SOCIOHORTICULTURE

by Dr. Joe Novak

 Wed. March 19; 12 Noon; Duncan Hall 3092 (map)

 Dr. Joe Novak coined the term “sociohorticulture” to describe the role of gardens in improving quality of life.  He examines the ways gardens affect children and heal adults as well as the connections between nature, contemplation and the creative process.  Novak has retired from A&M and now plans to develop the Houston Horticulture Center to study the role of gardens in rejuvenation of neighborhoods and in improving quality of life. Co-sponsored by the Real Food Revolution Club. Lunch will be provided by CSES to those who RSVP to cses@rice.edu CSES only offers veggie lunches and water; please bring your own cup.

The Long Term History of Earth’s Climate and CO2

a talk by Dr. Mark Pagani

Director of Yale Climate & Energy Institute

February 14, 12:00pm, Duncan Hall 3092 (map)

 Dr. Pagani applies the isotopic compositions and abundances of organic molecules (biomarkers), and records of stable isotope- and trace-element compositions of species-specific foraminifera to constrain the physical and environmental conditions of ancient oceans, terrestrial systems, and the atmosphere.

 Lunch will be provided by CSES to those who RSVP to cses@rice.edu
CSES only offers veggie lunches and water; please bring your own cup

Rice Environmental Club is holding its 3rd semi-annual Toxic Tour this Sunday February 9th.  The Toxic Tour is a biking tour led by members of Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (TEJAS) to communities and neighborhoods in Houston that are negatively impacted by industry.  This semester we will be taking a new route north of downtown around and near the 5th ward.  We will be leaving Rice around 10am and will return by 4pm at the latest.  Plenty of lunch and snacks will be provided!  It’s a great event for anyone interested in the environment, social justice, or urban planning, or anyone just interested in seeing an area of Houston they might not have been to before. You don’t need to be a Rice student to attend- just someone who is interested!  For more information check out the facebook event and if you would like to attend please fill out the form.  If you have any questions about the event feel free to email afc3@rice.edu

More than Honey

Wednesday January 15, 2014. 6:30pm reception, 7:00pm screening

Rice Media Center (Rice University) map

Come for the screening of “More than Honey”, a movie about the global decline of the bee population, the probable causes and consequences. A discussion panel will follow the screening with Eugene T. ash (TAMU beekeeper), Dean Cook (Houston beekeeper), and Walter Schumacher (Honey Bee Kind, Austin); moderated by Jay Crossley (Houston Tomorrow).

Sponsored by the Center for the Study of Environment and Society,  the Swiss Consulate, the rice Environmental Club,Transition Houston and the Green Film Series.

SYNOPSIS:

The bee population worldwide is in general decline. In the US, is the latest estimated suggest that 1.5 of the 2.4 million total beehives have disappeared across 27 states. The same phenomenon has been observed in Switzerland, France, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Austria, Poland and England. Scientists have found a name for the phenomenon that matches its scale, “colony collapse disorder” and they have good reason to be worried: 80% of plant species require bees to be pollinated. Without bees, there is no pollinization, and fruits and vegetables could disappear from the face of the Earth.

Bayou Greenways Update with with Jen Powis

Houston Parks Board, Advocacy Director

November 20, 12:00pm, Duncan Hall 3092

The Bayou Greenways Initiative is a $480 million project that will combine public and private efforts to make Houston a greener and healthier city. Jen Powis will present an update on the state of parks in Houston including the ?Bayou Greenways 2020 Project?. Jen Powis is dedicated to creating, improving, protecting and advocating for parks in the Greater Houston Area.

Lunch will be provided by CSES to those who RSVP to cses@rice.edu
CSES only offers veggie lunches and water; please bring your own cup

 Trips for the Environment: 

Experiences from two undergrads

Lunchtime colloquium with Caleb McBride and Tierra Moore

November 15, 12:00pm, Keck Hall 102

During May 2013,  Caleb traveled to the Western Cape of South Africa with MTU and collected geologic data in the field to produce several geologic maps and a paper covering the geologic history of South Africa. These sedimentary basins are analogous to the petroliferous Kwanza Basin off the coast of Angola. Tierra analyzed greenhouse gas production rates in Spartina alterniflora and Avicennia germinans soils impacted by the BP oil spill in Barataria Bay, Louisiana.

Genetically Engineered Foods

talk with Gregory Jaffe

October 25, 12:00pm, Duncan Hall 3092 (map)

This talk will cut through the heated rhetoric and discourse and provide the naked truth about  these new agricultural products and their impact on our food and the environment. It will summarize the benefits and risks of engineered crops during their  first decade and give insights into the challenges and issues that face this technology in the coming years. The talk  will provide a unique consumer perspective that will make sense of  this controversial topic as well as inform the audience about what role the federal government in Washington should play regarding those products.

Come join us for lunch and conversation!
RSVP by email to cses(at)rice.edu

Dr. Dominique Raynaud How IPCC assesses climate changes?

October 23, 12:00pm, Duncan Hall 3092 (map)

Dominique Raynaud (French National Center for Scientific Research, and Université Joseph Fourier, Grenoble) is one of the most internationally renowned French scientists for his research on Antarctic ice cores to reconstruct atmospheric and to understand the link between greenhouse gases and climate.     Dr. Raynaud has received many distinctions,   including sharing with the IPCC team the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.  Besides his numerous publications, he is the co-author of  the book “The White Planet”.

Come join us for lunch and conversation!
RSVP by email to cses(at)rice.edu

Rob Hopkins 

Tuesday October 8, 11:30 am, Grand Hall

Founder of Transition Network. Come join us for lunch and conversation! THIS EVENT IS RESERVED FOR ALL STUDENTS

Also, Jason Roberts from “Better Block” will bring a more local perspective with his Dallas experience.

RSVP required HERE

The Sustainable Development of Houston Districts: 

The Health of the City

October 8-9, 2013

This event brings together a large coalition of neighborhood leaders committed to a more sustainable Houston.  Participation by community leaders, sustainability experts, private sector partners, and interested citizens is encouraged. The objective of the meeting is to provide an opportunity for discussion and debate. It is also an opportunity to ensure that all neighborhoods in the city share their specific needs and visions. At the heart of the meeting is the vision to develop Houston into a more livable, resilient, efficient, equitable and prosperous city.   

Sponsored by the Shell Center for Sustainability, the Center for the Study of Environment and Society (CSES), Center for Energy and Environmental Research in the Human Sciences (CENHS), Sociology Department, Rice University Environmental Club, Transition US, Post Carbon Institute, America’s Wetland Foundation, Transition Houston, and BetterHouston.

For a full detailed agenda click HERE

To RSVP for this event, click HERE