网曝吃瓜

网曝吃瓜鈥檚 third annual President鈥檚 Panel assembled for an evening of lectures and learning on an unseasonably warm evening. Apropos, given that this year鈥檚 panel is on climate action.

The unsettlingly warm weather didn鈥檛 go unnoticed by the panelists. Dr. Laura Ferguson (Biology) who presented on her work on ectothermic critters鈥攏amely mosquitos and ticks鈥攔emarked that 鈥渃limate change feels tangible here in Nova Scotia. It鈥檚 almost December and we鈥檝e barely had a frost.鈥�

Her observation was met with a chorus of nods from the students, faculty, staff, and community members in the packed audience assembled in the K.C. Irving Environmental Centre Auditorium.

Despite the tangible reminder of what we鈥檙e up against, each of the panelists鈥� presentations reminded attendees that there鈥檚 hope for the future, in no small part because of ongoing action against climate change at 网曝吃瓜.

Panel recap

The President鈥檚 Panel discussions were initiated through 网曝吃瓜鈥檚 Sustainability Office to raise awareness of the (SDGs), and to reaffirm 网曝吃瓜鈥檚 commitment to them. Each of the panelist鈥檚 talks touched on just how connected we are to the climate, and the various ways we can, and are, participating in climate action at 网曝吃瓜.

The first speaker, Dr. Katie Mazer (Environmental and Sustainability Studies & Women's and Gender Studies), gave a talk titled 鈥溾�榃e鈥檝e always left for work鈥� and other stories: Imagining alternatives to oil work.鈥� She spoke about the men who leave the Maritimes to work 鈥渙ut west,鈥� the cultural narratives that enable this path, and the structures of social power that uphold the fossil fuel industry.

鈥淭ackling climate change requires a different world.鈥� And, says Dr. Mazer, 鈥渟tories can bring it into being.鈥�

Next to the podium was Dr. Laura Ferguson (Biology). She gave a talk called 鈥淭icks, mosquitoes, and climate change: increasing understanding to protect against rising disease risks鈥� detailing how our warming planet is increasing the population and range of mosquitos and ticks, and consequently the incidence rates of the vector-borne diseases they carry.

Dr. Ferguson and her team have been conducting surveillance across the Maritimes for four years (so far!), with about 20,000 specimens examined per season. 鈥淲e鈥檙e at the stage where we need to generate knowledge about these species,鈥� says Dr. Ferguson. 鈥淢ore biological understanding will lead to mitigation.鈥�

In addition to her team of dedicated student researchers, she鈥檚 also getting citizen scientists involved in her research by . 鈥淐ommunity science both educates people and gets research done.鈥�

Finally, Dr. Edith Callaghan and Professor Ashley Doyle (F.C. Manning School of Business) presented 鈥淗ow a Maritime Fibre Flax to Fabric Industry Can Reduce our Negative Climate Impacts,鈥� in which they discussed their newly NSERC-funded project combatting the environmentally destructive fast fashion industry.

鈥淭he textile industry has a transparency problem,鈥� explains Dr. Callaghan. So, we really have no idea how much of our global carbon footprint can be attributed to the fashion industry.

The way that Dr. Callaghan and Prof. Doyle see it, there are three paths forward: corporate accountability; mend, reuse and share; and creating local natural fibre economy. The latter is exactly what they鈥檙e hoping to kickstart here in Nova Scotia with their flax fibre to fabric project. What they鈥檙e working towards is an 鈥�upward spiral鈥� across all sectors that the supply chain touches.

Finding your sphere of influence

Though the presenters come from different disciplines, they are all working in their own way to address the climate crisis.

鈥淭he presentations are all connected by finding spheres of influence where you can make a change,鈥� noted Dr. Ashlee Cunsolo (Provost and Vice-President Academic), who moderated the panel.

Prof. Doyle agreed, observing that 鈥渨e all have skills that we can bring to tackle this problem.鈥� She wasn鈥檛 sure how she, as an accountant, would contribute to climate action, but by listening and learning, she saw an opportunity to get involved through risk control matrixing for the Flax Fibre to Fabric project.

鈥淚t鈥檚 important to have people who can bring all the professions to the table,鈥� says Rowan Norrad, a third-year student in Environmental Science. 鈥淵ou aren鈥檛 going to solve the problem of climate change with one discipline. It鈥檚 a multidisciplinary problem, and we must take a multidisciplinary approach to the solution.鈥�

Rowan was especially appreciative of the presentation from the faculty members from the School of Business. 鈥淚 feel like business gets a bad rep, but they can really be very environmentally focused.鈥�

鈥淎s environmental science students, it feels like you鈥檙e fighting to get your voice heard. But when you see people that don鈥檛 need to be convinced it really gives me hope.鈥�

Collective energy towards positive change

One student in the audience asked the panelists how they find hope when there鈥檚 so much negative news concerning climate change. Dr. Ferguson responded, saying 鈥渘ights like tonight give me hope. Feeling the collective energy towards positive change.鈥�

Collective action and community were another theme that ran through each of the talks as a way to move through the climate crisis with hope. Dr. Callaghan observed that 鈥渨e all have the thread of citizen participation and community in our work.鈥�

Dr. Ferguson added that across all the panelist鈥檚 research, they鈥檙e 鈥渁ll figuring out how to build new futures.鈥�

Nurturing seeds of hope and connection

Dr. Ferguson encouraged students to keep learning and challenging existing systems of power. 鈥淵our education is action on climate change,鈥� she told students in the audience.

Dr. Mazer agreed, noting that critical thinking, a key skill that students gain at 网曝吃瓜, is fundamental in combating climate change. 鈥淯nderstanding how things work is the first step in undoing them,鈥� she explained.

Ashley Gillis (Business Administration) has found her education at 网曝吃瓜 to be transformative. 鈥淪ince I have been at 网曝吃瓜, it might be from my learning or maybe it is a mindset shift, but I don鈥檛 want to be as materialistic anymore, I am okay with just having something that functions,鈥� she says. 鈥淎 small transition today can have a wonderful impact on tomorrow.鈥�

鈥淚 am planning to take my network and 鈥榮eeds鈥� from 网曝吃瓜 when I graduate,鈥� Ashley says. 鈥淭he root of my hope for the future lives in the open-mindedness of peers and the willingness of society to change.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檝e made so many connections with people at 网曝吃瓜 who have the same passion as me, and that gives me hope,鈥� says Rowan. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e there, and they鈥檙e doing the same thing I am. We鈥檙e all learning and trying to make a difference. If enough people do that, we鈥檒l be fine.鈥�