Colorado State University, Beet Street to Discuss United Nations Sustainable Development Activities on Sept. 14
On Sept. 14, a panel of Colorado State University faculty experts from the School of Global Environmental Sustainability (SoGES) will discuss views on the United Nations’ 40-year effort to support sustainable development programs worldwide.
Co-Presented with Beet Street’s Culture Cafés, the panel will be 5:00-6:30 p.m. at Avogadro’s Number in Fort Collins. The panel of experts includes:
– Michele Betsill, Department of Political Science
– Carl Hammerdorfer, Global Social Sustainable Enterprise MBA Program
– Julia Klein, Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability
– Dennis Ojima, Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory
– Moderator: Gene Kelly, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences
Issues related to "green-development" and earth system governance are central to the revised focus of global efforts. The panel will provide various scientific and social views on the process and goals related to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development activities, which have included the enactment of several key conventions such as the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity, the establishment of international institutions like the U.N. Environment Programme and the Commission on Sustainable Development, the creation of public-private partnerships for sustainability, and the Millennium Development Goals.
The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development ("Rio +20") in June 2012 will bring together world leaders to assess what needs to be done to keep sustainable development strategies evolving to meet societal and environmental needs.
This panel is part of SoGES’ Managing the Planet Panel Series that runs the second Wednesday of the month each semester. The remainder of the series for Fall 2011:
– October 12: "We broke it, we can fix it: Modifying human behavior to help achieve sustainability"
– November 9: "The Clean Energy Conundrum: Potential and pitfalls in Colorado’s future direction with energy development and use"
About the School of Global Environmental Sustainability
SoGES is an umbrella organization that encompasses all environmental education and research at the university. Part of its mission is to engage the public and policy makers in translating SoGES discoveries into practical solutions for environmental problems, which is the role of a land-grant institution with a global perspective. Learn more at http://www.soges.colostate.edu.
About Beet Street’s Culture Cafés
Beet Street’s Culture Cafes connect our local community’s experts with the general public for an informative and engaging presentation the second and fourth Wednesday of every month. Cafes take place on Wednesday evenings at a downtown restaurant over dinner and drinks, and are informal and accessible – much more interactive than just a public lecture or performance. Each cafe is focused on a theme important to Fort Collins: science and art. Beet Street’s Culture Cafes will keep you on the cutting edge of the Fort Collins arts and culture scene. Learn more at http://www.beetstreet.org.