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Annual Environmental Sciences Symposium to Explore Connections
Event to draw students, academics, industry professionals, community members
Finding connections among business, economics and the environment is the goal of the 16th annual Environmental Sciences Symposium Jan. 16 at U of G.
“EnviroNomics: Problem or Solution?” is the theme of this year’s lectures, workshops and displays, with participants exploring the pros and cons of striving for sustainable development in the 21st century. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. in Rozanski Hall.
Hosted by environmental sciences students, the daylong annual symposium brings students, academics, industry professionals and community members together to explore and debate topical environmental issues.
Highlights of this year’s event include a live video conference with Peter Robinson, CEO of the David Suzuki Foundation. Robinson has also served as CEO of the British Columbia Housing Management Commission and Mountain Equipment Co-op, the country’s largest outdoor equipment retailer. In addition, he was appointed to the B.C. Climate Action Team and the Ontario Premier’s Climate Change Advisory Panel.
Concurrent lectures and panel sessions start at 10:40 a.m. and continue throughout the day, focusing on three themes: “Foundations of Business and Economic Sustaina- bility, “Successful Green Businesses: Global to Local Perspectives” and “Innovations and Alternatives to Capitalism.” These sessions will feature academics who are conducting research related to environmental sustainability, businesses known for their sustainable practices and marketing, and the perspectives of social entrepreneurs, First Nations people and the fair-trade movement.
The day will conclude with a talk by Frank de Jong, who headed the Ontario Green Party for 16 years. An elementary school teacher who hails from Wellington County, he is known for his human rights and environmental advocacy efforts.
Advance tickets are $12 for university and high school students and $15 for the general public and are available online, at the Information Desk in the University Centre or at various Guelph businesses. Tickets at the door will be $17 and $20.
More information about the symposium is available at www.uoguelph.ca/~envsymp.