To him, a stilted geometric love of arrangement was “system, an indefatigable and feverish interest in the pettiest facet of day-to-day bureaucracy was “industry, indecision when right was “caution, and blind stubbornness when wrong, “determination”. [Foundation and Empire]– Isaac Asimov
Monthly Archives: August 2003
Aside
…the Galactic Empire was falling apart of the triple disease of inertia, despotism, and maldistribution of the goods of the universe. [Foundation and Empire] — Isaac Asimov
Call for Papers: Conference of the Canadian Coalition of Women in Engineering, Science and Technology
Call for Papers: Conference of the Canadian Coalition of Women in Engineering, Science and Technology. The Conference will be held June 10-13, 2004 in St. Catherine’s, Ontario, with the theme “Let’s Get Growing”. Please see the website for further details. Abstract submissions are due December 15, 2003 .
weblink: Conference Website • in detail XlnkS5B6
Distance Education Course at Harvard: “Sustainability: The Challenge of Changing our Institutions”
Distance Education Course at Harvard: ENVR E-117 “Sustainability: The Challenge of Changing our Institutions, beginning in September 2003 . Course information: “The principles and practice of environmental sustainability for institutions and individuals will be taught and demonstrated in this course. The course will focus on the university sector as a case study for examining how organizations with complex structures make a myriad of decisions with environmental consequences. The course will provide students with a thorough exploration of methods and approaches that can be drawn upon to catalyze organizations, such as universities, to pursue environmental sustainability. Illustrative examples of university sustainability programs, including campus planning, building design and operations, energy supply, purchasing practices, food services and waste management among others, will be presented. These examples will be further explored to reveal strategies for generating engagement, learning capacity and behavioral change at the level of both the individual and the organization. Financial, environmental, political, cognitive and organizational dimensions will be addressed. The course is designed to cover three key topic areas: 1. Institutional Impact 2. Institutional Operations 3. Institutional Transformation Students will ideally leave this course with the knowledge, understanding and confidence to develop their own capacities as change agents, leaders or catalysts for generating institutional commitment to environmental sustainability within a myriad of organizational settings. See here for more information on syllabus and registration information. To request a syllabus via email, please contact Maggie Husak, maggie_husak@harvard.edu. **************************************************************************************************************** This course will be offered under the umbrella of the Environmental Studies program at the Harvard University Extension School, and will be available online as a part of the Distance Education Program. The Distance Education Program allows a student to take this course from any location as long as s/he can access the course website. For details on Distance Education through the Extension School, click here . For information on registration, please visit the Harvard University Extension School website (see link below). For further information on course content, please contact Maggie Husak, maggie_husak@harvard.edu. To learn more about the Harvard Green Campus Initiative, please visit our website .
weblink: Harvard University Extension School website • from: Harvard Green Campus Initiative • in detail XlnkS5B5 XlnkC18B0
Are all Oil Companies the Same?
Several oil companies, most notably Suncor, have made considerable efforts to address the impacts of their businesses on climate change. These efforts include instituting sustainability and environmental reporting, investing in alternative fuel development and participating in voluntary emissions reduction initiatives. Imperial Oil (ESSO) is a member of a group of large oil companies (the American Petroleum Institute) that have reportedly invested significant funds toward discrediting climate science and the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. It is this focus that has spurned the creation of the STOPESSO campaign. Follow the link below to read more. Click here to read an article about BP and its position on Kyoto.
weblink: stop esso website • from: Suncor • in detail XlnkS5B4 XlnkC187A
Job Posting: Campaign Director of Climate Centre, Natural Resources Defense Council
POSTED AUG. 14, 2003. “The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a leading national (U.S.) non-profit environmental organization of scientists, lawyers and environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public health and the environment, is seeking a highly qualified and motivated individual to direct congressional and public education campaigns to advance policy and technology solutions to global warming. This position is located in our Washington, DC office and provides a unique opportunity to engage and educate opinion leaders, policymakers at the national and state levels, the public, decision makers, and other public interest organizations. Qualifications for this position are 7 years of experience working in and directing issue campaigns with a proven track record of success. This senior position will be part of a 14 member Climate Center team in two offices. She/he will be responsible for working collaboratively to plan and execute congressional and public education campaign strategies, manage a team of three staff, work closely with other NRDC advocacy programs, and partner organizations. A successful candidate must have superior collaborative and team building skills, and success in meeting campaign objectives. Salary is commensurate with experience. NRDC has more than 250 staff in four offices, located in New York, Washington, DC, Los Angeles and San Francisco. We offer competitive salaries, good benefits and an excellent working environment. Women and people of color are encouraged to apply. Send resume to: Climate Center, NRDC, 40 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011. Or email to HR_NY@nrdc.org. No calls or faxes, please.
weblink: NRDC website • from: C-CIARN-BC • in detail XlnkS5B3 XlnkC1851