May 2016

Climate Change: Views from the Humanities

This is an unusual conference in two respects. First, because it approaches the issue of climate change from the perspective of the humanities, rather than, as might be expected, from that of the sciences. Second, it is also more than a little unusual because of the conference format: it is an international academic conference with over 50 speakers from eight countries, yet it has a nearly nonexistent carbon footprint. Had this been a traditional fly-in conference, the slate of speakers would have had to collectively travel over 300,000 miles, generating the equivalent of over 100,000 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the process. This is equal to the total annual carbon footprint of 50 people living in India, 165 in Kenya. A conference that takes up the issue of climate change while simultaneously contributing to the problem to such a degree would be simply unconscionable. In contrast, they took a digital approach. Because the conference talks and Q&A sessions reside on this website (the talks are prerecorded; the Q&As interactive), travel was unnecessary. 

Dr. Ann Dale and Dr. Jairgris Hodson of Royal Roads University are presenting in Panel 2 of the conference, The Digital/Environmental Intervention. Check out their video, Accelerating Climate Change Communication.

For conference details, keynote speakers, and panels, visit the Climate Change: Views from the Humanities website.

The Sustainability Education Research Institute (SERI), Sustainability and Education Policy Network (SEPN), and partners are pleased to invite you to take part in a unique opportunity to engage with internationally recognized researchers, educators, and policy makers working in the area of education and environment. 

The conference, “Connecting Education and Environment," will be held on Saturday, June 10-11th, 2016 in the College of Education at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Canada. The conference will focus on land, place, environment, and sustainability and connections to education policy, practice, and research. The event will be a valuable resource to educators, administrators, policy makers, students, sustainability staff, organizations, communities, and researchers. 

June 10th includes a range of pre-conference options for policy-makers, researchers, and educators in K-12, Higher Education, and Indigenous Education.

On June 11th there will be five strands of interactive sessions, as well as keynotes including Manulani Meyer, Arjen Wals, Tarah Wright, Mark Rickinson, Erika Shaker, Alan Reid, Alex Wilson, and many more (schedule available on the website); followed by an evening reception.

For more information and to register, please visit the SERI website at www.seri.usask.ca.