Mount Royal University Centennial

A legacy of environmental ideas

Mount Royal University’s second installment of the Legacy of Ideas focuses on environmental concerns.

The centennial speaker series continues on Oct. 16,1 to 2:30 p.m., when all six keynote speakers from Under Western Skies: Climate, Culture and Change in Western North America, will participate in the Legacy of Ideas Round Table in the Ross Glen Hall of the Roderick Mah Centre for Continuous Learning.

The focus of the Round Table will be learning from the past to protecting the environment in the future.

As one of the more high profile bastions of an abundant source of carbon-based energy, Albertans have a unique perspective on the global energy controversy and how it impacts their daily living.

Diverse ideas

That’s why Calgary is a great fit to host the first ever Under Western Skies: Climate, Culture and Change in Western North America conference, which brings together academics, artists, and activists from across the globe to debate and examine the interaction between humans and the natural environment in the context of western North America.

The brainchild of Associate Professor, Rob Boschman from the department of English at Mount Royal, Under Western Skies will include notable keynote speakers such as: Maude Barlow, who chairs the board of Washington-based Food and Water Watch; journalist Andrew Nikiforuk and Vandana Shiva, a physicist, ecologist, activist, editor and author.

When asked who he was most looking forward to hearing, Boschman’s eyes lit up.

Speaker superstars

“Richard White, from Stanford University. The keynotes we have are all superstars if you will, but White is a historian, Pulitzer nominee and he has legendary status among historians,” says Boschman.

“He sort of revised our history of the West in the early ’90s … He is going to give a historical overview of climate change in western North America and equate it to the impact that Columbus had when he ‘discovered’ the New World.”

Even though Boschman is a professor of English, his area of expertise is the environment.

He published a book last year on the relationship of certain American poets and the American concept of nature, historically.

Boschman also serves on the executive board of the Association for Literature, Environment and Culture in Canada.

Despite the connections, some might still find it odd that an English professor has created a conference of such magnitude dedicated to the environment.

All about passion

That is until Boschman explains, “I really believe, passionately as a scholar and a teacher that at a conference, when it comes to the environment, academics can’t just talk to each other.

“I try to host a different kind of conference. One that reaches out to the public, to the students, to corporate entities, because the environmental issues before us are so enormous, that I think it would be irresponsible to set this up as the conventional academic bubble.”

Boschman has diligent in bringing a variety of demographics together under one roof to talk shop.

Academics will have the opportunity to openly debate with students and businessmen in the oil and gas sector and members of the general public.

Three full days of discussions will culminate into the Legacy of Ideas Round Table, which will be held the afternoon of Oct. 16. Purchase tickets.

For more information about Under Western Skies, including details of the program and a list of keynote speakers and bios.

— Fred Cheney, Oct. 13, 2010