Winter Lectures

January 7, 2025: A Global Overview of the Climate Crisis

To set the stage for our global journey from now into the future, we look at how the climate is negatively impacting humanity in so many regions across the globe. We will review how the climate is changing, focusing on the increasing temperatures that are scorching the planet every summer in the northern and southern hemispheres. The impact of the hydrological cycle will be explained and why we are seeing stronger storms, catastrophic flooding and, paradoxically, worsening drought.

January 14, 2025: A Planet in Peril

We review the most destructive impacts of the changing climate and examine why they are getting worse. We start with wildfires and their impact, and then review the changes in the cryosphere: the melting icesheets and the disappearing glaciers. We will look at the effect of climate change on food and health, and then the deadly effects of air pollution caused by the burning of fossil fuels. Finally we look at the impact of climate change on biodiversity.

January 21, 2025: Why is the Climate Changing?

There are geophysical reasons that explain the changes we are seeing in the global climate. We will review the greenhouse effect and the emissions that produce it. The Paris Agreement will be explained, and we will go on to look at the carbon emissions produced by different countries and how they are changing. The concept of net zero emissions will be discussed, along with the idea of negative emission technologies.

January 28, 2025: The Global Energy Transition

We will review the progress of the transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy. Solar energy, wind power, geothermal energy and hydropower are increasingly important but their variability is a problem. Finally, we look at the economics of renewables compared with fossil fuels and nuclear energy.

February 4, 2025: The Great Electrification

This week we look at why a shift to electricity is key in managing the climate crisis. We will review the latest electric technology: ships, aircraft and utility vehicles. Also the electrification of buildings and industry. Can economies rely completely on renewable energy? Some countries have made the transition. We will look closely at nuclear energy and the development of small modular reactors. Lastly, we will examine the role of hydrogen.

February 11, 2025: Climate Change in Canada

A closer look at how climate change is affecting Canadians. The impact of wildfires, heat waves and floods is worsening. The differences across the provinces are examined and why Canada’s emission targets have not been reached. The question of carbon pricing is examined, together with nuclear waste disposal. Finally, we will explore the potential for wind power in the Atlantic provinces.

February 18, 2025: Denial, Disinformation and Degrowth

A quick review of the history of the discovery of carbon dioxide leads to an analysis of why the denial of climate change is continuing. We will look at companies like Exxon and Enbridge. The concept of a carbon footprint is examined. Then we move to the problem of planetary boundaries and why there are limits to growth. Finally, we examine climate inequality and the idea of degrowth.

February 25, 2025: Taking Action

In this final lecture, we will look into the future and ask what Canada needs to do to reduce the impacts of the changing climate – the increasing intensity of heat waves, wildfires, floods and sea level rise needs to be managed. How can people adapt to the impacts of climate change and what forms of protection are needed? Who should pay for these measures? Finally, we look at ten key actions that will help resolve the crisis.

Dr Martin Bush is a retired educator who taught chemical engineering at universities in Canada and the USA before embarking on a career in international project management. He has a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Sheffield, England and an M.Sc. in protected landscape management from the University of Aberystwyth in Wales. He has led natural resources management projects in Haiti, Mali, Guinea, Egypt, Djibouti and Madagascar. He is the author of two technical books on climate change and renewable energy, and a book describing his travels overseas.

January 9, 2025: Are we living in a simulation?

Long before Neo took the red pill in The Matrix, questioning reality was a favourite topic amongst ancient philosophers. To kick off the lecture series, we will explore some debates on one of the most basic questions of human existence: How do we know what is real? We will explore how philosophers and scientists throughout the world – from Plato to Neil deGrasse Tyson – have tackled the question.

January 16, 2025: Are we alone in the universe?

What makes humans special as a species? While it might be considered a topic for biologists, the “specialness” of humanity has fascinated philosophers for centuries, particularly when it comes to questions of morality, ethics and our treatment of other living creatures. In this lecture, we will explore how everyone from Thomas Paine to Philip K. Dick has tackled the question of “human exceptionalism” throughout history, and why it has become especially relevant in a world of robots and artificial intelligence. We will also look beyond Planet Earth to ancient and modern theories about humanity’s status when it comes to the potential for extraterrestrial intelligent life.

January 23, 2025: What’s love got to do with it?

Why are relationships important? Today, loneliness is considered a global epidemic. Physicians have increasingly demonstrated a link between physical health and loneliness. The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention has suggested that loneliness can lead to heart disease, stroke and even dementia. This week, we will explore why humans rely on social connections, from casual friends to colleagues to romantic love. We will look to some ancient and modern philosophers to explore human relationships, e.g. Plato’s definitions of ancient love and Alain Badiou’s explorations of online dating.

January 30, 2025: What do I owe other people (if anything)?

In this lecture, we tackle one of the biggest philosophical questions of all: how should we treat one another? We will explore how philosophers from societies across the globe have attempted to answer this question, from the origins of the Golden Rule to the African concept of ubuntu. We will also confront some of the modern interpretations of this question, including how it led to one of the most successful (and philosophical) television shows of all time, The Good Place.

February 6, 2025: What is the purpose of productivity?

In the 18^th century, Benjamin Franklin famously allocated each hour of his day to a specific task to avoid idleness. Many of us today experience the same pressure. From weekend hobbies to lifelong careers, humans throughout the world experience an obligation to be productive. But where does this drive come from and is getting out of the rat race the key to a well-balanced life? This week, we will explore the history of human work and its meaning, from ancient ideals of finding one’s purpose to the Industrial Revolution’s invention of the modern workweek. We will also explore modern and historical counterarguments to productivity, from Zen Buddhism to Socrates’ lessons in idleness.

February 13, 2025: What is the best form of government?

This week, we dip our toes into the world of political philosophy. As long as there have been human societies, there have been debates about how best to govern them. From the ancient Greek city-state to the divine right of kings to modern democracy, this lecture will offer a crash course in the philosophical foundations behind some of the world’s most famous forms of government and the historical contexts that created them. We will look at some historical examples of the ideas of some of those who tried (and often failed) to make a perfect political world, e.g. Thomas More’s Utopia and William Morris’ News from Nowhere.

February 20, 2025: Why do humans make art?

Best-selling author Toni Morrison once said, “The best art is political.” But not everyone agrees. In this lecture, we will explore why humans have been producing art since the time of the cave paintings, and whether all art must have a meaning. We will look at a range of historical and modern interpretations of art: Whether art is the pinnacle of human achievement or an utter waste of time. Considering cave paintings, Notre Dame, Andy Warhol, etc., we will explore how humans have approached art and its meaning(s) over several millennia.

February 27, 2025: How can I be happy?

In this last lecture in the series, we will tackle one of life’s greatest challenges, the pursuit of happiness. Self-help books are full of advice on the subject: earn more money, take longer vacations. In this lecture, we will dig into the history of happiness and learn why it can be so difficult to define and to achieve. We will also explore some of the many definitions of happiness around the world, from ancient Greco-Roman concepts of good fortune to the Marie Kondo’s life-changing magic of tidying up.

Laura Carlson is a historian, writer and media producer. She holds a doctorate in history from Oxford University and has taught history, classics and food studies both in England and in Canada, most recently at Queen’s University and Centennial College.

As a lecturer and writer, Laura has been featured on the CBC, Hot Docs, CBS Sunday Morning and Atlas Obscura. She is also host and producer of the award-winning culinary history podcast, The Feast. Over the years, she has worked with international media, museums and civic agencies, and currently is the Manager of Public Programs at Heritage Toronto.

Laura has brought other popular lecture series to Lifelong Learning Mississauga, most recently Eight Feasts that Changed the World in spring 2023.