Exciting Job Opportunities with the Institute for Climate Choices

The Canadian Institute for Climate Choices is hiring! The Institute produces rigorous and independent research, analysis and insight to bring clarity to the climate challenges and transformative policy choices ahead for Canada.

As a collaborative team with more than 50 experts from across the country, the successful candidates will be able to work from anywhere in Canada with an internet connection.

Available positions include:

• Communications Specialist (bilingual French/English required)
• Content and Production Specialist (bilingual French/English preferred)
• Senior Advisor, Indigenous Engagement and Research

See the official job postings for more information.

(Feb 13) Research Seminar: The Mental Health Impacts of the Climate Crisis

The Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University will be welcoming Dr. David Pollack to share his research in a seminar on February 13th, The Mental Health Impacts of the Climate Crisis. Climate change has led to increased extreme weather events, intense heat, ocean acidification, air pollution, and biodiversity losses at alarming rates. While the physical health impacts may be obvious, the less visible mental health impacts are significant and alarming.

The presentation will cover topics involving mental health and climate, exploring how humans are affected. Evidence demonstrates increasing incidence and exacerbation of acute and chronic emotional distress and illness. Psychiatric patients, by virtue of their illnesses, socioeconomic status and medications, possess particular vulnerabilities to climate impacts. It will explore the impacts of heat on aggression, violence and suicide; the impacts of air pollution on anxiety, developmental disorders and dementia; and the broader impacts of acute traumatic events as well as the pervasive reality and immediacy of the climate crisis on generalized eco-anxiety, “nature deficit disorder” and ecological grief. It will conclude with discussion of recommended interventions at the individual, clinical and public health levels.

David A. Pollack, M.D., is a psychiatrist and Professor Emeritus for Public Policy at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU). He is a founding member of the Climate Psychiatry Alliance and represents two major psychiatric organizations on the steering committee of the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health, and serves on the OHSU Sustainability Steering Committee.

(Feb 12-27) Metro 2050: Planning Now for Future Generations

Metro Vancouver’s Future of the Region Sustainability Dialogue Series

Metro Vancouver is updating its regional growth strategy, referred to as Metro 2050, to make it more effective and resilient to change. The updates will take place over three phases between 2019 and 2022, and will take into consideration social equity, climate change, impacts of growth policies, and how we protect the places we care about.

Help shape the future of the region by sharing your thoughts with other local experts on innovative solutions to challenging regional issues. Join one, or all four February events in the Future of the Region Sustainability Dialogues Series to learn, ask questions, and share your perspectives on the update.

(January 14) BC Farm & Ranch Wildfire Preparedness Workshops

On January 14, 2020, the BC Agriculture and Food Climate Action Initiative will be hosting free workshops in locations across BC to help agricultural producers from all sectors, wildfire response and emergency personnel, and local government representatives prepare for wildfire. This workshop will teach attendees about how to respond in case of wildfire, while also ensuring the efficacy and safety of local emergency response.

The workshop is designed to enable attendees to:

1) Reduce their risk of the climate change impacts of more frequent and higher intensity wildfires.

2) Connect with government representatives responsible for wildfire and emergency planning, as well as local wildfire and emergency response personnel.

3) Learn local wildfire behaviour, threat, and history, and how to apply lessons learned to structural protection.

4) Develop customized wildfire preparedness plan that outlines what needs to occur before, during, and after a fire.

Another important element of users wildfire plans is a wildfire preparedness property map. These maps are used to provide information to emergency responders in the event of a wildfire. Attendees will have the option to ask the host to develop their base map OR to create their own base map to bring to the workshop.

To learn more about this event and register, please click here.

(December 3) Launch of En-Roads Climate Solution Simulator

En-ROADS is a ground-breaking online climate simulator which provides users with an opportunity to explore pathways to address the global climate crisis, foster meaningful conversations, and precipitate change. The En-ROADS simulator, over ten years in the making, has been co-developed with system dynamics modelers and joint efforts from teams at the Climate Interactive and MIT Sustainability Initiative.

With En-ROADS users can explore dynamics in global energy supply, land-use, transportation, carbon removal, and more, to learn unique insights on how these driving forces—and the policies which dictate their behaviour—affect a variety of climate impacts, from temperature change to sea level rise.

Register for a launch webinars to see a demonstration of this powerful tool and the ways it can be used.

To sign up for a launch webinar, click here. 

To explore the En-ROADS simulator, click here. 

(November 25) Defenders of Wildlife is Hiring a Climate Adaptation Policy Analyst

Defenders of Wildlife is hiring a Climate Adaptation Policy Analyst! This professional-level position will contribute to Defenders of Wildlife’s strategic goal of ensuring effective climate change policies and practices to conserve wildlife, with a focus on animals and plants listed under the Endangered Species Act, key species and focal landscapes. The incumbent will engage with federal departments and agencies to advance wildlife adaptation science and strategies in national forests plans, national wildlife refuge comprehensive conservation plans, resource management plans, and other public planning processes for projects with major habitat impacts. The Policy Analyst for Climate Change Adaptation will also collaborate with Defenders’ Field Conservation offices to develop and implement state, tribal, and regional strategies for habitat conservation and connectivity that are critical to climate adaptation, and integrate efforts with Defenders’ other policy program priorities led by our Government Relations, Conservation Law, Communications and other departments.

Essential duties include:

• Engage in public land and natural resources management and similar conservation planning processes.
• Advocate to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service to ensure that the threat of climate change is weighed appropriately in listing, management and recovery planning for endangered and threatened species.
• Identify and promote the best available scientific information on climate change and wildlife adaptation to federal, state, tribal and local governments to incorporate that information in climate adaptation planning, policies and strategies.
• Analyze and draft technical comments in response to proposed regulatory changes, administrative policy proposals and project-level actions affecting wildlife and habitat climate change adaptation.
• Analyze proposed legislation, and work with Defenders’ Government Relations staff and partners to educate Congressional offices on climate change adaptation for wildlife and habitats. Assist in identifying legislative champions and coordinating messaging and outreach to federal legislators and their staff to advance a progressive climate and conservation agenda for wildlife.
• Closely coordinate engagement on climate adaptation and wildlife conservation issues with relevant Field Conservation offices and other key staff.
• Research, write, and/or edit materials on climate change and wildlife, educate and mobilize Defenders’ members and activists, and communicate to diverse audiences Defenders’ position on proposed policy and legislative initiatives, including but not limited to reports, website content, blogs, factsheets, testimony and other publications.
• Represent Defenders in public meetings, hearings, news media, conferences, coalitions, and in general communications with public officials, legislators, the media, Defenders’ membership, donors, and the public to further Defenders’ departmental and organizational objectives.
• Work with Development staff to raise operating funds for Defenders’ Landscape Conservation department.
• Perform all other related duties as assigned.

For more information about those position including qualifications, expectations, and salary visit the Defenders of Wildlife website.