Spring in January
The Environment and Sustainability Speaker Series got off to a excellent start with the Copenhagen Post Mortem attended by about 80 people in the Clock Tower theatre on January 14th. James Hunt, the Czech. Ministerial Envoy stayed for an hour afterward for a stimulating one on one with several students. Tria Donaldson joined us by U Tube and you can see her full presentation at http://www.vimeo.com/8749583. It was very interesting having both the Civil Society view and the Diplomatic views presented simultaneously. ( James took Canada off the hook for “blocking” the agreement in part because it is only one of many industrialized countries hiding behind the US and his ever so diplomatic observations that “Canada is really not large or influential enough to be the sole blocker” OUCH!) However, the conclusion was the same from both Tria and James. There is a lot of work to be done if there is to be a meaningful agreement at the next meeting in Mexico.
On the 25th in BCOL 127 at 12 noon Ken Ogilvie, former Executive Director of Pollution Probe, the most influential environmental NGO in Canada and expert on sustainable decision making in Canada will make a presentation on the role of NGO’s in the Post Copenhagen era. If you bring a copy of this blog you will receive a free lunch. (ok, ok even if you don’t lunch will be provided!)
We are going to a launch a competition for a logo or symbol for the TRU Environment and Sustainability Programme. The formal announcement will appear in Omega and on CCTV. There will be good prizes for the winner and runners up. The contest will run for a about a month with the winner to be announced in March.
Speaking of winners we are also instituting an Environment and Sustainability Award. The award will be open to any TRU employee or student for a substantial contribution to the field of environment and sustainability. Others, who are not employees or students can also qualify if their contribution has made to the benefit of TRU. Nominations can be sent to Shirley Jackson sjackson@tru.ca by the end of February 2010.
As usual I want to let my faithful readers in on something no one else knows (ok hardly anyone else knows!) At the last meeting of the Environmental Advisory Committee, Jonathan Van Hamme suggested that we should invite Captain Charles Moore as part of the Speaker Series (No Captain Moore is not a BC Ferries Captain!) Captain Moore is a well known international environmentalist who has focused on plastic pollution particularly in the Pacific Ocean and has started an Institute to address the issue. Captain Moore will be here March 8th and 9th…..remember you heard it here first.
On a sadder note PK Page, first lady of Arts and Letters in Canada passed away this week. She will be fondly remembered by everyone who knew her, not the least by her son Neal Irwin and family, who I have been privileged to know for over twenty years. Environmentalists will remember her for the reading of her poem Planet Earth on the steps of the BC Legislature in 1993. Planet Earth is even more relevant today than it was back then.