Episode 30: Gen Zs talk climate change, sustainability, and reciprocity in education

With Patricia Sung and Alexander Dickson of McGill University and Mihskakwan James Harper of NRStor Inc.

At what age did you first learn about climate change? How was it framed? Was there much talk of solutions? What is the true meaning of the word “sustainability”? How can it be more intricately woven throughout elementary and secondary education? When it comes to reciprocity, which books could be mandatory reading in certain university courses? Each member of our latest Gen-Z panel shares their experiences with environmental education before offering advice for improving it at all ages and across multiple subject areas. Though the ideas shared here do not necessarily represent the collective voice of a generation, it’s important to hear the stories and insights from those on the cusp of the workforce.

Guests:

Patricia Sung moved from Hawaii to Montreal in 2018 to pursue a Bachelors of Science in Honours Environment with a minor in GIS & Remote Sensing at McGill University. Eager to become a better caretaker of the Earth, she co-founded the Macdonald Campus Pollination Meadow in 2021 to increase local biodiversity of native wildlife species. For her honours thesis (in the Cardille Computational Landscape Ecology Laboratory), she is researching how satellite imagery can be used to better detect beaver dams in Northern Quebec (as part of a collaboration with Nunavik Geomatics and the Northern Wildlife Ecology Lab).

Alexander Kuijper Dickson is currently working towards completing his Bachelors in Bioresource Engineering and Agronomy, with a minor in entrepreneurship. His interests lie at the intersection of regenerative agriculture, ecology, and food security. He is currently leading a project to convert half an acre of lawn into a tall grass meadow to support native pollinators.

Mihskakwan James Harper is from Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation in Treaty 8, Alberta. He graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering and holds a Masters of Science in Renewable Energy from KTH Royal Institute of Technology and École Polytechnique. He continues to advocate for meaningful climate action through the lens of his Niheyaw upbringing, tying concepts like clean energy with long-term community well-being, sovereignty, and empowerment. He currently works full time as the Business Development Manager with an energy storage developer, NRStor Inc. He loves his family and his community now and generations ahead, which inspires him to work on energy storage and renewable energy projects to build a future that is sustainable and empowers all.