Rice goes green
The Rice Environmental Conference is entering its fourth year bigger and more ambitious than ever.
A small-scale event with student presentations and limited attendance has evolved into one boasting big-name speakers, state support and wide-reaching appeal.
Conference Director Justus Baird (Baker '96) asked for these changes when he was chosen to head the conference effort this year. He said that the goal was a wider appeal, both to Rice students and to others.
"We came up with a plan to make a large environmental forum which was organized by students for students," he said.
Delegations from at least 15 Houston high schools and several universities including Texas A&M University, the University of Texas, Texas Southern University and the University of Houston will be attending.
The event is free to both students and the general public, and Baird expects the conference will appeal to others as well.
"I think the Houston environmental community will show up in force," he said.
Among the featured speakers will be Rice President Malcolm Gillis (who earned his Ph.D. with work on the environment and economics), Houston's Director of City Planning, a delegate to the UN Conference on Population in Cairo and a variety of others from all over the country.
The conference's theme, "sustainable ideas for the next century," represents an attempt to look forward.
"We wanted to look at the future, because as students, that's what we would be dealing with," Baird said. "We want to present the big picture."
The conference is considered part of the Rice Environmental Club although the organizing committee met separately from that organization. About 15 students were involved in planning, which began in late September.
The conference was organized in cooperation with the Citizens Environmental Coalition, a blanket organization of Houston environmental groups, and the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission. Several corporate sponsors, including DuPont and Houston Lighting and Power, helped cover the $6,000 cost of the conference.
Many of the speakers were brought in through Rice faculty. For example, Elwyn Simons, who will be talking about lemurs in Madagascar, is a friend of Gillis from his days at Duke, where she heads the primate center.
Baird says he's satisfied with the mix of speakers and topics. "The best part of the conference is the balance between environmental interests: industry, government and citizens' groups," he said.
Details
cost:
free
walk-ins encouraged
TG:
Friday, 3 - 4:30 p.m. free beer and Ben & Jerry's
career fair:
Friday, 1 - 4 p.m.
"tropical deforestation":
Friday, 4:30 p.m. Malcolm Gillis
sessions:
Saturday 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
veggie lunch:
$4
Schedule
Friday, February 2
* 1 - 4 p.m. Career Fair , Student Center
Meet representatives of industry, government, consulting and non-profits.
* 3 - 4:30 p.m. TG , Ray Courtyard, RMC
Free beer and Ben & Jerry's ice cream.
* 4:30 p.m. Malcolm Gillis, President, Rice University
Tropical Deforestation
Herring Hall 124
Saturday, February 3
* 8:30 a.m. Registration , Rice University Student Center
Opening Remarks
* 9:30 a.m. Jim Blackburn, Principal, Blackburn & Carter
21st Century Environmental Thinking
Morning Sessions
* 10 a.m. Bart Gruzalski, Founder, Institute for Sustainable Living
The Heart of Environmental Ethics: the Imperative to Live Sustainably
Jurgen Schmandt, Director, Center for Global Studies
Sustainable Development as a New Policy Paradigm
* 10:40 a.m. Eugene Hargrove, Chair, Dept. of Philosophy and Religion Studies, U. of North Texas
Environmental Ethics
Mary Kelley, Executive Director, Texas Center for Policy Studies
Environment and NAFTA
* 11:20 a.m. Judith Jacobson, Delegate, UN Conference on Population, Cairo
When Women Have a Say: How Feminism Has Changed the Population Issue
Elwyn Simons, Scientific Director, Duke University Primate Center
Vanishing Lemurs and Their Environments in Madagascar
12:00 - 1:30 p.m. Lunch
* 12 - 4 p.m. Environmental Expo
Visit with Environmental Organizations from all over Houston.
Afternoon Sessions
* 1:30 p.m. Jack Matson, Executive Director, Leonhard Center-Penn State University
Innovation in Environmental Protection
* 2 p.m. Panel I: Future of Environmental Protection
Peter Bowman, Director, Center for Conflict Analysis and Management, UH
Jim Kennedy, DuPont
Linda Shead, Executive Director, Galveston Bay Foundation
Ed Feith, Manager of Environmental Department, Houston Lighting and Power
Jim Kachtick, East Harris County Manufacturer's Association
Andrew Neblett, Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission
George Farenthold, President, Citizen's Environmental Coalition
Panel II: Future of Houston's Development
Robert Litke, Director of City Planning, City of Houston
John Rogers, Architect
Dan Lynch, Traffic Engineers Inc.
Kay Crooker, Houston Planning Commission
Kevin Shanley, Landscape Architect, SWA Group
John Walsh, President, Friendswood Development Co.
John Sedlack, Assistant General Manager, METRO
* 3:15 p.m. National Wildlife Foundation
How to Make an Impact on Your Campus
Bob Randall, Director, Urban Harvest
Community Gardening as an Educational Tool
Marion Bell, Director, Healthy Lifestyles
Better Diet + Better Health = Better Planet
This item appeared in the Features section of the February 2, 1996 issue.
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