Lunchtime Talks

Many of the global-scale environmental and social challenges humanity faces today are daunting and difficult for policymakers to address, but the regional landscape remains at a scale that makes it possible for regional governance systems to make meaningful change. In this presentation, Lael Parrott, a professor in sustainability at the University of British Columbia, explores the relationship between complexity, resilience, and sustainability at the landscape scale.

When: Thursday, September 22, 12 to 1
Where: ISER Conference Room, Third Floor, 1901 Bragaw St.

Dr. Parrott’s visit to Anchorage is hosted by UAA’s Complex Systems Initiative, and is co-sponsored by UAA Honors College and ISER. She will deliver the Helen and Lee Gorsuch Lecture, “Slow Down and Save the Whales,” Thursday, September 22, at 7 p.m. in the UAA Arts Building. For more information go to: http://greenandgold.uaa.alaska.edu/blog/tag/lael-parrott/

Note: This presentation will not be recorded or live streamed.

A growing number of immigrants and refugees call Anchorage home, and ISER is pleased to host a panel discussion of their economic contributions. The panelists are Ethan Berkowitz, the mayor of Anchorage; Bill Popp, the president of Anchorage Economic Development Corporation (AEDC); Delaney Mitchell, UAA student and researcher; and Mara Kimmel, a senior fellow at the Institute of the North.

The panelists will describe efforts in Anchorage to avoid “brain waste” among those coming from other countries, by ensuring they have access to markets and jobs, and also discuss ways to leverage the skills, experience, and education these newcomers bring to the city. The discussion is one of a number of events in Welcoming Week, sponsored by the Municipality of Anchorage, AEDC, and local businesses.

When: Monday, September 19, 12 to 1
Where: Room B05 (Basement), 1901 Bragaw Street

Note: Those who can’t attend in person can stream the talk live at: http://stream.iseralaska.org

Many communities are developing ways of evaluating local well-being. Research shows that when local governments ask residents to take part in determining measures of well-being, the public is more likely to get involved in decision-making, and communities have more influence over resource management.

Kent Spiers, a doctoral candidate at the University of Calgary and a former research associate at ISER, compared how communities in Alaska and Yukon evaluate local well-being.

Greg Poelzer is a professor in the School of Environment and Sustainability at the University of Saskatchewan, but currently he is a Fulbright Arctic Initiative scholar who has been visiting at ISER. An important part of his research focuses on comparative public policy related to Indigenous-state relations. At ISER he talks about how Saskatchewan is on the forefront of developing renewable energy through partnerships with First Nations and other Indigenous peoples, as it moves toward sharply increasing its use of renewable energy.

Olga Faizulina is a Fulbright visiting researcher and PhD student in economics from Yakutia, in Russia (see map). She is studying at ISER this year, analyzing how air transportation policy influences economic development and sustainability of small rural communities in Alaska. She first briefly describes the people, culture, and economy of Yakutia, and then discusses in more detail her previous research on the air transportation system in northern Russia.

Anticipating the Paris Climate Agreement: Politics and Expectations at the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate

Late in 2015, the U.N. Climate Change Conference will take place in Paris, bringing countries together to consider a new climate agreement. In a talk at ISER, Alexios Antypas of Central European University in Budapest, Hungary, discussed negotiations to date on the new climate agreement, identified political controversies, and explored likely and possible outcomes. Dr. Antypas is an associate professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy. He specializes in the field of environmental policy and governance and has published widely on environmental policy issues.

Siri Veland, an assistant professor of environmental studies at Brown University in Rhode Island, will talk about her work on a new project examining diverse cultural perspectives on risks and benefits of offshore oil and gas developments in Alaska, Greenland, and Northern Norway. Dr. Veland previously studied environmental change and risk in Northern Australia, and she'll discuss possible overlaps with key issues in the Arctic.

When: June 17, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: 1901 Bragaw Street, Third Floor, Suite 301

Please join us, but remember that ISER has moved to 1901 Bragaw Street, Third Floor, Suite 301. The new location is between Northern Lights Blvd. and DeBarr Road. Enter through Reka Drive, and drive all the way south to the front parking area. If you need more directions, call 907-786-7710. Parking is still free. Download the full announcement (PDF, 204KB).

Note: Those who can’t attend in person can join us remotely over the web or call (907) 786-6755, Conference ID: 475905.

By request, a recording was not made of this presentation.