A total of 17 events and workshops are scheduled to take place between February 15 – 21 in celebration of sustainability research at the University of York. One Planet Week takes place in Spring Term annually and this year features the theme of “Culture and Community”.
One Planet Week provides a great opportunity for staff and students to get involved with a range of events designed to encourage a more sustainable lifestyle.
This year’s theme of “Culture and Community” will focus on promoting a culture of sustainable living, by offering both practical advice and facilitating discussion which hopes to guide students, staff and the wider community towards lifestyle changes which will help to tackle the climate crisis.
One Planet Week 2021 features event hosts and speakers from the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, Politics, Psychology, Environment and Geography, as well as York based charity St Nicks, and the student society York Anti-Racist Collective.
Events include a live vegetarian cooking session with the University’s Executive Chef Dave Martin, opportunities to learn about outdoor volunteering with YUSU and the colleges, and an Instagram Live workshop on sustainable menstrual pad making in collaboration with York Sewing Society and Free the Flow.
One Planet Week also welcomes speakers tackling topics such as the ethical implications of lab based meats, the psychology behind meat consumption, and discussion of the environmental impact of food labels.
There will be further opportunities to delve into significant debates including anti-racism and the fight for climate justice, explore the intersection between environmentalism and disability, and learn about innovation and co-operation to tackle the climate crisis at the local and global scale.
All events are scheduled to be recorded this year, and will be made available for viewing on the University of York Sustainability YouTube channel.
A full list of events are as follows:
Monday 15 February
- 10am: Out of the Lab and Into the Frying Pan – A discussion of the ethical, moral, and environmental dilemmas surrounding lab based meats.
- 11am: Live Cooking Session – Executive Chef Dave Martin hosts a live cook along session teaching attendees how to make a vegetarian dish.
- 2pm: Precious Plastic York – Rethinking plastic waste with St Nicks.
- 7pm: The Local and the Global: A Holistic Solution to Climate Breakdown – Learn about innovation and co-operation to tackle the climate crisis at the local and global scale.
Tuesday 16 February
- 1pm: Professional Network: Sustainability – Quiz the panel and join the discussion as a range of speakers share their insights and experience of sustainability.
- 7pm: Why We Can’t Separate Anti-racism from the Fight Against the Climate Emergency – Talk and Q&A by the York Anti-Racist Collective Society.
Wednesday 17 February
- 12pm: Q&A Session with Volunteering at York – Learn about the opportunities available to volunteer within the community from careers, YUSU and the colleges.
- 1:30pm: Spring into the Outdoors – Join a panel of experts who will be answering questions about the benefits of outdoor environmental activities.
- 4pm: Masterclass: Engaging with Remote Teams for Energy Efficient Improvement – Peter Lunt shares his reflections of his time leading the Industrial Energy Efficiency Network at Airbus.
- 7pm: Eco-Disablism and Us – Piers Wilkinson, Disabled Students Officer for the NUS joins YUSU to discuss Eco-Disablism and how environmentalism intersects with disability.
Thursday 18 February
- 12:30pm: Out of sight, Out of Mind: The Psychology Behind Meat Consumption and Other Environmental Concerns – Discover the psychology underpinning the consumption of meat, hosted by Associate Lecturer of the Department of Psychology, Dr Thomas Davies.
- 4pm: Guitar and Bass Repair Workshop – Repair and maintenance workshop via zoom.
- 6pm: Sustainable Menstrual Pad Making Workshop: In Collaboration with Sewing Society – Join Free the Flow for a workshop on sustainable menstrual products, hosted via Instagram Live.
- 7pm: Neo-Imperialism, Migration and Climate Justice – Discussion of climate injustice, postcolonial politics, and the implications of reforestation events in Kenya, co-hosted by Dr Sara de Jong of the Department of Politics and York alumna Isabelle Hughes.
Friday 19 February
- 12pm: Environmental Impact of Food Labels – If food labels could convey the impact of food production, could they help us to make more sustainable food choices? Join final year biology student Rosalin Brolly in discussing her research.
- 2pm: Defining a Future 3R’s Vision for York – Students from the Department of Environment and Geography present their innovations for the future of the 3R’s in the City of York and the University.
- 7pm: Those Who Foresaw Climate Change, But the World Did Not Listen – Discover more about the visionaries who recognised climate change, from scientists and explorers to poets, artists and playwrights from the Department of Chemistry’s Professor Robin Perutz.
One Planet Week is also open to the wider community, and free tickets can be obtained by following the links on the timetable here.