Robert Costanza kicks off “Solutions Seminar Series” at PSU Oct. 6

Series will explore visionary and desirable solutions to environmental, economic and social challenges

(Portland, Ore.) October 4, 2010 – Beginning this week at Portland State University, the Solutions Seminar Series will explore visionary and desirable solutions to the environmental, economic, and social challenges of our time.

Robert Costanza, director of the Institute for Sustainable Solutions at Portland State University, will deliver the opening talk, “Creating a sustainable and desirable future.”

The Solutions Seminar Series is presented by the Institute for Sustainable Solutions and the Solutions Journal at Portland State University. Additional support is provided by the Illahee Institute, home to the annual Illahee Lectures and the U.S. Society for Ecological Economics.


WHEN: Wednesdays, 5–6:30 p.m. during fall, winter, and spring quarters.
WHERE: Portland State University, Shattuck Hall Annex (1914 S.W. Park Ave., Portland, Ore.) 

COST: All seminars are free and open to the public and will also be streamed online live: http://www.thesolutionsjournal.com/seminarserieslive.

CONTACT: For additional information on speakers or the series, contact the Institute for Sustainable Solutions: sustainability@pdx.edu, 503-725-8556.

FALL 2010 SPEAKERS

October 6, 2010: Robert Costanza, "Creating a sustainable and desirable future"
ROBERT COSTANZA is university professor of sustainability and directs the Institute for Sustainable Solutions at Portland State University. He is co-founder and editor-in-chief of Solutions.

October 13, 2010: Spencer Beebe
SPENCER BEEBE founded Ecotrust in 1991 to focus his work on the rain forests of home. He serves on the boards of Ecotrust and Ecotrust Canada, Ecotrust Forest Management, Inc., the Tamastlikt Cultural Institute and Walsh Construction Company of Portland.

October 20, 2010: Bill Becker
BILL BECKER is executive director of the Presidential Climate Action Project, and former director of the US Department of Energy's Central Regional Office, where he specialized in energy efficiency, renewable energy technologies and sustainable community development.

October 27, 2010: David Orr
DAVID ORR is the Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics and Chair of the Environmental Studies Program at Oberlin College. He pioneered work on environmental literacy in higher education and his recent work in ecological design.

November 3, 2010: Joshua Farley
JOSHUA FARLEY is a fellow of the Gund Institute for Ecological Economics and professor at the School of Community Development and Applied Economics at the University of Vermont.

November 10, 2010: Jonathan Fink, "What can a hot, dry, sprawling city like Phoenix teach Portland about Sustainability?"
JONATHAN FINK is the vice president for research and strategic partnerships at Portland State University. He comes from Arizona State University (ASU) where, as VP for research, he oversaw the tripling of external funding, the launching of internationally recognized institutes in sustainability and biodesign, and stronger ties between academic research and regional economic development.

November 17, 2010: Peter Barnes, "Gaianomics: A new operating system for capitalism"
PETER BARNES is an entrepreneur and writer who has founded and led several successful companies. At present he is a senior fellow at the Tomales Bay Institute in Point Reyes Station, California.

November 24, 2010: No speaker
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

December 1, 2010: Gail Achterman, "New institutions for stream flow restoration in the Deschutes"
GAIL ACHTERMAN is director of the Institute for Natural Resources at Oregon State University, and a leading state and national natural resource and environmental expert with policy-making experience at the state, local and federal level.

ACADEMIC CREDIT: Undergraduate and graduate students may enroll in the seminars for credit through Portland State University. Seminars are cross-listed on the schedule of classes as Architecture (ARCH 407/507) and Environmental Science and Management (ESM 407/507).

MORE: Information and videos of previous speakers (including seminars held at the University of Vermont prior to fall 2010) can be found at the Solutions Journal website: http://www.thesolutionsjournal.com/seminarserieslive.


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NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release (#10-064)

By:
David Santen, Office of University Communications,
Portland State Universitysantend@pdx.edu | 503-725-8765

Source:
Robert Costanza, Director, Institute for Sustainable Solutions
Portland State University