From urban gardens to road rage and sun-burnt frogs
TORONTO, June 25, 2004 -- For most people, the end of school, the start of vacations and wisps of smoke from backyard barbecues mark the official beginning of summer. With this in mind, York University offers up an eclectic range of experts on the good, bad and ugly aspects of the season.
Good
Urban gardens
One of the first ways immigrants and refugees new to Canada communicate with their neighbours is through their plants and gardens. Environmental Studies Prof. Gerda Wekerle has researched how immigrants can enhance the life of a city by reshaping neighbourhoods, introducing new cuisine and expanding the potential for urban gardens.
Night skies
York Astronomy Prof. Paul Delaney is available to explain all aspects of the evening summer sky, including planet positions and other phenomena in the celestial heavens.
Music festivals
From Jazz festivals to outdoor rock concerts, summer has much to offer in musical tastes. York University ethnomusicologist and Grammy Award-winner Prof. Rob Bowman can discuss the importance of outdoor music festivals and music trends.
The great outdoors
Environmental Studies Prof. Cate Sandilands, Canada Research Chair in Sustainability and Culture, can comment on the ways in which Canada’s national parks are historically part of the Canadian psyche and experience.
Bad
Commuting to the cottage and road rage
York Psychology Prof. David Wiesenthal, an expert on road rage and aggressive driver behaviour, can offer up practical advice on defusing situations behind the wheel that can lead to confrontations, including violence.
Sunburnt frogs
Being green has become a little bit easier thanks to the research of York Biology Prof. Larry Licht. Licht, who has been studying the potential effects of ultraviolet radiation (UVB) on the biology of amphibians, says that contrary to widespread media reports, natural ambient UVB is unlikely to actually damage amphibians and plays little if any role in their global decline.
Smog
That yellow halo surrounding Toronto on hot, humid days – commonly known as smog – contains harmful sulphur and nitrogen oxide, according to York University Environmental Studies Prof. Grant Sheng. Sheng can discuss the process in which tailpipe and power plant emissions, combined with sunlight and high summer temperatures, break down to form harmful ground-level ozone.
Inaccurate weather forecasts
Severe thunderstorms and tornados are a part of summer, as are rained out camping trips. Atmospheric Science Prof. Peter Taylor can explain how continuing government funding cuts threaten Canadian research on reducing smog and climate change, and the accuracy of severe weather forecasts – resulting from fewer meteorologists working at Environment Canada's weather office.
Ugly
Weeds, Asian Long-horned Beetles and other invasive species
The global spread of non-indigenous insects and plants is threatening local natural habitats, including many trees and plant species. York Biology Prof. Dawn Bazely, who has recently co-written a book “Ecology and Control of Introduced Plants”, can explain the effects of invasive plant and insect species and prospects for restoring indigenous plant communities.
Don’t drink the lake water
Accidentally get a mouthful of water while swimming at the cottage and chances are that you’ve also swallowed some spiny water fleas. Biology Prof. Norman Yan can discuss the potential effects of the tiny but potentially devastating cottage country invader that arrived on a cargo ship from Russia in the 1980s and whether they are depleting zooplankton (tiny aquatic herbivores) from Ontario’s lakes and threatening other lake fish.
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For additional experts or to arrange interviews, media should contact:
Ken Turriff, York University Media Relations, 416-736-2100, ext. 22086 / kturriff@yorku.ca
YU/099/04
