Event: Carrying Capacity

Please join the Environmental Change and Security Program for a discussion of

Carrying Capacity: Should We Be Aiming To Survive or Flourish?

featuring

Sir John E. Sulston FRS, Chair, People and the Planet Working Group, Royal Society; Chair, Institute for Science, Ethics, & Innovation, University of Manchester; and 2002 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine Laureate

Martha Campbell, President, Venture Strategies for Health and Development

Parfait Eloundou-Enyegue, Associate Professor, Department of Development Sociology, Cornell University; and Associate Director, Cornell Population Program

Tuesday, February 22, 2011
3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
6th Floor Flom Auditorium
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20004 USA Webcast live at http://www.wilsoncenter.org

A reception will immediately follow the program.

Please RSVP to ecsp@wilsoncenter.org with your name and affiliation.

The UK-based Royal Society is undertaking a new study entitled People and the Planet, focusing on the roles population dynamics play in sustainable development. The working group effort, chaired by Nobel laureate Sir John Sulston, aims to take a fresh look at the factors affecting and affected by changing populations.

Some countries in Africa, Asia, and Central America continue to have rapidly growing populations while many others have transitioned to slower or even negative population growth. This diversity of demographic growth profiles is accompanied by a wide spectrum of views on population’s importance in sustainable development debates. Some see population questions as a distraction from the urgent imperative of reducing resource consumption in the wealthiest countries. Others argue population growth is an issue that will solve itself, as global population size is projected to peak and then fall from the middle of the 21st century. Still others argue stabilizing population is a key to achieving sustainable development.

To be completed in early 2012, the Royal Society’s People and the Planet study will speak directly to these debates by analyzing how population variables will affect and be affected by economies, environments, societies, and cultures over the next forty years and beyond. The aims of the study are to provide policy guidance to decision makers and inform interested members of the public based on a dispassionate assessment of the best available evidence.

While the scope of the study is global, it explicitly acknowledges regional variations in population dynamics. It looks at the implications of population decreases and increases that are observed and predicted in different parts of the world. It considers how scientific and technological developments might alter the rate and impact of population changes and affect human well-being. And it examines what population levels are likely to affect quality of life regionally and globally - should we be aiming to survive or flourish?

If you are interested, but unable to attend the event, please tune into the live or archived webcast at www.wilsoncenter.org. The live webcast will begin approximately 10 minutes after the posted meeting time. You will need Windows Media Player to watch the webcast. To download the free player, visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download.

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.

USAID Africa Bureau Internships

Applications for the Africa Bureau’s internship program are being accepted online now through March 15. Please feel free circulate this link to anyone you know who might be interested.



http://www.usaid.gov/locations/sub-saharan_africa/internships.html

Sierra Club Apprenticeship Program

Sierra Club Careers http://www.sierraclub.org/careers/apprenticeship/default.aspx
Environmental Career Apprenticeship Program

We are now accepting applications for the Sierra Club's 2011 Environmental Apprenticeship program! Please see the attached application to receive details on required materials for submission. All application materials are due Friday, March 18, 2011.

Sierra Club's Environmental Apprenticeship is a training program to cultivate future leaders in environmental advocacy. This program is designed for recent college graduates who are interested in legislation, media, and community outreach as a means of promoting green initiatives. Consider this your starting point for an environmental career course, helping you transition from your college experience into the non-profit working world.

An Apprenticeship is a full-time, 6 month paid staff position based in one of our offices around the country. Past work locations have included San Francisco, CA; Washington, DC; Minneapolis, MN; and Austin, TX. Location placements for the chosen 2011 Apprentices will be based on the Conservation Department's campaign and program needs, as well as the chosen candidates' individual experiences and skills. Location placements occur after all final Apprenticeship candidates have been chosen.

The position runs from July through December of each year. During the 6 months, each Apprentice will gain experience in the areas of grassroots organizing, national legislative advocacy and media and public communications. You will be trained and guided in your job responsibilities by a team of experienced and enthusiastic Sierra Club staff. At the end of 6 months, if you wish to continue working for the Sierra Club, you can apply for job vacancies in any of our offices across the nation.

Examples of Past Apprenticeship Placements:

Worked on our Lands Policy Team with the Resilient Habitats Campaign (Washington, DC)
As a part of our Trade and Labor Team on projects like our annual Good Jobs, Green Jobs Conference (Washington, DC)
Partnered with our Sierra Student Coalition to work on projects like our Summer Youth Trainings around the country (Washington, DC)
Various positions with Sierra Club's national Beyond Coal Campaign:
- Helped to build a coalition of health professionals around the negative impacts of Coal pollution (Minneapolis, MN)
- Worked on our Dirty Fuels Project (San Francisco, CA and Washington, DC)
- Rallied to build teams of people in communities impacted by Coal Pollution (Austin, TX)
- Assisted our Online Organizing Team analyzing Sierra Club's online impact with members and campaigns (San Francisco, CA)
Qualifications:

Be either a US Citizen, permanent resident, legal resident with a valid work permit, or be able to attain a valid work visa independently to be considered eligible for this program
Be a conscientious and reliable team player
Possess strong written and verbal communications skills
Video from past apprentices | Application Form (Word doc) | Brochure (PDF)

Sierra Club is an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse workforce.

Sierra Club Internship

The Sierra Club’s Building Bridges to Outdoors is now accepting
applications for an Internship position in Washington, D.C.

DESCRIPTION:
The Building Bridges to The Outdoors of the Sierra Club is looking to fill an unpaid
internship for Spring and Summer semesters. The Sierra Club is America's oldest, largest
and most influential grassroots environmental organization. This position will be located
in the Sierra Club’s Legislative Office in Washington, DC.
While working as part of a dynamic team, you will also gain insight into the workings of
a successful nonprofit organization as well as receive valuable exposure to governmental
affairs.

QUALIFICATIONS:
• Actively pursing a college degree or a recent graduate
• Interest in both Environmental Policy and the Outdoors
• Strong organizational skills
• Strong research and writing skills
• Ability to work well with others

INTERN RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Research
• Special Project Assignments
• Providing Administrative Support to the team

EXPECTATIONS:
This is a fulltime internship located in downtown Washington, DC - 30hrs/week
(negotiable). Duration of internship will depend on applicant availability.

COMPENSATION: All internships are UNPAID, though academic credit can be
arranged.

TO APPLY:
Please send resume, cover letter, and a two to three page writing sample to
lala.shamirzaian@sierraclub.org

Sierra Club is an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse workforce.
Explore, enjoy and protect the planet.

Managing Director of The Oberlin Project

Managing Director of The Oberlin Project
Posted Date: Feb 03, 2011
Application Due Date: Feb 21, 2011
Department: Sustainability and Environmental Affairs
________________________________________
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE OBERLIN PROJECT

Oberlin College invites applications for the position of Managing Director of The Oberlin Project to coordinate and integrate the planning, development and implementation of the Project’s Core Planning Teams. The Oberlin Project is a collaborative venture among Oberlin College and the City of Oberlin to build a prosperous post-fossil fuel based economy. Of the eighteen international cities in the Clinton Climate Positive Development Project, it is the only project that represents a model for a small city and college collaboration.

This is a full-time, 12-month, Administrative & Professional Staff position reporting to the Special Assistant to the President on Sustainability and Environmental Affairs in collaboration with the City Manager of Oberlin and the President of Oberlin College. The position is projected to span 3 years contingent on funding and performance.

Essential Job Functions:
Provide leadership for planning and coordinating the development of the Oberlin Project, bringing together a broad group of community, college, and external constituencies.
Manage the core planning teams of the Oberlin Project integrating the work of the subcommittees; oversee the schedule and agenda; work with committee members to communicate activities and outcomes.
Lead the development of a communications plan for internal and external constituencies. Work with key constituencies to execute the communications plan and to create and maintain the project’s web page. Prepare briefings and presentations for a wide range of audiences.
Provide support to the Special Assistant to the President on Sustainability and Environmental Affairs in identifying fund raising opportunities. Maintain relationships and provide stewardship to donors, funding agencies and federal partners.
Prepare status reports to the Clinton Climate Positive Development Initiative (CCI). Work with CCI to define commitments, identify data related to the project and accomplishments. Coordinate with the City of Oberlin and College faculty and staff on the reporting.
Oversee a research team that works on goals relating to the Project.
Facilitate dialog with the academic deans, faculty and students to link the Project results with academic priorities and the mission of the College.
Establish office and office procedures, hire support staff, oversee student workers and interns as needed.

Required Qualifications: Strong analytical and planning skills; knowledge of environmental management policies and issues and economic development; demonstrable skills in communications, writing, public speaking and management of complex community and academic relationships; ability to work with a wide range of organizations and people; ability to build partnerships; Bachelor’s degree or higher; or the equivalent combination of education and experience.

Desired Qualifications: 5 to 7 years progressive experience in planning, economic development and environmental infrastructure; ability to work as the leader of team and to work independently as a member of a team; proficiency in Word, Excel, Power Point and Website management.

Compensation: Within the range established for this position, salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience and includes an excellent benefits package.

To Apply: Applicants should submit a résumé, along with a cover letter describing qualifications and interest in the position and contact information for at least three references to: Jane Mathison, Oberlin College, Cox Administration Building 201, 70 N. Professor Street, Oberlin, OH 44074 or email to: opsearch@oberlin.edu. Review of application materials will begin on February 21, 2011, and continue until the position is filled.

Oberlin College is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer committed to creating an institutional environment free from discrimination and harassment based on race, color, sex, marital status, religion, creed, national origin, disability, age, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, family relationship to an employee of Oberlin College, and gender identity and expression.

February 2, 2011 / APS11-238

Job in Baltimore: Community Health Organizer

Community Health Organizer


JOB TITLE: Community Health Organizer for Food Access Issues


GENERAL FUNCTION: The Virtual Supermarket Program (VSP) is one component of the Baltimore City Health Department’s (BCHD) and the Baltimore Food Policy Advisory Council’s (Food PAC) growing efforts to address diet-related health inequities by improving access to healthy foods in all Baltimore communities. The community organizer is integral to the success of these efforts and in our ability to raise the profile of food access issues in the City and to generate collective and sustained movement towards ensuring that all residents, regardless of neighborhood or income, have the fair opportunity to eat healthy. The community organizers primary role will be to ensure that there is sustained and strategic community engagement to around Baltimore’s food access issues.

The community organizer would help spread the word about the VSP (general and targeted outreach), by scheduling appropriate meetings with community organizations such as schools, neighborhood associations, faith organizations, etc., and also to serve as a consistent point of contact, liaison, and advocate for the VSP and other food-related issues. The organizer will work as an entre and energizing point to increase and anchor efforts at mitigating the City’s food deserts in a coordinated and sustainable fashion that builds lasting power and commitment. The community organizer would also work with the BCHD Health and Wellness Initiative, assisting 1095 BCHD employees, half of which reside in food deserts, in becoming community advocates for improved food access and healthy eating.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Identify key community organizations and schedule meetings to help promote the VSP
**Plan community events and discussion forums to discuss and track food access issues/concerns is their neighborhoods
**Identify and mobilize key community organizations and residents around new strategies in the Food PAC, including Neighborhood Food Advocates
**Assist VSP customers in the ordering/delivery process at VSP sites
**Provide assistance with other daily operation aspects of the VSP
**Assist with planning and operation of the BCHD Employee Wellness Initiative
**Assist with the operation of other food-related projects that may arise, including youth photovoice and other community engagement/assessment projects



SUPERVISION RECEIVED: The Virtual Supermarket Co-Coordinators.



JOB SPECIFICATIONS:

Knowledge and Abilities:

· Excellent communication skills.

· Basic knowledge of grammar, spelling punctuation, and simple mathematics.

· Basic computer knowledge including ability to write/send emails

· Strong knowledge about neighborhoods in Baltimore City and existing community organizations.

· Familiarity with the general food environment in Baltimore City

· Ability to travel to multiple community sites in Baltimore City. (Must provide own transportation. You will be reimbursed for gas/parking.)

· Fluency in a language other than English is a plus

Minimum Education, Training, and Experience Requirements:

Requirements - A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, preferably in public health, public policy, social work, community nursing, or similar field; AND either one year of experience in formal community organizing, or two years of experience with community-based health programs and outreach.

Equivalencies - An associates degree and two years of experience in formal community organizing or an equivalent combination of education and experience

Information about the position should be directed to Laura Fox at laura.fox@baltimorecity.gov. Please send your resume with references by February 28, 2011

Baltimore City is an Equal Opportunity Employer

FOODCORPS RECRUITING FIRST CLASS OF SERVICE MEMBERS FOR SCHOOL FOOD SYSTEMS

NEW YORK CITY – (February 8, 2011) — Today, FoodCorps, a brand new and much anticipated national service program, opens applications for its first class of service members. Those selected will dedicate one year of full-time public service in school food systems – sourcing healthful local food for school cafeterias, expanding nutrition education programs, and building and tending school gardens.

FoodCorps is a scalable solution to the national obesity epidemic. Since 1980, the percentage of American children who are overweight or obese has doubled. With one in four U.S. children struggling with hunger and one in three obese or overweight, FoodCorps addresses the root cause of both: access to healthy food.

“We’re on the lookout for hard-working young leaders who believe healthy food should be available to every child,” said Executive Director Curt Ellis. “Being part of FoodCorps is a chance to make that vision a reality for kids in this country—and to have fun in the process.”

FoodCorps seeks up to 80 young men and women with a passion for serving their country by building healthy communities. Beginning in August 2011, service members will get their hands dirty in one of 10 states: Arizona, Arkansas, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina or Oregon.

FoodCorps recognizes though broad in its reach, America’s obesity problem does not affect all parts of our country equally. First, there are geographic patterns to its severity. High rates of childhood obesity plague whole regions, particularly the American South: North Carolina 18%; Arkansas 20%; Mississippi 22%. Zooming in on a map of American obesity, there are also localized geographies in crisis: rural communities in Oregon where children are twice as likely to be overweight as their counterparts in healthy Portland; and small-town kids in Iowa who, despite living amidst the nation’s richest topsoil, lack regular access to the fresh fruits and vegetables required for a healthy diet.

In addition to geography, there are demographic and environmental patterns associated with the epidemic, including: 1) Ethnicity: in Michigan, 42% of African-American children are overweight or obese, compared with 28% of non-Hispanic Whites. In New Mexico, American Indian kindergarteners suffer obesity at three times the rate of non-Hispanic Whites. 2) Poverty: in Massachusetts, wealthy Arlington maintains a 10% childhood overweight and obesity rate, compared to 47% in impoverished Lawrence. In the Tohono O’odham Nation in Arizona, where annual per capita income is uniquely low––$8,100––rates of Type II diabetes, diagnosed in children as young as six, are estimated to be the nation’s highest. 3) Food Insecurity: in Maine, where 1 in 5 children are at risk of hunger (the highest rate in New England), a low-quality diet puts the same kids at heightened risk of obesity.

“Schools––their classrooms, cafeterias, and playgrounds––are the logical frontlines in our nation’s response to childhood obesity,” said Debra Eschmeyer, FoodCorps Program Director. “More than 31 million children eat school food five days a week, receiving more than half their daily calories from school food programs. What we feed our children, and what we teach them about food, affects how they learn, how they grow and how long they will live. Considering that when last studied, only 2% of schoolchildren met the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the nation’s school food environments have significant need for improvement.”

America’s sweeping epidemic of childhood obesity requires us to martial a national response. The known geographic, demographic and environmental hotbeds of this epidemic are strategic places to concentrate our work. Accordingly, in partnership with Host Sites in the ten states identified above––Arizona (Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health), Arkansas (Arkansas Children’s Research Hospital), Iowa (National Center for Appropriate Technology), Maine (University of Maine Cooperative Extension), Massachusetts (The Food Project), Michigan (Michigan State University), Mississippi (Mississippi Roadmap to Health Equity), New Mexico (University of New Mexico), North Carolina (North Carolina State University and North Carolina 4-H) and Oregon (Oregon Department of Agriculture)––a new national service program, FoodCorps, stands ready to bring significant assistance­­: a “troop surge” for healthy kids.

“We’ve heard from young people around the country interested in developing knowledge and skills in farming, food systems and public health,” said Cecily Upton, FoodCorps Program Director for Sites and Service. “FoodCorps will connect these young leaders with hands-on experience and the opportunity to change our food system for the better.”

Applications and more information can be found at www.foodcorps.org. The FoodCorps recruitment video, created by Peabody-winning filmmaker Ian Cheney (King Corn) can be viewed and embedded from the site as well.

ABOUT FOODCORPS:

FoodCorps is a new national service organization that seeks to reverse childhood obesity by increasing vulnerable children’s knowledge of, engagement with, and access to healthy food. Service members build and tend school gardens, conduct nutrition education, and facilitate Farm to School programming that brings healthy, affordable local food into public schools. The program also trains a cadre of leaders for careers in food and agriculture. FoodCorps was developed with funding from AmeriCorps and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, in partnership with Occidental College, the National Farm to School Network, Slow Food USA, The National Center for Appropriate Technology and Wicked Delicate, as part of an open planning process that engaged thousands of stakeholders from around the country. www.foodcorps.org