Dr. William Leiss
Dr William (Bill) Leiss - an internationally-known author and researcher on environmental subjects - is recognized as a "public intellectual" in the tradition of Marshall McLuhan and Northrop Frye. The author or co-author of 12 books and hundreds of articles and reports, he was associated with the University of Regina for 5 years.
Bill Leiss was born in New York City in 1939. He joined the University of Regina in 1968 as Assistant and then Associate Professor of Political Science. In 1973 he became Associate Professor in Environmental Studies, York University. He later had academic appointments at the University of Toronto, Simon Fraser University, University of Calgary, University of Ottawa and Queen's University (Eco-Research Chair in Environmental Policy).
His first book, The Domination of Nature (1972), was written while he was at the University of Regina. It explores how long held cultural attitudes of domination and control of nature are at the root of the destructive ecological impacts of industrial society. He argues that the failure to understand these attitudes leads to problems in public policy to protect nature. Its publication brought him wide recognition as a perceptive and judicious author.
In Under Technology's Thumb, his 1990 collection of essays on the philosophy of nature, Leiss argues effectively for an attitude of caring and respect for the environment rather than one of domination. The title's Mad Cows and Mother's Milk: The Perils of Poor Risk Communication and Risk and Responsibility examine case studies of controversies over environmental and health risks in Canada and elsewhere, including: pesticides, electric and magnetic fields, food risks, dioxins, PCBs, agricultural biotechnology, and bovine growth hormone.
Earlier books include The Limits to Satisfaction (1976), an influential book that discusses consumerism and human needs.
Over the last 15 years he has worked extensively in a consulting capacity with industry and with Canadian federal and provincial government departments in the area of risk management, public consultation, and multi-stakeholder consensus-building processes. He has been an advisor on issues dealing with pesticides, toxic chemicals, tobacco, prescription drugs, electric and magnetic fields, genetic engineering, and others.
Leiss is a Fellow and former President (1999-2001) of the Royal Society of Canada. He was the founding Chair of the Committee on Expert Panels of the Society in 1995. The latter has allowed the Society to organize advisory panels that provide disinterested, credible, and highly competent examinations of the state of scientific knowledge relative to issues in the management of health and environmental risks.
He served a member of the Senior Advisory Panel for the Walkerton Inquiry.
His website has articles on Climate Change as a Risk Issue and makes strong arguments for the Kyoto Protocol (e.g. Why Canada should ratify Kyoto, No Kyoto means No Solution, Kyoto Whoppers, Kyoto: What about the Risk?)
Other topical articles and presentations on his website include Global Climate Change and Public Policy: It's Time for Serious Public Dialogue, Dual Role of Science, and, The Case for Mandatory Labeling of Genetically-Modified Foods.
He is currently a Scientist with the McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment at the University of Ottawa and Research Associate with the Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary.