Institute of Island Studies hosts public lecture on January 24
The Institute of Island Studies at UPEI will host a public lecture titled “Towards Energy Sovereignty on Labrador’s Remote Island of Ponds” on January 24 at 7 pm in the Faculty Lounge, SDU Main Building.
Part of the Institute’s Island Lecture Series, the talk will be presented by Dr. Nick Mercer, an assistant professor in UPEI’s Master of Island Studies and Environmental Studies programs. During his presentation, Mercer will focus on his longstanding community-based research partnership with the NunatuKavut Inuit community of Black Tickle, located on the subarctic tundra Island of Ponds in southern Labrador.
“Newfoundland and Labrador is a global leader in the development of renewable energy. However, the electricity-generation mix differs dramatically in remote and Indigenous communities throughout the province, which remain almost exclusively reliant on diesel fuel, resulting in numerous energy inequities. While sustainable energies are often promoted for these isolated villages, emerging research demonstrates detrimental socio-economic and livelihood implications which emerge when development is led by outsiders or corporate interests. The research focuses on identifying and addressing community needs, integrating local knowledge and sustainability values, and mobilizing community-led initiatives to enhance island energy resilience.”
Prior to joining UPEI, Mercer held a SSHRC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at Dalhousie University’s School for Resource and Environmental Studies. In this role, he studied questions of energy justice in isolated northern communities, examining how or if communities have participated in energy-related decision-making, and how or if they have benefitted from development.
Mercer has a long relationship with remote and island communities, having conducted research for almost a decade in partnership with the Island of Ponds in Labrador, on issues ranging from participatory energy planning to water security, and gendered dimensions of resource access. He is one of eight appointees to the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Net Zero Advisory Committee and a vocal advocate for community-led clean energy policy and practice.
