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Jean Hill, a fiery octogenarian, is deeply concerned about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, the world’s largest landfill. Since 2010, she has spearheaded a grassroots campaign to ban the sale of single-serve plastic bottled water in her hometown of Concord, Massachusetts. She spends her golden years attending city council meetings and cold calling residents. So far, her attempts to pass a municipal bylaw have failed.
As she prepares for one last town meeting, Jean faces the strongest opposition yet, from local merchants and the International Bottled Water Association. But her fiercest challenge comes from Adriana Cohen, mother, model and celebrity publicist-turned-pundit, who insists the bill is an attack on freedom.
When Adriana thrusts Jean’s crusade into the national spotlight, it’s silver-haired senior versus silver-tongued pro. In the same town that incited the American Revolution and inspired Thoreau’s environmental movement, can one senior citizen make history? A tense nail-biter of a vote will decide.
6:30 PM conversation, networking, and a light meal
7:00 PM film screening, followed by a panel discussion
Free to the public, though donations are kindly appreciated.
Rice Media Center is located at 2030 University Blvd, near Stockton and University.
The least expensive University parking is in the lot on the West Side of the stadium. Enter on Greenbriar, drive to the most southeastern spot you can find, then walk along University towards Stockton.
A Fierce Green Fire: The Battle for a Living Planet is the first big-picture exploration of the environmental movement – grassroots and global activism spanning fifty years from conservation to climate change. Directed and written by Mark Kitchell, Academy Award-nominated director of Berkeley in the Sixties, and narrated by Robert Redford, Ashley Judd, Van Jones, Isabel Allende and Meryl Streep.
Inspired by the book of the same name by Philip Shabecoff and informed by advisors like Edward O. Wilson, A Fierce Green Fire chronicles the largest movement of the 20th century and one of the keys to the 21st. It brings together all the major parts of environmentalism and connects them. It focuses on activism, people fighting to save their homes, their lives, the future – and succeeding against all odds.
6:30 PM conversation, networking, and a light meal
7:00 PM film screening, followed by a panel discussion
Free to the public, though donations are kindly appreciated.
Rice Media Center is located at 2030 University Blvd, near Stockton and University.
The least expensive University parking is in the lot on the West Side of the stadium. Enter on Greenbriar, drive to the most southeastern spot you can find, then walk along University towards Stockton.
Mark your calendars for the sixth annual Hermann Park Conservancy Kite Festival on Sunday, March 24!
Join thousands of your fellow Houstonians from all over the city as they gather on Miller Hill to fly kites of all shapes and colors.
This free festival is a day full of live entertainment, interactive activities and crafts, face painting, food trucks, and–of course—kite flying!
Hermann Park Conservancy Kite Festival
Sunday, March 24, 2019
10 am – 5 pm
Miller Hill and Jones Reflection Pool
On March 31, 2019, from 5-7 p.m., eco-theologian The Rev. Michael Dowd will discuss the convergence of science, inspiration, and sustainability with a multimedia presentation at the First Unitarian-Universalist Church of Houston, Museum District Campus, 5200 Fannin St. For more information and to register, visit eventbrite.com.
Faith Climate Action Week will take place for ten days in April during Earth Month. It will focus on how we can take action to protect our climate.
Celebrations, sermons, service projects, events, and nature walks will be held, all week. Sign up now and be the first to receive information on how to participate!
We will be focusing on ways we can green our facilities and homes, take action locally, and advocate nationally for positive steps towards a sustainable, 100% renewable us energy future. Join for a whole week of Creation celebration and carbon-cutting activities. Sign up to receive information and activities around this exciting event.
The Interfaith Environmental Network of Houston invites houses of worship
& their members to learn how they can go solar for less as part of the
Houston Central Solar Co-Op. A co-op leverages bulk-purchasing power to
get discounted pricing. Each participant gets an individual solar quote, but a
single installer is selected for the group.
Neighbors in the Houston area have already formed a solar co-op to save money
and make going solar easier, with the help of nonprofit Solar United Neighbors.
Houston Renewable Energy Group (HREG), the South Union Community
Development Corporation, and the Interfaith Environmental Network of Houston
are sponsoring the co-op. The group already has over 30 participants.
At this informational session, you’ll learn how solar works, how it can be financed,
how it is installed, and how you can join the Co-Op. For homeowners, this is the last year to get the full solar tax credit, so come learn how you can participate!
Our speaker, Dori Wolfe, is founder of two solar energy companies, and has worked to bring community solar projects to fruition since 2012.
The films presented by the Houston Green Film Series are free to public and funded by volunteer efforts, in-kind contributi

“Whiskey is for drinking, and water is for fighting over.”
– an American West proverb
“Thirst for Power†is a one-hour long documentary produced by Disco Productions and base on Dr. Michael E. Webber’s first book, Thirst for Power: the Story of Energy. The visualizations and accounts are adapted from Dr. Webber’s book, and based in France, California, and Texas.
Combining anecdotes and personal stories with insights into the latest science of energy and water, the film identifies a hopeful path toward wise long-range water-energy decisions and a more reliable future for humanity.
This month’s panelists TBD.
- 6:30 PM Reception, with complementary refreshments
- 7:00 PM Film screening
- 8:00 PM Panel Discussion
- 9:00 PM The conversation continues at Valhalla, Rice University’s Graduate Student Pub
Free to the public, though donations are kindly appreciated. Rice Cinema is located at 2030 University Blvd, near Stockton and University.
For questions about transportation/parking options for getting to and from the event go to https://park-trans.rice.edu/
The films presented by the Houston Green Film Series are free to public and funded by volunteer efforts, in-kind contributi

Will the border wall strike a fatal blow to one of richest natural and cultural regions in North America?
“Ay Mariposa†is a one-hour long documentary produced through a collaboration between three award-winning women filmmakers: Krista Schyler, Jenny Nichols, and Morgan Heim.
As U.S. border patrol attempts to seize the National Butterfly Center under eminent domain and Congress considers funding $5 billion more towards Trump’s wall, the Rio Grande Valley is at risk of being walled off and degrading one of the richest natural regions in the country.
This film follows the stories of Executive Director of the National Butterfly Center Marianna Trevino Wright, former migrant worker and long time human rights activist Zulema Hernandez, and la mariposa, as they combat against the destruction of the Monarch butterfly’s remaining habitat.
This month’s panelists includes:
- Marianna Trevino Wright, Executive Director of the National Butterfly Center
- TBD
Free to the public, though donations are kindly appreciated. Rice Cinema is located at 2030 University Blvd, near Stockton and University.
- 6:30 PM Reception, with complementary refreshments
- 7:00 PM Film screening
- 8:00 PM Panel Discussion
- 9:00 PM The conversation continues at Valhalla, Rice University’s Graduate Student Pub
For questions about transportation/parking options for getting to and from the event go to https://park-trans.rice.edu/
The films presented by the Houston Green Film Series are free to public and funded by volunteer efforts, in-kind contributi

“There has to be a fuel revolution.”
-Donnie Tipton of Going Green Grease Recycling
Set in Houston, Texas in the shadow of the nation’s oil industry, Hot Grease tells the surprising story of how the biodiesel industry is turning an ostensibly worthless raw material, spent kitchen grease, into a renewable energy source capable of fueling cars, buses and fleets of trucks throughout the country.
The millions of gallons of cooking oil that our country’s restaurants use to fry up chicken, fries, and donuts used to end up as waste in landfills and pollutants in our waterways. But today, thanks to innovators, entrepreneurs, and politicians, it’s being turned into a functional fuel: biodiesel. Biodiesel reduces carbon emissions up to 85% compared to petroleum fuel, the equivalent of removing over 19 million cars from our highways. This film dives into the untapped market of biodiesel as it rapidly becomes a commodity and individuals dedicate their livelihood to making it an accessible fuel choice in Houston.
This month’s panelists & exhibitors:
Chris Powers, Houston Biodiesel
Jody Gibson, Energy Institute High School
Michael McClere, Dependable Cooking Oil
Alona Hernandez, Houston Public Works
Ted Driscoll, Galveston Bay Foundation
Free to the public, though donations are kindly appreciated. Rice Cinema is located at 2030 University Blvd, near Stockton and University.
- 6:30 PM Reception & Refreshments
- 7:00 PM Film Screening
- 8:00 PM Panel Discussion
- 9:00 PM The conversation continues at Valhalla, Rice University’s Graduate Student Pub
For questions about transportation/parking options for getting to and from the event go to https://park-trans.rice.edu/
First we volunteer, then we beer! Meet behind the Cullen Running Trails Center to help Memorial Park Conservancy in our volunteering efforts, then hang out and enjoy a complimentary Saint Arnold Brewing Company beer (or 2). Lawn Games and Food trucks will be onsite too!
When: National Public Lands Day
When is that: September 28 @ 4:00pm to 7:30pm
Where: Meet behind the Cullen Running Trails Center. 7575 N Picnic Ln, 77007 (it’s a building)
Why: Is there a better way to join the conservation efforts at Houston’s most awesome park?
What to wear: Pants and close-toed shoes.
Kid friendly: Yes! Non-alcoholic beverages will be provided.
Food Trucks: Yes!