The toll that we humans are taking on the environment is the consequence of our production and consumption. So, inspired by Sustainable Development Goal #15, we ask four brilliant people, what would responsible consumption and production look like in London, Ontario?
The United Nations observes: “The COVID-19 pandemic offers countries an opportunity to build recovery plans that will reverse current trends and change our consumption and production patterns towards a more sustainable future.” Ok, London. It’s our move.
Monday, November 16, 2020
6:40 PM – Pre-Symposium Mini-Concert
7:00 PM – Speakers and Presentations
Learn more about the City Symposium format and series.
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Who will be there?
Ron Benner was born in London, Ontario, where he lives and works. After a year studying agricultural engineering at the University of Guelph, he switched to the visual arts and went on to develop a practice that combines photography, installation and gardening. An internationally known artist and social justice activist, he collaborates regularly with community organizations involved in the defence of the environment. Ron is the artist behind As The Crow Flies (video), a permanent photographic/garden installation on the grounds of Museum London, overlooking the forks of the river.
Dr. Deishin Lee is an Associate Professor of Operations Management and Sustainability at Ivey Business School. Deishin studies innovative operational and supply chain models that use raw material resources more effectively, thus reducing waste and improving environmental sustainability. She has studied the optimization of joint production operations of firms that sell their waste streams and food supply chain operations that rescue surplus crops for the food security network. Prior to her appointment at Ivey, Deishin was on the faculty at Boston College and Harvard Business School.
Jay Stanford has been the Director of Environment, Fleet & Solid Waste at the City of London, Ontario since 2012 and has responsibilities for: Solid Waste Services; Fleet & Operational Services, and Environmental Programs (including energy conservation, climate change, active transportation, urban watershed management, and outreach and behaviour change initiatives. He is currently co-chair of the Regional Public Works Commissioners of Ontario (RPWCO) Waste Subcommittee, a Member of the Middlesex-London Food Policy Council and was on the Board of Directors of the Ontario Waste Management Association from 2013 until March 2020.
Leslee White-Eye currently works in Indigenous education and governance for eight First Nations at an inter-nation table called the First Nations with Schools Collective in Ontario seeking jurisdiction over education. She is the former Chief of the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation. She is Anishinaabe Ojibwe Kwe, mother, wife and community advocate with a focus on community development. Prior to being Chief, Leslee was an Education Officer for the Ontario Ministry of Education writing curriculum, supporting school boards in Indigenous education and coordinating the development of the first two Native Studies textbooks to be added to the Trillium List, Ontario’s approved textbook list.
Erik Van Meerbergen, known by his stage persona “Big Love” will bring you along an acoustic ride playing both classic favourites and some original, country folk rock tunes. His warm timbre and infectious energy never fail to draw you in. Erik’s performances will bookend the event, with sets at 6:40 PM and 8:15 PM.
Dr. Melanie-Anne Atkins hosts the City Symposium. She is the Acting Associate Director, Graduate Programs at Western University’s Centre for Teaching and Learning and an Adjunct Research Professor at the Centre for Research on Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. Her research interests include: engaging students with traditionally marginalized identities in the academy, mental health literacy, holistic graduate student development, peer mentorship and education, and anti-oppressive practices in education. In 2016, she led the creation and development of Western’s Wellness Education Centre into a student-led wellness education innovation hub.
This special City Symposium is part of Green in the City, an annual environmental seminar series co-organized by the London Environmental Network, the City of London, and the London Public Library. In these sessions, we explore key environmental issues like food waste, urban agriculture, sustainable transportation through the lenses of regional, municipal, and local speakers. Together we will learn about the many ways we can improve London’s environment and make it a healthy, sustainable city.
