Chum, assistant professor, Canada Research Chair, School of Kinesiology & Health Science, Faculty of Health, presenting “The impact of recreational cannabis legalization on cannabis-related acute care in Ontario.”
This presentation will discuss the effects of cannabis legalization on cannabis-related acute care (emergency department visits and hospitalizations). The research conducted discovered specific impact patterns among different demographic groups. Additionally, the talk will delve into regional disparities and analyze the policy implications arising from the legalization process.
Since 2009, York Circle has showcased the ideas and research being generated by York University’s community. Topics come from every Faculty and have included discussions around gender issues, brain function, mental health, international aid, sports injuries, financial policy and many more evolving subjects.
Dance Innovations 2023: Infinite Corners, running Nov. 22 to 24 at the McLean Performance Studio, will feature 25 new choreographic works by York University fourth-year bachelor of fine arts students addressing various social issues and personal experiences.
Performed by students in all years of York’s undergraduate programs in dance, this series engages with a range of human emotions. Each piece presents a unique concept, created in collaboration between the choreographer and the dancers. With the support of the faculty to turn their creativity into a full production, the student choreographers also collaborate with lighting designers, stage crew and technicians.
The underlying motif throughout the show is an exploration of the spectrum of feelings that humans experience through the successes and hardships in life. It considers themes like climate change, feminism, emotional development and gender theory.
“As we find ourselves in a time of recuperation following the pandemic, these creators are asking: what does it mean to move forward now?” says Infinite Corners Artistic Director Tracey Norman. “How are we coming alive in our collaborative work differently? If infinite corners lead to circles and cycles, the goal of this production is to enliven the ideas, processes and narratives that are important to this group of emerging artists.”
Presented in two series – Continuous and Unbounded – the show also features a new work by Professor Susan Lee for the department’s third-year performance class.
One piece that will address difficult emotions is to move through by Gabriella Noonan, which examines the grieving process and how to grow throughout it. Dancers Megan Bagusoski, Isabella Castro, Autumn Ivan, Olivia Pereira and Colleen Wiebe will portray a depiction of grief after losing a loved one. As the dancers weave a narration of regret, nostalgia and hope, they demonstrate the possibilities of moving forward after a heartbreaking event. “With those still here around us we must find how we can move forward in a world that is missing a piece,” says Noonan.
Another piece that will highlight resilience in the face of hardship is Jemima Cummings’ Perennial. Using the metaphor of perennial flowers, Cummings’ work will demonstrate the human ability to overcome obstacles. Noting how flowers always grow back after a long and cold winter, she uses her choreography to suggest that people can also find joy after difficult moments. Performed by Isabella Castro, Alessia Di Palma, Autumn Ivan, Travis Keith, Eva Rodriguez Castro and Olivia Williams, the work encourages audiences to pursue happiness after challenging circumstances, rather than settle for mere survival. “Never stagnate in moments of utter desperation and sadness. Pick yourself back up and bloom towards the sun,” says Cummings.
Undivulged by Emma Tate will bring light to the challenges experienced by women in a patriarchal society. One of her choreographic goals is to break the stigma around problems that women face, as she and the dancers expose the less glamorous parts of being a woman. Performers Liz Cairns, Sabrina Doughty, Madelyn Moneypenny, Emily Morton, Sonya Singh, Grace Sokolow and Tehillah James use their movement to support each other through externalization of their hidden obstacles. Throughout the piece, Tate asks, “How do we move forward in a world that diminishes the female voice and body?”
Christiano DiDomenico’s Artificially Authentic questions how to find authenticity despite the influence of others. This solo work, performed in alternance by Katherine Colley and Maya Erwin, engages with the idea of personality and how one’s personality is affected or altered by the people around them. In the creation process, DiDomenico explored “social chameleon” tendencies, which he describes as the habit of changing one’s outward personality based on the expectations of others. To highlight this research, as the soloists perform the work, they are surrounded by a 15-person ensemble. The presence of the supporting dancers sets the stage for a display of self-discovery.
Déjà Vécu by Rosie Halpin also explores beliefs about human nature. In contrast to the other works, Halpin’s choreography uses a mystical lens to approach the notion of already having lived through a situation. She directed her questioning of past events toward an exploration of life after death. This piece, danced by Regan Baird, Clara Chemtov, Kerry Halpin, Annie Spence, Hanna Thakore and Andie Weir, examines the idea of reconnecting with previous iterations of oneself from an undetermined afterlife. In her process, Halpin muses, “Maybe we are all just warped versions of past selves, like a cracked mirror that distorts a reflection.”
Series A: Continuous will run from Nov. 22 to 24 at 7 p.m. Series B: Unbounded runs on the same days at 8:30 p.m.
Tickets are $15 in advance (until Nov. 19) and $22 at the door. They can be purchased through the box office at 416-736-5888 or online at ampd.yorku.ca/boxoffice.
Webinar explores how research can inform antimicrobial resistance policy
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The Global Strategy Lab’s AMR Policy Accelerator at York University will host a one-hour webinar to explore global health and development challenges posed by antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and the need for collaboration between researchers and policymakers.
Bridging the AMR Research – Policy Divide will run Nov. 22 from 10 to 11 a.m. and feature a panel of experts who will delve into the challenges, and opportunities, surrounding evidence-informed AMR policymaking. The event aims to be a dynamic exchange of ideas, providing valuable insights into the complexities of AMR and the ways in which research can directly inform policy for more effective outcomes.
Millions of lives are at stake annually due to AMR, with its impact extending beyond human health to thwart progress on critical United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6), and Climate Action (SDG 13).
AMR not only claims lives but also undermines efforts to achieve sustainable development, making it imperative to bridge the gap between research and policy. New data and research on AMR emerge weekly, highlighting the need to establish pathways that connect researchers with policymakers. This collaboration aims to ensure that high-quality, context-specific AMR research informs the development, updating and implementation of policies. Taking a scientific approach to enhance the effectiveness of policies makes them more likely to succeed while minimizing costs through evidence-based decision-making.
Panellists for this event are:
Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention;
Professor Clare Chandler of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine;
Susan Rogers Van Katwyk, managing director of the AMR Policy Accelerator, research director of global antimicrobial resistance and adjunct professor at York University; and
Dr. Zubin Shroff of the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research.
Moderating the event will be York University Associate Professor A. M. Viens, York Research Chair in Population Health Ethics and Law and inaugural director of York’s School of Global Health.
Research day to highlight environmental studies PhD students
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On Nov. 14, the PhD Environmental Studies Association (PhESSA), with the support of the Environmental Studies (ES) PhD Program and the Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change (EUC), is curating an in-person research day that will engage the exciting and provocative work of ES PhD students.
The event, titled “On Fire,” will take place in N120 of the Ross Building from 9 a.m to 4 p.m, with the aim to celebrate the work of ES PhD students working for social and environmental justice, while bringing them together with faculty members and larger communities of scholarship, activism and practice.
The event’s theme – “On Fire” – is drawn from how the day’s event will focus attention on the many fires involved in the students’ work: material, political, inspirational. As the event’s description explains: “On Fire because the world is burning, literally and politically. On Fire because inspirational people and movements are working for social and environmental justice.”
Following arrival and coffee, attendees will be welcomed to the days-worth of panels by Melvin Chan, a graduate teaching assistant representing PhESSA, and Philip Kelly, associate dean of EUC.
Each panel – all chaired by Phyllis Novack, director of Maloca Living Labs, and made up of three to four speakers – is organized by theme.
Panel I: Multispecies Research “On Fire”;
Panel II: No Extraction Between the Branches: Epistolary in the Ruins of Fossil Capitalism;
Panel III: Burning Political Questions; and
Panel IV: Setting Creative Fires.
At noon, a special keynote presentation will also be given by Camille Turner, an artist who recently completed her PhD in environmental studies at York, titled “UnMapping: An Afronautic Journey.”
Closing thoughts will be provided by Alice Hovorka, dean of EUC.
The event is open to all York community members. For further information contact Novak atphyllisnovak4@gmail.com.
Sustainability Innovation Fund accepting applications
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The Sustainability Innovation Fund (SIF) is now accepting applications for projects on York University campuses that advance the University’s goal to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as well as contribute to advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SGD) 13 (Climate Action).
SIF supports projects that advance climate action and York’s net-zero goal, while creating opportunities for members of the York University community to actively engage in sustainability initiatives, specifically related to climate action and reducing GHG emissions and utilize the campus as a living lab, empowering individuals to be agents of change and take meaningful steps to reduce our impact on the planet. Proposals may address direct or indirect emission such as commuting, energy, food, waste, behaviour change, awareness and engagement or nature-based solutions.
This round of SIF is intended to provide funding for projects focused on identifying, accelerating and evaluating climate mitigation solutions and strategies, specifically:
seed funding (potentially for larger proposals in the next SIF round or external grant applications);
funding where there are matching funds from an academic unit or administrative office; or
projects that can be achieved generally under $10,000 from SIF(although compelling requests for up to $25,000 may be considered).
The call for applications is now open. The deadline to apply is 4 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 1.
All proposals for the Sustainability Innovation Fund must be submitted to the Office of Sustainability by email to sustainability@yorku.ca
A selection committee will evaluate the applications using the Proposal Assessment Rubric and will make recommendations for funding to the president. Approved projects will receive funding in January 2024.
Information about the Sustainability Innovation Fund, documents, forms and criteria are available on the Office of Sustainability website.
Information and consultation
Reach out to the Office of Sustainability for more information or for a consultation by email at sustainability@yorku.ca.
Join discussion on nuclear energy’s role in a net-zero future
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As part of the Globe and Mail‘s East-West Energy Series of events, Professor Mark Winfield of York University’s Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change (EUC) will present a talk titled “New Nuclear: Where does it fit in a net-zero nation?” on Friday, Oct. 20 from 1 to 3:30 p.m. The event is free and open to all, and can be attended either virtually or in person at the Globe and Mail Centre at 351 King St. E. in Toronto.
Mark Winfield
As urgency around climate action continues to build, Canada and other nations are becoming more attuned to the role of nuclear energy in curbing emissions. The push is on to transition away from coal and fossil fuels, while at the same time meet rising demand for energy in the era of electrification. Provinces such as Ontario are investing in new nuclear development and interest is growing in small modular reactors for industry and to shift remote communities off diesel.
Join the Globe and Mail and Winfield for a discussion on nuclear energy in view of net-zero emissions goals, electrification and the shift away from fossil fuels.
Winfield is a professor and the co-chair of the EUC’s Sustainable Energy Initiative and co-ordinator of the Joint Master of Environmental Studies/Juris Doctor program offered in conjunction with Osgoode Hall Law School. He has published articles, book chapters and reports on a wide range of climate change, environment, and energy law and policy topics. Winfield has acted as an advisor to the environmental commissioner of Ontario and federal commissioner for environment and development. He is a member of the Conseil d’administration (board of directors) of Transitions energetique Quebec, a Crown corporation established in 2017 to implement a low-carbon energy transition strategy for Quebec.
Osgoode Fellow to focus on environmental law, Indigenous land rights
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Osgoode Hall Law School master’s student Julia Brown, the 2023-24 Environmental Justice & Sustainability Clinic (EJSC) Fellow, hopes she can play a part in ensuring the development of Ontario’s mineral-rich Ring of Fire region, on First Nations land in the environmentally sensitive Hudson Bay Lowlands, does not take place without the free, prior and informed consent of the Indigenous people who live there.
Julia Brown
Brown will work with leaders of Neskantaga First Nation in an effort to draft the terms of a workable partnership with the Government of Canada as it prepares to undertake a regional environmental assessment prior to any mineral development. The assessment is taking place under Canada’s Impact Assessment Act, which replaced the Environmental Assessment Act in 2019.
Brown said the original terms of reference for the regional assessment gave First Nations in the area only token participation in the process. After strong pushback, the federal agency involved agreed to review the terms.
“That was disappointing,” she explained, “because this legislation was supposed to be a real improvement in terms of the roles that First Nations would play.
“That was a glaring omission,” she said. “Whether development should go ahead really should be up to the people who live there and whose land it is.”
While various levels of government have recognized the importance of reconciliation, they are still reluctant to give up control – especially when it comes to mineral wealth, Brown remarked.
The federal assessment will be among the first to look at a whole region; environmental assessments are typically project specific. Brown said the Ontario government has, to date, declined to participate in the federal process and is carrying out separate assessments focused only on proposed roads connecting the area to the provincial highway system.
“There is no precedent for the federal government in terms of how this regional assessment has to be structured,” she explained. “So we’ll be working on how it could be structured so there is a real partnership between First Nations and the federal government.”
Last year, Neskantaga First Nation marked its 10,000th day of being under a hazardous drinking water advisory, despite federal commitments to fix the problem. Located 463 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay, Ont., the fly-in community is situated amid a vast wetland that acts as a huge carbon sink.
Some have called the region the “lungs of Mother Earth,” and the First Nations people there call the region the “Breathing Lands.” In total, the Ring of Fire region spans about 5,000 square kilometres and is rich in chromite, nickel, copper, platinum, gold, zinc and other valuable minerals – some of which are required for battery production.
Brown, who previously worked as a lawyer for Toronto-based OKT Law, the country’s largest Indigenous rights law firm, said she feels fortunate to be working with the Environmental Justice & Sustainability Clinic and its current director, Professor Dayna Nadine Scott – and the feeling is mutual.
“We feel very fortunate this year at the EJSC to have someone with Julia’s depth of knowledge and experience to be stepping into the role of clinic Fellow,” said Scott.
As part of her graduate research, Brown will focus on the issue of emotion in judicial reasoning and how that influences Indigenous title cases. Her research adviser is Professor Emily Kidd White.
