Rain is as important as carbon dioxide in cooling our planet. People must restore trees and soil to restore the water cycle.

The image above shows how trees pump huge amounts of water back into the air and create more rain further inland. It is a river in the sky.

When folks started climate modeling, to simplify, they ignored water vapor and focused on carbon dioxide. But the water cycle is 95% of planetary cooling while carbon dioxide is only 5%, according to Dr. Walter Jehne. We need to keep on reducing emissions, but it’s time to also work on restoring ecosystems and their soils. Besides this may be an easier and faster way to make a difference.

To learn more and register to this event visit Coolingourplanet

The combination of IoT and big data analytics allow cities to imagine ways to be more efficient, resilient, sustainable in many fields like energy, building, mobility, utilities, safety, waste management and so on.

But Smart city solutions are not only designed for cities. They are also highly attractive for universities, hospitals and large companies to improve the management of their assets and their consumption of energy and natural resources.

What is the reality of the smart city concept?

What is going on in Houston and elsewhere in the US?

What are the main solutions provided by the vendors to the MUSH market and to the companies?

Attend our event to get a glimpse of what the city, corporates and startups have to offer to build a smart city.

SPEAKERS

Introduction:

• Franck Avice, President, French-American Chamber Of Commerce Houston
• Christine Galib, Director, Ion Smart Cities Accelerator

Moderator:

• William Fulton, Director at Kinder Institute for Urban Research, Rice University

Panelists:

• Jessie Bounds, Director of Innovation, City Of Houston
• Kimberly Jonhston, National Tax Partner Energy, Ernst & Young
• Roger Flud, Smart City Specialist & Sales Team Leader, Schneider Electric
• Bruce Rutherford, International Director, JLL

AGENDA

5:30pm: Check-in/Networking; 6:00pm: Panel Discussion; 7:30pm: Networking Cocktail

Parking available at Green Street Garage on Fannin Street or on street after 6pm for free.

Interested in Urban Forestry? Come join Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, HAUFC and ISA-TX for a great day of education. Topics include: Emerald Ash Borer – Coming to a City Near You, Using Tree Growth Regulators to Reduce Pruning Costs, and Greening the Houston Region – Partnerships and Projects that Support the Urban Forest.

Join us at our Quarterly Membership Meeting! 
Meet fellow conservation enthusiasts at an evening of food, drinks, and fun for everyone.

2019 Galveston Bay Report Card: How healthy is Galveston Bay?
Presentation by T’Noya Thompson, Galveston Bay Foundation Advocacy Programs Manager
T’Noya will examine and explain the grades and factors leading up to those grades for this year in Galveston Bay.

Date: Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Time: 5:30 – 8:00pm
Itinerary
5:30 – 6:30pm : One self-guided hour to explore the Lone Star Flight Museum with access to the two hangars, the Flight Academy and their Heritage Gallery.
6:00 – 6:45pm: Guests can explore the museum until 6:30pm, eat and drink during this time, or assemble a plate to take into the presentation
6:45 – 8pm: Introductions, presentation, Q&A
Location: Lone Star Flight Museum

Duke University Press Description of Book:  “Based on fieldwork among state officials, NGOs, politicians, and activists in Costa Rica and Brazil, A Future History of Water traces the unspectacular work necessary to make water access a human right and a human right something different from a commodity. Andrea Ballestero shows how these ephemeral distinctions are made through four technolegal devices—formula, index, list and pact. She argues that what is at stake in these devices is not the making of a distinct future but what counts as the future in the first place. A Future History of Water is an ethnographically rich and conceptually charged journey into ant-filled water meters, fantastical water taxonomies, promises captured on slips of paper, and statistical maneuvers that dissolve the human of human rights. Ultimately, Ballestero demonstrates what happens when instead of trying to fix its meaning, we make water’s changing form the precondition of our analyses.”

Going Green in Houses of Worship – Learn from Others!

The Interfaith Environmental Network of Houston invites you to learn how houses of worship in Houston are going green and consider what you could do in your own house of worship. Join speakers of a variety of faith backgrounds who will discuss work in their houses of worship to go green in their building, grounds, worship services, community service projects, advocacy, educational programs, and more. After each speaker presents on their work, we will have break-out sessions where you can discuss your challenges in going green in your house of worship and get tips from others. People of all faiths are encouraged to attend, as are representatives of local environmental non-profits that would like to work with people of faith on environmental issues. Please join us! The Interfaith Environmental Network of Houston acts to empower the faith community in the greater Houston area to act and advocate on behalf of the environment. For more information about this event, or the Interfaith Environmental Network of Houston, please contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com.

On Jan. 26, from 9:45-11 a.m., Christ the King Lutheran Church will host a presentation by Dr. Stephen Long, a public health physician, on the EAT Lancet Commission on Food, Planet & Health: Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems report. This study, compiled by 37 scientists and other experts from 16 countries, aims to establish a global food economy that could combat chronic diseases in wealthy nations like ours and provide better nutrition for poor ones, all without destroying the planet. For more information, see the Facebook event.

Nature lovers of all ages are invited to discover local environmental organizations, outdoor activities, native plants, and wildlife. This family-friendly event includes pontoon boat tours, guided walks, live animals, and a catch-and-release fishing tank.

Raise funds for the Lawther-Deer Park Prairie Education Program, honor Susan and Peter Conaty, participate in auctions, and test your prairie knowledge with this fun program.

New to the EcoRise Eco-Audit Grant Process and want to learn how to walk students through a student written grant process to get their sustainability ideas funded? Join us for this one-hour introductory webinar!

EcoRise will:

-Review the curriculum/resource platform

-View examples

-Discuss facilitation ideas

EcoRise will use Zoom video platform. Please be sure your camera and video are working in advance of the webinar. Use the link below to log into the meeting. It takes about 1-2 minutes to get set up before the meeting.Join us via laptop at: https://zoom.us/s/9624181171

**Webinar is for PreK-12 teachers only. Please respond to confirmation email to secure your spot.

Already an EcoRise teacher and need some one-on-one guidance? Schedule an Eco-Audit Grant Check In:

https://calendly.com/ecorisekristi/15min