Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Reminder: Environmental Politics of Sacrifice book launch

Invitation for September 30th:

American University’s Global Environmental Politics program and Allegheny College present a public Book Launch and Panel Discussion of:

The Environmental Politics of Sacrifice

Featuring:

Erik Assadourian, Senior Fellow, Worldwatch Institute

Leslie Fields, National Environmental Justice Director, Sierra Club

John Meyer, Department of Politics, Humboldt State University, (Co-Editor)

Matthew Nisbet, School of Communication, American University

Paul Wapner, School of International Service, American University



Moderator: Michael Maniates, Dept. of Political Science, Allegheny College, (Co-Editor)


Thursday, September 30th
5:00 – 6:30pm

A reception and book signing will follow from 6:30 – 8:00pm

School of International Service Building
Founder’s Room, Terrace Level
4400 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington DC 20016

If the current impasse over energy and environmental policy teaches us anything, it should be that the election of sympathetic leaders is insufficient to tackle environmental challenges meaningfully. Politicians appear stymied by the fear that substantive action will be viewed as harmful to their constituents, especially during economic hard times.

This panel will explore new strategies and ways of thinking about environmental challenges featured in Michael Maniates and John Meyer’s new MIT Press book The Environmental Politics of Sacrifice. Can this fear be successfully countered by optimistic narratives about bold technological innovations? Must environmentalists also confront the fear of ‘sacrifice’ that is so often the basis for oppositional attacks?

Parking is available beneath the School of International Service building or in the Nebraska parking lot (corner of Nebraska Ave, NW and New Mexico Ave, NW) . For directions, see www.american.edu/sis/about/directions.cfm

For more information, please contact Simon Nicholson, simon.nicholson@american.edu, (202) 885–1614

******************

Monday, September 27, 2010

Unpaid internship at EPA (resume due Oct 11)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Air and Radiation is currently seeking enthusiastic and dedicated students to serve as unpaid student interns to assist in the performance of communications activities involving clean air, public health and climate change. An intern for EPA's Office of Air and Radiation Communications Team is involved in the many different aspects of the Office's responsibilities (see http://www.epa.gov/air).

The intern assists the Communications Staff with the review of products: including the review and analysis of conceptual, draft and final communications products (such as Web sites, brochures, reports, newsletters, fact sheets, Public Service Announcements, press advisories and press releases etc.) for message, format and programmatic content related to regulations and voluntary programs.

The intern supports the staff by conducting research about air quality issues and other information needed to assist in communicating policy decisions. The intern also assists with logistics, coordination and information sharing between the EPA Regional Offices and Program Offices, EPA Press Office, and the Administrator's Office.

The intern assists in preparation for briefings for the Assistant Administrator of Air and Radiation, staff meetings, and coordinates a weekly regional communications teleconference.

The unpaid student intern should be able to work 20-40 hrs a week. If you are interested in this opportunity please submit a resume and cover letter to millett.john@epa.gov by no later than October 11, 2010.

Panel and Book Launch: Environmental Politics of Sacrifice

Invitation for September 30th:

American University’s Global Environmental Politics program and Allegheny College present a public Book Launch and Panel Discussion of:

The Environmental Politics of Sacrifice


Featuring:

Erik Assadourian, Senior Fellow, Worldwatch Institute

Leslie Fields, National Environmental Justice Director, Sierra Club

John Meyer, Department of Politics, Humboldt State University, (Co-Editor)

Matthew Nisbet, School of Communication, American University

Paul Wapner, School of International Service, American University



Moderator: Michael Maniates, Dept. of Political Science, Allegheny College, (Co-Editor)


Thursday, September 30th
5:00 – 6:30pm

A reception and book signing will follow from 6:30 – 8:00pm

School of International Service Building
Founder’s Room, Terrace Level
4400 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington DC 20016

If the current impasse over energy and environmental policy teaches us anything, it should be that the election of sympathetic leaders is insufficient to tackle environmental challenges meaningfully. Politicians appear stymied by the fear that substantive action will be viewed as harmful to their constituents, especially during economic hard times.

This panel will explore new strategies and ways of thinking about environmental challenges featured in Michael Maniates and John Meyer’s new MIT Press book The Environmental Politics of Sacrifice. Can this fear be successfully countered by optimistic narratives about bold technological innovations? Must environmentalists also confront the fear of ‘sacrifice’ that is so often the basis for oppositional attacks?

Parking is available beneath the School of International Service building or in the Nebraska parking lot (corner of Nebraska Ave, NW and New Mexico Ave, NW) . For directions, see www.american.edu/sis/about/directions.cfm

For more information, please contact Simon Nicholson, simon.nicholson@american.edu, (202) 885–1614

******************

Saturday, September 25, 2010

These guys will be at AU Career Fair

Job Opportunity

Green Corps the Field School for Environmental Organizing and Advocacy will
be attending the American University career fair on Wednesday September 29th
in the Bender Arena from 1:00 - 4:00 PM and will be interviewing students
who are interested in the program.

Green Corps' Job description is pasted below

Green Corps 2011-2012 Field School for Environmental Organizing

Green Corps is looking for college graduates who are ready to take on the
biggest environmental challenges of our day.

In Green Corps' year-long paid program, you'll get intensive training in
the skills you'll need to make a difference in the world. You'll get
hands-on experience fighting to solve urgent environmental problems - global
warming, deforestation, water pollution and many others - with groups such
as Sierra Club and Greenpeace. And, when you graduate from Green Corps,
we'll help you find a career with one of the nation's leading environmental
and social change groups.

For more information, read below or visit our web site: www.greencorps.org.

In your year with Green Corps:

You'll get great training with some of the most experienced organizers in
the field: Green Corps organizers take part in trainings with leading
figures in the environmental and social change movements: people such as
Adam Ruben, political director of MoveOn.org, and Bill McKibben, author and
organizer of the "Step It Up" rallies for climate action.

You'll get amazing experience working on environmental issues across the
country: Green Corps sends organizers to jumpstart campaigns for groups such
as Rainforest Action Network, Sierra Club, Greenpeace and Environment
America in San Francisco, Chicago, Boston and dozens of other places in
between.

You'll have a real impact on some of the biggest environmental problems
we're facing today: Green Corps organizers have built the campaigns that
helped keep the Arctic safe from drilling, that led to new laws that support
clean, renewable energy, that convinced major corporations to stop dumping
in our oceans and much, much more.

You'll even get paid: Green Corps Organizers earn a salary of $23,750.
Organizers also have a chance to opt into our health care program with a
pre-tax monthly salary deferral. We offer paid sick days and holidays, two
weeks paid vacation and a student loan repayment program for those who
qualify.

And when you graduate from the program, you'll be ready for what comes
next: Green Corps will help connect you to environmental and progressive
groups that are looking for full-time staff to build their organizations and
help them create social change and protect our environment.

In the next few months, we'll invite 35 college graduates to join Green
Corps in 2011-2012. We're looking for people who are serious about saving
the planet, people who have taken initiative on their campus or community,
and people who are willing to roll up their sleeves and work for change over
the long haul.

If you think you're one of those people, visit
http://www.greencorps.org/apply to submit your application to join the
2011-2012 class of Green Corps' Field School for Environmental Organizing.

Green Corps' year-long program begins in August 2011 with Introductory
Classroom Training in Boston, and continues with field placements in
multiple locations across the U.S. Candidates must be willing to relocate.

For more information, visit www.greencorps.org or contact Aaron Myran,
Green Corps Recruitment Director, at Aaron@greencorps.org or (617) 747-4302.

US-India Energy Security Summit 9/29

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and Yale University, in
association with the US India Business Council, are convening the second
US-India Energy Partnership Summit, this coming Wednesday (September 29),
in Washington. The summit will focus on "Technologies and Policies for
Energy Security," and is being attended by many of the key stake holders in
the growing US India relationship on climate and energy.

Attached is a student registration form (word doc) and
the agenda. The website is here (http://www.terina.org/usindiasummit/).
We have a few spaces open for graduate students, and it will be on a first
come, first serve basis. Students will attend free of cost.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

International Coastal Cleanup Day & Urban Waters Cleanup

September 25 - International Coastal Cleanup Day & Urban Waters Cleanup.

Sign up to clean up! The International Coastal Cleanup is a reminder of the importance and value of our coasts and engages people to get out and pick up trash and debris from their beaches and waterways, identify the sources of debris, and help change the behaviors and prevent marine debris.

Find a location in your city & state.
http://www.signuptocleanup.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Projects.Main

URBAN WATERS - If you are in the Washington, DC or New York City areas, EPA and Ocean Conservancy will be co-hosting two special Urban Waters Cleanups on September 25, 2010, to highlight EPA's Urban Waters efforts in conjunction with the International Coastal Cleanup. These events will include cleanup activities, exciting speakers, and demonstrations on how you can help your local neighborhood and waterways become clean and litter free!

FOR DC - at Anacostia Park from 8 am - 1 pm. To sign up for the Washington, DC event visit the Anacostia Park Registration Site: http://bit.ly/dxh3F5

Great opportunities at Peak Oil conference.

Hi all! I said I would return with more details about the ASPO conference on Peak Oil. They are looking for volunteers, and just two hours worth of volunteering will get you free admittance to an event where you'll meet some of the major players around DC. See the invitation below for full event details to just attend, or contact me and Liz Longenecker directly (liz@terrachord.com) if you're interested in volunteering.

Who: Association for the Study of Peak Oil & Gas-USA (ASPO-USA)
What: 6th Annual International Conference on Peak Oil
When: October 7-9 (Thurs. - Sat.), 2010
Where: Capitol Hill Hyatt Hotel, Washington, D.C.
Why: To Alert Policy Makers & Public of Pending Energy Crisis
Contact: Jim Baldauf, 512-517-2663; Kim Comart, 617-548-6442

What Do These People Have in Common:

Bianca Jagger, Ralph Nader, the US Navy,
Dr. James Schlessinger, Jeff Rubin?

They all Say the Peak Oil Debate is Over! (and are keynote speakers at the event)

Washington, D.C. - The ASPO-USA Peak Oil Conference, October 7-9, will be the sixth annual gathering of international energy experts from industry, academia, government, NGOs and the environmental community. The previous conferences have been highly acclaimed by attendees, media, participants and the energy community.

Speakers this year will include Bianca Jagger (International Climate Change and Human Rights Advocate), Ralph Nader (Energy Reform Sdvocate), Dr. James Schlesinger (Former Sec. State, Sec. Energy, and CIA Dir.), Jeff Rubin (Former Chief Economist CIBC), Rear Admiral Lawrence Rice (USN), Dr. Charles Schlumberger (World Bank), Charlie Maxwell, (Chief Energy Analyst, Weeden & Co), Dr. Robert Hirsch (the Hirsch Report to DOE), Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, (R-MD), (Founder of the Congressional Peak Oil Caucus), and other prominent energy analysts.

The conference will cover subjects ranging from national security to personal and institutional investing.

The Association for the Study of Peak Oil & Gas (ASPO-USA) is concerned about the peak and decline of all hydrocarbon energy sources. Crude oil, natural gas and coal are the top three energy sources for our nation; they are all finite resources that will, sooner rather than later, peak and decline in supply; and they are also at the heart of two major tragedies and one possible future problem during the last year: the BP deepwater disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, the West Virginia coal mine explosion, and the fracking of shale formations and possible pollution of ground water.

According to ASPO-USA president and co-founder, Jim Baldauf, “We are drilling miles below the Gulf of Mexico and trying to squeeze oil and gas from shale rock because the conventional land-based oil and gas reservoirs are becoming depleted. The low-hanging fruit has been picked and we are scraping the bottom of the barrel.”

ASPO-USA is a non-profit, non-partisan, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt group that is dedicated to research, study and education, rather than advocacy of specific policy goals. That said, the organization does advocate general policies that will help to ensure our country's ongoing security and prosperity. Peak and decline of hydrocarbon production without intelligent responses and effective mitigation planning will impact U.S. business, jobs, and our entire economy.

“There are no silver bullet techno-fixes at this time: a combination of increased conservation, improved efficiency, faster alternative energy development, and greater oversight in prudent exploration and production are needed immediately,” Baldauf says.

The conference is supported by more than 40 sponsors, publications, websites and partnering associations. Call Greg Geyer for sponsorship opportunities at 413-684-2403, or visit www.aspousa.org/worldoil2010/ .



Headline Sponsors:
M. Gottlieb Associates, Inc.

Ravenna Capital Management


ASPO-USA


Call 877-363-ASPO (2776) or email webmaster@aspousa.org

Forum event with Ken Salazar, US Secretary of the Interior

Please join the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars for the
Director's Forum event

Toward a Safe, Secure, and Clean Energy Future

with

The Honorable Ken Salazar
United States Secretary of the Interior

Thursday, September 30, 2010
10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
6th Floor Flom Auditorium
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20004 USA

Please RSVP to Maria-Stella.Gatzoulis@wilsoncenter.org with your name
and affiliation.

Secretary Salazar will discuss the Obama Administration's
comprehensive energy strategy, the path to a clean energy economy, and
the Department of the Interior's progress in raising the bar for the
oil and gas industry's safety and environmental practices in
deepwater.

Location: Woodrow Wilson Center at the Ronald Reagan Building, 1300
Pennsylvania Ave., NW ("Federal Triangle" stop on Blue/Orange Line), 6th
Floor Flom Auditorium. A map to the Center is available at
www.wilsoncenter.org/directions. Note: Due to heightened security,
entrance to the building will be restricted and photo identification is
required. Please allow additional time to pass through security.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Panel and Book Launch: Environmental Politics of Sacrifice

Invitation for September 30th:

American University’s Global Environmental Politics program and Allegheny College present a public Book Launch and Panel Discussion of:

The Environmental Politics of Sacrifice

Featuring:

Erik Assadourian, Senior Fellow, Worldwatch Institute

Leslie Fields, National Environmental Justice Director, Sierra Club

John Meyer, Department of Politics, Humboldt State University, (Co-Editor)

Matthew Nisbet, School of Communication, American University

Paul Wapner, School of International Service, American University



Moderator: Michael Maniates, Dept. of Political Science, Allegheny College, (Co-Editor)


Thursday, September 30th
5:00 – 6:30pm

A reception and book signing will follow from 6:30 – 8:00pm

School of International Service Building
Founder’s Room, Terrace Level
4400 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington DC 20016

If the current impasse over energy and environmental policy teaches us anything, it should be that the election of sympathetic leaders is insufficient to tackle environmental challenges meaningfully. Politicians appear stymied by the fear that substantive action will be viewed as harmful to their constituents, especially during economic hard times.

This panel will explore new strategies and ways of thinking about environmental challenges featured in Michael Maniates and John Meyer’s new MIT Press book The Environmental Politics of Sacrifice. Can this fear be successfully countered by optimistic narratives about bold technological innovations? Must environmentalists also confront the fear of ‘sacrifice’ that is so often the basis for oppositional attacks?

Parking is available beneath the School of International Service building or in the Nebraska parking lot (corner of Nebraska Ave, NW and New Mexico Ave, NW) . For directions, see www.american.edu/sis/about/directions.cfm

For more information, please contact Simon Nicholson, simon.nicholson@american.edu, (202) 885–1614

******************

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Panel on GE Fish 9/22 (off campus)

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?

GE Salmon Could Be Your Main Course

Join Us For A Panel Presentation Wednesday, September 22nd

From 12 noon – 2pm at

Busboys and Poets

2021 14th St NW

Washington, DC 20009

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced that they are in the process of approving genetically engineered (GE), or transgenic, salmon.

Untested, Unlabeled, and You’re Eating It

If the FDA approves GE salmon, they may not require labeling of these fish.

Transgenic salmon is the first GE animal intended for food yet impacts on human health have not been sufficiently reviewed. Additionally, GE fish pose unacceptable risks to wild salmon populations and the marine environment.

Come learn what you can do about it!

Speakers Include:

Andrew Kimbrell, Executive Director, CFS

George Kimbrell, Senior Attorney, CFS

Jaydee Hanson, Senior Policy Analyst, CFS

Moderated by Debbie Barker, International Program Director, CFS

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Climate Change and the Energy Economy: Challenges and Opportunities

Wednesday, September 22, 6:00 p.m., SIS Founder's Lounge
SPA and SIS invite the AU community to a lecture featuring Eamon Ryan T.D., Ireland's minister for communications, energy, and natural resources.
Sponsor: SIS, SPA, and the Center for Environmental Policy
RSVP: Cassandra Szczechowicz, 202-885-2660 or
szczecho@american.edu

Seminar: David Ropeik, Expert in Risk Communication, Harvard University Extension

Friday, September 17, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Butler Board Room
The Media and Communication Research Group Seminar Series features David Ropeik, Harvard University, as he presents "The Perception of Risk: Why Our Fears So Often Don’t Match the Facts." Book signing to follow. All are encouraged to attend.
Sponsor: MCRG, School of Communication
Contact: Jessica Weber, jweber@american.edu

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Food events in town

From http://www.sare.org/mysare/Events.aspx
September 16, 2010
Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the 21st Century
Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the 21st Century Recommendations included in a recently-released study on sustainable agricultural systems will be the focus of a workshop 8 a.m. to 4:30 p
Location: Washington, D.C, DC
Scope: National
Website: http://www.farmfoundation.org/webcontent/Sustainable-Agricultural-Systems-in-the-21st-Century-1729.aspx?z=na&a=1729

From:
http://dc.about.com/od/wine/a/VAWineFestival.htm
The Virginia Wine Festival, the largest wine festival in Virginia, features wine tastings from 60 Virginia wineries, gourmet food samples, seminars, concerts, arts and crafts and more. Seminars include everything from wine and food pairing to wine history to planning a tour of Virginia’s wineries.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Peak Oil Conference (wants you to help!)

Stay tune for updates from me on this one. This group was asking for students to help out.

Join us in Washington, DC Oct 7-9 for our
6th annual dialogue with the experts on peak oil, energy and the economy.

ASPO (The Assoc. for the Study of Peak Oil)-USA members and subscribers receive a $100 discount on all registration categories through Sept 14, 2010

Register Now

More Tangible Benefits Than Ever!

Sometimes change is glacial, sometimes swiftly chaotic. Get the latest data from the best sources with up-to-date numbers on both conventional and unconventional production, depletion, flows, costs, and the opportunities and challenges that come with them.

Keynote Speakers

Geopolitics: Dr. James Schlesinger will announce and explain, once and for all, with updated finality that "The Peak Oil Debate is Over", for above-ground and below-ground reasons;

Global Trade: Jeff Rubin will present his views on the "End of Globalization" due to energy constraints and be available all week as part of our interactive discussions;

National Security: Admiral Lawrence Rice will explain the U.S. military's peak oil warnings during our Saturday plenary on national security with Michael Klare, Lt. Colonel Danny Davis, and Tom Whipple;

Transportation: Dr. Charles Schlumberger of the World Bank will discuss liquid fuel concerns in aviation while Dr. Roger Bezdek, Anthony Perl and others will focus their analysis on the future of transportation.

Investing: learn the personal and institutional upsides and downsides from the Dean of the Energy Analysts, Charlie Maxwell, and don't miss our popular peak oil investing sessions with Dr. Schlumberger, Jim Hansen, Lily Donge, Gregor Macdonald and others.

See Full Agenda and Speakers

* It's not just another great ASPO-USA Conference. It's Conference+Plus. It's the Year of Hydrocarbon Hell, and our peak oil message will not be ignored by the powers that be. Just to make sure, we are taking the message to the policymakers with a Senate Briefing, a House Briefing, a National Press Club news conference, and other targeted outreach efforts inside and outside the Beltway. Two highly-respected consulting firms are helping to organize ASPO's first ever fire-hose-data-flow to lawmakers. First come, first served with strictly limited seating for these special events.

* Sometimes wine and hors d'oevers are better than PowerPoints. Imagine you're at the opening reception having a drink with Art Berman, and you ask about his work on the 2010 National Petroleum Council Study. He shares with you the latest input from Jean LaHerrere. Or you overhear some information about the forensic investigation of the BP blowout preventer. This kind of information doesn't come with the DVDs.

Come to the Conference on the Future of Energy

Register Today!

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Van Jones on campus, September 15, 8:00-9:30pm

The Kennedy Political Union is proud to present Van Jones in the University Club on Wednesday, September 15th.

Van Jones is a pioneer in human rights and the clean energy economy and the best-selling author of, The Green-Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Solve Our Two Biggest Problems. Most recently, Jones served as the Special Adviser for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation for the White House Council on Environmental Quality until September 2009.

The founder of three successful nonprofit organizations, Jones is a constant innovator in the quest to create a sustainable, environmentally beneficial economy. He co-founded a national coalition that promotes the idea of a national “Clean Energy Jobs Corps,” a federal initiative that would put hundreds of thousands of people to work improving the American energy infrastructure. At the political level, Jones worked successfully to get the Green Jobs Act of 2007 passed, which authorized $125 million to train 35,000 people a year in “green-collar jobs.”

A 1993 Yale Law graduate, he was recognized as one of Time’s “100 Most Influential People” in 2009.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

UN Foundation US-China roundtable on climate policies

The UN Foundation, International Fund for China’s Environment and the National Wildlife Federation will be hosting the 2nd U.S.-China roundtable on climate change policies on September 15th from 1.30-4.30pm at the UN Foundation. Attached please find the formal invitation and event agenda. Please feel free to pass this message to your colleagues, this event is open to the public. We hope to see you all there.

What: U.S. – China Climate Roundtable Series II

When: September 15, 1.30-4.30pm

Where: United Nations Foundation

1800 Massachusetts Avenue NW, 1st floor conference room,

Washington, DC 20036

(Contact Peter, your TA, for agenda file if interested.)

RSVP Requested to Jichong Wu at jwu@unfoundation.org or call 202-778-3628

Best regards,

__________

Jichong Wu
Program Associate
International Bioenergy and Sustainability Initiative
United Nations Foundation
1800 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Suite 400,
Washington, DC 20036
202-887-9040

jwu@unfoundation.org

www.unfoundation.org

Friday, Sept. 17 Seminar: David Ropeik, expert in risk communication, Harvard University Extension School

Dear colleagues,

Please join us Friday, September 17 at 1130am in Butler Boardroom for the first speaker in a new seminar series organized by the Media & Communication Research Group. Details are below. Students are strongly encouraged to attend and to participate in the discussion.


David Ropeik
Harvard University Extension School

The Perception of Risk:
Why Our Fears So Often Don’t Match the Facts



Friday, September 17, 2010
11:30 A.M. – 1:00 P.M. (Lecture)
1:00 P.M. – 1:30 P.M. (Book Signing)

Butler Boardroom (Butler, 6th Floor)
Copies will be sold before and after the lecture.


Mounting bodies of evidence make clear that the perception of risk is not purely rational and fact-based, but a complex affective process that calls on many subconscious, instinctive, and emotional tools. As much as we must respect the reality that risk perception is a mix of fact and feeling, intellect and instinct, reason and gut reaction, we must also come to grips with the inescapable reality that the way we perceive and respond to risk can get us into trouble. We are sometimes more afraid than the scientific evidence suggests we need to be, and often we are not as afraid as the evidence suggest we should be. So it is vital to understand in as much detail as possible just how we sense and respond to potential danger. Knowledge of the affective system of human risk perception can provide key insights that will help us make healthier choices for ourselves, our society, and our futures.

David Ropeik is an Instructor at Harvard, consultant in risk perception and risk communication, former environment reporter in Boston, and author of the newly released, “How Risky Is It, Really? Why Our Fears Don’t Always Match the Facts.”


***

The Media & Communication Research Group (MCRG) in the School of Communication is a collaborative network of American University faculty and students studying the influence of media and communication on public life, civil society, and social problems. MCRG also serves as a public forum for discussion and debate and as the host for a speaker and seminar series. For more information, contact Matthew Nisbet at nisbet@american.edu.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

China/Water/Energy events on 9/15 & 9/22

The Evolution of Sulfur Dioxide Pollution Control in China's Power Sector
Date: Wednesday, September 15th, 2010, 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Speakers: Xuehua Zhang, Independent Energy and Environment Consultant; Jeremy Schreifels, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Location: 5th Floor Conference Room
RSVP with your name and affiliation: cef@wilsoncenter.org

2010 is the final year of what was one of China’s “greenest” five-year plan (FYP) periods. The 11th FYP contained considerably stricter standards for SO2 and other pollutants and aggressive energy intensity standards have been touted as key in shifting the country to a more low carbon development path. However, skies over Chinese cities are still smoggy, which raises valid questions as to the effectiveness of China’s air pollution control efforts. It is often too easy for outside assessments to blame the apparent poor air quality to lack of political commitment, limited action by Chinese local governments, low quality pollution control equipment, and untrustworthy data. At this September 15th CEF meetings our speaker— Jeremy Schreifels (U.S. EPA) and Xuehua Zhang (Independent Energy and Environment Consultant)-will dig into some of the complexities of pollution control efforts in China to help us understand some major progress in SO2 emission measurement and control in the power sector with thoughts on what led to this progress.

ChokePoint: US: Understanding the Tightening Conflict between Energy and Water in the Era of Climate Change
Date: Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010, 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Speakers: J. Carl Ganter, Circle of Blue, Keith Schneider, Circle of Blue, Jeffrey Fulgham, GE

Location: 5th Floor Conference Room
RSVP with your name and affiliation: cef@wilsoncenter.org

On September 22nd, 2010, J. Carl Ganter, the director of Circle of Blue <http://www.circleofblue.com/> , Keith Schneider, Circle of Blue’s senior editor, and Jeffrey J. Fulgham, chief sustainability officer and ecomagination leader at General Electric will discuss the findings of Choke Point: U.S., an exploration into the fierce contest between the nation’s growing demand for energy, and the tightening supplies of fresh water. The presentation will also look into the development of a similar project, Choke Point: China.

In undertaking Choke Point: U.S., Circle of Blue set out to understand whether the transition to a low-carbon economy would produce a penalty or a dividend for freshwater consumption in the United States. Multi-media reporters were dispatched to the coalfields of southwest Virginia, the dry plains of South Dakota, the tar sands region of Alberta, Canada, the oilfields and solar generating deserts of southern California, and the biofuel production plants in the Midwest.

The facts and insights gathered by Circle of Blue also point to a new national narrative of resource urgency. Choke Point: U.S. makes a strong case that the United States quickly needs to reconsider and realign much of its energy production policy and water management practices in order to avoid dire shortages of water and potential shortfalls in energy. None of the big energy producers or large water use sectors will be left untouched.

CEF programming, publications, and other activities are currently funded by The Blue Moon Fund, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, USAID, Vermont Law School, Western Kentucky University, Japan Foundation's Center for Global Partnership, U.S. Department of State, World Resources Institute, and the ENVIRON Foundation.

Hear Bill McKibben: CCAN event

In 1979 Jimmy Carter installed solar panels on the White House.

In 1986 Ronald Reagan removed them.

Next week, Bill McKibben and a team of students from Unity College in Maine will be traveling to Washington, D.C. to deliver one of the original Carter panels to President Obama, asking him to reinstall solar on the White House, and to follow this symbolic gesture with substantial legislative action.

We're calling it the Solar Road Trip, and after the panel has traveled through Unity, Boston. and NYC, we hope you'll be able to celebrate with us when it reaches its final destination--our nation's Capitol!

Here are the details of the event:

Date: Thursday, September 9

Location: All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, 2835 16th Street NW Washington, DC 20009

Time: 6:30 - 9:00pm

This event will include guest speakers Bill McKibben from 350.org and CCAN's own Mike Tidwell. In addition, there will be a film screening of "A Road Not Taken", an hour long documentary about the story of Carter's solar panels.

Please join 350.org, Unity College students, the Carter solar panel, Energy Action Coalition and the Chesapeake Climate Action Network in on Thursday, September 9 to show that our country supports a clean energy future.

In solidarity,

Keith Harrington, CCAN

P.S. Did you get a chance to see Bill McKibben on Letterman Tuesday night? If not, you can watch the clip here!

Internship opportunities with Earth Day Network

Hi all -- here's an internship announcement from one of your classmates, Melissa Winn:

"I am currently working for Earth Day Network, a non profit that seeks to "broaden and diversify the environmental movement worldwide to mobilize it as the most effective vehicle for promoting a healthy, sustainable environment."
 
"There are positions available in several departments, and the company is actively seeking applicants for the semester or year.
 
"Here is a link to all the job descriptions that also includes contact information:
http://earthday.net/node/62"

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Student activism training from Greenpeace

Greenpeace is offering another semester of life-changing training this Spring 201.

The Greenpeace Organizing Term is the best hands-on training and leadership program available to college-aged students.

Not only will you learn how to organize environmental campaigns more effectively, but it will also give them skills and a network of activists and peers with whom they can work when they return to campus and work alongside after graduation.

The Greenpeace Organizing Term (http://www.greenpeace.org/got) is a semester-long program packed with rigorous training, travel, and action.

Contact info: got@wdc.greenpeace.org or call Linda Capato at 877-450-3517 ext. 320