Annual Meeting 2012 Presentations and Photos

Here are the the PowerPoint presentations from March 29th's annual meeting, "Economic Benefits of Sustainability to Southeastern Massachusetts".

All presentations are presented as PDFs.

Photos of the meeting:

We will have video soon.

 

Annual Meeting

Agenda

2nd Annual Southeastern Massachusetts Sustainability Forum:
Economic Benefits of Sustainability to Southeastern Massachusetts

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Conference Offers Hope, Solutions, and Benefits for the Community

Hosted by the Southeastern Massachusetts Council on Sustainability, this year’s forum will focus on current challenges and opportunities for the region in agriculture, food, energy, natural resources, transportation, and community development, and the economic benefits in implementing sustainable solutions.

“Sustainability has to do with resilience – how businesses, communities and individuals stay firmly rooted when threatened by the winds of change,” said Susan Jennings, Director of the Office of Campus and Community Sustainability at UMass Dartmouth.

Presenters for the Forum on Sustainability include educators, officials, and community members from UMass Dartmouth, the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD), the Southeastern Environmental Education Alliance, and the Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership.Each presenter will offer their own proposals for policy changes, projects to enhance sustainability, and individual behavior choices.

“The potential impacts of technological advances, climate change, and fossil fuel depletion on our national and regional economy are beyond the control of local officials and citizens, but not beyond our ability to make smart choices that reduce our vulnerability, and increase our likelihood of economic stability,” said Ms. Jennings, who is also Co-Chair for the Council on Sustainability.

Attendance is free and all are welcome.

Where
Woodland Commons
UMass Dartmouth
Directions (park in lot 7a)
Woodland Commons is Building V, just inside Ring Rd on the right side of this map

When
Thursday, March 29, 2012 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Register

8:30 Registration and Coffee

9:00 Welcome, Introductions and Forum Objectives

  • Susan Jennings, Co-Chair, Council on Sustainability

9:15 Today's Southeastern Massachusetts Economy: Challenges and Opportunities

  • Dr. Michael Goodman, Chair; Department of Public Policy, UMass Dartmouth

9:45 Linking the Regional Economy and Regional Sustainability

  • Dr. Chad McGuire, Asst. professor of Environmental Policy, UMass Dartmouth

10:15 Break

10:30 Charting a Course for Sustainability: a conversation among regional stakeholders

Each presenter will propose actions to make our region more sustainable. Actions may include policy changes, projects to enhance sustainability and individual behavior choices.

  • Discussion Leader: Susan (Peterson) Teal, Council Co-Chair
  • Agriculture and Food: Derek Christianson
  • Economy: Steve Smith
  • Energy: Jennifer Marshall
  • Natural Resources: Mark Rasmussen
  • Transportation: Adam Recchia
  • Community Solutions: Susan Jennings

12:00 Reaching Consensus

  • Susan (Peterson) Teal and Susan Jennings, Council Co-Chairs

12:30 Adjourn

We look forward to seeing you there!
All are welcome.

Pre-registration is encouraged, but not required.
For more information, contact the Sustainability Office at 508-910-6484 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

About the Council on Sustainability

The Southeastern Massachusetts Council on Sustainability was established by the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth (UMD) and the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD) to provide education, advice and assistance on the broad issue of sustainability in Southeastern Massachusetts.

The Council acts as a leadership forum and network to connect, facilitate, support and coordinate sustainability efforts and initiatives throughout Southeastern Massachusetts.

The Council acts as a regional coordination point for targeted efforts at achieving sustainability in food and agriculture, transportation, energy, natural resources and economic development. The Council will work to unite these elements into a regional plan for sustainability.

The Council will endeavor to secure and provide technical support by identifying expertise within UMD, SRPEDD and among regional resources for sustainability efforts and initiatives throughout the region.

Council membership is open to all who wish to participate.   Representatives from UMD and SRPEDD shall act as co-chairs. The Council may establish or support subcommittees for food and agriculture, transportation, energy, natural resources and economic development, or other areas as needed.


Welcome

To Officials, Citizens and Organizations in Southeastern Massachusetts concerned with Sustainability:



The future of our region and indeed our planet depends upon our making choices today that are sustainable fifty to one hundred years from now.  The decisions about how we develop land, use natural resources, consume energy and govern ourselves will have repercussions far into the future.

Many disparate groups and individuals in Southeastern Massachusetts have been working on these concerns under the umbrella of sustainability.  Included are those promoting local agriculture and farming, advocating for solar and wind energy, and planning for alternative methods of transportation.  Many have participated in a recent series of “regional exchanges” sponsored by UMass Dartmouth’s Sustainability Initiative and Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD).


We feel that it is time to unite these efforts as the Southeastern Massachusetts Council on Sustainability.  UMass Dartmouth and SRPEDD are taking the lead to organize the Council and we invite you to participate by appointing yourself or someone to represent your organization to the Council.

The purpose of the Council is to provide education, advice and assistance on the broad issue of sustainability in Southeastern Massachusetts.  The Council will act as a leadership forum and network to connect, facilitate, support and coordinate sustainability efforts and initiatives throughout Southeastern Massachusetts.  (See attached Statement of Organization).

For more information about the Council and the region’s efforts toward achieving sustainability, please contact Susan Jennings at UMass Dartmouth (508-910-6484; sjennings@umassd.edu ) or Louise Hardiman at SRPEDD (508-824-1367; lhardiman@srpedd.org ).