India supports UN initiative to eliminate single-use plastic

Last summer’s heat dome exacted a huge toll in the northeast Pacific. Hundreds of people died because of the extreme heat and its lingering effects. A perfect storm of high temperatures, low tides, and a noonday sun that scorched exposed tidal flats meant marine life suffered as well. The heatwave killed, by some accounts, one billion sea creatures. The marine toll was felt especially acutely by the US $107-million shellfish aquaculture industry in Washington State.  One of the people paying close attention was Tim Smith. An aquatic ecologist and aquaculture sustainability consultant turned science teacher, Smith recognized the scale of the problem. But just a few months later, when he began working at Pioneer Middle School in Shelton, Washington, a hotbed town for shellfish farming, he recognized an opportunity.

Raleigh, N.C., has become a pioneer of true sustainability. The city implemented a three-pronged strategy the focuses on: Environmental Stewardship, Social Equity and Economic Strength.  So the city is not just installing plug-in stations for hybrid and electric vehicles and reducing greenhouse gases, it’s making buildings more efficient, reclaiming and recycling materials and resources, creating green jobs and improving infrastructure, transportation, storm water management and parks and recreation. In fact, Raleigh was named the #2 Fasted-Growing Clean (Green) Economy Job Growth among 100 Largest Metros by The Brookings Institution.  It’s a three-level plan that’s made Raleigh the first LED City on the planet and given us a chance at a higher quality of life. And meeting planners can also benefit from these practices by their events and attendees utilizing these green infrastructures and features around Raleigh.

This project-based course will explore the connection between environmental conservation and poverty reduction. Learn how to develop entrepreneurial solutions for challenges where the environment and livelihoods are sometimes at odds — like deforestation, overfishing, waste management, and agriculture.  Readings, case studies and expert insights from Mark Tercek, CEO of The Nature Conservancy; Vien Truong, CEO of Green for All; and Michael Kobori, Vice President of Sustainability for Levi Strauss & Co. will guide you as you generate solutions to an environmental challenge of your choosing.