Citizen Science and Filmmaking Lecture: Environmental Justice and Survival in a Changing Arctic

The New School:

Alvin Johnson/J.M. Kaplan Hall , Room 407

Did you know that turning on a light switch in New York City has a direct effect on sea ice ecosystems thousands of miles away?

On the Belcher Islands in Canada’s Hudson Bay, Inuit feel these effects the most. A unique culture that has relied on birds for clothing and food, eider down is the warmest feather in the world and allows Inuit to survive in this environment throughout the year. Massive die-off events of eiders represent the proverbial canary in the coal mine for what is happening when cities along the eastern seaboard reverse the seasonality of the hydrological cycle to stay warm in winter.

Join director/producer Dr. Joel Heath, of People of a Feather, and Inuit community members from Canada’s Hudson Bay for a discussion on his award winning film about how turning on a light switch in New York City has a direct effect on sea ice ecosystems thousands of miles away.

Learn about the community based research, environmental justice campaign, and behind the scenes of communicating science through filmmaking.

For more information on the film People of a Feather, the Inuit community, and environmental justice see:

      Environmental Justice Campaign: http://igg.me/at/BreakTheIce
      People of a Feather: www.peopleofafeather.com
The Arctic Eider Society: www.arcticeider.com