Tuesday March 27, 2018 Sustainability Lab @ T-Rex Agenda
- Published on Friday March 2nd, 2018
Open networking will take place from 3:30 to 7:00 in the T-Rex common area on the 5th floor.
To help us prepare for the Lab, please fill out this Google form and let us know which sessions you plan on attending.
Sessions
3:30-4:45 Session A: Expanding Your Sustainability Audience - Connecting to Under-Served Populations
People of color are more affected by environmental injustice issues than any other groups. Most of us at the Sustainability Lab recognize our sustainability goals are aligned with environmental justice concerns of communities of color -- concerns such as health, equity, and representation. However, environmental and sustainability professionals have historically failed at effectively communicating these connections. We have also failed to engage the communities most in need of representation when it comes to environmental issues and decision making. Often, sustainability professionals focus on complex and esoteric concepts instead of engaging communities by focusing on what matters most to them. The language we use is not reaching those most in need of understanding environmental issues and alienates us from potential partners. In this session, we will discuss the connections between environmental justice and sustainability movements, the ways in which sustainability professionals are currently failing to reach communities of color, and immediate steps that can be taken to better communicate and listen to the needs of under-served populations
Moderated by:
- Charles Bryson, Director of Civil Rights Enforcement Agency, City of St Louis
- Jenn DeRose, Green Dining Alliance Program Manager, St Louis Earth Day
- Lacy Cagle, Director of Learning, Northwest Earth Institute
5:15-6:30 Session A: Food Access - Collaboration across the River
Join the St. Louis Food Policy Coalition to hear about how they have engaged with the community in North St. Louis to hear about their local food environment. Members of the coalition from Missouri and Illinois who are providing innovative solutions to food insecurity will also present about their projects and programs. The goal of this session is to learn from each others' efforts on both sides of the Mississippi to spark collaboration opportunities. Speakers and information about each program or project will be stationed around the room to allow attendees to visit each project and have in-depth discussion about project successes, lessons learned and exchange ideas. Our speaker lineup includes:
- James Forbes - CEO Good Life Growing
- Gibron Jones - HOSCO farms - A Sustainable Farming and Community Economic Development Cooperative
- Dylan Naylor - City Greens Market
- Amy Funk - Make Health Happen
- Dean Gunderson - Gateway Greening
5:15-6:30 Session B: ISSP Sustainability Drivers - Two Upcoming Opportunities to Regionalize Global Concepts
Join us for a discussion of upcoming opportunities to learn, engage and lead on sustainability and climate issues: the Drawdown EcoChallenge and the Saint Louis Climate Summit.
- Project Drawdown is the most comprehensive plan ever proposed to reverse global warming. From April 4-25, the Northwest Earth Institute is partnering with Project Drawdown to offer a free three-week online event known as Drawdown EcoChallenge which will help participants plug into the Drawdown solutions in their own lives and communities. This session will outline the program and demonstrate how it can help businesses, organizations, and individuals meet their sustainability goals and make real change toward a more sustainable world.
- On April 22-24, Saint Louis University is proudly hosting the 2018 Saint Louis Climate Summit. The conference will bring together some of the most authoritative minds in climate science, ecology, sustainable development, and related disciplines. It will highlight key issues, celebrate notable achievements, and illuminate a path forward.
Let's not be dependent on the specialists; come join us in the driver's seat for making real change!
Moderated by:
- Kyle Crawford, Co-Chair, ISSP St Louis Chapter
- Lacy Cagle, Director of Learning, Northwest Earth Institute
5:15-6:30 Session C: Continuing Conversation and Update on the EcoBlock concept
As American cities re-invent themselves, the Eco-BLOCK™ focuses on the redevelopment of the inner-city block as a “cellular” unit within the larger community. Rather than rebuild industrial-era blocks or import suburban-sprawl style blocks, the Eco-BLOCK™ concept re-conceives urban living from the ground up by integrating ecological, social and economic systems to increase beauty, efficiency and community. Continuing the investigations of earlier semesters, students will consider and develop parameters for potential EcoBlock project locations by:
- Developing Site Selection Criteria including mix of existing buildings.
- Developing metrics for Site Selection Criteria that are generically applicable to a broad range of urban areas.
At this session, students will present Site Selection Criteria to be proposed to city agencies, developers and community stakeholders to narrow site selection of block/s; and engage in conversation to define and refine the selection criteria for EcoBlock Form Based Code (EcoCode).
