IRIS launches book calling for systemic changes to fight climate change

It's not enough to plant trees in exchange for carbon emissions in the fight to mitigate climate change, say York environmental studies Professor Anders Sandberg and York environmental studies master’s student Tor Sandberg in their new co-edited book Climate Change – Who’s Carrying the Burden?: The Chilly Climates of the Global Environmental Dilemma. Nor is […]

Video: Professor Laurence Packer on why and how to make your garden bee-friendly

Without bees, we wouldn’t have coffee to drink at breakfast, tomatoes in your sandwich at lunch or fruit for a snack on the go. While bee populations all over the world are in trouble, there are lots of things individuals can do to create bee-friendly gardens — even if your personal green space is limited […]

York researchers receive $10 million in funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada

Researchers, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows at York University have been awarded over $10 million from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). The grants, part of $190.5 million in funding and awards invested across the country, will support over 220 innovative York research projects to improve Canadians’ quality of life while […]

Geography graduate student Elizabeth Miller wins northern research award

"It’s expensive doing research up there" in the High Arctic, says Elizabeth Miller. Flying all your equipment and four months’ worth of food and supplies costs thousands of dollars when you have to transfer three times en route from Toronto – via Ottawa, Iqaluit and Resolute – to get to Polar Bear Pass on Bathurst Island. Research […]

Interdisicplinary symposium focuses on education and climate change

Today, the shared experiences of those working in education and climate change is the central theme of a one-day symposium taking place at York University. Organized by the Faculty of Education, the Institute for Research & Innovation in Sustainability (IRIS) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Chair for Reorienting Teacher Education Towards Sustainability, […]

Disappearing bees may leave us with a bland diet

Bee expert urges public to create bee-friendly gardens in their yards Breakfast may be toast if we don’t take action to save the bees, according to York biology Professor and bee expert Laurence Packer. “Consider breakfast. Eggs, maybe a slice of watermelon, toast with butter and jam, and a cup of coffee with a dash of […]

Calgary Heralds probes professor and bird detective about her daily routine

Professor Bridget Stutchbury is back in the media talking about her book, The Bird Detective: Investigating the Secret Lives of Birds. The Calgary Herald interviewed her April 30 about her research, daily routine and thoughts on climate change: Figuring out bird habits are all in a day's work for Stutchbury. Montreal-born, Toronto-raised, she is an […]

Earth Hour involving younger environmentalists, part of larger demographic trend

This is a period marked by distinct shifts in demographics and attitudes when it comes to the environment, said Mark Winfield, a professor in York’s Faculty of Environmental Studies (FES), in a story about Earth Hour in the Toronto Star March 25: For one thing, those most heavily engaged in environmentalism have become significantly younger […]

York leads all Canadian universities in SSHRC’s largest awards

York researchers awarded two of SSHRC’s largest grants to study long-term residential healthcare and global suburbanism Two teams led by York University researchers have received $5 million in research funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). Their multinational research teams, involving multiple universities and community partners in a large-scale collaboration, […]

How has global warming affected Arctic permafrost?

On Monday, northern researcher Chris Burn comes to York to talk about the impact of climate change on permafrost in Canada’s western Arctic. For almost 30 years, Burn has closely observed changes in the frozen terrain around Mayo, in central Yukon, and in the Mackenzie River Delta. At Mayo, he is examining the "drunken" forest, […]