Global Environmental Change Group

Tristan Pearce of the GECG will travel to Akureyri, Iceland next week to attend the International Arctic Social Science Association conference and co-chair the session "The Social Economy of Sharing in the North American Arctic" with Peter Collings, University of Florida. This session will highlight research in settlements in the Canadian Arctic and Greenland that address the social economy of sharing. Topics will include patterns of food distribution, knowledge transmission, changes in subsistence activities and household structure. The conference program is available online: www.iassa.org/programme

An article featuring Barry Smit and graduate student Tristan Pearce was recently released by CNN on Dec 30, 2010. The article titled "Inuit lives and diets change as ice shifts" highlights their research undertaken in Ulukhaktuk which has found that changes in climate, and subsequently sea ice conditions has an impact on the diets of Inuit in the Arctic. The article illustrates the adjustments and adaptations that Inuit hunters have made to cope with these changes.

Barry Smit will present at the 10 year Anniversary Celebration of the Canada Research Chairs Program, November 24-25, 2010 in Toronto. Barry, a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Global Environmental Change was invited to speak on the topic 'Can the Environment Help Save the Economy'. Barry was a CRC highlighted in a Sunday Star special feature titled "Canada: Thinking Ahead". More information can be found here. The event program can be found here. 

An opinion article by Barry Smit and Tristan Pearce appeared in the Toronto Star Sunday July 25, 2010. The article is titled 'The Science of Climate Change is Alive and Well' and can be found here.

Tristan Pearce, PhD candidate with the Global Environmental Change Group, was recently featured in the University of Guelph's atGuelph publication. The article can be read here.

Co-Principal Investigators, Barry Smit and Taito Nakalevu of the South Pacific Regional Environmental Programme, Samoa, along with a team of notable scholars and practitioners were one of 12 successful applications through the LOI stage of a new IDRC International Research Initiative on Adaptation to Climate Change (IRIACC). The development grant will allow Smit and Nakalevu and team to develop the full research program proposal over the coming months, to be submitted in September. IDRC will award up to 5 proposals $2.5m each over 5 years at the full proposal stage.

GECG PhD Candidate Tara Holland has recently been awarded the prestigious Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship valued at $50,000 for three years. The Vanier CGS program aims to attract and retain world-class doctoral students by supporting students who demonstrate both leadership skills and a high standard of scholarly achievement in graduate studies. Tara's research on agricultural adaptation and the Canadan viticulture industry will signficantly benefit from this award.

Congratulations Tara!

Barry Smit recently returned from a busy 7 city lecture tour across Australia and New Zealand. The speaking series, hosted by the Association for Canadian Studies in Australia and New Zealand, and the High Commission of Canada, featured the Federation Dialogue 2010, of which Barry served as the Canadian visiting scholar. Read more about the tour here

Today's 'The Record' featured an article by Tristan Pearce, PhD Candidate of the Geography Department and Dr. James Ford, graduate of the Geography Department, now assistant Professor at McGill University. The article, titled 'Inuit see what's happening to Arctic ice" highlights Inuit observations of sea ice change identified through their research with the community of Ulukhaktok in the Western Arctic, to address recent skepticism surrounding climate change science. Read the article here

Dr. Barry Smit was recently quoted in an issue of ON Nature. The article, written by Ray Ford, considers the future challenges and opportunities facing Ontario farmers in light of changing conditions. You can read the article here.