A biocultural and interdisciplinary approach to pollinator conservation through ecology, art and pedagogy

The rapid decline of insect pollinators has been documented globally and has significant implications on food security and natural ecosystems. The project aims to take an interdisciplinary, biocultural approach to investigate plant-pollinator biodiversity in Canada. The research team will work with pre-existing gardens created by the late Mi’kmaq artist Mike MacDonald and develop new Indigenous

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SNAP Caledon home energy retrofit program

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), along with the Town of Caledon and Region of Peel, is working closely with neighbourhood residents and businesses to develop the West Bolton Sustainable Neighborhood Action Program (SNAP): an on-the-ground demonstration of the town’s Community Climate Change Action Plan. The project is one of six SNAPs happening across the GTA; it focuses

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An Interdisciplinary Approach to Native Pollinator Conservation in Southern Ontario: A Case Study from Norfolk County

Interviews and farm tours were done with conservation program Alternative Land Use Services (ALUS) participants. These interviews took place in Norfolk County, Ontario where previous work showed bee richness to be positively impacted on the land of ALUS farmers when compared to non-ALUS sites. Nine semi-structured, in person interviews with growers in Southern Ontario were

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Evaluating low carbon technologies and best practices

The project demonstrated the greenhouse gas and electricity use savings of a range of low carbon heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) technologies in the multi-unit residential building (MURB) sector. It involved a qualitative study identifying barriers presented to the use of these technologies as well as strategies for mitigating them. Performance monitoring of the technologies

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Sustaining the Commons: Ideas and Actions for a Green Economy

The Canadian Society for Ecological Economics (CANSEE) held its 2013 biennial conference from October 31-November 2, 2013 at York University. The theme of the conference was "Sustaining the Commons: Ideas and Actions for a Green Economy." The "commons" is homage to the late Elinor Ostrom, an ecological economist and Nobel Laureate who pioneered work on

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From Community Power to Community Conservation: Motivating and Measuring Conservation Actions of a Captive Audience

The project aimed to build, execute, and measure the effectiveness of a community-based energy conservation program targeted at current community power initiative participants, and to share those findings and subsequent recommendations with government, community and energy agencies, and organizations throughout southern Ontario. Through this Metcalf Green Prosperity Challenge, the outcome was for the community to

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Sustainable Energy Transitions: Linking Pro-Environmental Behaviour to System Innovation

The purpose of the research project is to explore the links between consumer adoption of innovations in energy services and sustainability transitions in Ontario's energy sector. It focuses on the question of how pro-environmental decisions and behaviours are conceptualized and encouraged, and how these relate to system innovation for a sustainability transition in Ontario's energy

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StudentDwell+: Reimagining Student Housing

StudentDwell+: Reimagining Student Housing is a three-day event from May 1-3, 2019 that is taking place at York University. The goal of StudentDwell+ is to bring together an interdisciplinary group of experts including academics, students and practitioners to advance and disseminate knowledge on student housing; create new research collaborations across disciplines, sectors, and geographies; and

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Joint Clean Climate Transport Research Partnership

The Joint Clean Climate Transport Research Partnership (JCCTRP) is a new interdisicplinary and transdisciplinary research partnership focusing on issues related to transport and climate policy in Quebec, California, Ontario and Vermont. Partner organizations include universities, private research institutions, businesses and community/non-profit organizations in Quebec, California, Ontario and Vermont. The ultimate goal is to identify technical, economic and

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NSERC Energy Storage Technology Network

The NSERC Energy Storage Technology Network (NESTNet) is a  five-year, $5M pan-Canadian network of 15 universities and 26 industry and government partners focused on the future of energy storage. The project explores different types of energy storage, including flywheels, lithium-ion batteries and compressed air, to determine how best to integrate these technologies into electricity grids. Researchers

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