Frontiers in the Environment - Lecture Series

Frontiers in the Environment will explore the frontiers of knowledge in climate change, renewable energy, land use and other environmental hot topics. Speakers will provide the audience with a true understanding of the issue, its global significance and potential breakthroughs on the horizon. Join us Wednesdays at noon for a presentation and Q&A session, followed by a get-together in the Institute on the Environment Commons.

Jonathan Foley, director of the IonE, opens the series with "The Other Inconvenient Truth: Feeding and Fueling the World," a thought-provoking talk on our global crisis in land use and agriculture.

Frontiers in the Environment
Wednesdays, noon to 1 p.m. (starting Sept. 23)
IonE Seminar Room 380
VoTech Bldg., St. Paul campus
Free and open to the public; no registration required

October Lectures:
Oct. 7
“Solar After Dark: Storage Options”
Jane Davidson, Professor, Mechanical Engineering

Oct. 14
“Food, Energy and Global Climate: Solving the Trilemma”
David Tilman, Professor, Ecology, Evolution and Behavior

Oct. 21
“Fixing our Toxics Problem: Ivory Tower or White Castle?”
Deborah Swackhamer,Co-director, Water Resources Center

Oct. 28
“Mind the Gap:
Building Bridges to Mainstream the Value of Ecosystem Services in Everyday Decisions”
Stephen Polasky, Professor, Applied Economics/Ecology, Evolution and Behavior

See the complete Frontiers schedule and Speaker Bios

Can't make it to the St. Paul campus? The lectures will also air live online and will be archived for future viewing.
Watch and listen online via UMConnect

Global Energy Policy Event

Denmark’s Greener Future: Influencing Global Energy Policy

Thursday, October 1, 2009
1:30 to 2:30pm
Cowles Auditorium, Humphrey Center

Due to President Obama visit to Denmark to address the Olympic Committee, Friis Arne Petersen, Danish Ambassador to the United States will be accompanying the president. The Danish Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM), Søren Jensen will speak on Thursday.

In anticipation of the United Nations’ Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (COP15), DCM Jensen, will offer a preview of what might be the new global agreement on the reduction of man-made greenhouse gases. With portions of the Kyoto protocol expiring in 2012 the summit in Copenhagen marks the last chance to implement a new agreement.

Denmark is a leader in adopting renewable energy programs, with 17% of the country’s energy coming from renewable sources of power. A global agreement that that combines respect for the environment with living standards and long-term security of the energy supply is the highest political priority for the Government of Denmark. Learn more about how Denmark is pursing a greener future at this interesting conversation and how we can all be involved.

This free event is sponsored by the Humphrey Institute’s Center for Science, Technology, and Public Policy and the Minnesota International Center.

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Energy & the Economy is focus of RE-fest 2009

From Post-Bulletin story 9/12/09
By Kurt Nesbitt

This year's RE-fest will focus more on how green jobs can grow the U.S. economy.

Like its predecessor, the second installment of RE-fest will mix fun with education about better living and a cleaner environment when it returns to Riverland Community College in Austin next weekend, except the 2009 version will delve into economic issues.

Its featured speaker, J. Drake Hamilton, will talk about what is needed to encourage private investment and entrepreneurship and economic opportunities centered around clean energy as well as a way to create clean-energy jobs in the U.S., cut U.S. dependence on foreign oil and use science to reduce global warming.

Hamilton is the science policy director at Fresh Energy, a St. Paul-based non-profit organization that is working to get the country to transition to cleaner, more efficient energy.

Read the entire story:
http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=28&a=415844

Got Solar? You Are Wanted!

If you are powered by the sun or other alternative energy source, you are invited to be a Solar Tour Site this year. It is a great way to help educate more people on Renewable Energy Options. The qualifying RE systems are solar electric, solar hot water, passive or active solar hot air, ground-source heat, and/or wind energy system at your home or business.

The Tour is Saturday, October 3rd from 10am to 5pm. and the MN Renewable Energy Society can provide volunteers to help you at your site for the day. In thanks for being a site, the American Solar Energy Society and MN Renewable Energy Society will give you a one year membership which includes discounts for classes and a one year subscription to Home Power magazine.

If you're interested in more information please go to: http://www.mnrenewables.org/solar-tour or email laurac@mnrenewables.org

If you would like to enter your site please go to: http://www.mnrenewables.org/solar-tour and click on Submit a Site Application.

Re-fest -Celebration of Clean Energy & Green Living

Saturday, September 19th
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Riverland Community College, Austin, MN
FREE Admission!
RE٠think... green living

RE٠new... clean energy

RE٠store...conservation

YOU can help conserve the Earth's limited resources and make positive changes in your community:

Learn more about recycling, renewable energy for your home or business, saving money through simple energy conservation efforts, and more in 21 educational workshops.

Enter the Earth Balloon and learn about our planet or walk the U.S. from coast to coast on a Earth Walk adventure of discovery like no other.

The Solar-Powered Stage will feature local bands and storytellers.

Exhibitors will display and sell their eco-friendly products and services.

Local Food & work by Local Artisans will be for sale.

Kids will learn about the environment while having fun making Solar S'Mores and model Wind Turbines.

See live birds of prey up-close and learn how humans affect their lives.

Award-winning Naturalist Storyteller Kevin Strauss will tell animal, planet, and ecology stories that make you laugh, make you sigh, and make you think.

A Recycled Fashion Show will parade current fashion trends - all available at second-hand clothing stores.

Eco-Friendly Auto Show will display vehicles that provide fuel efficient transportation and a way to reduce your carbon footprint.

Come by bike, foot, or public transportation if you can! Anyone who drives will have the opportunity to purchase carbon offsets. Proceeds will be used for tree planting and prairie restoration to help make this a carbon-free event.

RE-fest has something for everyone!
Visit www.re-fest.org for directions and schedule of events.

CERTs Now Accepting Proposals for 2009-2010 Seed Grants

CERTs seeks to provide limited financial assistance for energy efficiency and/or renewable energy projects requiring technical assistance. Project funding can support technical assistance services (labor costs only—such as for a consultant, design professional, installer or student labor), for projects in all seven Minnesota CERT regions. All applications are due no later than 4:30pm, November 2nd, 2009. We welcome all applications, and thank you in advance for helping us spread the word!

For more information: http://www.cleanenergyresourceteams.org/community-projects/request-for-proposals

Living Off the Grid, Off the Well, & Off the Furnace

Christian Milaster has built a house that operates on just $100 a year and is off-the-grid, , off-the-well, and off-the-furnace, yet has all the comfortable amenenities most people wouldn't want to give up. Milaster calls the buildingand design of his clean energy home "Project Licht 'n Stein" (German for "light and stone")" He shared the details of Project Licht'n Stein at a Southeast CERTs meeting last spring.

Watch videotaped excerpts of Christian Milaster's presentation to SE CERTs:
Project Licht 'n Stein - Introduction

Project Licht 'n Stein - Off-the-Grid

Project Licht 'n Stein - Off-the-Well

Project Licht 'n Stein - Off-the-Furnace


Links:
Project Licht'n Stein
BeCause Group Consulting