FUTURE EVENTS
Monday, April 20, 12-2 pm: Oil, Gas, and Mineral Resources of the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf: Extent, Recoverability & Environmental Implications
2000 L Street, NW, Suite 620, Washington, DC 20036
While the US is not yet a Party to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, it has been engaged in gathering and analyzing data to determine the outer limits of its extended continental shelf (ECS) since 2001. Under the Convention, every coastal State has a continental shelf out to 200 nautical miles from its coastal baselines, and beyond that distance if certain criteria in are met. The ECS is that portion of the continental shelf that lies beyond this 200 nautical mile limit. This seminar will explore the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf Project, the potential extent and recoverability of ECS mineral resources, and the implications of commercial recovery for the ocean environment.
More info and registration: http://www.eli.org/Seminars/event.cfm?eventid=461.
Tuesday, April 21, 3-5 pm: Demography, Environment, and Conflict in Indonesia and India
5th Floor Conference Room, Woodrow Wilson Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20004
Several recent country-level studies have found only moderate support for the idea that population pressure and resource scarcity can lead to political violence. This finding challenges much of the case-study literature in the field, as well as widely held popular perceptions. But the level of analysis may partly explain the discrepancy. Henrik Urdal of the International Peace Research Institute, Oslo will present these case studies and discuss the relationship between population, resource scarcity, conflict, and governance. AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow Steve Rhee will discuss his extensive work on forest and land-tenure conflicts involving villagers, timber companies, and the government in Kalimantan, Indonesia. His presentation will be based on fieldwork he conducted in Indonesia from 1999-2004 as part of his Ph.D. at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.
Please RSVP to ecsp@wilsoncenter.org with your name and affiliation.
Wednesday, April 22, 9-11 am: Asia's Next Challenge: Securing the Region's Water Future
Wilson Center, Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Water-related problems are particularly acute in Asia – the world's most populous continent. As population growth and urbanization rates in Asia continue to rise, stress on the region's water resources will intensify. Climate change is expected to worsen the situation. Experts agree that reduced access to fresh water will lead to a cascading set of consequences, including impaired food production, the loss of secure livelihood, large-scale migration within and across borders, and increased geopolitical tensions and instabilities. The report by Asia Society's Leadership Group on Water Security in Asia considers the security dimensions associated with decreased access to a safe, stable supply of water in Asia and provides a forward-looking agenda aimed at averting a water crisis in the region.
More info and registration: http://www.wilsoncenter.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=events.event_summary&event_id=515137
Wednesday, April 22, 9 am-12 pm: The Green Road Ahead: Electric Drive Today & Tomorrow
325 Russell Senate Office Building
The Electric Drive Transportation Association, with support from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, invites you to a briefing to discuss how federal policies can help to accelerate the mainstreaming of electric drive technologies, reduce U.S. dependence on oil, and cut greenhouse gas emissions. The first panel will present the automotive perspective for electric drive in 2010 and beyond. The second panel will discuss the batteries and infrastructure that are critical to the establishment of electric drive in the United States.
Wednesday, April 29, 12-2 pm: Equity and Commercial Rights for Genetic Resources
2000 L St. NW, Washington, DC 20036
In recent years, access to genetic rights has become an important issue for transactions, intellectual property rights, and equity claims. Attempts to secure genetic resources now often includes extended interactions with the host country and its indigenous and local populations, particularly regarding historic uses of these resources. Moreover, the issue is being discussed in a large number of international fora, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, the UN Food and Agriculture International Treaty for Plant and Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, and the TRIPS discussions within the Doha round negotitations of the World Trade Organization.
More info and registration: http://www.eli.org/Seminars/event.cfm?eventid=457
Tuesday, May 5, 1-6 pm: Living Green – A Conference on Sustainable Urban Planning and Green Building
House of Sweden, 2900 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
The Swedish Trade Council and the Embassy of Sweden, in cooperation with the U.S. Green Building Council and the City of Stockholm, invite you to a conference where we will explore the concept of sustainability in urban design and building and provide an opportunity to network with fellow green building industry participants. Swedish and U.S. experts will share their experiences and views from both countries on developing greener living spaces. The conference will also put on display emerging technologies that are moving us toward sustainability.
Registration is free of charge. For full program details, speaker profiles and practical information visit: www.tradewithsweden.com/greenbuilding