Public welcome for special AWARE presentation
WHAT: "Sustainability and Globalization Trends" with Dr. Bill Rees, the co-author of Our Ecological Footprint
WHERE: Delta Whistler Resort, Mount Currie South Ballroom.
WHEN: Thursday, May 2, at 7 p.m.
During its monthly public meeting AWARE will be hosting a special presentation by Dr. Bill Rees, "Sustainability and Globalization Trends."
Dr. Rees is the co-author of the book Our Ecological Footprint.
In his presentation to AWARE, Dr. Rees will discuss the ecological footprint concept and the methods used to determine how we use our ecological resources. In this model categories of human consumption are translated into areas of productive land required to provide us with a sustainable supply of resources and absorb and assimilate our waste products.
Before Whistler can move towards environmental sustainability, limiting the impact we have on our surroundings to reflect what nature can sustain, it’s crucial to know just what our impact on our environment is. That’s where the whole process of ecological footprinting comes into play.
"AWARE is focused on community and regional environmentally sustainability initiatives, and we welcome the opportunity for Mr. Rees to present a broad global perspective," said Christina Symko, projects coordinator for AWARE.
"His background is extensive and we are really fortunate to have him come and speak to our membership and to the Whistler community. I think we can learn a lot from him and perhaps integrate some of his ideas into Whistler initiatives."
Dr. Rees has been a professor at the UBC School of Community and Regional Planning since 1969, and is credited with the invention of "ecological footprint analysis" along with Dr. Mathis Wackernagel, the co-author of Our Ecological Footprint. Dr. Wackernagel came to Whistler this past winter as part of the ‘Whistler. It’s Our Nature’ speaker series.
Dr. Rees is a member of the Task Force on Planning Healthy and Sustainable Communities at UBC. He is also co-investigator for the "Global Integrity Project", which is in the process of determining the necessary ecological conditions for biodiversity preservation.
He has been invited to lecture across Canada and the U.S., as well as Australia, Austria, China, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Indonesia, Italy, Korea, the former Soviet Union, Spain, Sri Lanka, and Sweden.
Dr. Rees is presented by AWARE in association with the Whistler Centre for Sustainability.
