University of Calgary
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy

The University of Calgary Environmental Law Clinic now operates under the Public Issue Law Clinic group. Founded in 2011 by Professor Shaun Fluker, the clinic operates as a for-credit course which provides 24 students each year with legal experience and a change to advocate for Alberta’s environmental. Most recently, the Clinic represented the Alberta Wilderness Association and Timberwolf Wilderness Society in a civil suit against the Federal Government’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans. The Federal Government had failed their legal duty to issue a “Critical Habitat Order” to protect the nearly extinct Westslope Cutthroat Trout in Alberta’s rivers and lakes. In response to the suit, the Federal Government issued the Order, making it in the second one in effect in Canada, following the protection of the Orca whale in British Columbia. The Order prohibits any action that threatens the habitat or recovery of the trout in Alberta, making it an invaluable tool for Alberta’s conservationists. The Clinic has provided representation to many groups, including: Ecojustice, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Water Matters and the Alberta Surface Rights Group. Students have appeared before the Alberta Energy Regulator, the Alberta Environmental Appeals Board and the federal court. The Clinic has proven essential to training young lawyers in environmental law and advancing sustainability in Alberta. Additional examples: https://www.ucalgary.ca/utoday/issue/2015-04-29/evds-student-project-uses-design-help-seniors-age-place http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/laneway-housing-seniors-400-square-foot-calgary-university-councill-carra-1.3583909

The University of Calgary’s Rothney Astrophysical Observatory (RAO) is home to one of the three largest telescopes in Canada. The observatory is used for student research and learning and is open to community members. It receives over 10,000 visitors per year. Preserving the dark skies surrounding the RAO is imperative to the work done at the observatory. Beyond the effects on RAO’s operations, light pollution also disrupts ecosystems and results in adverse health effects. To preserve dark skies around the RAO, UCalgary, through the Government Relations team, is advocating for light pollution policies to the City of Calgary and the Province of Alberta that employ dark sky principles on government projects close to the facility. This advocacy includes ensuring that light pollution policies comply with the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America Guidelines (IES) standards are followed in order to protect the dark skies around the RAO. This advocacy also helps conserve energy, reduce glare, safe-guards wildlife and maintains views of the night sky and stars for residents of nearby communities and the RAO. The City of Calgary and the Province have taken the RAO’s recommendations into consideration when incorporating light pollution policies within their respective projects.

The University of Calgary is a comprehensive academic and research institution, with a mission to discover new knowledge and translate our discoveries into applications that provide benefits to our local, national and international communities. As a research university, the University of Calgary supports the work of its partners and faculties to create collaborations and tools which address sustainability nationally. Our research strategy supports sustainability in two key areas: energy innovations and human dynamics in a changing world. We are focused on creating a low carbon energy system while assessing the effects of energy-related processes and harnessing unconventional hydrocarbon resources. Our interdisciplinary strength seeks the situations and systems, and develops the solutions we need to adapt in the face of rapid change. We focus on the social and physical infrastructure of cities and examine how to build livable, resilient and sustainable cities. Our expertise in these areas positions us as advocates of sustainable development. We are an essential hub in provincial, national, or global research networks, and we have strong community or industry partnerships. To these ends, our university has placed 148 research chairs across a variety of fields. We recently received a $75 million dollar federal grant to fund transformative research to reduce the carbon footprint and environmental impact of unconventional hydrocarbon resources, among our other federal endowments.

Since 2005 the university has been collaborating with the Central American Water Resource Management Network (CARA) as part of the University Partnerships in Cooperation and Development Program. The objective of this partnership is to advocate for sustainable water policy and practice in Central America. The key goals are: • increase the capacity of Central American countries to educate and train human resources in the area of hydrogeology and integrated water resource management • improve the management and protection of community water resources in Nicaragua and the Central America region • strengthen the capacity of the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua in community water management, water resource management, education, training, research and practice, in collaboration with communities, municipalities, government agencies, other universities, international organizations/networks and donors The university has helped advance all CARA project objectives, with a particular focus on project components related to community-based water projects, strengthening water usage policy and helping the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua deliver water resource education and applied research.

http://ucalgary.ca/research/strategic-research-plan