www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday March 17, 2007 - 3 Philosophical environmentalist By Karen Alton S average Joe or Josephine, but solid, scholarly work. She argues in the book that there is another way of framing environmental he is not `the sky is falling' sort of issues, different from the straight, hard scienvironmentalist, though she recog- ence and quantification of everything. She nizes that mother earth has "huge" maintains there is a softer side, not easy to problems. quantify, which involves values, perceptions Oakville's Ingrid Leman Stefanovic is a and awareness. It's her challenge to raise career academic, in Philosophy no less. But the profile of this framework, and to proas the University of Toronto's Director of the mote a more positive way of thinking. Centre for Environment she is reaching out "I want to focus on the success stories," of the ivory tower to come to grips with she said. "What are we doing right and how down-to-earth issues. The statuesque, 50- can we expand on that?" something university professor has a vision This summer the Oakville resident is takthat is both rigorous and realistic, and ing leave to write another book this one somewhat paradoxically, specifically about values positive in nature. and environmental deci"I want to focus on success "As a student I loved sion-making based partphilosophy," she recalled stories. What are we doing ly on her experiences and recently, "but I grew up in right and how can we research in areas like a family of architects. My expand it." Hamilton Harbour and father said to me, `Ingrid, the Lake Ontario shoot for the stars, but be Dr. Ingrid Stefanovic, Waterfront Trail. sure to come back and Director of the Centre for But when that's done, talk to us.' I knew that Environment for the she laughed, "I'd really whatever I did as an aca- University of Toronto like to write a novel." demic also had to impact Seriously? on the everyday world." "In the academic community we often Last month in her capacity as Director of have academics talking (and writing) for the Centre for Environment, she was academics. I think it is important to write spokesperson for the Al Gore presentation stuff for the broader community. Somehow at U of T's Convocation Hall. The media blitz we have to get through to the non-academwas amazing, and Gore refuses to talk to ic world," the professor said. "So, yes, I don't reporters - he doesn't like to have his words know if I can do it, but I'd like to try comfiltered by the press - so the Professor was municating these issues on a different on the frontlines. level." "It was quite a lot of fun," she enthused. Ingrid Leman was born in Hamilton, but "It's exciting to see the level of interest." moved with her family to Toronto when she The professor is a big fan of the former was three. American vice-president, giving him a lot of "I grew up in Don Mills when it was a credit for describing the big problems with rural community," she explained, "riding the environment and raising awareness horses in areas that are now fully develwith the general public. oped." "I hope he wins the Nobel Prize," she When she was 14 her mother died. Her said. "I think he deserves it." father remarried and the new, blended famPlus, she says, he is a genuinely nice ily took residence in downtown Toronto. man. She was 17 when she began work on her Stefanovic's area of study is environmen- Bachelor of Arts at St. Michael's College, U tal philosophy examining the values and of T; at 26 she completed her PhD. perceptions that drive environmental deci"I was always academically inclined," she sion-making, both on an individual basis said of the obvious. "At the age of 26, I (you and me) and at a broader, policy-mak- looked around and said, uh-oh, what now?" ing level. She laughed. "Real life hit me with a capital She teaches environmental ethics, does L." research, and writes books, most recently a Five years later she married Michael tome titled, Safeguarding Our Common Stefanovic, an engineer and project managFuture: Rethinking Sustainable er, who was newly divorced with two young Development, not a real page-turner for the SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER BARRIE ERSKINE / OAKVILLE BEAVER ENVIRONMENTAL PHILOSOPHER: Dr. Ingrid Stefanovic, Director of the Centre for Environment at the University of Toronto, has an academic background in philosophy and teaches a course in environmental ethics. See Optimistic page 8 · Wood & Vinyl Shutters, Supplied & Installed · High Quality at Affordable Prices · Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed · Serving Oakville with Shop at Home Service Authorized Vinylbilt Dealer www.shuttersetc.ca Shop at Home Service FREE