It’s Getting Hot In Here

Micah Melnyk

Micah Melnyk is originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, but now lives in Ottawa, Ontario. He graduated from from Queen’s University in Civil Environmental Engineering and Economics, and uses both as he applies his belief in sustainable communities and a sustainable world. As a youth representative in the past, Micah was involved in university governance and served as Premier of the Youth Parliament of Manitoba. He is also currently a member of the leadership team of Young Environmental Professionals, and currently President of the Ottawa chapter of Engineers without Borders, Canada’s fastest growing international development organization. He is prone to quoting Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Mark Purdon

Mr. Purdon is currently pursuing a PhD in political science at the University of Toronto where he is pursing research in comparative rural development policy in Canada, Eastern Europe and Africa and the potential for market-based environmental schemes to contribute in a meaningful way to rural sustainable development. Since 2005 he has been collaborating with a Canadian ENGO named REAP-Canada to develop GHG mitigation strategies in Canada and internationally, particularly those related to biofuels and forests. Mark has a long been involved with the ENGO sector in Canada and is currently interim chair of the Canadian Environmental Network’s Forest Caucus. He holds two Masters degrees, a first in environmental science (UQAM) and a second in environmental policy (Oxford). His international experience includes work at a forest institute in the Czech Republic, a community forestry and CIDA-sponsored consultation to develop government capacity on the CDM in Cameroon while, more recently, in 2006 he was an intern with the UNDP’s new Millenium Development Goals Carbon Facility, working to identify carbon mitigation project potential in Africa.

P.J. Partington

P.J. Partington, Research and Policy Analysis, Delegation Co-ordination P.J. Partington was born and raised in Toronto and spent many of his summers working with youth at summer camps in Algonquin Park and the Thirty-Thousand Islands. Following a distinguished education at the prestigious York School in Toronto, he attended the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) where he majored in Environmental Policy. While at LSE P.J sat on the Climate Change Action Committee of the People and Planet Society and was events coordinator for the LSE Student Union Geography and Environment Society. A recipient of numerous awards and fluent in French and Italian, P.J. brings to the team a global perspective and a passion for climate policy and international development issues.

Adam Scott

My name is Adam Scott. I am 24 years old and currently finishing a degree in environmental geography at the University of Guelph. While I have grown up in Toronto, I have developed a passion for environmental protection, spending every summer of my life living on the northeast shore of Georgian Bay. Working for the Georgian Bay Association the past 5 years, I have coordinated volunteer environmental monitoring projects studying forest health, water quality, and the impacts of air pollution. I have also experienced the political side of great lakes protection, lobbying for watershed protection and reduced trans-boundary air pollution. At school, my huge passion for environmental issues brought me to get involved in climate change issues, particularly with a focus on energy. Our “Renewable Energy Group” has worked to implement a campus energy retrofit, purchase wind energy for student buildings, and educate students, staff and faculty about climate change. I became interested in the international dimension of this problem, traveling as a youth delegate to UN commission on sustainable development last spring. I have big plans to continue with a career in environmental protection in coming years.
I am a drummer, a sailor, and a wilderness explorer in my spare time. I am hugely excited to be meeting and working with incredible youth from around the world in Nairobi.

Kathryn Kinley

Kathryn is originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba and is currently
pursuing an Hons. B.A. in Environmental Studies, International Development and Political Science from the University of Toronto. Her passion for tasting everything life has to offer has brought her to Central America, New Zealand, Europe, Kenya and, India on a 6-month internship with an HIV/AIDS prevention project. These adventures have found her trekking in the Himalayas, whitewater rafting in Costa Rica, building a school in the Maasai Mara, and, most importantly, broadening her knowledge of the potential impacts of climate change on the most vulnerable individuals.

It is these experiences that have acutely highlighted the detrimental effect of the minority western lifestyle on a majority of the worlds’ citizens. As a result, she has been a passionate activist for the environment at U of T, carrying out energy efficiency research projects, lobbying for energy efficient measures at university facilities, volunteering with the Sustainability Office, engaging in meaningful dialogue at international conferences, and serving as Communications Director for the G8 Research Group and analyst in the area of energy and the environment. She is also Co-Leader of the Toronto Chapter of the youth public policy think tank,
Canada25, volunteers for a political advocacy group, Equal Voice, is active with the young Liberals, and is enthusiastically researching her thesis on emission trading markets and their application in Canada.

Jessica Duncan

Jessica Duncan is a dynamic, young foodie: she loves food and revels in all of its attendant processes. She came to food research and activism through a melding of environmental and human rights concerns. Jessica has spent the last few years undertaking social research on various aspects of the Canadian food system from both a farming and policy perspective. The goal of her activities is to support the creation of a just and sustainable food system and society. Since her return to British Columbia in 2004, she has been an active member of the BC Food Systems Network and is currently sitting on its Board of Directors. Jessica is mindful of the need for integrated approaches to research and activism. This awareness led to her to examine the impact of environmental and climate change on food systems, and to seek community-based solutions to addressing these problems. Jessica has spent the last year developing a rural youth engagement strategy, supporting grass-roots capacity-building in BC’s rural communities and drafting a sustainability plan for community organisations. In her spare time, Jessica is working on her MA thesis at the University of Victoria which examines the relationship between egg marketing and inspection systems and small-scale producers in British Columbia. Jessica is committed to sharing her passion for healthy lifestyles, healthy communities, community engagement and youth empowerment (and the occasional pizza).

Maia Green

My name is Maia Green. I am 24 years old and graduated 2 years ago from UVic with a degree in environmental studies and art history. After graduation I went on a round the world trip for a year and since returning home a year ago I have been working with children doing after school care and summer camps, as well as doing environmental work such as event planning for a company that does industrial scale composting. I have been involved in the environmental movement in some way since I was about 7 and tried to start a worldwide environmental club I spent 4 years of my childhood growing up in the Fiji Islands and a year living on a sailboat. I have a strong passion for traveling and seeing the world. My other passions are the environment, art and photography, working with children and organizing events.

Jessica Wishart

Hi, my name is Jess Wishart. I was born and raised in Halifax, N.S, where I still live.
I’m 20 years old, and I am in my third year of University. I’m taking international development studies and spanish at Dal. I am also working part-time as a tutor at a literacy centre.
I love to travel, and spent 2 months this summer studying and travelling in Spain.
I have always been interested in environmental issues. I worked for the N.S Department of Environment for a summer as part of the Nova Soctia Youth Conservation Corps, and I have done fundraising for Greenpeace.
I have never been to Africa before and I am super excited and grateful for this opportunity.

Felicia Slogoski

Hello! My name is Felicia Slogoski, I am 22 years old and currently attending the University of Calgary majoring in International Relations and Biological Sciences. I was born in Regina, Saskatchewan and I still believe that there is nothing more beautiful than the Saskatchewan sunset.

I have been involved in the Environmental movement since I was a child and continue to be active both locally and internationally. Most recently in the past year I have attended the International Youth Summit on Climate Change in Montreal prior to attending the UNFCCC COP11/MOP1, as Federal Youth Liasion for the New Democratic Youth of Alberta I attended the New Democratic Youth of Canada’s conference in Halifax last November where I submitted an emergency resolution to thwart the drilling of the MacKenzie Delta and it passed unanimously, last January I attended the McGill Model United Nations Conference in which I won my committee with runner-ups going to the delegates from Princeton University and Westpointe Military Academy, in February I sat on a research panel to help formulate an ecojustice education policy for the Pembina Institute in Vancouver, a few weeks later I was a staff member at the United Nations Association in Canada (UNAC) CANIMUN conference as a chairperson in Ottawa, in May I represented the Canadian Environmental Network at the UN Commission on Sustainable Development at UN headquarters in New York and after stopping briefly in Edmonton for the Stanley Cup playoffs I attended the World Urban Forum in Vancouver.

Did I mention I am also a full time student…

At a grassroots level I am involved in many regional environmental organizations and campus clubs. I also work in the News Department at CJSW, the campus/community radio station in Calgary, where I like to cover stories that are over-looked by mainstream media, including Climate Change.

I am thrilled to be a part of the Canadian Youth Delegation, and look forward to working with all these motivated, inspirational Canadian youth.

Nathalie Arsenault

I am a French speaking Acadian from rural Prince Edward Island, the smallest Canadian province. I have always had an interest in humanities and the world that surrounds me. I completed a bachelor’s program in Recreational studies and Sociology at the University of Moncton (NB), not knowing where my true interests lied. My real eye and mind-opening experience was my participation in the Canada World Youth program in Ontario and Tanzania in 2003-2004. Upon my return, I immediately started looking for opportunities to deepen my knowledge about these global issues. I thus did a 6-month internship with CUSO and NetCorps in Kingston, Jamaica 2004-2005. In order to increase my understanding and to complement these practical experiences, I am currently completing a master’s degree in International Studies at the Université de Montréal. My activism in environmental issues is a big part of my life and my everyday activities. With the university I am involved with youth activist groups such as the North-South Committee; dedicated to educate students and employees on issues affecting us here and abroad. I have also worked as an interpreter for Parks Canada for 4 summers, educating visitors on the importance of preserving the ecological integrity of these unique ecosystems. My interest in climate change? It affects everybody; if there is one way to change the world, it definitely involves preserving the planet we will be living in for the next few decades.

Joshua Darrach

My name is Joshua Darrach, and I’m currently taking a Philosophy Degree with an Environmental Studies minor, at the University of Prince Edward Island. I’ve been involved with the Sierra Youth Coalition for the last two years, first working on UPEI’s Campus Sustainability Assessment framework and later that year I attended the 7th annual Sustainable Campuses Conference at the University of British Columbia; where I joined the Sierra youth Coalitions Project Committee for the Sustainable Campuses Project.

I came home from BC so inspired and energized that when calls came out later that year for applications to host the next year’s conference, I along with a few friends got to work putting together a proposal to bring the conference to the east coast. Needless to say the proposal was accepted and I was hired to coordinate the conference.

The conference is now done and over with, but the energy and enthusiasm from all the conference participants is still empowering me to do whatever I can to help our planet and its peoples.

I see this trip to Nairobi, Kenya as an opportunity to demonstrate to the international community the commitment youth have to combating climate change, despite our current governments stance on the issue.

I feel both privileged and honored to be able to represent Canada and its youth movement at the Cop 12 / Mop 2. I only hope that I can make even a small difference by showing how committed and dedicated the Canadian Youth movement is to solving this enormous global problem.

Lorie Hamelin

Lorie Hamelin, a 24 years old girl born in Québec, has always dreamt of a world without injustices. This conviction first leads her, at the age of 14, to get involved with a youth solidarity group that has international projects with Haiti. This woke in her a profound interest and respect for the world and its diversity of people, which led her to Europe, South America and Asia. Lorie kept feeding her passion for fighting injustices by getting involved in community groups having positive environmental and social intentions. She also graduated in Biosystems Engineering, and she is now doing her master degree in this same field. Her interest in climate change grew out of her job at a research centre, where she was able to take part in several projects aimed at decreasing greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture. She now profoundly believes that climate change is the biggest challenge next generations will have to face. Thus, she wants to be ready when the actual leading generation will pass us, the youth of this world, the lead in this fight that goes well beyond generations, well beyond boundaries, well beyond Kyoto!

Aaron Holdway

I’m originally from Halifax, but I’ve been living in southern Ontario since I started university, and most recently Montpellier, France. I studied Chemistry at Queen’s and for the past four years have been working at Queen’s as a healthcare and public health policy researcher at the Institute of Intergovernmental Relations. I’m now in Oxford reading for an MSc in Nature, Society, and Environmental Policy.
I got involved in a number of health-related projects while at Queen’s and branched from this into the environment via international development. I’ve been fortunate to be able to have participated in a number of projects in these areas, including performing research on HIV/AIDS in Botswana, working with children on environmental projects in the Everest region of Nepal, and designing and delivering a health education program for aboriginal youth in northern Ontario. I’ve also taken part in a number of international conferences, including the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002.
I’ve taken part in a number of initiatives of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology’s Youth Encounter on Sustainability (YES), including designing an educational program on climate change mitigation for primary school students and assessing the corporate social responsibility of the global cement sector (more interesting than it sounds). Through YES, I became involved with the World Student Community for Sustainable Development (WSCSD) in 2004. I volunteered first as the editor of the WSCSD’s e-journal and later served a term as president.

Clara Vaz

My name is Clara Vaz, and I am part of the Canadian Youth Delegation to Nairobi, 2006. I am currently finishing an L.L.M at the Brussels School of International Studies with research concentrating on humanitarian intervention and ethnic conflicts in international law. My undergraduate was obtained from Laval University in Quebec, Canada in Political Science with specialized courses in Spanish language. I currently work for UNESCO, writing reports for the Canadian Commission. I have previously worked for the United Nations, the National Assembly of Quebec and have participated in numerous UN simulations across North America. I hope to finish this degree, return to Montreal and complete an internship whilst pursuing language studies, moving to my PhD in the next couple of years. I am most interested in doing aid and volunteer
work in Africa, as this is the continent that inspires me the most with its history, culture and present endeavours.

Zoë Caron

An environmentalist since age 5, Zoë now works for the Sierra Youth Coalition of Canada as the Atlantic Coordinator for the Sustainable Campuses program. An Honours student of Environmental Science and International Development & Politics at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, she is also involved in making her own campus sustainable and is an avid student politician. Zoë is a past recipient of the Provincial Canadian Merit Scholarship and Columbia Basin Trust Scholarship for academic excellence and community leadership.

Depuis qu’elle a 5 ans, Zoë est concernée par l’environnement. Maintenant, elle travaille pour la Coalition Jeunesse Sierra du Canada en tant que Coordonnatrice Atlantique pour le programme des Campus Durables. Étant étudiante en Sciences de l’environnement, du développement et de la politique internationale à l’Université de Dalhousie à Halifax, en Nouvelle-Écosse, elle tente également d’y implanter un processus de développement durable et elle est impliquée dans les politiques d’étudiants. Elle a notamment gagné les bourses de mérite canadien provinciaux et de CBT pour le scolaire l’excellence scolaire et le travail communautaire.

Cameron Stiff

Strategy and General Coordination

Cameron Stiff is a Canadian youth activist focused primarily on engaging society around the crucial issues of climate change and sustainable development. As a student at Concordia University, he studied Sociology, Political Science, Theatre and Design and worked with the Concordia Student Union and Sustainable Concordia, where he organized educational events focused on renewable energy, climate change and conscious consumption, developed the allego Concordia program which promotes sustainable transportation through targeted services and programs, and conducted a greenhouse gas emissions inventory of the university. He acted as a central youth coordinator for the United Nations’ Climate Negotiations in Montreal in 2005, creating the Youth Convergence and Climate Justice Centre and acting as the Student Representative to the December 3rd Montreal March for the Climate Organizing Committee. He has traveled extensively in the US and Canada and is fluent in French. Cameron brings to the team a passion for social change through youth engagement and long-term vision coupled with strategic planning and partnership development. He is working with youth across Canada and the world to create a master narrative describing the arc of the global movement. cameron.stiff@gmail.com

Georges Abou Adal

I was born in Lebanon and immigrated to Canada when I was 7 years old. I graduated from Concordia University in Engineering with an emphasis on Renewable Energy (particularly, Wind and Solar). While studying at Concordia, I was Marketing Director of Engineers Without Borders. In 2005 I took part in a 5-month sustainable development project in the Peruvian Andes, entirely sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency. I returned in Nov 2005 to Montreal and joined the youth delegation participating in the UNFCCC. I am now working on Wind Energy projects across Canada and the US.

Naomi Devine

Naomi is completing her BA with a double major in Environmental Studies and Political Science at the University of Victoria. She finds the political question at the heart of environmental issues to be the most intriguing of problems to solve. Specifically, Naomi is interested in looking at the energy system’s role in creating a sustainable future. Focussing on climate change and planning issues, Naomi is concerned with how municipal governments will be able to respond effectively to the environmental challenges ahead.

Naomi is an active volunteer who is a director on the Boards of the BC Sustainable Energy Association and University of Victoria Sustainability Project , is founding chair of the BCSEA’s Victoria Chapter, and is a Student Senator on the University of Victoria Senate.

Rob Niven

Each of us has an obligation to contribute to the fight against climate change. After witnessing some of the worst humanitarian and ecological consequences of rising temperatures in the Canadian arctic, Himalayas and sub-Saharan Africa, I felt motivated to become more involved in the struggle. I’ve applied the skills gained from the Master’s of Environmental Engineering program at McGill University to develop new climate change technologies and science that have been presented at international climate change conferences and publications. I firmly believe and have found that technological solutions can be mutually beneficial to the environment, public welfare and business. Youth possess the creativity and energy to generate and implement these new ideas to the climate issues at hand. A healthy climate change strategy will involve youth and combine creative technical innovations, greater public awareness and effective environmental policy. I’m really excited to collaborate in these areas with the other talented youth delegates at the COP-12 meetings in Nairobi.

Before returning to school and while completing a B.Sc. in Chemistry at UVic, I wandered around the Canadian North, travelled abroad and worked as a forest fire fighter, industrial water treatment engineer and small business entrepreneur. I pass much of my free time outside of the city exploring Canada’s spectacular wilderness. Rock and ice climbing, cycling, diving, paddling and hiking are my preferred outdoor activities.

Next up - 2 month self-propelled trip through central Asia to raise climate change awareness.

Aiden Abram

There is a great opportunity arising from our global struggle to prevent a climate chaos. We exist at a cross-roads for our planet, and within the next 20 years we will decide collectively (as we all play a part) what path we follow. Energized and fully engaged because he believes we can choose and achieve a just and sustainable future for all, Aiden works tirelessly to deliver the necessary action.

Aiden is a consultant for a small firm working on climate change, particularly issues of adaptation - an area of grave concern that is receiving so little attention. Having completed a double major in Earth Surface Science and International Development from the University of Guelph, Aiden chose to merge those disciplines together with his passions into a full-fledged dedication for achieving the best future within our changing climate. With a strong background in social justice, governance and peer mobilization, Aiden is exhilarated to have the chance to engage youth on a global scale.