The following appeared on March 8, 2012 in YFile.

Is peace-building through environmental cooperation possible in the Middle East? Panellists will discuss this next week at an Institute for Research & Innovation in Sustainability (IRIS) Speakers’ Series event.

The Environmental Cooperation and Israel-Palestinian Peace event will take place March 15 at 1pm at 280A York Lanes, Keele campus.

Environmental cooperation has been much-lauded as a force of peace in the Middle East and has been leveraged in support of Track I peacemaking processes between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. It has been pursued as a practice of peace-building, valued for its ability to foster partnership-building, cooperation, identity change and sustainability. Still, the Israel-Palestinian conflict persists, even manifesting through cooperative environmental relations.

Panellists Eric Abitbol (right), an international development, peace-building and dialogue researcher-practitioner, and Stuart Schoenfeld (left), chair of the Department of Sociology at York’s Glendon College, will present and discuss the issue.

The following originally appeared in YFile, on Wednesday March 7, 2012.

Difficult issues, such as climate change and poverty, are highly complex and defy traditional problem-solving approaches. York’s Institute for Research & Innovation in Sustainability (IRIS) will tackle how to transcend the typical interdisciplinary research barriers to find solutions to these problems at its upcoming research showcase.

Transcending Interdisciplinary Research Barriers: Best Practices for Mobilizing Knowledge will take place Thursday, March 8, from 10:30am to 12:30pm, at 1002 Osgoode Hall Law School, Keele campus. Anyone who can’t attend the event in person can join electronically here.

Several speakers from the natural and social sciences, who have sought to move out of their comfort zones – their labs, field sites and libraries – will examine the issue of overcoming interdisciplinary barriers, as well as the power of interdisciplinary approaches. These approaches are widely touted by all universities and colleges today, although they have seldom been critically examined.

The following originally appeared in YFile on Wednesday March 7, 2012.

Help develop a plan for improvements to the physical environment to reduce barriers and increase accessibility at York University. Fill out the Institute for Research & Innovation in Sustainability (IRIS) campus sustainability survey on accessibility and the built environment – Building the York University Community. All York students, staff and faculty are invited to participate. The survey is open until March 14. Fill it out for a chance to win a $75 gift certificate from the York University Bookstore. To complete the survey online, click here.

About the survey:
Because of the age of buildings and the size of the University, the work to reduce barriers and increase accessibility is expected to take place over several years. By completing the anonymous survey, you can help to identify needs and priorities. The information collected from this survey will help shape plans and priorities for improvements to the physical environment at York.

York Prof’s new book explores crucial link between Ontario’s environment and economy

TORONTO – A York University professor’s new book offers the first comprehensive study of Ontario’s environmental policy and what it may spell for our future.

Blue-Green Province, which launches Feb. 9, 2012, explores the relationship between the environment and Ontario’s society, politics and economy through the Progressive Conservative dynasty of premiers Drew, Frost, Robarts and Davis, the “quiet” and “common sense” revolutions of Peterson, Rae and Harris, through to the McGuinty era.

Authored by Mark Winfield, associate professor in York’s Faculty of Environmental Studies (FES), the book includes examinations of the 2011 federal and provincial election outcomes and their implications for future environmental and energy policy in Ontario and Canada.

“The province is searching for a way to regain its pre-eminent status in Confederation, but its managerially-oriented government has seemed unable to articulate a compelling vision for the way forward,” says Winfield.

The following appeared in the January 30th edition of YFile.

Research Month this February will celebrate the achievements and diversity of York University’s research community.

Every Wednesday throughout the month, Vari Hall Rotunda will play host to displays and demonstrations featuring the University’s faculty and graduate researchers. Drop by to learn what they are up to. IRIS will be on display February 8th!

“Research Month provides an opportunity for the York community to share knowledge and ideas as we celebrate excellence in research and scholarship at the University,” said Robert Haché, vice-president research & innovation. “We invite students, staff and faculty to drop by Vari Hall on Wednesdays in February to explore the many research projects and to learn more about the range of research activities at York.”

The Research Month index on York’s Research website contains complete information about the researchers and research centres and institutes participating in the event.

Social sciences and humanities research – Feb. 1, from noon to 2pm.