Sheila Watt-Cloutier, a climate change and Inuit rights advocate recently co-nominated (with Al Gore) for the Nobel Peace prize, will be speaking this Friday on “The Right to be Cold: the Global Significance of Arctic Climate Change” as part of the terry speakers series.
In the past two decades, Inuit across the Arctic have reported profound changes to their environment and wildlife — changes where their human right to life, health, subsistence, safety and security are all being violated as large countries emitting greenhouse gases continue their business as usual. Yet even as this immense struggle is ongoing, Inuit are now also faced with a renewed interest in the Arctic from a world hungry for its resources and newly opening shipping routes.
Sheila Watt-Cloutier will discuss the need for our world to re-connect around our shared Arctic, our shared atmosphere, and ultimately, our shared humanity. Individuals, communities, corporations, industries and nations must realize that the challenges in the Arctic are connected to the cars we drive, the industries we support, and the policies we create.
The talk is at the West Atrium of the Life Science Centre at 12:00 noon on February 29th. Seating is free and open for all UBC students, staff and faculty, and is first come first served (no tickets to pick up). More information can be found at http://www.terry.ubc.ca