UH Energy invites you to attend the second event in the 2019-2020 Energy Symposium Series | Critical Issues in Energy, “Future of Plastics: Designed Sustainability or Recycling.”

The production and use of plastics has defined the modern era and since the early 1950s they have substantially grown to be the material of choice in diverse applications. The production of plastics was projected to grow by a factor of five over the next twenty five years and the chemicals industry has been preparing for this by expanding production facilities worldwide. However, most plastics have their origins are in fossil based oil and gas and they have increasingly come under public scrutiny because of the preponderance of single use plastics in consumer products, their poor recycling rates (less than 10% globally) and their high-profile observation in unexpected parts of the ecosystem due to their improper disposal. The future of plastics is being formulated and issues of designed-in sustainability, bio-based replacements, and improved recycling are at the core and will be discussed in this symposium.

Speakers

Nichole Fitzgerald, Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) Technology Manager, U.S. Department of Energy

Jill Martin, Global Sustainability Fellow, Dow Chemical Company

Ganesh Nagarajan, Associate Director for Polymers Business Development and Projects, LyondellBasell Industries

Susannah Scott, Distinguished Professor, University of California – Santa Barbara

Moderator

Dr. Megan Robertson, Associate Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston

For more information about our speakers and moderator, please click here.

CELF Citizen Science: Inquiry to Action is a semester-long program that engages educators and students in project-based STEAM learning outside of the classroom. Tailored to each school and community location, we offer professional learning workshops for teachers paired with on-site support to implement a project-based learning module that  connects students to real-world challenges in their own neighborhoods. The program culminates in a Spring 2020 Student Symposium, bringing together all participating schools to present their findings and pollution-prevention plans to community members and real-world policy makers. The program combines the development of 21st century skills with the motivation and creativity generated by solving a problem in one’s own community.

Participants in the program will:

• Implement a project-based STEAM learning unit.

• Participate in professional learning workshops paired with on-site educator support.

• Collect data with AirBeam monitoring technology combined with HabitatMap crowd-sourced data sharing platform.

• Focus on air-quality while learning pedagogical principles that apply to a range of citizen science learning opportunities.

• Engage with local concerns through student-led inquiry.

This opportunity is grant-funded. Join one of the workshops, connect with our educators for on-site support, and come together with other classes implementing this program at our 2020 Spring Student Symposium.

If you attend one of these two professional development opportunities you can attain 2-hours of Continuing Professional Education credit, receive an air quality monitor, connect with local environmental partners, and enjoy a free lunch with fellow educators. You will also gain access to the 2020 Student Symposium, the culminating event for the program.

Available to Texas Master Naturalists; register through your local chapter or email Julia. Learn how to craft a message such that others hear you! This workshop gives tips and tricks to public speaking for volunteers.

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.

The H-GAC Clean Waters Initiative Workshop Series returns on Feb. 26, 2019. The tentative topic will be funding sources for water and wastewater-related infrastructure.

Dates for the rest of the year are May 22, 2019; Wednesday, August 21, 2019; and Wednesday, November 20, 2019.

Clean Waters Initiative offers workshops that help local governments, landowners, and residents develop effective strategies to reduce pollution in our area waterways.

H-GAC’s Solid Waste Program is reimagining its past roundtable-style meetings into a new Solid Waste Workshop Series. This format will offer a more in-depth look at select solid waste topics, resulting in greater value for attendees.

Dates for the 2019 Solid Waste Workshop Series:

• Feb. 21, 2019 – Environmental Enforcement
• May 16, 2019 – Recycling
• Aug. 15, 2019 – Food Waste
• Nov. 21, 2019 – Special Waste

This free, monthly workshop addresses the basics on how to install and operate a solar system.  It covers topics such as solar array types, costs of equipment and labor, permitting, energy savings, and reliability. The instructor, Bill Swann, is an expert in solar energy and has built many of his own solar systems. This workshop is ideal for all people; Bill can answer the simplest and most technical of questions. If you want to learn more about solar, this is the workshop for you. For more information, contact Bill Swann at william.swann2@gmail.com.

Street parking available. This workshop occurs on the last friday of every month, except December.

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