This might have to be a Word Doc first....

12:17pm- John Doolittle is opening up after lunch. I’m typing this up on word because American University’s wireless is being lame. Doolittle is the director of CTE, and started to introduce the speakers.

Paul Wapner- SIS Professor- New Mexico course- environmental policy

Chris Palmer- SOC- Director of Center of Env. Filmmaking- “final word” in environmental filmmaker

Claire Roby- CAS Senior; student perspective; history in Eco-Sense

H. Paul Davis- Environmental architecture

Keo Kim- Potomac Project- Started by some Eco Sense students who waned Kerwin to sign on to the Climate Commitment. AU would raise the issue of sustainability to a higher level.

12:20pm- Potomac Project has been used by other schools. Perhaps it would inspire other schools.

What does sustainability mean to them? Where’s it going within the U? What does it mean to be sustainable?

Roby said that S, F, and S have been working together to work with Kerwin to sign onto the Climate Commitment to aim for Carbon Neutrality within the next two years. She just announced that he has committed to signing it. Applause, of course.

“If our habits are affecting other people, it’s our responsibility to address that”- Robie

5 major campaigns in 3 years; vote to wind energy;

Palmer- Sustainability- We don’t want to take resources away from future AU students; each of us have to decide what side we’re on- do we pollute or do we heal?

12:27- I’m still trying to get the internet working so I can access my actual blog and start posting there, instead of this Word document BS.

Palmer says that SOC has picked up the green bug, we have a green roof now. Dean Kirkman has initiated partnerships with various green companies- Sony- has declared Green intentions, striving to be stustainable.

Center for Environmental Filmmaking- formed out of necessity to produce films to produce change in that arena. “We Are Fouling our own Nest”. He just mentioned how effective a film like “An Inconvenient Truth” can be. He’s also touting he fact that SOC brings in “outstanding” filmmakers, who’ve made films that are effective in bringing about change.

12:31- Palmer has mentioned how there is a focus on the idea of “best practices” for Green filmmaking, and how there is a desire to establish green standards for filmmaking. The aim is to have a code backed up with scientific evidence. We would be the first university to do so, and we hope to set the standard for Universities.

the only existing trees were 4 tulip poplars, and the ampitheatre was just a ditch; began to plant 4 trees at a time under criticism that it was a waste of money; he’s talking about the process of bringing the flora into the ampetheatre; The details about the trees planted by AU are not terribly important;

12:37- Internet difficulties are persistent. Any landscape architecture has been criticized, but they did not have the foresight to understand that this was a gift to future generations; He just mentioned that in the last few years we’ve planted 2000 trees (?), “just a drop in the bucket, we could easily plant 4000 more. The canopy needs to be restored”. We’re creating a forest within a city. He just said that Lawn is the most wasteful use of plant material. It takes the most water. Once perennials and stuff are planted, they take much less energy, time, maintenance, pesticids; we’re working on reducing the amount of lawn;

Tall skinny Paul- how do we orient ourselves to these huge challenges? Assigned an essay- plant a tree ride a bike save the world- criticism- it’s not enough- what would it really mean to be sustainable? It has to do with extending omral concern with those who are sharing the planet with me; those who live off the displacement in life; it means taking responsibility for where you draw resources from, and where you dump them.

Those coming after us are counting on us; extending moral concern across species; we have a moral responsibility to thinka bout their existence; there’s something fundamentally wrong with ctting down a 500 year old redwood to build a picnic table;

Global Environmental Politics- intellectual piece into issues of sustainability;