Sheila Watt-Cloutier to be our next speaker.

Here’s a heads up (Life Science Institute, West Atrium, Friday Feb 29th, 12noon).

Who is Ms. Watt-Cloutier? Well, she’s essentially one of the more well known advocates for Inuit culture (was recently nominated for the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize), particularly as it relates to the challenge of dealing with global warming (and if you’ve been following things, you’ll know that the effects have been amplified harshly around the northern pole).

Here’s the write up for the talk:

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.

Note that whilst a free event, it is restricted to UBC students, staff, and faculty (first come first served as well). Check out the facebook event if you feel like rsvping.