Lecture Series
The Sustainability Council’s ongoing lecture series explores local and global perspectives on sustainability, equity and climate action. Hear researchers and practitioners from the University of Alberta and beyond in fields ranging from engineering to ecology, public health to poetry, native studies to nanotechnology.
The lecture series is delivered to you on a monthly basis. We aim to highlight sustainability research, teaching and innovation over a range of topics with the goal of generating conversation on sustainability across disciplines.
Winter 2024 Lectures
Energy Talks - Point-of-need sensors: What are they and how can they help us?
Talk | Jan. 15, 2025, 7 – 8:30 p.m. | 8331 104 Street Edmonton AB T6E 4E9
What are point-of-need sensors? Why should we be developing them? How can they help our environment? Our health care system? Join Dr. Haley Hunter for a discussion tackling all of these questions and more. This talk will go through some key real-world examples along with some of the newer techniques researchers are currently working on.
This event is presented by the Edmonton Public Library in partnership with Future Energy Systems.
Indigenous Peoples and Environmental Stewardship with Sarah DeLano
Talk | Jan. 27, 2025, 12 – 1 p.m. | South Academic Building 1-36
As the climate and biodiversity crises heighten, there is increasing interest in Indigenous and Traditional Ecological Knowledges within environmental policy, management, and non-governmental organizations. While this signals greater inclusion of Indigenous voices in environmental stewardship, it's essential to ensure this inclusion respects the worldviews, knowledge systems, and communities these knowledges come from—avoiding practices that exploit or misrepresent them.
This lecture will explore the intersections of Western Environmental Science and Indigenous Knowledges, offering insights into how sustainability can be understood through Indigenous Knowledge Systems. It will also highlight the speaker's work on urban sustainability and food sovereignty from the perspective of Immigrant and Métis women in Edmonton.
Economic Expectation and Support for Renewable Energy in Alberta’s Power Grid
Talk | Feb. 13, 2025, 12 – 1 p.m. | South Academic Building 1-36
Energy transition is one of the greatest technological, economic, and social transformations that the world faces, necessitated by the threat of climate change. The world’s ability to meet the Paris Agreement targets will depend, to a large extent, on our ability to decarbonize our energy systems, a process with deep economic and social implications, and one that is inherently political (Alkin and Urpelainen, 2013). Decarbonization of electricity grids is a key step to energy transition. What shape public support for this step in jurisdictions with deep economic dependence on a fossil fuel economy? Is support for the adoption of renewables such as wind and solar power in Alberta driven by the same factors that drive support for moving away from fossil fuels? How does identification with the oil and gas industry and beliefs about the economic opportunities related to the adoption of renewables affect support for wind and solar in Alberta? We use data from a survey of 1499 Albertans to answer these questions.
Empowering Voices: The Role of Youth in Climate Action and Justice
Talk | Apr. 3, 2025, 12 – 1 p.m. | South Academic Building 1-36
Youth are at the forefront of the climate movement, bringing innovative ideas, passion, and urgency to one of the most pressing challenges of our time. This lecture explores the critical importance of engaging young people in climate action and justice, emphasizing their role as key stakeholders in shaping a sustainable and equitable future. By empowering youth voices, we can ensure that climate solutions are inclusive, equitable, and reflective of diverse perspectives.