The United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change grabbed the world's attention last week with the release of its report warning that global warming could reach 1.5°C above preindustrial times — the gateway to irreversible climate disruption — as soon as 2030.

The effects of climate change are inextricably linked to complex questions of social and economic justice, the subject of a public panel discussion at Windsor Law on Monday, October 22.

“The worst impacts of unabated climate change will be felt first and foremost by those communities and countries that contributed the least to the problem and have least capacity to cope,” says Patricia Galvao Ferreira, an assistant professor in transnational law and the moderator of “Legal Avenues for Climate Justice,” a roundtable of environmental law scholars at noon Monday in the Faculty Lounge, Ron W. Ianni Faculty of Law Building.

Participating are:

• Randall S. Abate, Rechnitz Family / Urban Coast Institute Endowed Chair in Marine and Environmental Law and Policy and professor in the Department of Political Science and Sociology at Monmouth University in New Jersey;
• David Estrin, co-chair of the International Bar Association expert working group drafting a Model Climate Change Legal Remedies Statute; and
• Cameron S.G. Jefferies, assistant professor at the Faculty of Law at the University of Alberta.

The discussion will range from the latest developments in relevant lawsuits in the United States to the draft proposal for a model statute to recent Canadian court decisions on the Northern Gateway and Trans Mountain oil pipelines.

The event also offers a complimentary lunch; RSVP to Danny Anger at Danny.Anger@uwindsor.ca.

High-quality video recordings of Saturday’s Convocation ceremonies produced by Public Affairs and Communications will be telecast on Cogeco cable channel 11.

The sessions are scheduled for the following timeslots:

• The 10 a.m. session, featuring grads in the faculties of arts, humanities and social sciences; business; education; human kinetics; nursing; science; and law — 7:30 p.m. Friday, October 26, and 9 p.m. Tuesday, October 30;
• The 3 p.m. session, featuring grads in the Faculty of Engineering — 2 p.m. Sunday, October 28, and 3 p.m. Saturday, November 3.

Professionally produced DVDs of every session are available for purchase online.

Viewers attending a screening Thursday of a feature-length documentary on the morality of human dominion over the animal kingdom will receive something extra: free snacks, $10, and support to deal with any trauma from its graphic content.

The film, Dominion, promises an uncompromising, damning exploration of the various ways animals are used. It explores six primary facets of human interaction with animals: as companions, wildlife, research subjects, entertainment, clothing, and food.

The student club Windsor Animal Allies presents the screening, from 5 to 8 p.m. October 18 in room 53, Chrysler Hall South. Find more details on the Facebook event page.

Space is limited; RSVP at WindsorAnimalAllies@gmail.com.

In its 1999 decision in R v. Gladue, the Supreme Court of Canada acknowledged the overrepresentation of Indigenous peoples in the country’s prisons and held that judges must consider systemic or background factors when determining a sentence for an Indigenous offender.

It has been almost 20 years since this landmark decision, yet the incarceration rates of Indigenous peoples continue to rise.

A panel will discuss why this is the case in Vanier Hall’s Oak Room at 1:20 p.m. Wednesday, October 17.

“Indigenous Realities Navigating the Canadian Criminal Justice System” will feature panellists:

• Beverley Jacobs, professor at Windsor Law;
• Jonathan Rudin, program director of Aboriginal Legal Services;
• Harold Johnson, author and Crown Attorney in Treaty 6 Territory; and
• Rebecca Rutherford, judge on the Ontario Court of Justice, Toronto.

They will discuss topics relating to the implementation of Gladue reports and principles, the role of judges and Crown counsel, professional and ethical responsibilities, and restorative justice programs.

This event, sponsored by the student club Indigenous Initiatives, and the Transnational Law and Justice Network, is free and open to the public.

A scholarship to support first- and second-generation Canadians is the beneficiary of a charity raffle this month.

UWindsor grad Cessidia DeBiasio launched the Addolorata De Luca Leadership Scholarship in 2015 as a way to honour her maternal grandmother, who came to Canada as a widow with five children.

“The purpose of the charity is to pay it forward and help local deserving student leaders at the University of Windsor who are giving back to our community, a community our ancestors helped build,” says DeBiasio.

Coral Medical Spa selected the cause for a basket raffle fundraiser. The prize package includes an organic spray tan, $50 toward custom art or framing from the Nancy Johns Gallery, a $50 gift certificate from Nola’s Restaurant, and 30 minutes of virtual sporting at Silver Tee Golf and Virtual Gaming Centre.

Tickets are $2; three for $5, available before the November 1 draw from the spa, located at 1400 Provincial Road.

For more information or to donate, visit www.adlscholarship.com or email info@adlscholarship.com.