Monday, May 4th, 2009
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CES News
- Meet the CES Director
- Watson Course
On Campus
- Energy Forum
Off Campus
- ACPA Institute on Sustainability
- RI Gardening & Farming Events
- Celebrate Bird Migration Day with Us!
- What Happens When Land and Sea Meet at Conimicut Point and Mill Cove
Internships & Opportunities
- Four Paid Real Food Student Staff Members
- OurEarth.org
- The 1st Millennium Conference of the Ecological Society of America
- Summer Institute 2009 (SI2009)
- Project 20/20
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CES News______________________
Meet J. Timmons Roberts, PhD
Director, Center for Environmental Studies & Professor of Sociology
Effective July 1, 2009, Timmons Roberts will be the Director of the Center for Environmental Studies and Professor of Sociology. He taught at the College of William and Mary and directed its Program in Environmental Science and Policy six of the last eight years (2001-2009), and he held a joint appointment in Latin American Studies and Sociology and co-directed the Environmental Studies program at Tulane University (1991-2001). Timmons' interests in environmental science and policy are broad. His main current research concerns global inequality and climate change (in who is suffering most, who caused the problem, and who is taking action), and the role of foreign aid in addressing climate justice matters. His other work concerns both the political economy and the social psychology of environmental issues. Survey and case study work with workers, residents, and students has concerned perceptions of the environment and people's behaviors, and what might be needed to move us towards more environmentally sustainable action. Professor Roberts has worked for many years with students on greening initiatives and with community groups on issues such as environmental justice, sprawl, pedestrian accessibility, recycling, brownfields, and fear of exposures to hazards on the job and at home. He teaches environmental sociology, globalization and the environment, and practicum group workshop courses on environmental policy issues. For more information, please visit the CES website at: http://envstudies.brown.edu/ |
___________________________________________
Watson Course:
African Environmental History - 15513 - AFRI 1060M - S01
The class will include 8 African environmental professionals who are coming to Brown for a semester. The program is described here: http://www.watsoninstitute.org/ge/watson_scholars/
The seminar will be on "Histories of Environment and Power in Africa." We'll study the history of wealth, poverty, development, and conservation in order to provide context for contemporary issues. Some of the visitors will be scientists and others environmental organizers. Because the students also will have a broad array of interests, we'll be working for ways to connect scientific, often technocratic, information about the environment, with histories which often seem to provide only broad context.
The final class project will involve students working on topics that are useful to the visitors. The goal is that the class produces analyses that can be useful to the scholars when they return home.
This counts as a capstone seminar in the history department. But, unlike most of those, it meets twice a week, which I think will make the experience more useful to the scholars.
On Campus____________________
Energy Forum
Friday, May 8th from 11am to 4pm
MacMillan Hall, room 115
Please join researchers from physics, chemistry and engineering for a
forum on current energy research projects.
Off Campus____________________
ACPA Institute on Sustainability
June 11-13, 2009
Hilles Center, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Co-sponsors: Bon Appétit, NextGen & StudentVoice
The second annual ACPA Institute on Sustainability will again bring together students, staff and faculty from colleges and universities across the country, who are committed to sustainability. Now, more than ever, it is essential to implement sustainable practices that save money and reduce a campus’ carbon footprint. This Institute will provide participants with the tools necessary to help each campus become more sustainable.
The ACPA Institute on Sustainability will seek to create education and awareness for sustainability's triple bottom line and sessions will include the following:
Renewable Energies Technologies & Funding
Creating Regional Consortiums
Green Building and Renovation
Integrating Sustainability into the Fabric of Campus
Assessing Student Learning
Sustainability and Student Activism
Featured Speakers: Tom Kelly, Ph.D., the first director of the University Office of Sustainability (UOS) and Chief Sustainability Officer at the University of New Hampshire; Simran Sethi, Environment correspondent for NBC Nightly News and "The Today Show" and the Lacy C. Haynes Professional Chair at the University of Kansas School of Journalism & Mass Communication; and Shanah Trevenna, an amazing student from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa.
Additional information on the institute’s program, registration and how to submit a “Showcase Program” can be found at: http://www.myacpa.org/pd/sustainability.
_________________________________
RI Gardening & Farming Events
May 5
Firehouse 13 Urban Gardening Events
41 Central Street, Providence
5:30pm - Green Zones: From the War Garden to Your Garden
7:30pm - The first RI Urban Ag Spring Start Party
http://greenzonegarden.wordpress.com/green-zones-event/
May 9
URI East Farm Spring Festival 10 AM to 2 PM:
Workshops, plant sale, food, etc.
http://www.uri.edu/cels/ceoc/east-farm-spring-festival.html
May 9 & 10
Sat: 8AM - 4PM, Sun: 10AM-2PM
Plant Sale and Open House at Casey Farm, Saunderstown, R.I.
http://www.spnea.org/visit/homes/casey.htm
May 16 & 17
10 AM to 2 PM both days
Plant Sale at South Side Community Land Trust's City Farm
West Clifford and Dudley Streets, South Providence
http://www.southsideclt.org/
________________________________
Celebrate Bird Migration Day with Us!
Saturday, May 16, 2009 from 7:00 am to 1:00 pm
Special Locations on Conimicut Point and Mill Cove
Come to Conimicut Point in the Middle of Narraganset Bay and Flyway, and Conimcut Marsh and Mill Cove: Mid-bay Rest Stops
Take pictures and learn about the birds who visit our neighborhood, here in the middle of Narraganset Bay.
REGISTER BY CLICKING HERE <http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102567009701&s=2760&e=0019vafMHXBes7F2HKUZ_
xjVH8DxDQmmXWo9LZLCHt2GWITl3dUBcpYyL6S34voaJYaFsq-QCjnpKMafMPmFdt5f_hv5tS2f6EXlQHZZSqFIdQdXo3W1MzlE6aV43Z_oCgA>
Sponsored by Mill Cove Conservancy and Supported by the Buckeye Brook Coalition and Conimicut Village Association.
*********************
What Happens When Land and Sea Meet at Conimicut Point and Mill Cove
Thursday, June 11, 2009 from 7:00pm to 9:00pm
Warwick Public Library, Sandy Lane, Warwick, RI
Save the evening of June 11, 2009 for a fascinating presentation by Janet Freedman, Coastal Geologist at Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC). Janet will speak on "What Happens when Land and Sea Meet at Conimicut Point and Mill Cove: erosion, fill-in, global warming, hurricanes, beauty, wild-life and neighborhoods."
Sponsored by Mill Cove Conservancy and Supported by the Buckeye Brook Coalition and Conimicut Village Association.
If you have questions, contact Tom Sepe, President of Mill Cove Conservancy. Phone: 737-4959. E-mail 7ttom@cox.net.
Internships & Opportunities______
Four Paid Real Food Student Staff Members
Application Deadline: May 8th, 5:00pm
The Real Food Initiative at Brown, in conjunction with Brown Dining Services and the Division of Campus Life, is seeking 4 dedicated and innovative student leaders for paid, year-long positions working to build a real food economy at Brown and beyond. This is an incredible opportunity for students concerned with a diverse range of issues—from sustainable economic development and business planning, to climate change, workers' rights, and nutrition--to take a campus job that allows them to make ideas reality.
The 2009-2010 school year will be an exciting one--the inaugural year of the Real Food at Brown Initiative. Building on the successes of Brown Dining Services' Community Harvest Program <http://www.brown.edu/Student_Services/Food_Services/community/index.php>, the 4 Real Food Team Members will take this effort to the next level, working with Dining Services to shift over $3 million worth of food purchases to real food over 5 years. Team Members will also spearhead new education, community outreach, and publicity efforts.
Details:
One-year Commitment: Starts September 1st, 2009, Ends May, 2010
Pay scale: $10.00-14.00/hr, Hours: 8-15 hrs/week (depending on
position)
************************
Food System Worker Liaison
Will work directly with BDS workers to increase staff involvement, at all levels, in the Community Harvest program
Will create educational opportunities through regular workshops, field-trips, and food/agricultural-related staff development programs
Will generate opportunities for discussion, feedback and suggestions on success and impacts of sustainability programs
Will work with university vendors and distributors to investigate labor practices and promote workers' rights throughout the supply chain
Local Producer Liaison (2)
Will work closely with University food purchaser and unit managers to research and contact producers and other potential vendors throughout the region.
Will maintain the existing relationships that Brown Dining has established with local growers, as well as seek out and cultivate new relationships to increase the number of sources and overall purchasing of local Real Food
Will work with local food system stakeholders to develop innovative strategies to increase quantity, year-round availability and easy distribution of local food
One Local Producer Liaison will also:
Use the Real Food Calculator and other metrics to track and report on progress toward stated goals
Help develop, codify, and institutionalize Community Harvest policies and procedures
Publicity and Events Manager
Will act as a liaison to student organizations and student leaders, communicating the goals of Community Harvest and seeking input
Will create educational materials (such as graphics and posters) to publicize the program's progress and successes
Will develop new methods of disseminating information on relevant real food issues to the Brown community (from health and nutrition to sustainable production methods)
Will assist with ongoing Community Harvest Programs including, dinner specials, and the weekly Farmers Market on Wriston Quad
Team Coordinator:
Will work an additional 4-5 hours a week and be paid at a higher rate
Will work directly with Dining Directors and help facilitate communication between student team and other Community Harvest stakeholders
Will report quarterly to the Vice President of Campus Life and the Office of the President
Will Organize weekly meetings and ensure regular communication between Real Food Student Team Members
Will be responsible for payroll and other administrative duties
Additional Positions to be hired in fall for Spring 2010:
Non-Local Producer Liaison (2)
Sustainability Projects Manager
Community Partnerships and Education Coordinator
To apply, please send the following to RealFoodatBrown09@gmail.com
mailto:SASDFFD@gmail.com> by MAY 5th:
An up to date Resume
A One to Two-Page Cover Letter including answers to the following prompts:
Which position(s) are you applying for? What revelant skills, background, and knowledge will you bring to this work? Please be specific.
What aspects of building a real food economy interest you most? (e.g. sustainability initiatives, forming relationships with farmers/producers; small business development; workers' rights) What are some ways you hope to address them as a member of the Real Food Staff Team?
These positions will require both, self-motivated and independent, as well as intensely collaborative work. Describe a past experience where you were challenged in this way, and what strategies you employed to get the job done.
Basic Personal Information (below)
Full Name:
Email:
Phone Number:
PO Box Number:
Date of Departure From Brown (for the summer):
Which position(s) are you applying for? (if more than one, please rank in order of preference)
Are you interested in being considered for the Team Coordinator position? (yes/no)
If yes, please describe relevant management/facilitation experience in your cover letter.
Are you interested in a paid summer position executing a UTRA-like comprehensive food audit of Dining Services alongside another Brown student? (yes/no).
________________________________
OurEarth.org
Are you looking for an environmental internship or are you interested in volunteering with an environmental organization this summer? If so, then consider joining the OurEarth.org community. OurEarth.org is a grassroots initiative that intends to completely transform the way environmental programs, activities, and information is found on the internet so that the public can become more proactive in protecting the environment.
OurEarth.org is a national 501(c)3 non-profit organization and it still has internships available for the summer. Internships are unpaid but students can receive course credit if they have their own faculty advisor. Students that do not have enough time to commit to an internship but would still like to be involved with our efforts are welcome to volunteer. For added flexibility, all work is done remotely so you can work from your home, campus, or anywhere else, yet you will still have very frequent contact with the OurEarth.org leadership via conference calls and email.
For more information, please visit our website (http://www.OurEarth.org/) and review our organization's brochure (http://www.ourearth.org/students/OurEarthBrochure.pdf). There are numerous projects that you can be involved in, so if you are interested in joining OurEarth.org, please contact John Ullman at (410) 878 - 6485 or jgu@duke.edu, to get additional information.
_____________________________
Water-Ecosystem Services, Drought, and Environmental Justice:
The 1st Millennium Conference of the Ecological Society of America
November 9-12, 2009
Athens, Georgia
http://esa.org/millenniumconf/2009/
Call for Posters:
Deadline for Submission: Thursday, May 28, 2009
Water-ecosystem services in the United States and many places around the world are severely stressed from population redistribution, urbanization, water overdrafts, flood control, and limited institutions. This first ESA Millennium Conference seeks to integrate social science and ecological research to address the present and future complexities and challenges of water resources governance, decision-making and environmental justice at the local-to-regional and national levels in the United States and internationally. Building on the premise that drought is a normal, recurrent feature of climate that occurs in virtually all climatic zones, this conference aims to investigate how the impact of drought is exacerbated or mitigated by ecology, water resource infrastructure, policy, and human behavior, resulting in differential socio-ecologic vulnerability to drought from region to region, as well as within regions.
The Conference Committee is calling for the submission of poster abstracts
that relate to water-ecosystem services, drought, or environmental justice. Abstracts that address connections between these three themes are especially encouraged. Authors may take a research, policy, or education approach to the topic applied to any geographical region. Approximately 30 poster abstracts will be selected from this open call.
About the Conference
The 1st ESA Millennium Conference will have about 100 invited attendees. For each accepted poster abstract, there will be one invitation to attend the Conference and present the poster. There will be no registration fee, but attendees will be responsible for their own travel and lodging.
***Funding is currently being sought to support the attendance of students invited to present a poster at the Conference.***
Submission Instructions
To submit your poster abstract, please follow this link:
http://eco.confex.com/eco/mc09/mcpost/papers/index.cgi.
You will need the following information:
1. Title
2. Name, Affiliation, and Email address for all authors 3. Abstract,
maximum of 300 words
If you have any questions, please contact Aleta Wiley, Science Programs
Assistant at the Ecological Society of America, at aleta@esa.org.
_______________________________
Summer Institute 2009 (SI2009)
June 1-3 from 9am to 4pm
Application Deadline: May 11th
Academic Technology is accepting applications for Summer Institute 2009, a 3-day program for faculty, postdoctoral fellows and graduate student instructors. Participants will explore the pedagogical underpinnings that inform the effective use of technology in teaching and learning, and ultimately identify and develop technological solutions to meet their specific course goals and objectives.
For more information and to apply visit
http://www.brown.edu/cis/services/academic/itg/programs_si.php.
For questions contact itg@brown.edu.
__________________________________
Project 20/20 - The Basics
Project 20/20 was started in 2008 by Brown University students to retrofit lighting in low-income Rhode Island residences, with the goal of reducing carbon emissions in the greater Providence community. At no cost to residents, students install compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), which generate immediate savings on monthly utility bills. Project 20/20 is funded through Wal-Mart and Community Carbon Use Reduction at Brown (CCURB). Through this project, Brown University shows commitment and leadership in combating climate change through reducing carbon emissions in the community.
The Program
Brown University students have partnered with professors, Roger Williams University students, Bay View High School students and East Bay Community Action Program volunteers in order to visit the homes of those who have signed up for this service. Having completed a pilot program in the spring and summer of 2008, working tirelessly through the fall, we are now ready to work towards the completion of our goal of 5,000 Rhode Island homes. In preparation for each installation we call up the resident to set up an appointment, at a time when an adult will be home. A pair of Project 20/20 team members arrive at the home, discuss the benefits of the light bulbs, and proceed to change every incandescent.
The Application
www.proj2020.org/Summer09app.php
_______________________________
Please send questions, comments and stories to:
CES Newsletter Editor, Marie-Laure Couët
marie-laure_couet@brown.edu
Thanks!