Matt Kiernan / News Editor
The second annual Global Environmental Sustainability Symposium brought together professors, scientists and heads of environmental organizations to discuss how people can help keep their planet a cleaner place to live.
The event ran for two days at different centers around campus and was hosted by assistant professor of geography Dr. Charles Button.
He held panel discussions, visits from various specialists on the subjects of global warming and environmental sustainability and exhibitions among other things.
“We need to look for any opportunity we can to make a difference,” said Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut.
Senator Dodd stopped by to give a speech and discuss with members of the audience ways to use renewable energy and the importance of people being informed that global warming is an issue that must be addressed.
He said that better housing and land use will save households thousands of dollars each year and that addressing environmental problems will give everyone a once in a generation chance for change.
“This ought to be a no-brainer for us to move aggressively,” said Dodd.
A town hall meeting with Danielle Rosengarten of the Environmental Legislative Counsel for Senator Joe Lieberman, CT Climate Coalition and Campaign Director Roger Smith and CCSU Chief Administration Officer Dr. Richard Bachoo talked about how students and members of the community can help their environment.
“Doing things that help aren’t necessarily uncomfortable to people, but a mindset,” said Bachoo. Bachoo discussed how often people are hesitant towards helping their environment because of not caring enough and that helping doesn’t create much discomfort for people.
“The problem is we can’t do this just as Connecticut, we need to do this at a national level,” said Smith.
Smith said that money should be used towards ways of renewable energy rather than areas such as the coal industry for new innovations that may not necessarily work.
A panel discussion with toxicologist and author Dr. Gary Ginsberg, Head of Education and Outreach for the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History David Heiser, Director of Reforest the Tropics, Inc. Dr. Herster Barres and Chair of Windsor Environmental Subcomittee for Chamber of Commerce John Waiveris spoke about daily activities people can participate in to help out.
“Our choices as consumers tell us that we need the newest, best things out there,” said Heiser. Often people walk through aisles in stores and find themselves buying things that they don’t need, but want anyways and don’t take into consideration the health hazards of using the products.
A Circus for a Fragile Planet, a display in Welte Auditorium, featured acrobatics, juggling and featured clowns that interpreted life and death from environmental problems. An artistic performance by the group Neutralize Our Waste used theater to discuss the consequences and what people should do to create change.
An art exhibition is open for viewing until April 24 in Maloney Hall that features paintings and other art that examines environmental problems to show people the problems the world faces.
