UMaine to Join International Sustainability Teach-In
Contact: Joe Carr at (207) 581-3571
ORONO — The University of Maine will be a host site for the international Sustainable Development Teach-in Day, scheduled for Friday, Dec. 3.
Universities and other organizations will participate in the “inclusive event,” described in detail here. The teach-in aims to provide a mechanism for interested parties to share information about sustainable development initiatives, while working to raise awareness of related issues.
UMaine activities include a noon keynote address by Bob Kates, UMaine presidential professor of sustainability science. Kates, who is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, is one of the foremost authorities in this field of study. He has studied subject including natural hazards, climate impact assessment and global change in local places. Kates’ UMaine work focuses on community adaptation to climate change.
He will discuss “Sustainable Development: Can it Be Done in this or Any Century?” in Memorial Union’s Bangor Room.
Other activities include a workshop involving SSI and UMaine Cooperative Extension personnel, addressing sustainability issues relevant to UMaine. That workshop is scheduled for 8:45 a.m.-2:30 p.m. in Norman Smith Hall. UMaine researchers and the Penobscot Valley Senior College will collaborate on a 9 a.m.-11 a.m. session featuring a series of presentations by UMaine Ph.D. students on their areas of expertise.
UMaine’s Sustainability Solutions Initiative (SSI) is the lead sponsor of UMaine’s Friday event. SSI is a National Science Foundation-funded collaborative, statewide effort aimed at improving the science and practice of sustainable development.