Photo credit: Maranda Grant

For most of us who think about the food system, the link between food and climate change seems obvious. Figuring out exactly what that relationship is can be more blurry. �Ӱ�ԭ�� Climate Commons hosted a roundtable on this topic on March 17th which was attended by more than 50 students, faculty and community members. Andrew Spring from Wilfrid Laurier University and Dr. Sonia Wesche from the University of Ottawa opened up the discussion with vivid accounts of how climate change affects food systems in Canada’s North. From melting permafrost to increasingly unreliable ice-roads, to changing flora and fauna, they established a clear link between climate change and one of Canada’s most pressing challenges – food insecurity in the North. Though their accounts were mostly grim, they also offered hope through showcasing initiatives like the Northern Farm Training Institute in Hay River, community gardens, and substitutions strategies where communities are moving to eating wild game that is more abundant now as caribou herds continue to decline. Dr. Leah Temper from Seeds of Survival (USC Canada) brought an international perspective to the discussion by describing the international programs focused on seed security and diversification. She offered an optimistic account of how seed saving and sharing can not only facilitate adaptation to climate change, but also support small-scale farmers who are struggling to survive in the globalized food system.

�Ӱ�ԭ�� University’s Dr. Peter Andrée acted as a respondent and provided an insightful commentary reminding the audience that we need to consider these issues in the wider context of how the global food system contributes to climate change, through monoculture-heavy agriculture, industrial meat production, and monumental food waste. Dr. Andrée noted some key themes across the three presentations, including the centrality of issues of social justice, the links between realizing food security and food sovereignty, and the need for climate change adaptation processes to be based in the participation of those communities and individuals most severely affected. The general discussion that followed engaged the audience in an exploration of how we can contribute to addressing climate change and food problems through both individual and collective action. By bringing together speakers from three universities and one organization, as well as diverse audience, �Ӱ�ԭ�� Climate Commons offered a space for learning, dialogue and hope for action.

Originally posted on:��

A profound economic crisis is gripping the region. The causes are diverse: decreasing oil and gas prices, an economic slowdown in China, the falling Russian Ruble, and for Afghanistan – even the withdrawal of NATO forces. Under such circumstances, households and national governments are scrambling to cope.

But the economy is not the sole global force challenging Central Asia and Afghanistan. In recent years, climate change has put growing pressure on this fragile and mountainous region. Rising temperatures, irregular rainfall, and increasingly devastating natural disasters are the new normal.

In a rapidly changing environment, what processes, policies, and plans are in place to help citizens and their governments to deal with these new global realities?

Join the Aga Khan Foundation Canada and �Ӱ�ԭ�� University for a panel discussion on the future of Central Asia and Afghanistan. Speakers will bring insights informed by decades of experience in the fields of economic development, public policy, and climate change. In addition Dr Bohdan Krawchenko and Dr Dietrich Schmidt-Vogt from the University of Central Asia will reflect on lessons learned from the UCA’s Research and Public Policy Initiative, funded by Canada’s International Development Research Centre and AKFC, which sought to strengthen research capacity and evidence-based policy-making in Afghanistan and Central Asia.

Date: Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Time: 1:00 – 4:00PM

Location: �Ӱ�ԭ�� University, River Building Room 2228

Cost: Free (please register)

https://www.akfcnetwork.ca/akfc-events/2016/global-economic-and-climate-change-along-the-silk-road

Contact: tyler@akfc.ca

Refreshments will be provided

Join us next Thursday, March 17th, to hear from our talented panelists.

This is a completely FREE event!

More details in the poster below:

For the third year, the Green Revolving Fund Committee is accepting applications from faculty, staff and students. The university’s $1-million Green Revolving Fund is part of its campus-wide Energy and Sustainability Program.

A Green Revolving Fund Committee (GRFC) will evaluate all submissions. The application should highlight the idea’s positive environmental impact and demonstrate a financial payback. Other criteria will also be considered.

Submissions are now being accepted. The deadline for applications is Nov. 28, 2015. All members of the �Ӱ�ԭ�� community are encouraged to participate. The savings realized by the project(s) will be returned to the Green Revolving Fund to repay the initial investment.

For more information about the fund, and to view the project ideas and winning ideas from last year, please go to:

More information about other �Ӱ�ԭ�� sustainability initiatives can be found at: .

The fund is managed by �Ӱ�ԭ��’s Financial Services Department and overseen by the committee.

If you have questions about the Green Revolving Fund, please contact greenfund@carleton.ca.