what key ethical, legal and professional conundrums are patients, their family, and health care professionals currently grappling with in the field of health care? what is ‘right’ and what is ‘wrong’ in making decisions about managing the environmental landscape? and what are the roles, responsibilities, strengths and limitations of governments, the private sector and consumers/citizens/communities in ensuring that businesses behave ethically?

beginning february 14, third age learning lakehead (tall) will host "exploring ethics in a complex world", a three-part lecture series that will seek to answer these questions, among others. from the complex world of bioethics to the challenging realities associated with operating a business in the turbulent 2020s, these thought-provoking talks will challenge conventional ways of thinking.

the series will open with dr steve abdool, a bioethicist at the university of toronto joint centre for ethics. he also works at seven acute care hospitals and regularly presents at professional conferences on pressing ethical issues in both mental health and physical medicine. dr. abdool will navigate the intricate ethical, legal, and professional challenges facing patients, their families, and healthcare providers today and will examine some of the serious bioethical quandaries facing society in the near future.

on february 21, david hawke, a well-known naturalist, author, educator, and former land manager for a local land trust, will take listeners on an exploratory journey through the world of environmental ethics. using photographs he has taken of the simcoe county area over the past 50 years, he will discuss the environmental impacts of a burgeoning human population that demands a ‘fair share’ of the available water, soil, wildlife and space.

the series will close on february 28 with a talk by dr. kernaghan webb, a professor of law and business at toronto metropolitan university (tmu) and the director of the tmu institute for the study of corporate social responsibility (csr). professor webb will be unpacking the ethical, legal, and market "pieces of the puzzle" that together comprise the fast-evolving approach to ensuring that businesses address their environmental, social, and economic impacts. he will examine current societal issues as they relate to the world of business ethics, including social media, pandemics, amazon, airbnb, and uber.

join third age learning lakehead on wednesday mornings to listen, share, and learn about the dynamic world of ethics. this speaker series will be delivered in a hybrid format, allowing you to connect virtually or attend in-person at the st. paul’s centre in orillia. more information, including how to register, can be found at www.hsbcwebinars.com/tal.