environmental studies lecture series

Tag: environmental studies lecture series

Water Conflicts in China Examined in Lawrence University Environmental Series Address

APPLETON, WIS. — A scholar of environmental policies in China and the United States examines China’s growing water problems in the third installment of Lawrence University’s four-part Spoerl environmental studies lecture series on water and its management.

Jennifer Turner, director of the Woodrow Wilson Center’s China Environment Forum in Washington, D.C., presents “Water is for Fighting: Water Conflicts and Crises in China and the United States” Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m. in Lawrence’s Science Hall, 102. The presentation is free and open to the public.

Turner will discuss the growing number and severity of water conflicts throughout China in the wake of burgeoning water demand, inefficient use of existing resources and increasing levels of water pollution. While conflicts over large-scale water projects such as the Three Gorges Dam have received attention in Western media, Turner contends other water conflicts over pollution and smaller dams that are far less publicized are equally, if not more, threatening to human and ecological health.

Although China’s water problems are larger than those in this country, Turner will draw parallels with the U.S. experience in dealing with water quality and quantity challenges. She also will discuss how some U.S. non-government organizations are working to help China alleviate pressures on watersheds.

Prior to joining the Wilson Center, Turner was a faculty member of the political science department at Winthrop University. She also has taught English in Taiwan and the People’s Republic of China.

The environmental lecture series is sponsored by the Spoerl Lectureship in Science in Society. Established in 1999 by Milwaukee-Downer College graduate Barbara Gray Spoerl and her husband, Edward, the lectureship promotes interest and discussion on the role of science and technology in societies worldwide.

Planning Expert Discusses “Sustainable Neighborhoods” in Lawrence University Environmental Studies Lecture

The critical importance of fundamental land use planning in the efforts to build truly “sustainable” communities will be the focus of the final installment of Lawrence University’s environmental studies lecture series dealing with issues of “green” building.

Judy Corbett, founder and executive director of the Local Government Commission in Sacramento, Calif., presents “Beyond Green Buildings: Planning for Sustainable Neighborhoods and Regions” Thursday, March 2 at 7:30 p.m. in Science Hall, Room 102 on the Lawrence campus. The event is free and open to the public.

Going beyond a mere call for increased use of “green” building principles, Corbett will argue that careful land use planning is the critical element to becoming sustainable due to its potential to reduce air and water pollution, limit the loss of agricultural land and cut excessive energy use that results from the nation’s over dependence on the automobile.

Corbett will discuss the role “Smart Growth” — also known as “New Urbanism” or “Livable Communities” — is playing in making communities more transit-friendly, walkable and bike-able. She will outline the growing acceptance and implementation of Smart Growth plans around the country as well as the barriers that still need to be cleared to transform Smart Growth concepts into business-as-usual practices.

Named a “Hero for the Planet” by Time magazine in 1999, Corbett has served as executive director of the Local Government Commission for the past 24 years. The commission analyzes current social, economic and environmental problems and provides strategies that local elected officials can use to address them. The commission was awarded the American Planning Association’s national Public Education Award in 1997 and Corbett herself was honored with the APA’s 2005 National Award for “Distinguished Leadership by a Citizen Planner.”

Corbett has co-authored three books on resource efficient land use and building design, including “Designing Sustainable Communities: Learning from Village Homes,” and has published more than 50 policy guidebooks for local government officials on topics ranging from hazardous waste reduction, recycling, energy conservation and resource-efficient land use patterns. She holds a master’s degree in ecology from the University of California.

Corbett and her husband were responsible for creating Village Homes, a 60-acre pioneering experiment in ecological living that began in the late 1970s in Davis, Calif., and completed in 1981. Considered “the granddaddy” of green developments, the project successfully combined residential, commercial and agricultural elements.

Village Homes features 240 houses that incorporate the latest in solar technology. They are built in clusters and oriented toward the backyards, which open onto large common areas. The streets are narrower than normal — 23 feet wide as opposed to a more standard 36 feet — and end in cul-de-sacs. The land is contoured to capture most rainwater, with the excess flowing into ditches and ponds rather than concrete storm sewers. Winding walkways connect homes to a small courtyard of offices, reinforcing the theme of a community built for people, not cars.

The environmental lecture series is sponsored by the Spoerl Lectureship in Science in Society. Established in 1999 by Milwaukee-Downer College graduate Barbara Gray Spoerl and her husband, Edward, the lectureship promotes interest and discussion on the role of science and technology in societies worldwide.

Habitat for Humanity’s “Green” Efforts Examined in Environmental Studies Lecture

John Weyenberg, executive director of the Fox Cities chapter of Habitat for Humanity and George Elias, a member of the organization’s board of directors, will discuss Habitat’s efforts to promote “green building” practices in the second installment of Lawrence University’s environmental studies lecture series on green architecture.

Weyenberg and Elias present “The ReStore Recycled Building Materials Project” Thursday, Feb. 2 at 7:30 p.m. in Science Hall, Room 102.

Habitat for Humanity is the only large-scale home builder in the country that adheres to “green building” standards in an effort to provide more energy-efficient and durable housing at the lowest possible cost for its partner families.

In addition to providing an overview of Habitat’s environmental initiatives to promote cost-effective, best-practice construction methods, Weyenberg and Elias will discuss the Fox Cities “ReStore” operations. Opened last September in a former grocery store on Appleton’s east side, Habitat’s ReStore is a retail store that sells reusable and surplus building materials to the public, providing quality construction materials at reduced costs.

A retail hybrid of Goodwill and Home Depot, the Appleton ReStore center is one of only three such operations in Wisconsin. Staffed completely by volunteers, all profits from ReStore sales are used to fund local Habitat house construction. Since it opened, ReStore has averaged $20,000 in sales per month.

Weyenberg has directed the Fox Cities chapter of Habitat for Humanity since 1999. Elisa has been a member of HFH’s board of directors in 2003.

The environmental lecture series is sponsored by the Spoerl Lectureship in Science in Society. Established in 1999 by Milwaukee-Downer College graduate Barbara Gray Spoerl and her husband, Edward, the lectureship promotes interest and discussion on the role of science and technology in societies worldwide.

Lawrence University Environmental Studies Lecture Series Examines “Green” Architecture

The emerging field of “green building,” with its emphasis on resource-efficient methods of construction, renovation, operation, maintenance and even demolition will be the focus of a three-part Lawrence University environmental studies lecture series.

Nathan Engstrom, program director of Madison-based Green Built Home, opens the series Thursday, Jan. 19 with the address “Better Building..Better Living…Better World!” The presentation, at 7:30 p.m. in Science Hall, Room 102 on the Lawrence campus, is free and open to the public.

Engstrom will discuss the concept of green building and why it is becoming increasingly important. He also will provide an overview of Green Built Home and Green Built Remodeled Home programs and discuss ways individuals and developers can incorporate green building into their future projects.

Green Built Home is a partnership program with the Madison Area Builders Association. It promotes green building practices by certifying new homes and remodeling projects that meet sustainable building and energy standards. It encourages sustainable community development by promoting building practices and products that reduce the ecological footprint of new home construction.

While it is estimated a green building typically costs 2% to 3% more initially than one built with conventional construction methods, those costs are eventually recovered because green buildings are less expensive to operate, saving money on energy and water consumption. According to the U.S. Green Building Council, since then President Clinton announced plans in 1993 to make the White House a model of efficiency and waste reduction, the “greening of the White House” has created $300,000 in annual savings and led to similar efforts in other government buildings.

Engstrom has directed the Green Built Home program since 2003. He previously served as an energy services advisor fot he Wisconsin Energy Initiative 2 program and was is the co-author of a chapter in the book “Sustainable Architectures.” He earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and environmental studies from Northland College and a master’s degree in sustainable design from the University of Texas.

Other talks scheduled in the series include:

• Feb. 2 — John Weyenberg, director of the Fox Cities chapter of Habitat for Humanity, “The ReStore Recycled Building Materials Project.”

• March 2 — Judy Corbett, co-founder of Village Homes, Davis, Calif., “Beyond Green Buildings: Planning for Sustainable Neighborhoods and Regions.”

The environmental lecture series is sponsored by the Spoerl Lectureship in Science in Society. Established in 1999 by Milwaukee-Downer College graduate Barbara Gray Spoerl and her husband, Edward, the lectureship promotes interest and discussion on the role of science and technology in societies worldwide.

Organic Farming Legislation Lecture Closes Lawrence University Series on Sustainable Agriculture

The influence of the U.S. consumer market on federal legislation pertaining to organic agriculture will be examined in the final installment of Lawrence University’s four-part environmental studies lecture series on sustainable agriculture.

Amy Kremen, a former assistant at the U.S.Department of Agriculture’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program, presents “Federal Legislation on Organic Farming and Food Labeling” Thursday, Feb. 24 at 4:45 p.m. in Science Hall, Room 102 on the Lawrence campus. The event is free and open to the public.

The address will provide a historic look at organic farming legislation at the federal level and the affects of that legislation in light of the October, 2002 transition to federal oversight of state and private organic certification of farms and food processors.

Kremen will share the results of a recent national survey of farmer’s market managers about the participation and eco-labeling strategies by, and consumer appreciation of, organic farmers at their markets. She also will discuss the meaningfulness of the organic label as compared to other marketing terms such as “natural,” which have become widespread in recent years.

A former chef at an organic foods restaurant and one-time manager of a farmer’s market herself, Kremen has worked as an assistant for the USDA’s Economic Research Service, tracking adoption of U.S. organic farming systems by crop and state. She is currently pursuing a graduate degree in soil science at the University of Maryland, where her research is focused on nitrogen release from Brassica cover crops.

The sustainable agriculture lecture series is sponsored by the Spoerl Lectureship in Science in Society. Established in 1999 by Milwaukee-Downer College graduate Barbara Gray Spoerl, and her husband, Edward, the lectureship promotes interest and discussion on the role of science and technology in societies worldwide.

Organic Farming Focus of Lawrence University Address in Sustainable Agriculture Series

Jerry DeWitt, coordinator of the sustainable agriculture extension program at Iowa State University, discusses family farming operations of all sizes that have made significant changes in their operations and moved successfully towards sustainability in the third installment of Lawrence University’s environmental studies lecture series on sustainable agriculture.

DeWitt, professor of entomology in ISU’s agronomy department, presents “Organic Farming in the Midwest” Thursday, Feb. 17 at 4:45 p.m. in Science Hall, Room 102 on the Lawrence campus. The event is free and open to the public.

Focusing on diversification, entrepreneurial activities and creative production and management approaches, DeWitt will discuss ways farmers and ranchers have improved their operations through the use of specialty crops, organic agriculture, local networking and value-added strategies, among others.

A member of the ISU faculty since 1972, DeWitt grew up on a small family farm in Illinois and earned his Ph.D. in entomology at the University of Illinois-Champaign. In addition to his service with the ISU extension program, DeWitt works with the U.S.Department of Agriculture’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program in Washington, D.C. An avid photographer, he has chronicled the traditional American farm and farm families with pictures for the books “People Sustaining the Land” (2001) and “Renewing the Countryside: Iowa” (2003).

The lecture series is sponsored by the Spoerl Lectureship in Science in Society. Established in 1999 by Milwaukee-Downer College graduate Barbara Gray Spoerl, and her husband, Edward, the lectureship promotes interest and discussion on the role of science and technology in societies worldwide.

Environmental Sociologist Discusses “Sense of Place” in Lawrence University Environmental Studies Series Address

The importance of maintaining one’s “sense of place” and the need to create human connections to physical spaces will be the focus of the second installment of Lawrence University’s environmental studies lecture series on sustainable agriculture.

Gregory Peter, assistant professor of sociology at UW-Fox Valley, presents “Who Grew Your Supper? Sustainability, Sense of Place and the Legacy of the Land” Thursday, Feb. 3 at 4:45 p.m. in Science Hall, Room 102 on the Lawrence campus. The event is free and open to the public.

Peter will examine the generational connections farmers have traditionally maintained with the land and how those relationships are becoming increasingly jeopardized. In an age of growing industrial agriculture — a go-big-or-go-home environment — there are fewer farms, fewer farmers and consequently, an ever-diminishing sense of connection to the land. He will offer suggestions on how community members, in their role as every day consumers, can help promote and support sustainable agriculture.

Peter joined the UW-Fox Valley faculty in 2003 after spending three years teaching in the sociology department at James Madison University. He has written widely on issues of sustainable agriculture, including co-authoring the 2004 book “Farming for Us All: Postmodern Agriculture and the Cultivation of Sustainability.” He earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his Ph.D. in sociology at Iowa State University.

The lecture series is sponsored by the Spoerl Lectureship in Science in Society. Established in 1999 by Milwaukee-Downer College graduate Barbara Gray Spoerl, and her husband, Edward, the lectureship promotes interest and discussion on the role of science and technology in societies worldwide.

Sustainable Agriculture Focus of Lawrence University Environmental Studies Lecture Series

Fred Kirschenmann, director of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University, opens a four-part Lawrence University environmental studies lecture series that will examine issues related to sustainable agriculture.

Kirschenmann presents “Challenges and Opportunities Facing Agriculture in the 21st Century” Thursday, Jan. 20 at 4:45 p.m. in Science Hall, Room 102 on the Lawrence campus. The event is free and open to the public.

In the address, Kirschenmann will discuss the impending end of the current “neocaloric” state of agriculture and its heavy dependence on fossil fuels and other natural resources, suggest possibilities as to what agriculture will look like in the future and explore how these inevitable changes are likely to affect the way we relate to the world around us.

Appointed director of ISU’s Leopold Center in 2000, Kirschenmann is a national leader of the organic/sustainable agriculture movement and president of Kirschenmann Family Farms, a 3,500-acre certified organic farm in Windsor, North Dakota. He recently completed a five-year term on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Standards Board and has chaired the administrative council for the USDA’s North Central Region’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program.

Other talks in the series will include Gregory Peter, assistant professor of sociology at UW-Fox Valley discussing cultural connections to physical places and the future of farm land use (Feb.3); Jerry DeWitt, a University of Iowa extension coordinator addressing organic farming in the Midwest (Feb. 17); and Amy Kremen, a graduate student in the College of Argriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Maryland, speaking on federal legislation related to organic farming and food labeling (Feb. 24).

The lecture series is sponsored by the Spoerl Lectureship in Science in Society. Established in 1999 by Milwaukee-Downer College graduate Barbara Gray Spoerl, and her husband, Edward, the lectureship promotes interest and discussion on the role of science and technology in societies worldwide.