Calendar
Prepared Air
Join Rice University for a conversation with Salmaan Craig, assistant professor of Architecture at McGill University, who studies turning biogenic building materials into heat-exchangers, Rafael Beneytez-Durán, associate professor and of Architecture at the University of Houston and an expert on “Atmosphere as Form in Architecture,” and Heather Davis, assistant professor of Culture and Media at The New School, where she her recent work has examined plastic saturation and materiality. Joseph Campana, the William Shakespeare Professor of English and director of Rice’s Center for Environmental Studies, and Liz Galvez, visiting critic at Rice’s Department of Architecture, will moderate.
Christ the King Evangelical Lutheran Church in Houston invites you to a monthly environmental education web meeting series whose theme in 2022 is Planet Earth & You. In February, join Jim Blackburn, Professor in the Practice in Environmental Law at Rice University, who will discuss his new book, Earth Church, which he co-authored with artist Isabelle Scurry Chapman. Earth Church is a book about Earth-based spirituality, a subject that will become much more prominent in a future defined by a changing climate and the creation of a new economic system that is circular rather than linear. At the center of Earth-based spirituality is the Earth itself, that wonderful planet without which we would not be. Blackburn will weave a narrative around the poetry and art of Earth-based spirituality. Time for interactive Q&A with the speaker will be provided.
The 26th annual Texas Land Conservation Conference will be held March 2-4, 2022 at the Hilton Austin Airport.
The conference is the preeminent statewide meeting for anyone working in the field of land and water conservation, private landowners interested in conserving their land, government, business and NGO agency partners, and any person interested in learning more about these important issues in Texas.
The conference brings together experts from around the state and nation to discuss a variety of conservation-related issues, providing an exceptional opportunity for learning and engagement in order to advance land and water conservation in Texas.
The Interfaith Environmental Network of Houston invites you to celebrate Earth Day/Month by joining our team for the online Earth Month EcoChallenge. This EcoChallenge focuses on the sustainable development goals of the United Nations, with categories of: basic needs & security, health & equity, education & livelihood, economy & communities and climate & ecosystems. You pick your challenges to complete during the month – to build a new sustainable habit, learn about an environmental issue, advocate for eco-justice, volunteer or spend more time in nature (among the many, many choices). Join the Interfaith Environmental Network of Houston team & we’ll support each other along the journey. To sign up or to learn more, go to https://earthmonth.ecochallenge.org/. Questions? – Contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com.
You are invited to join an online discussion series built around 15-minute videos featuring interviews with US faith leaders, representatives of climate-impacted communities from the global South, and presentations by UN officials and other experts. The videos walk viewers through four key climate policy issues that intersect with universal faith concerns for vulnerable and marginalized people. The series focuses on how climate change is impacting the core ministries of faith communities around the world, how those impacts will increase in the future, and why these impacts create an imperative for people of faith to advocate for strong US climate action.  A discussion guide is included that asks participants to think deeply about how their own local faith community’s direct service programs intersect with climate impacts, and how knowledge and experiences gained through these programs might help to inform climate policy. The study’s Action Center provides practical, step-by-step instructions for advocacy activities, as well as recommended policy asks for local, state, and national leaders.  Join us! Please register on www.eventbrite.com at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-path-of-hope-a-study-on-climate-action-for-faith-communities-tickets-273103288287. Contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com for more information.
Calling people of all faiths or no faith at all in Houston to care for our shared environment in observance of Earth Day/Month!  We will engage in hands-on environmental stewardship at the Willow Waterhole Conservation Reserve. This event will offer activities for all ages and skill. Meet at the Swartz Gazebo in the park to sign in. Metro bus line 7 stops nearby, and line 49 is not far. Tools/supplies will be provided. This event is organized by Christ the King Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Interfaith Environmental Network of Houston, in partnership with the Willow Waterhole Greenspace Conservancy. The conservancy requires signing of a waiver to participate. Please register for planning purposes on www.eventbrite.com at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/spring-2022-interfaith-environmental-stewardship-event-tickets-273115956177. Contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com for more information.
THE GULF OF MEXICO CONFERENCE 2022
The Gulf of Mexico Conference (GoMCon) combines the annual Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) All Hands Meeting, the annual Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystems Science (GoMOSES) Conference, and the triannual State of the Gulf Summit. The focus of GoMCon emphasizes the intersection of scientific research and the management of human and natural systems in the coastal region. This conference seeks to promote the integration of science and management into decision-making. GoMCon is a great way to make sure researchers, coastal resource managers, and interested stakeholders have an opportunity to collaborate on managing this precious natural resource we call the Gulf of Mexico.
SSPEED’s 10th Conference
Post-Harvey Climate & Flood Impacts on the Built Environment
April 28 & 29, 2022
Please join SSPEED this January for SSPEED’s 10th conference, where over thirty top academic, consulting and governmental experts will present on a wide variety of topics. This two-day event will be located at the Anderson-Clarke Center (Glasscock School of Continuing Studies) at Rice University.
You are invited to join an online discussion series built around 15-minute videos featuring interviews with US faith leaders, representatives of climate-impacted communities from the global South, and presentations by UN officials and other experts. The videos walk viewers through four key climate policy issues that intersect with universal faith concerns for vulnerable and marginalized people. The series focuses on how climate change is impacting the core ministries of faith communities around the world, how those impacts will increase in the future, and why these impacts create an imperative for people of faith to advocate for strong US climate action.  A discussion guide is included that asks participants to think deeply about how their own local faith community’s direct service programs intersect with climate impacts, and how knowledge and experiences gained through these programs might help to inform climate policy. The study’s Action Center provides practical, step-by-step instructions for advocacy activities, as well as recommended policy asks for local, state, and national leaders.  Join us! Please register on www.eventbrite.com at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-path-of-hope-a-study-on-climate-action-for-faith-communities-tickets-273103288287. Contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com for more information.
Members of Citizen’s Climate Lobby explain the ins and outs of carbon fee & dividend as an economic policy tool to address climate change. Learn about the positive impact not only on the environment, but also on jobs, the economy, and human health.  And, carbon fee & dividend has been deemed by economists as the fastest way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions of any economic policy approach. But, best of all, carbon fee & dividend is designed to ensure equity and justice, a key concern of people of all faith/spiritual traditions. Please register for this event on www.eventbrite.com at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/carbon-fee-dividend-whats-justice-got-to-do-with-it-tickets-307725203367. Contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com for more details.