EDITORS: UBC experts and story ideas for Earth Day

On April 22, the world celebrates Earth Day to promote environmental citizenship and a healthy, sustainable planet. The following are UBC story ideas and sustainability experts for Earth Day 2009.

UBC was the only Canadian university—and one of only 15 in North America—to earn top marks in the most recent Sustainability Report Card, which looked at 300 universities and colleges.

UBC Earth Day Story Ideas

Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability (CIRS)

To be completed in 2010 at UBC, CIRS is expected to be the “greenest” building in North America, featuring leading-edge sustainable design, research and community engagement tools.

Prof. John Robinson
UBC Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability
604.822.9188
Cell: 604.307.7374
johnr@ires.ubc.ca
http://www.cirs.ubc.ca/

UBC to measure 2010 Winter Games’ carbon emissions

UBC students, led by Prof. James Tansey, are calculating the carbon footprint of the 2010 Winter Games for VANOC.

Jessica Langelaan
Sauder School of Business
Centre for Sustainability and Social Innovation (CSSI)
778-847-7946
jessica.langelaan@sauder.ubc.ca

UBC invention guides sunshine deep inside office buildings

The Solar Canopy is a UBC invention that uses various reflective mirrors to bring sunlight deep into existing or new office buildings.

Michele Mossman
UBC Physics
604 822-5022
mmossman@exchange.ubc.ca

Prof. Lorne Whitehead
UBC Physics
lorne.whitehead@ubc.ca

More info:
http://www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/media/releases/2009/mr-09-026.html
http://www.phas.ubc.ca/ssp/solar-canopy-illumination-system/

Green virtuoso

A UBC concert violinist who recently travelled to the Arctic with Jimmy Carter and the Obama administration proves artists can be powerful agents for change.

Prof. Eugenia Choi
UBC School of Music
604.827.5635
eugenia.choi@ubc.ca
http://www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/ubcreports/2009/09mar05/virtuoso.html

UBC Greenheart Canopy Walkway

The Greenheart Canopy Walkway, the newest eco-adventure at UBC’s Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research, is the only treetop walkway of its kind in Canada. Open 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/

UBC Earth Day Experts

Campus sustainability

Geoff Atkins
UBC Leader of Sustainability
604.822.4167
604.219.5690
geoff.atkins@ubc.ca

Charlene Easton
Director, UBC Sustainability Office
604.827.5641
Cell: 604.789.3161
charlene.easton@ubc.ca

B.C.’s carbon tax, green politics

Prof. Kathryn Harrison
UBC Dept. of Political Science
604.822.4922/604.822-6701
harrison@politics.ubc.ca

Prof. Henry Siu
UBC Dept. of Economics
604.822.2919
hankman@interchange.ubc.ca

Urban sustainability, energy systems, climate policy

Prof. Hadi Dowlatabadi
Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability (IRES)
604-822-0008
Cell: 604.727.8103
hadi.d@ubc.ca

Prof. John Robinson
UBC Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability
604.822.9188
Cell: 604.307.7374
johnr@ires.ubc.ca

Ecosystems and biodiversity conservation

Rashid Sumalia
UBC Fisheries Centre
604.822.0224
r.sumaila@fisheries.ubc.ca

Climate modeling and predictions

Philip Austin
Earth and Ocean Science/Geography
604.822.2175
paustin@eos.ubc.ca

Carbon markets and green business

Prof. Peter Nemetz
MBA Program in Sustainability
Sauder School of Business
604.822.8443
peter.nemetz@sauder.ubc.ca

Prof. James Tansey
Sauder School of Business
Centre for Sustainability and Social Innovation (CSSI)
604.827.4443
Cell: 604.562.4546
james.tansey@sauder.ubc.ca

To find more UBC experts, visit www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca. For more information on UBC and sustainability, visit: www.sustain.ubc.ca.

UBC Sustainability Facts

  • UBC is also the only Canadian university to receive Green Campus Recognition from the National Wildlife Federation.
  • UBC was the only Canadian university – and one of only 15 in North America – to earn top marks in the most recent Sustainability Report Card, which looked at 300 universities and colleges.
  • Prof. William Rees of UBC’s School of Community and Regional Planning, co-authored of the “ecological footprint” measurement tool.
  • Prof. John Robinson, listed above, is a member of an international group of sustainability researchers that shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore.
  • ECOTrek, the largest energy retrofit of its kind in Canada, saves UBC $4-million in energy costs and 8,000 tonnes in greenhouse gas emissions in 277 campus buildings each year.
  • UBC Renew, a $120-million partnership with the Province of B.C, is extending the life of university buildings using sustainability practices.
  • UBC offers some 300 undergraduate and graduate courses that deal with sustainability across all faculties. More than 300 faculty members are engaged in sustainability related research.

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