Polar Bears, Climate Change, and “Fig-Leaf” Conservation Policy

Presented by Dr. Douglas Clark, Centennial Chair in Human Dimensions of Environment

and Sustainability, School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan

March 18, 2010

1:30 pm to 3:00 pm

Please note: This lecture will take place in Saskatoon and will be video-conferenced to a Regina audience.

Saskatoon Location: Theatre (101 Diefenbaker Place), Diefenbaker Building

University of Saskatchewan Campus

Regina Video Conference Location*: JS Window Room, 2nd Floor, Gallery Building

University of Regina College Ave. Campus

Polar bears have become globally recognized symbols in the movement to take action against climate change, and they are the subject of increasing designation internationally as a species at risk due to a warming Arctic climate. Unfortunately, the use of polar bears as a politicized symbol in climate change debates has resulted in top-down decisions that are counter-productive not only from a biological conservation perspective, but also to achieving broader societal goals such as Aboriginal self-determination in the Canadian north. In Canada and internationally there is a trend towards fig-leaf policies that offer the reassurance of governmental action to protect polar bears without actually addressing the principal underlying threat to the species, which is climate change. Dr. Clark proposes an alternative strategy for polar bear conservation that is based on: 1) local adaptation by both people and bears to changing conditions, 2) community-scale engagement, and 3) larger-scale institutions creating and supporting linkages between those locales. Such an approach can and must be applied in concert with other adaptive governance approaches to deal more effectively with the interrelated challenges of polar bear conservation, climate change, and human dignity.

This event is co-sponsored by the School of Environment and Sustainability at the University of Saskatchewan.

With an emphasis on creating and integrating multiple understandings of natural and human environments, the school focuses on collaborative research and teaching, graduate student engagement, and community involvement. Students are given opportunities to address environmental and sustainability challenges with regional, national, and international significance. For more information on the school, visit http://www.usask.ca/sens.

Registration: Those interested in attending are encouraged to register online at https://jsgs.ohmedia.ca/form/191

For more information contact us at 306.585.5869 or js_outreach@uregina.ca

*Please be advised that the JSGS Outreach & Training Window Room in Regina is located on the second floor of the Gallery Building. Individuals with mobility difficulties should contact us at 306-585-5826 if this is a concern.