Month: August 2023

https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/southern-alberta-farmers-locals-follow-water-restrictions-but-no-end-in-sight-to-drought

Alberta Sovereignty Act, is an act introduced on November 29, 2022. “Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says that while he’s “not looking for a fight” with Alberta,  the federal government is not taking anything off the table when it comes to how it may respond to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s new ‘sovereignty act.'” Rebecca Schulz was sworn in as Minister of Environment and Protected Areas on June 9, 2023.

Rebecca states Alberta is not above calling the Sovereignty Act related to Net Zero demands. Sovereign to Canada is Sovereign to UN, UNESCO, UNITAR…sovereign to United Kingdom? BATUS? How does that impact the Canadian Forces Base, Suffield ?

https://www.canada.ca/en/army/corporate/3-canadian-division/canadian-forces-base-suffield.html

As a meat eater who is challenged for clarity by recycling signs on campus, I am not the first person that comes to your mind when you think of consultants for Climate Action and Change, but therein lies the genius.

I am the person researchers are attempting to change. I am the person they are attempting to encourage to eat more plant-based diets, or to choose dark green leafy vegetables like kale. I am encouraged to buy a small carbon compost, plant a veggie or herb…..and I consistently do work in Climate Action and enjoy a steak on the BBQ. My work has involved what I require to change these habits and how similar that may be to others who eat meat like me.

However, what has really stood out for me over the past few months is how individuals involved in Climate Action for decades scoff at me as a researcher in this area. Can the eighth psychological barrier to Climate Action involve the notoriety that others received for their tireless efforts over sustained amounts of time and how challenging these people may find it for new people to step into the spotlight for their work?

As a teacher of over 25 years, this is a common scenario in the staff room as seasoned teachers who have worked tirelessly on lessons sit and listen to a principal award a new teacher with praise for work that others feel goes unnoticed by them.

My favourite discovery about cultured meat and resistance to Climate Action noted by academic literature was the consensus that vegans and vegetarians are not who researchers are trying to change. The focus is on meat eaters.

My other perspective is sports. Rarely is a team known for their star recruit, rather it is a new player joining an established team of talented individuals. This parallels university and academia where the experts still are containers of enigmatic knowledge and truly irreplaceable. As a coach/facilitator/leader how do you celebrate new and honour past, respect wisdom and recruit fresh eyes? How do we convince our experts that innovation is a deviation (Frank Zappa) from their work sometimes or a shift in focus?

Interpretive flexibility operationally defined considers the intended use or interpretation of technology and how it is used. It can be applied to problem solving and notes that it is difficult to obtain flexibility if others have already been told what to see or how to think (Rorschach test). Education models this through open ended questioning techniques. In contrast, medicine decision making models are closed, binary questions that lead you down a tree to the one correct answer.

Dr Kibeom Lee with University of Calgary, one of the founders of HEXACO personality model, suggests H- Humility is a factor to consider with Climate Action.