Updates of the Chair

  • MEOPAR Blog: Transformation: The Next Level of Climate Change Adaptation

    Monday, May 25, 2020 | By

    We talk a lot in the academic world about transformation—climate change adaptation on steroids! But what does it mean and how would we go about it? At its most basic level, transformation is thinking about how we move from where we are now, toward a more sustainable future. It is not so much about reacting to changes as they happen (reactive adaptation) but rather about thinking of adaptation and resilience-building as a proactive and long-term planning process. The movie “The Current War” (about Thomas Edison, George Westinghouse and Nikola Tesla’s race to bring convenient and easy access to power and light to the masses), is a great example of the technological, societal and behavioural changes needed for large scale transformation.

    Transformation means that we may have to do things in fundamentally different ways. Transformation, or transformative adaptation, as some people call it, may need to occur when gradual or incremental adaptation may not be enough. For instance, rebuilding infrastructure year after year after extreme weather events is considered adaptation. But what if that becomes too cost-prohibitive and more innovative solutions are needed? Transformation often happens when changes take place faster than expected. Transformation requires a long-term vision of what is more sustainable, while, at the same, also time planning for short-term gains. When we look at a community, it also means ensuring strong engagement and communication among partners and stakeholders, and removing barriers to change by empowering citizens and communities to take action. It may sound like a tall order, but think what things would be like if we began to use a transformation mindset.

    For example, think about a field of vacant land in your neighbourhood. What is its history? Who owns it? Why does it exist the way it does and Is it okay the way it is? Does someone have future plans for it and, if so, what are they and what could they use the land for? All of these great questions lead us to envision the many positive uses for this land: greenspace, a playground, community garden, or organic farm, for example.

    Now think even bigger. Increase the scale from one vacant lot to an entire waterfront where flooding is occurring more frequently with increased storms. As the size of the area changes, so does the complexity, but the questions remain the same. In previous blog posts we have focused on a number of ideas, such as the global sustainability goals, tree planting, biodiversity protection, swales, agricultural ditches, greenspace, and shoreline protection. All of these areas could be used as a focus for transformation. Innovation and innovative thinking are key ingredients for transformation to happen. So ask yourself this: Are you an innovator?

    The researchers involved with the MEOPAR project are working to raise awareness about the impacts of climate change and how communities can effectively adapt, and increase resilience, to these changes. Follow along with our blog every week (written by researchers Liette Vasseur, Meredith DeCock, Bradley May, Pulkit Garg and Sam Gauthier) to learn more about the project and how you can get involved. You can also visit our website at brocku.ca/unesco-chair or email us at meopar-lincoln@brocku.ca

    Categories: MEOPAR-Lincoln Blog, Updates of the Chair

  • MEOPAR Blog: Rooftop Solar: A Ray Of Hope For Canada’s Environmental Sustainability

    Monday, May 18, 2020 | By

    Investment in rooftop solar systems might be an attractive proposition to meet our energy demands in the future

    Have you ever noticed solar panels mounted on buildings of neighbours’ houses and wondered how they work? Or have you considered installing them at your own home?

    Rooftop solar systems are composed of a few parts. The main component is the solar panel or a series of solar panels. The panels convert the rays from the sun into electricity, which can be stored in batteries or be used directly in the house for things like heating water in the boiler. Interestingly, in the summer, the same rooftop solar panels can also reflect some of the rays of the sun, cooling down the house an average of 2o C.

    There has been an increase in uptake in many countries, and that increase in demand has driven the cost of these systems down and made them more affordable. This growing solar energy industry is also generating new employment opportunities in Canada, with the potential to generate employment for 65,000 people annually in the manufacturing, operation, and maintenance of solar panels.

    In Canada, solar energy currently represents one per cent of the country’s total energy production. However, it is still significant as it removes approx. 1.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per year from the atmosphere (the equivalent of removing 250,000 cars and trucks off the road each year).

    Canada’s latitude and climatic conditions can pose some challenges to solar power generation in northern regions where there is less solar potential. The farther north you go, the sharper the angle the sun’s rays hit the panels, so the system can’t utilize the sun’s full potential. Canada also does not have a solar energy policy at the federal level which means that prices vary significantly among provinces and territories. Challenges aside, solar panels can represent a sustainable renewable source of energy in the years to come, especially for us in the Niagara region. They show promising potential as an effective climate change mitigation and adaptation plan when utilized for homes and industry.

    The researchers involved with the MEOPAR project are working to raise awareness about the impacts of climate change and how communities can effectively adapt, and increase resilience, to these changes. Follow along with our blog every week (written by researchers Liette Vasseur, Meredith DeCock, Bradley May, Pulkit Garg and Sam Gauthier) to learn more about the project and how you can get involved. You can also visit our website at brocku.ca/unesco-chair or email us at meopar-lincoln@brocku.ca

     

    Categories: MEOPAR-Lincoln Blog, Updates of the Chair

  • MEOPAR Blog: Creative kitchens: helping meet global sustainability goals

    Friday, May 15, 2020 | By

    Day three of romaine lettuce grown in a windowsill.

    With the arrival of spring, many of us are spring cleaning, planning our gardens, and starting our seeds. But what about those of us who don’t have a backyard, live in an apartment without a balcony or patio, or don’t have the physical ability to be on our hands and knees gardening all day? The good news is that there are many fun and creative ways to grow and prepare food.

    Did you know that you can re-grow lettuce you bought in a grocery store? All you need to do is to save the bottom 2.5 to 3.5 cm of the lettuce stem and place it in a small dish of water! Remember to replace the water every day or two, and about two weeks later, you will have the perfect sandwich-sized helping of new lettuce. You will not have an unlimited supply with this method but seeing how much you can get from one stem can be a fun experiment, especially with children. You can also try this same method with celery or green onions. For green onions, you simply plant the white bulb and roots in a small pot with potting soil and you will soon have a never-ending supply! You can simply cut off what you need, and the plant will continue producing. This cuts down on food waste for those who struggle to use all of their store-bought green onions before they expire!

    There are lots of other ways to be more creative in the kitchen while also minimizing waste. Many of our fridge contents have plenty of unexpected uses! Take leftover pickle juice, for example, which is actually a great meat tenderizer! The brine can also be used as a vinegar substitute for salads and dips, or to extend the life of vegetables that are about to go bad in your fridge. Adding some sliced-up beets to pickle brine and storing them in the fridge makes for an easy and colorful addition to salads and sandwiches.  It’s important to note that you should never reuse pickle brine to make new pickles that you intend to can and store in a pantry, however, and to always keep it in the fridge. The diluted brine also won’t last forever and can only be safely reused a limited number of times — so plan on using it sooner than later.

    We have talked about the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, or the SDGs, in many of our blog posts. Although they may seem intimidating or too globally spread for any one individual to do anything to help, when you get into the nitty-gritty of each of the 17 goals, they are actually broken down into many small, measurable goals that are easy for individuals to contribute to. By being creative in our kitchens, minimizing food waste, and doing things like re-growing our lettuce and celery, we are actually contributing to not only one, but several of the SDGs!

    Helping meet the global goals can be fun if you are using your innovative spirit, and we encourage you to try out some fun, new kitchen adventures of your own!

     

     

    Categories: MEOPAR-Lincoln Blog, Updates of the Chair

  • MEOPAR Blog: How practicing mindfulness can create a more sustainable future

    Friday, May 01, 2020 | By

    Practicing mindfulness, such as yoga, is a great way to add a sense of calm and peace to our daily routines.

    Being present and finding joy in small things is known to be good for our mental and physical
    health.

    One of the best ways to calm our minds and enjoy the present is by practicing mindfulness: focusing our attention on the present moment — exactly what is happening right now — and accepting it without judgment. This includes paying attention to our thoughts and feelings while we are experiencing them.

    Mindfulness can help us better handle the uncertainty of the future and reduce anxiety, as
    practicing mindfulness exercises can help direct attention away from negative or stressful
    thoughts. It can also train your brain to be more alert (as long, deep breaths bring more oxygen to the brain), lower stress levels, increase happiness, lower blood pressure, and improve sleep.

    What does mindfulness look like? Exercising mindfulness can be as simple as taking time to
    pause and breathe when the phone rings, instead of rushing to answer it. Another good
    practice is to notice sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches while doing daily tasks;
    experiencing the moment fully with no urgency to move to the next task. Mindfulness can also
    be very helpful while waiting in long lines at the grocery store — especially in these stressful
    times when grocery shopping can be somewhat daunting. Instead of worrying about rushing
    through the line at the checkout (or to get into the store in the first place), take the time to feel
    gratitude that you have food to stock your cupboards and were able to make it to the grocery
    store that day.

    Another form of mindfulness is meditation. Being still with your eyes closed, either repeating a
    phrase or mantra or focusing your attention on your breathing, is one form of mediation. This
    method encourages you to let your thoughts to come and go, without being bothered by them,
    and to focus on being present in the current moment and space. Yoga is another excellent way
    to practice meditation as the movements in a yoga sequence focus on breathing and being
    present in each pose, with no urgency to move on to the next.

    Mindfulness is also a great way to engage with the natural world around us and can even help us shift to a more sustainable society. Mindfulness can even influence how we respond to the
    climate change crisis because it allows us to change the way we process information and can
    even help increase our motivation. When we practice mindfulness, we can gain a better
    appreciation for both people and nature and become more compassionate towards each other—helping to build a more sustainable future as a result.

    The researchers involved with the MEOPAR project are working to raise awareness about the
    impacts of climate change and how communities can effectively adapt, and increase resilience, to these changes. Follow along with our blog every week (written by researchers Liette Vasseur,
    Meredith DeCock, Bradley May, Pulkit Garg, and Sam Gauthier). Visit our website
    at brocku.ca/unesco-chair or email meopar-lincoln@brocku.ca.

     

    Categories: MEOPAR-Lincoln Blog, Updates of the Chair

  • Protecting snapping turtles and other wetland species

    Thursday, April 30, 2020 | By

    Wetlands are beautiful habitats where many unique species of animals can be found. We are all
    able to help protect and conserve these critically important ecosystems.

    In Ontario, most of our important wetlands have been mapped and are protected through various regulations. Wetlands that support critical habitat and species are called Provincially Significant Wetlands (PSW) and are protected from development and disturbance. However, simply drawing a line around a wetland and saying it is “protected” is not enough to ensure the protection and survival of the species it contains. Many wetland species, such as turtles, snakes, and frogs, are mobile and capable of traveling great distances to find food and suitable habitat for breeding. When wildlife moves between habitats, they become extremely vulnerable to threats that could impact their ability to survive (and thrive).

    Everyone can play a part in helping to protect and conserve our treasured wetland species. One
    simple thing we can all do to help is to be mindful of the presence of wildlife on our roadways.
    Springtime, in particular, is a vulnerable time for many wetland species as they are on the move to find suitable nesting areas. Snapping turtles are of special concern in Ontario because they often lay their eggs in gravel along roadways in late May and early June and are at high risk of road mortality.

    You can help snapping turtles and other turtles by safely removing them off the road if you see
    them. Many tips and tricks can be used to ensure you do this without harming yourself or the
    turtle, but here are a few of the basics:

    • Never lift a turtle up from the tail, as the tail is attached to the turtle’s spine. To a human,
      this would be like being lifted up by your neck.
    • Snapping turtles have long necks and can extend their mouth past their front legs. You
      can safely pick up a snapping turtle by holding the very back of its shell behind its back
      legs.
    • Large snapping turtles can be effectively maneuvered backwards across road surfaces by
      pulling on the back part of their shell. Although slightly bothersome to them, it can save
      their life without hurting them.
    • Mats from your car can also be used to wedge under large turtles and move them to
      safety.
    • Leave a nesting turtle alone while she is egg-laying in the sand, gravel, or even loose soil
      (she will appear very docile, almost as if she is asleep, while she is laying eggs). Brightly
      coloured objects such as pylons, painted rocks (which can be a great craft for young kids)
      or safety vests can be placed beside a nesting turtle on the edge of the road to increase her
      visibility for other drivers. This will not bother her, as she will be focused on the job at-
      hand.

    The Toronto Zoo’s Adopt a Pond YouTube video also offers a variety of useful and clever
    techniques for safely removing turtles from roads. Just remember, if you see a turtle on the road, remove it in the direction it was traveling and be mindful of traffic. It is never worth putting your personal safety at risk.

    The researchers involved with the MEOPAR project are working to raise awareness about the
    impacts of climate change and how communities can effectively adapt, and increase resilience, to these changes. Follow along with our blog every week (written by researchers Liette Vasseur,
    Meredith DeCock, Bradley May, Pulkit Garg, Sam Gauthier, and Jocelyn Baker). Visit our
    website at brocku.ca/unesco-chair or email meopar-lincoln@brocku.ca.

    Categories: MEOPAR-Lincoln Blog, Updates of the Chair

  • Brock Profs call for renewed connection with nature in new book chapter

    Tuesday, April 21, 2020 | By

    Liette Vasseur, Professor of Biological Sciences and UNESCO Chair in Community Sustainability: From Local to Global, and Christine Daigle, Professor of Philosophy and Director of Brock’s Posthumanism Research Institute, were chosen to present their work in the e-book titled Humanistic futures of learning: Perspectives from UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN Networks.

    What does the future of education look like, and how does it need to be adapted and re-evaluated to create a more sustainable future? Two Brock University professors contributed to this debate in their chapter selected for publication in a recent e-book from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

    Liette Vasseur, Professor of Biological Sciences and UNESCO Chair in Community Sustainability: From Local to Global, and Christine Daigle, Professor of Philosophy and Director of Brock’s Posthumanism Research Institute, were chosen to present their work in the e-book titled Humanistic futures of learning: Perspectives from UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN Networks.

    UNESCO initiated the call for chapters last summer with the goal of bringing together diverse perspectives of how education can provide a foundation for building peace and driving sustainable development. The book will later serve as the basis for a global report, developed by the International Commission on the Futures of Education and will guide future policy debate, research and action.

    Vasseur and Daigle’s chapter, “Strengthening our connection to nature to build citizens of the Earth,” was selected from numerous contributions from around the world. In the chapter, they highlight the dangers of rampant consumerism and explain why the existing disconnect between humans and the realities of a depleting planet will prevent current and future generations from creating a sustainable future.

    “If we don’t begin to realize now the important connection we have with nature, we will continue doing what we are doing, which is destroying this planet,” says Vasseur.

    She says that by relying on technology as a learning tool instead of spending time physically immersed in nature, it is difficult to fully grasp the critical functions that biodiversity and the natural environment play in everyday life. Without fully understanding this interconnectivity, it is impossible to then understand that overall well-being is directly impacted by ecosystem degradation.

    Bridging that gap requires a shift away from the unsustainable model of viewing the natural world as merely a vessel for consumerism and economic growth.

    “We assume that economic growth can be infinite, but our planet is finite — we only have one,” says Vasseur. “We can’t continue to exploit what’s non-renewable or there will be nothing left for future generations.”

    Vasseur and Daigle propose that a new educational approach focusing on nature, our place in it, and a mindfulness of the relationships between all living things, must be developed.

    “A critical posthumanist perspective, such as the one I embrace, sees all beings as fundamentally entangled,” says Daigle. “We must understand this and work toward fostering relations with the other beings with whom we live, so that the web of beings may thrive—including, potentially, ourselves.”

    She says achieving that will require a major overhaul of the entire education system from pre-school to lifelong learning.

    “We seem to be going in circles in our environmental policy decision-making — we devise solutions that cause other problems that we then must address — but the reason we fail is that we are devising those solutions based on the same old problematic worldview and set of values,” says Daigle. “If we transform this radically, a goal we propose in the chapter, we will start devising different and better solutions.”

    Categories: Updates of the Chair

  • 2020 Sustainability Poetry Contest winners announced

    Tuesday, April 21, 2020 | By

    This year’s Sustainability Poetry Contest theme was the International Year of Plant Health. The winning entries for 2020 have been selected and announced.

    The winning entries for this year’s Sustainability Poetry Contest have been chosen. Hosted annually by Brock University’s United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Chair, the contest invites Niagara poets to submit original written works, in English or French, that celebrate sustainability. This theme of this year’s contest was the International Year of Plant Health, which drew the most entries the contest has received since it first began in 2015.

    The winners of the contest are typically announced during an annual World Poetry Day Celebration in St. Catharines, but given the evolving COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s event has been postponed. While the event will be rescheduled for a future date, Brock UNESCO Chair Liette Vasseur decided to congratulate the winners in advance.

    “We were so pleased to see so many members of the Niagara community participate in this year’s contest and thoroughly enjoyed reading all of the wonderful entries,” said Vasseur. “While we are disappointed that we couldn’t celebrate World Poetry Day in person this March, we look forward to coming together to share poetry and honour the winners as soon as it is safe to do so.”

    This year’s winning entries include:

    • Un monde tout vert by Brock Concurrent Education student Alexander Emmitt Yap
    • Help the Plants by Harry Byun, Grade 3 student at Kate S. Durdan Public School in Niagara Falls
    • Terra by Elizabeth Grace Tomaino, Grade 12 student at Blessed Trinity Catholic Secondary School
    • The Active Agent by Diana Vasu, English Language and Literature Student at Brock University
    • Adam and Eve Recall the tree by Franco ON Cortese, of Thorold, Ontario

    All of the winners have been contacted and will be notified when a new event date has been selected.

    Vasseur also extended a special thanks to her Brock colleagues who served as this year’s judging panel: Catherine Parayre, Associate Professor and Director of the Centre for Studies in Arts and Culture; Gregory Betts, Professor with the Department of English; Adam Dickinson, Associate Professor of English and award-winning poet; and Neta Gordon, Associate Dean, Undergraduate Student Affairs and Curriculum in the Faculty of Humanities.

    The forthcoming poetry celebration will be free and open to the public. Those interested in attending are encouraged to monitor the UNESCO Chair’s website for updates on when a date is selected. An e-book compilation of all of this year’s entries will also be published on the website in the coming months.

    Categories: Updates of the Chair

  • MEOPAR BLOG: The Importance of Niagara’s Wetlands

    Tuesday, April 21, 2020 | By

    The Great Blue Heron is one of the many diverse species that rely on Niagara’s wetlands for survival.

    Access to clean, healthy water is critical for life. With more surface water than any other country in the world, Canada is also home to 25 per cent of the world’s wetlands. Canadian wetlands include fresh and saltwater marshes, wooded swamps, bogs, seasonally flooded forest, sloughs and any land area that can hold water long enough to let wetland plants and soils develop.

    Wetland ecosystems are important to the social, economic and ecological health of Canadians, providing a wide range of leisure opportunities including fishing, hunting, boating, and swimming; purifying and filtering nutrients, sediments and other pollutants from surface water; and protecting the country’s drinking water systems.

    Often referred to as vital lifelines of nature, wetlands provide links between water and land habitats, making them one of the world’s most productive and biologically diverse ecosystems.

    Wetlands support over 100,000 freshwater species globally, providing food and habitat for a large variety of species — including humans. Rice — the most important source of nutrition of nearly half of all human-kind — is grown in wetland complexes, for example. Not only that, but most commercial fisheries depend on wetlands for part of their lifecycle, with fish providing almost half of the world’s population with a significant portion of their nutritional protein needs.

    Habitat loss and degradation are recognized as the single greatest threats to plants and animals (biodiversity) in Canada. Despite the important contributions that wetlands provide, over 87 per cent of our global wetlands have been lost, primarily to land conversion, invasive species and climate change. A quarter of all wetlands in Canada are found in Ontario, and Southern Ontario has lost over 90 per cent of its original wetlands due to urbanization (housing and businesses) and, to a lesser degree, agriculture.

    People and nature have co-existed for thousands of years and now, more than ever, people are understanding the role that nature plays in both mental and physical health and well-being. Residents of the Niagara Peninsula are incredibly fortunate as this region has highest diversity of plants and animal species in all of Canada. In fact, the Niagara Region is one of the most biologically diverse life zones in all of North America. Its local climate is moderated by the Great Lakes and the Niagara Escarpment, which supports the existence of plants and animal species that are not found anywhere else in Canada. An example is the ancient white cedars, which can only be found within the Niagara River gorge and along parts of the Niagara Escarpment. Many of these species, such as the endangered Northern Dusky Salamander, are dependent on wetlands for survival. Ensuring the sustainability of wetland ecosystems is therefore of great concern — not only for the species they contain, but also for the well-being of the humans that cohabitate these regions.

    The researchers involved with the MEOPAR project are working to raise awareness about the impacts of climate change and how communities can effectively adapt, and increase resilience, to these changes. Follow along with our blog every week (written by researchers Liette Vasseur, Meredith DeCock, Bradley May, Pulkit Garg and Sam Gauthier). Visit our website at brocku.ca/unesco-chair or email meopar-lincoln@brocku.ca.

     

    Categories: MEOPAR-Lincoln Blog, Updates of the Chair

  • Earth Day Message from Brock’s UNESCO Chair

    Tuesday, April 21, 2020 | By

    Since we can’t celebrate in person this year, Liette Vasseur, Brock University’s UNESCO Chair on Community Sustainability: from Local to Global, has a special Earth Day message for us all — which is more important now than ever. Watch the video below, or on YouTube.

    Categories: Updates of the Chair

  • Brock professor earns co-editor role with scientific journal Botany

    Monday, April 20, 2020 | By

    From The Brock News, Monday, April 20, 2020 | by 

    Biological Sciences Professor Liette Vasseur recently accepted a five-year co-editor appointment with the acclaimed scientific journal Botany, including an option to renew it for an additional five years.

    “It’s certainly an honour to be involved,” says Vasseur, who began working with the journal in 1998. “I first became an associate editor; at the time, it was called the Canadian Journal of Botany.”

    Her current research for Brock University’s Faculty of Mathematics and Science is in plant science.

    “My main focus is on examining how plants adapt to climatic and environmental changes,” says Vasseur. “The research is mainly conducted in rural communities, in vineyards, vegetable farms or pastures. In addition, I continue examining how we can better understand the population ecology and genetic of species at risk in order to restore their populations.”

    Co-editors differ from associate editors by being asked to read submissions from a wider range of topics. Vasseur says she’s looking forward to reading various types of article in her role.

    “As associate editor, you tend to be focused on your expertise only,” she says. “This will allow me to read other subjects and also meet the associate editors.”

    She believes she was selected for the honour likely because she’s “been with the journal for quite a long time and I tend to be rigorous in the reviews. The area of ecology is also a very popular component of the journal.”

    Vasseur also credits her bilingualism as being a strong point for the journal, which is also bilingual. She hopes to help bring an even higher profile to the journal by “having more people submitting quality manuscripts and knowing more people are reading the articles in the journals.”

    The fields of research featured in the journal have a lot to offer.

    “It goes from mycorrhizal inoculation mitigation and plant biomechanics to pollination and microbial interaction and plant species migration,” she says. “In fact, it is a vast field and many new discoveries are found on a regular basis.”

    Mathematics and Science Dean Ejaz Ahmed is “pleased to hear about the appointment and happy to hear a faculty member will be representing the team as co-editor of a well-respected journal. Congratulations to Vasseur for her many years of research and contributions to the field.”

    During the COVID-19 pandemic, many areas of research are challenging to complete, but Vasseur is looking for the roses among the thorns.

    “Studying plants in an agricultural setting means I am especially encouraging people at home to think about starting their own gardens,” she says. “It’s not too complicated and brings joy, as well as education for kids.”

    Categories: Updates of the Chair

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