CALL COMMUNITY CONFERENCE

It All Adds Up:
Individual Responsibility in Fighting Climate Change and Pollution

In Memory of Bill Phipps

CALL's fifth Community Conference will revisit Climate Change, the topic of the 2019 conference, but from the other end of the telescope. In 2019, the goal was to help participants become more knowledgeable about this threat to the planet and the focus was on macro-level issues and problems. This year, the focus will shift to the micro-level, that is, actions that individuals are taking and that others might take.

While government and industry actions remain central to the Climate Change battle, individuals still have a role to play. Whether they lobby governments because they believe that sustained public pressure can bring about policy change or they become mindful consumers, reflecting before they purchase anything, they do so aware of immense challenges. We can't all be Greta, but choosing not to throw up our hands in despair, we also know that in fighting climate change and pollution, it all adds up.    

For details visit Conference Program

CONFERENCE PRESENTERS AND PANELISTS

TRIBUTE:
George Melnyk is Professor Emeritus of Communication, Media and Film at the University of Calgary. He is the author and editor of many books on Canadian topics. His most recent title is Breaking Words: A Literary Confession (Bayeux Arts, 2021). He is a CALL member and a former facilitator for several interest groups.

FEATURED GUESTS:
Shawn Bath was born and raised in Twillingate, Newfoundland. He started fishing with his father and mother at an early age and later spent 21 years as a commercial sea urchin diver. Increasingly troubled by the amount of trash he saw littering the bottoms of Newfoundland harbours, in 2018, he decided to do something about it and founded Clean Harbours Initiative. Since then, Shawn has directed his passion and energy to cleaning the harbours around the province, with a goal of removing 100,000 tires and 10,000 ghost nets. Recipient of the Canadian Wildlife Federation's Stan Hodgkiss Outdoorsperson of the Year Award, he is the subject of the CBC documentary Hell or Clean Water. We encourage attendees to view the documentary prior to the conference. It can be viewed for free on the CBC GEM Website: https://www.cbc.ca/documentarychannel/docs/hell-or-clean-water.

Staunene Whelan was born in Newfoundland but spent much of her life in the Yukon. There she learned at an early age the effects of littering on wildlife and the environment, and this awareness has had a profound effect on her. She was encouraged and will continue to encourage Shawn with this huge initiative to help heal our oceans. She strongly believes 'we' are the cause as well as the solution!

PANELISTS:
Lella Blumer is an organizer and coordinator with For Our Kids, a network of parent-led, community-based groups involved in climate action across the country. She is passionate about awakening humans to the impact they have on the environment and finding ways to turn that awareness into action. Lella has worked and volunteered in the non-profit sector in Ontario and Alberta for more than 30 years, currently serving on her local food policy council and climate action network hub. Although too much of her time has been spent at a laptop over the past two years, she can also be found in the vegetable garden or wandering urban woodland trails engaging strangers in random conversations about birds and wildflowers.

Michelle Dias is an educator for Waste & Recycling Services at the City of Calgary. She studied biology at the University of Calgary and has been a naturalist and environmental educator for over 20 years. Her work focuses on building community capacity for waste diversion and reduction through education initiatives and engagement. She loves birding in her spare time and has recently developed a passion for cross-country skiing.

Grace Wark is the Green Workplace Coordinator at Green Calgary, a local organization working to empower Calgarians to take effective environmental action in their homes, communities, schools, and workplaces. Grace has a background in Environmental Science and has worked in the non-profit sector for the past four years, focusing on nature conservation and urban sustainability. At Green Calgary she provides support to local organizations in reducing their waste, water, and energy footprints. In her spare time, she enjoys nurturing her veggie patch and exploring the city's wetlands.

M.C.
Adrienne Kertzer is Professor Emerita, Department of English, University of Calgary. Honoured for her scholarly accomplishments on Holocaust representation, traumatic memory, and children's literature, she is also the recipient of The Order of the University of Calgary for her extensive service contributions at the local, national, and international level. Since joining the Calgary Association of Lifelong Learners in 2019, she has continued her service contributions, first as Coordinator, Current Issues, and now as its Chair of Special Programming.

MODERATORS
Doreen Barrie is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Political Science Department at the University of Calgary. She has written on Canadian and Alberta politics, health care, federalism and environmental protection. She believes strongly that only an informed and politically engaged public can guarantee a healthy, functioning democracy.

Tamara Seiler is Professor Emerita, Dept. of Communication, Media and Film, University of Calgary, where she taught courses in Canadian Studies, Communication studies, and cultural history. She is the author and co-author of a number of articles and books, and a recipient of The Order of the University of Calgary. Since retiring, she has served in a number of CALL positions.

Date:	Saturday, May 7
Time:	9:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Where:	Online with Zoom
Cost:
CALL Members	$12 (non-refundable)
Non CALL Members	$20 (non-refundable)
McGill Lifelong Learners	$12 (non-refundable) - registration code required

Register

Registration is available online using either Paypal or credit card.