Tickets available from ArtSpring Box Office HERE

Pay now, or pay more later. That’s the message the International Court of Justice sent to fossil fuel-producing countries in an “advisory opinion” on climate change released in July. The opinion responds to a request for legal advice from all 193 United Nations member states.

Professor Daniel Bodansky from Arizona State University is one of the world’s leading experts on international environmental law and climate change governance. Working with the Pacific Ocean micro-state of Nauru, he helped guide the request that led to the recent, incredibly significant advisory opinion from the International Court.

Professor Bodansky is the author of The Art and Craft of International Environmental Law (Harvard University Press) and International Climate Change Law (Oxford University Press). He previously served as Climate Change Coordinator at the United States Department of State, helping to steer U.S. participation in global climate negotiations. 

There is nobody, anywhere, better able than Daniel Bodansky to answer your questions about climate change, the role of international law, and the opportunities for meaningly change.

Can court judgments and international treaties drive real emissions reductions?

How can climate negotiators reconcile environmental ambition with geopolitics?

How much does the return of Donald Trump to the White House complicate the battle against climate change—and the pursuit of climate justice?

Please join the Salt Spring Forum and Daniel Bodansky in a highly informed discussion about climate change, international law, and avenues for positive change.

Andrew Coyne is a Globe and Mail columnist and sits on the ‘At Issue’ panel on CBC’s ‘The National’.

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Why are Canada’s leaders more powerful than ever – and less accountable?

What happens when Parliament stops holding government to account?

Have citizens lost their voice in the system meant to represent them?

What would it take to rescue Canadian democracy?

Andrew Coyne is one of Canada’s most respected and provocative political commentators — a columnist for The Globe and Mail, a regular panelist on CBC’s At Issue, he is known for his sharp analysis, fearless independence and ability to make sense of complex political realities. 

Coyne’s new book, The Crisis of Canadian Democracy (2025, Sutherland House), delivers a sobering assessment of how Canada’s democratic institutions are faltering, from weakened parliamentary norms to unchecked party leaders and a disengaged citizenry.  Coyne does more than diagnose the problem; he presents compelling ideas on how to repair what is broken, restore checks and balances, and revitalize the institutions that make democracy work. 

With decades of journalism behind him — including stints at Maclean’s and The National Post — Coyne has earned a reputation as a commentator who informs, challenges, and provokes debate.

Please join the Salt Spring Forum and the inimitable Andrew Coyne in a vital conversation about the future of Canadian democracy.

Dr. Rasmussen is a virologist at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization at the University of Saskatchewan and is a prolific science communicator writing for the Washington Post and New York Times.

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Could misinformation and conspiracy theories make the next pandemic deadlier than the virus itself?

How might the next global health threat unfold?

What can we do to avoid being caught unprepared?

Angela Rasmussen is a virologist with the University of Saskatchewan’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, which operates the world's largest and most advanced biosafety level 3 facility for research into human and animal diseases.

Dr. Rasmussen investigates how emerging viruses – from influenza and Ebola to coronavirus – become global threats.  Her research focuses on the molecular triggers that determine whether a virus fizzles out or sparks a pandemic.

In addition to her scientific expertise, Dr. Rasmussen is a leading voice on pandemic preparedness and science communication.  She writes for the Washington Post, New York Times, and Guardian, while also countering misinformation on social media.  She has been scorchingly critical of US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as a visit to her account on X will reveal: https://x.com/angie_rasmussen

Before coming to Canada, Dr. Rasmussen held faculty positions at Columbia University and the University of Washington. She sits on editorial boards for journals such as Vaccine and Cell Reports, serves on World Health Organization expert committees, and collaborates internationally through pandemic preparedness networks. 

In a world of misinformation and conspiracy theories, public panic could amplify a biological threat as much as the virus itself. Dr. Rasmussen is an expert on the interplay of science, communication, and societal fear, and how a future pathogen might exploit not just our biological vulnerabilities but also our psychological ones.

Whether discussing viral evolution, public health strategy, or the perils of panic, Dr. Rasmussen’s visit to the Salt Spring Forum will be highly informative, deeply thought-provoking, and potentially life-saving.