o THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA UBCREPORTS Grimace And Bear It Martin Dee photo Some strained, others giggled during the Health Sciences Student Association tug-of-war which attracted 11 teams to Mclnnes Field recently to raise funds for United Way. Landscape architects overpowered occupational therapists in the final. UBC scores well in Maclean's survey UBC has the best reputation of Canada's 15 major universities offering similar programs, according to Maclean's magazine. It is also listed first among what the publication calls "leaders of tomorrow." "Our goal is to be a leading institution both in terms of teaching and research, so it's gratifying to know that others think of us in that light," said UBC President David Strangway, commenting on the magazine's third A letter to campus During the past eight months, five anonymous letters have been received by a former UBC graduate student and a faculty member in the Dept. of Counselling Psychology. These disturbing and, on occasion, threatening letters target specific issues within the department and attack what the author or authors call "the radical feminist viewpoint" in some of the department's classes. First, let me say that this kind of attack on individuals or groups is abhorrent and will not be tolerated at UBC. These letters have created an atmosphere of fear and anxiety for the recipients and others on campus and have resulted in disruption of studies for many in the Dept. of Counselling Psychology. The university has taken these letters seriously. Apart from an RCMP investigation, the administration launched an internal investigation several months ago to try to identify the writer or writers and to determine what is behind the letters. The investigators' report is expected to be submitted shortly. We also submitted the letters to two forensic psychiatrists for an assessment of the risk attached to the correspondence. Their conclusion is that "the letters themselves do not form a basis for concluding that they were written by a person or persons with any psychotic disorder or any other serious psychiatric condition." While we can never minimize the seriousness of threats, I hope that the conclusions of two experts will help to ease at least some of the fear and discomfort that these letters have created. Academic Vice-president Dan Birch and Faculty of Education Dean Nancy Sheehan met recently with students, faculty and staff in the Dept. of Counselling Psychology to discuss the letters and listen to the concerns of individuals in the department. If we are able to identify the individual or individuals who are behind this deplorable campaign, let me assure you that they will be held accountable for their actions. A university is a place where tolerance and a healthy exchange of views and ideas should be warmly embraced and supported. I whole-heartedly support feminist theory and feminist content as part of our curriculum and I strongly denounce the threats and intimidation which have occurred over the past few months. This kind of activity has no place at UBC. .-r- .: 50\ '" '^^' .3. '■■ i ■ -i Ii 1989/90 1990/91 FISCAL YEAR I I.ANDFIU.FD ■ I .B.C. POP! 1 Al ION UBC Reports ■ November 11, 1993 9 THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA WASTE REDUCTION PROGRAM - 1992/93 ANNUAL REPORT The impact of waste reduction at U. B. C. is further illustrated by considering the waste generated per unit population, shown in Chart 2. The total waste (landfilled + recycled) produced per person decreased from 132 kg in 1987/88 to 115 kg in 1992/ 93. This 13 per cent decrease suggests that smart purchasing, source reduction and reuse on campus have been effective. When recycling activities are added in. the result is a 26 per cent decline in the landfilled waste per person over the six-year period. CHART 2 WASTE GENERATED PER UNIT POPULATION AT U.B.C. -"^<<^ J^ —-~i 100.00 \ J[ ■'! ' if''- '■' 80.00-r y^ ,i ^^^Bi KILOGRAM/PERSON 6Q M [/" > ^"~"""~ f B 40.00-f y : 'i^B 20.00-^ J^^*. o.oo-r^J^^^H 1987/88 ^^ ^r Kg. total waste/person 1988/89 / Kg. landfilled waste/penton 1989/90 F~~™ ^^B^^^^^^^V 1990/91 '"•^^S^^^^^F Kje. reeve led/person FISCAL YEAR 1991/92 "^ 1992/93 Paper and cardboard easily constitute the largest portion of total recyclables collected. In fact together they account for approximately 78 per cent by weight of current recycling recoveries. This is fully expected since paper products make up almost 60 per cent ofthe U.B.C. waste stream and a campus-wide paper recycling operation, now managed by the Waste Reduction Program, is very well established at the university. Multi-materials are collected for recycling at locations such as the Student Union Building, campus residences, and food service outlets where high volumes of multi- materials are generated. Student- and resident-initiated programs have contributed significantly to multi-material recycling results. It should be noted that the actual quantity of multi-materials being collected for recycling at U.B.C. is greater than that recorded. The recycled material represented in Chart 3 accounts only for quantified amounts. It is known that there is additional material being recycled for which weight data is unavailable. The Waste Reduction Program is making an ongoing effort to compile complete statistics which will continue to improve the accuracy of waste stream analysis. The following are other materials which are being collected for recycling at U.B.C. but for which quantities are currently unavailable: • construction/demolition debris, including concrete and aggregate, created during campus renovations. • motor oil, oil filters, antifreeze, vehicle batteries, and tires from the Plant Operations garage. • photocopier toner cartridges and laser printer cartridges at The Bookstore. VI. COSTS It is impossible to evaluate what percentage of this waste reduction at U.B.C. is direcUy attributable to the efforts of the Waste Reduction Program and its predecessors. Consumption and waste disposal decisions are ultimately made by individuals who are being affected by a general shift in society toward more environmentally sensitive attitudes. The role ofthe Waste Reduction Program is to reinforce and foster positive attitudes toward sustainable development and waste reduction and to -, provide the means for which these attitudes can be turned into action. Recycling is one of the means by which the Waste Reduction Program provides the campus community the ability to reduce waste. Recycling activities at U.B.C. have been expanding steadily since the first paper recycling program was initiated in 1989. I»» Data for 1992/93 shows that 627 tonnes of materials were collected for recycling on the U.B.C. campus. This represents a diversion of approximately 15 per cent of what ► would previously have been landfilled waste. | The yardstick against which waste reduction progress at U.B.C. will be measured in the future is the government target of 50 per cent per capita waste reduction by the year 2000. The baseline year from which waste reduction achievements will be calculated is 1990. The per capita landfilled waste at U.B.C. in 1990/91 was 107 kg/ person. Therefore the target at U.B.C. for the year 2000/01 is 53.5 kg/person. Reducing waste at U.B.C. to meet this level will be a challenge. Two years out from *. the baseline we have achieved about nine per cent waste reduction. Per capita landfilled waste at U.B.C. stands at 98 kg/person. This is a little behind target, but not unexpected given that implementation of a full-scale waste reduction plan at U.B.C. has been on hold due to budget constraints. The arbitrary selection of 1990 as the baseline year is also a little unfortunate for U.B.C. since waste generation on ►» campus dropped significantly in 1990/91 from the previous year. If 1989/90 were used as the baseline U.B.C. would be ahead of target. r- V. RECYCLED MATERIALS Materials recovered for recycling at U.B.C, for which quantities have been recorded, I include: w • Paper - office paper - newsprint - telephone books, hard cover books, magazines, card stock • Cardboard • Multi-materials - plastic containers p, - metal cans - glass bottles *' • Scrap metal Abreakdown ofthe quantities of these materials recycled at U.B.C. over the past five years is shown in Chart 3. CHART 3 MATERIALS RECYCLED AT U.B.C. L.. MULTI-MATERIAL ■ SCRAP METAL B CARDBOARD B PAPER B TOTAL 19*>0/91 FISCAL VEAR The Waste Reduction Program cost a total of $193,132 to operate in the fiscal year 1992/93. This included the cost of recycling operations and the cost of program administration. The cost avoidance created by Waste Reduction Program activities in 1992/93 was conservatively estimated at $88,700. This is composed of landfill fees and garbage handling costs which were saved through the diversion of campus waste to recycling. Even with this significant cost avoidance recycling is still at an economic disadvantage. The unit cost for recycling at U.B.C. is currently $308/tonne. The unit cost for landfill disposal stands at $ 141.50/tonne, which includes the $69/tonne landfill fee. This disparity results largely from the labour-intensive manner in which high-volume recyclables such as paper and cardboard are currently collected. Recycling also incurs extra costs because, as a new system, it requires greater administrative attention. Recycling will eventually achieve cost competitiveness as landfill fees rise, as markets for recyclable materials increase, and as recycling operations become more efficient. Over the past six years, landfill fees in Vancouver have jumped by 268 per cent. This has given recycling in its infancy a tremendous boost. It seems likely though that future landfill fee increases will occur at a much slower rate. The emphasis now must be put on market development and system efficiency. FUTURE OBJECTIVES The U.B.C. Waste Reduction Program has adopted as its goal the government target of 50 per cent per capita waste reduction by the year 2000. This must be considered a minimum goal for the University of British Columbia. It is now a requirement for federal programs, and it is anticipated that it may become a requirement for any organization receiving federal funding. The challenge for the U.B.C. Waste Reduction Program is to develop and implement an integrated waste minimization plan for the university which achieves the 50 per cent reduction target yet still respects practical financial limitations. This plan will employ the systems approach to waste reduction proposed in the report "Building a Sustainable Community" - reduce input of materials; transform materials more efficiently; divert waste to recycling and composting. An attempt will be made to apply this system in a less capital- and labour-intensive manner. The following are key considerations that will be incorporated in the plan: • Greater emphasis must be placed on purchasing, source reduction, and reuse. If materials are prevented from reaching the waste stream the cost of recycling or disposing of them is eliminated. Purchasing items with recycled content is the key to building markets for recyclable materials. This will lower collection costs in the long run. • Efficiency of recycling operations must be maximized through the employment of existing garbage collection systems. Currently recyclables are collected through a separate system which is highly labour-intensive and expensive. • Focus must be placed on highly divertable materials in the waste stream such as paper products. If all paper on campus was diverted for recycling the U.B.C. waste stream would be reduced by more the half. • Respect must be given to the community desire for campus-wide multi- material recycling. A program that is responsive to the needs and desires of the community will achieve higher participation. • Individual campus support units like Housing, Food Services, and Plant Operations must be allowed to develop recycling systems which suit their individual needs and are thus more efficient and cost effective. The Waste Reduction Program can help these individual units start up tailor-made recycling programs and can coordinate collection contracts with outside vendors to ensure the best service at the lowest cost. • Incentives must be provided for individual campus departments to reduce waste. This can range from simple encouragement, such as posting goals and results, right through to economic instruments, such as garbage fees. Waste reduction results at the University of British Columbia to date have been extremely positive. Through hard work and smart management these results will continue to improve and program goals will be met. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions with regard to waste reduction and recycling on the U.B.C. campus please, contact John Metros of the U.B.C. Waste Reduction Program at 822-3827(e-mail: recycle@unixg.ubc.ca). 10 UBC Reports • November 11, 1993 Martin D'.-e r_'" o'o Liberal Discussions B.C. Liberal Leader Gordon Campbell talks to Anne Dale, senior associate with the Sustainable Development Research Institute, and Hamish Kimmins, professor in the Dept. of Forest Sciences, during a recent visit to UBC. Campbell and members of the Liberal caucus were here for a round table discussion and private meetings with UBC experts whose work directly relates to the MLAs' duties as opposition critics. Campbell also met with UBC President David Strangway. News Digest The 1994 Corporate-Higher Education Forum Awards Program is now open for nominations. Two cash prizes of $5,000 each are offered to promote and recognize excellence in furthering corporate-university co-operation in research. Previous winners include Roger Blais of Ecole Polytechnique. Gordon MacNabb, former president ofthe Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, and Fraser Mustard, president of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. Nominees may be individuals or groups and only work performed in Canada will be nominated. Selection criteria include evidence of exemplary initiative, vision, creativity, tangible benefits of research collaboration and involvement of students. For more information fax (514) 876-1498 or write the Corporate-Higher Education Forum, 1155 Rene-Levesque Blvd. West, Suite 2501, Montreal, Quebec, H3B 2K4. UBC President David Strangway is deputy chair ofthe Corporate-Higher Education Forum. • • • • The Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP), a confidential counselling, advisory and information service, is now available to all faculty and staff members whose employment status makes them eligible to participate in UBC's medical plan. All UBC employees retired within the past two years who participate in a post-retiral benefits package, and their families, are also eligible. EFAP covers the cost of short-term counselling sessions with Interlock, a private non-profit society of professionals trained to provide assistance with a wide range of personal issues. If English is not your first language. Interlock will make referrals to the appropriate community resource. The program is jointly sponsored by UBC, the Faculty Association, the Association of Administrative and Professional Staff, Technicians and Research Assistants, the International Union of Operating Engineers and the Canadian Union of Public Employees locals 2950, 116 and 2278. For assistance, call 431-8200 or toll free 1-800-663-9099. • • • • Did you know that UBC offers a course in ESP? That's English for Special Purposes, a new eight-week professional development program designed to help Japanese police officers improve their English language skills. The number of foreigners in Japan has risen dramatically in the last decade as the country becomes the economic centre of the world," said John Redmond, co-ordinator of special group programs for UBC's English Language Institute in Continuing Studies. "Japanese police officers are now in the position of having to deal with non-traditional clients, many of whom do not speak Japanese, but most of whom speak English." Thirty-six police officers from across Japan are enrolled in the program which includes lectures and training sessions. The ESP curriculum was developed by professionals from the Justice Institute of B.C., the RCMP and local police forces. Classified The classified advertising rate is $ 15 for 35 words or less. Each additional word is 50 cents. Rate includes GST. Ads must be submitted in writing 10 days before publication date to the UBC Community Relations Office, 207-6328 Memorial Road. Vancouver, B.C., V6T 1Z2, accompanied by payment in cash, cheque (made out to UBC Reports) or internal requisition. Advertising enquiries: 822-3131. The deadline for the Nov. 25. 1993 issue of UBC Reports is noon. Nov. 16. Services DO IT RIGHT! Statistical and methodological consultation; data analysis; data base management; sampling techniques; questionnaire design, development, and administration, Over 15 years of research and consulting experience in the social sciences and related fields. 433-7807. STATISTICAL CONSULTING PhD thesis? MSc? MA? Research project? I cannot do it for you but statistical data analysis, statistical consulting, and data management are my specialties. Several years experience in statistical analysis of research projects. Extensive experience withSPSS/SAS/FortranonPCsand mainframes. Reasonable rates. Call Henry at 685-2500. Bed & Breakfast GARDENS END Bed and Breakfast in self-contained cottage. Breakfast ingredients supplied. Kerrisdale area. No pets or smokers. $60 single, $15 each additional person. (Maximum four people.) 263-7083. Services SINGLES NETWORK Single science professionals and others interested in science or natural history are meeting through a nationwide network. Contact us for info: Science Connection, P.O. Box 389, Port Dover, Ontario, NOA 1N0; e-mail 71554. 2160@compuserve.com; 1-800- 667-5179. Prof's book explores ways of psychopaths Nobody knows more about psychopaths than UBC Psychology Prof. Robert Hare. Later this month, he imparts 25 years of research into the mental disorder with the release of his book, Without Conscience: The Disturbing World ofthe Psychopath Among Us (Simon & Schuster). Hare describes psychopaths as glib, manipulative, impulsive, egocentric, deceitful, sensation- seeking, selfish, irresponsible, lacking empathy, guilt and remorse. "Psychopaths don't have emotional hangups," he said. "They're basically predators who view other people as objects to be used and manipulated." Hare is also author of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist- Revised, heralded as the best available method for assessing psychopathy. The Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration will host an international business conference, Bridging the Pacific: Opportunities in the Pacific Rim, Jan. 14-16 at Vancouver's Waterfront Hotel. More than 250 students, faculty, and industry and government representatives from North America and the Pacific Rim will take part in the conference, which will focus on Asian investment in North America, and North American investment abroad. The areas to be discussed include global trade and policy, entrepreneurship, finance, marketing, real estate, international logistics and human resources. For more information, call Sabina Tan at 241-3055. The Council of Prairie and Pacific University Libraries has joined the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), a major distributor of electronic data in the social and life sciences. Ten western Canadian universities, including UBC, are involved in the collaborative effort, which will allow faculty and students to more effectively utilize social science resources with 350 academic institutions already affiliated with ICPSR world wide. THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA SIR CRISPIN TICKELL WARDEN, GREEN COLLEGE, OXFORD THE UNITED NATIONS IN PEACE AND WAR Saturday, November 20 8:15 pm in Woodward Instructional Resources Centre, Hall 2 The Vancouver Institute GAIA: GODDESS OR THERMOSTAT? Monday, November 22 12:30 pm in Geography 200 The President's Lecture Co-sponsored by the Office of the President, the Faculty of Graduate Studies, Green College, External Affairs Office, the Vancouver Institute and the President's Advisory Committee on Lectures. UBC Reports ■ November 11, 1993 11 Thomas Cook/Marlin Travel opens new office on university campus The Thomas Cook/Marlin Travel office is now open on campus in the site of the old post office in the General Services Administration Building. The travel agency was contracted to UBC under the university's Travel Management Program. It has saved faculty and staff close to $200,000 in rebates since the program came into effect in 1991. In 1991-92, roughly half of the $5 million that UBC employees spent on business travel was handled through the travel management program. For further information on airfares and benefits on cor porate hotel rates, car rental, credit cards and airport parking, contact Lindsay Ward at 822-9870. THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA PRIZES FOR EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING CALL FOR NOMINATIONS IN THE FACULTY OF ARTS Once again the University is recognizing excellence in teaching through the awarding of prizes to faculty members. The Faculty of Arts will select five (5) winners of the prizes for excellence in teaching for 1994. Eligibility: Faculty who have three or more years of teaching at UBC are eligible. The three years include 1993-94. Criteria: The awards will recognize distinguished teaching at all levels: introductory, advanced, graduate courses, graduate supervision, and any combination of levels. Nomination Process: Faculty, students, or alumni may suggest candidates to the Head of the Department, the Director of the School, or the Chair of the Program in which the nominee teaches. These suggestions should be in writing and signed by one or more students, alumni, or faculty, and they should include a very brief statement of the basis for the nomination. You may write a letter of nomination or pick up a form from the office of the Dean of Arts in Buchanan Building, Room B 130. Deadlines: The deadline for submission of nominations to Departments, Schools or Programs is January 21, 1994. Winners will be announced in the spring, and identified during Spring Convocation in May. For further information about these awards contact your department or call Associate Dean of Arts Dr. Sherrill Grace at 822-9121. The UBC Conference Centre Comfortable and Affordable Walter Gage Court has 48 guest suites, ideal for families or those extra guests over the holidays! Each unit contains a bedroom with twin beds, living room with a hide-a-bed, kitchenette, television and private bathroom. Enjoy UBC's many attractions just minutes from downtown Vancouver and the airport. The UBC Conference Centre welcomes visitors year round! Telephone: (604) 822-1060 Fax: (604) 822-1069 People by staff writers UBC Registrar Richard Spencer has been appointed director of Student Services for a five-year term. The new position, which reports to the vice-president. Student and Academic Services, was created to improve the quality, efficiency, co-ordination and coherence of services offered to students. As director of Student Services, Spencer's additional responsibilities include Awards and Financial Aid: the International Student Centre: School and College Liaison Office: Student Counselling and Resources Centre: Student Health Service: Student Placement Services and the Women Students' Office. Spencer was first appointed registrar in 1988 and was recently appointed to a second five-year term by UBC's Board ofGovernors. Spencer Raymond Chan, a system design engineer at TRIUMF and newly elected Member of Parliament for Richmond, has been named to the federal cabinet as Secretary of State responsible for the Asia Pacific region. Chan was chosen by Prime Minister Jean Chretien to take the junior cabinet minister position, which falls under Andre Ouellet's Foreign Affairs Ministry. Chan was sworn in along with the prime minister and other cabinet ministers at a Nov. 4 ceremony at Rideau Hall, the official residence ofthe Governor General. He was one of six Liberals elected from B.C. in the Oct. 25 federal election. • • • • Prof. Ken Haycock, director of the School of Library. Archival and Information Studies, has been named a fellow of the Canadian College of Teachers. Haycock was cited for his work in public education in Canada and around the world and particularly for his contributions as director of program services with the Vancouver School Board from 1984-1992. During that time he was responsible for curriculum management as well as innovation, resources, technology and staff training Haycock T-bird soccer teams championship bound by Abe Hefter Staff writer UBC's soccer teams have advanced to their respective Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union (CIAU) championships. UBC's men's team will be gunning for its fifth straight national title after beating the Alberta Golden Bears 2-1 in overtime at the Canada West championships Nov. 6 at O.J. Todd Field. Kevin Hearne scored the winner in the 20th minute of overtime to give UBC its fifth consecutive Canada West title. The Thunderbirds, national soccer champions seven of the last nine years, will travel to Acadia University in Wolfville, NS. for the CIAU tournament, where they will open pool play Nov. 12 against Western Ontario. UBC's women's team cap tured the Canada West championship with a 1-0 victory over the Calgary Dinosaurs Nov. 7 in Calgary. Andrea Neil's goal at the 65-minute mark enabled the T-Birds to advance to the CIAU championships Nov. 11-14 at McGill University in Montreal. Meanwhile, the men's crosscountry team took top honours at the CIAU championships last weekend at Dalhousie University in Halifax for their first-ever CIAU title. In a repeat of last year's finish, the women's cross-countrv team placed second, behind the University of Calgary. In addition. UBC finished fourth at the CIAU women's field hockey championships last weekend at the University of Toronto. I^eslie Richardson and Sam Leriche emerged as tournament all-stars. Status of Women report available The second annual Report on the Status of Women at UBC, by Florence Ledwitz-Rigby, has been distributed to deans, heads, directors, vice-presidents and women's groups on campus. A copy will be available in Main Library. For a copy, please send your request with name and campus address to Deborah Dean, V.P. Academic Office, Zone 2. 12 UBC Reports ■ November 11,1993 Profile John Robinson energizes research on environment Sustainable by design by Charles Ker Staff writer John Robinson is going over the current lineup of projects at UBC's Sustainable Development Research Institute (SDRI) when suddenly, halfway down the list, his scrolling comes to an abrupt halt. Glancing across to his guest, he grins, leans back and points emphatically at the page. To this point, the lineup has been most impressive: a $2.4-million study of the Fraser River Basin; a series of easy-to-read annual reports on sustainability; the formation of a Canada-wide network of similar institutes; a 10-project study of hazardous wastes and a grand scheme to 'green the campus' through student- initiated research projects. What single initiative, the guest wondered, could possibly warrant such a satisfied smirk and sustained finger pointing? "Have you ever played SimCity?" the SDRI director asks excitedly. "Well, we're hoping to build SimBC." Along with a profound understanding ofthe ecological, technological, economic and social factors influencing his work, this energized geography professor from Ontario has also brought fun and games to the weighty business of building a sustainable future. SimCity, Robinson explains, is a popular commercial computer game which has turned an estimated 10 million users into urban planning junkies. By making a game specific to B.C., Robinson hopes to drive home to local players the trade-offs inherent in choosing one lifestyle over another. "There is immense learning potential here because people can play it on their own time, in their own home and make real choices about real issues," said Robinson, SDRI's resident generator, creator and crusader for interdisciplinary research. The idea for SimBC emerged three months ago. Since then, Robinson has assembled a design team of faculty members on campus, met with the game's manufacturer, received support from BC Hydro and approached provincial and federal government officials for their assistance. The same process that went into creating SimBC, otherwise known as the Sustainable Society Gaming and Simulation project, has been followed for the 29 other SDRI initiatives which have sprouted since Robinson's arrival 18 months ago. And it's a formula that seems to be working in a climate Robinson calls one of "insurmountable opportunity." "Possibilities are emerging all the time and it's really just a matter of finding the human resources to act on them," he said. 'The only real constraint is persuading good people, who are busy themselves, to work on projects they wouldn't normally do." Robinson, 40. comes tailor-made for the job of directing the SDRI's interdisciplinary mandate. He became hooked on environmental studies and the interdisciplinary format in first year at the University of Toronto where he designed his own 40-course curriculum. "I was advised to get a specialist degree first but that just made me angry and more determined to take the interdisciplinary route the whole way through my undergraduate years." From U of T, Robinson took his geography degree to a small nongovernmental organization and joined the fight against the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline. In order to keep active in the debate, he decided to continue environmental studies at York University with a master's degree, looking specifically at alternatives to Canada's energy policy. The young environmentalist thought he would eventually drift into law but for three consecutive years turned down letters of acceptance from various schools. Law went out the window altogether when, on graduation day at York, he made a snap decision to return to U of T and immerse himself in the more philosophical aspects of energy consumption and environment. Along with 11 years of teaching experience from the University of Waterloo's Dept. of Environment and Resource Studies. Robinson comes to UBC loaded with practical knowledge of public policy gained primarily through consulting work with public utilities in Charles Ker photo Our problems don't fit into nice neat boxes. It is a painful process . . . but all disciplines must somehow learn to talk the same language. - John Robinson, director, Sustainable Development Research Institute Canada and abroad. While some academics look upon outside contracts as a lesser form of research than work done through council grants. Robinson doesn't make such distinctions. As he puts it, "I'm interested in work that actually has some effect and doesn't just appear in journals and books." Most recently, Robinson was affecting public perception as chair of the Canadian Options for Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction (COGGER) Panel. The panel's report garnered national news coverage by outlining the economic benefits of increasing energy efficiency and the use of alternate fuels. His work as principal investigator for the Environment Canada project "Designing a Sustainable Society for Canada" also made headlines this year with its projections of what the country could look like in 2030. UBC Press will publish a book on the project early in the new year. According to Robinson, one of the biggest challenges researchers face is how to redefine the term 'consumption' in order to make it relevant to the needs of earth's five billion inhabitants. He points to colleague Bill Rees' calculation that two additional earths would be needed to support current population growth on a sustainable basis if everyone consumed at the level of the average Canadian. And that's assuming Canada and the so- called developed nations don't grow at all. Robinson also believes universities must look to redefining their own structures. While institutions have been built upon separate disciplines which are vital and necessary, he says that this approach to learning, on its own, isn't sufficient to meet society's changing needs. "Our problems don't fit into nice neat boxes." he said. "It is a painful process, but in order to tackle new problems with new approaches academics in all disciplines must somehow learn to talk the same language." To kick-start the three-year-old institute. Robinson employed what he calls a "scatter-gun approach" - that is, getting many research irons in the fire and waiting to see how many catch. The concern for Robinson and his SDRI associates may soon be whether they've perhaps spread themselves too thin. But in the cozy confines of Main Mall's Hut 5, Robinson remains buoyed by the enthusiastic response from the more than 60 academics in 11 faculties who have involved themselves in SDRI research. For his part. Robinson spends 80 per cent of his time on SDRI-related matters and the remainder in the Geography Dept. where he co-teaches undergraduate courses on environmental thought and the geography of resource industries. Ever the opportunist. Robinson also gets two hours of work done on the bus travelling to and from Richmond where he lives with his wife Deborah and three sons. It's a commute he refers to as "an unanticipated benefit of Vancouver's high-priced housing market."