Florida Tech Brings National, International Speakers to Sustainability Forum, March 8-9

MELBOURNE, FLA.—Florida Institute of Technology will present the eighth international, interdisciplinary forum, “Sustainability 2011: Is It Worth It?” To be held March 8-9 on campus, the forum is a collaborative effort of the Florida Tech College of Science and College of Business, the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) and the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology in Germany. The forum presents speakers from across the United States and abroad. The public is invited to attend. Approximately 75 invited students from Brevard County high schools will also be attending.

“The forum will focus on the economic factors of sustainability, and the local and global challenges,” said Gordon L. Nelson, vice president of Academic Affairs at Florida Tech. “It is designed to appeal to a varied audience and will offer the latest academic research and perspectives for practitioners and public policy makers.”

A March 8 highlight will be a presentation by Ge Yang, environmental economist and associate professor at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. His talk is “The Efficient Application and Sustainable Development of Energy in China.” China is currently the No. 1 energy user in the world.
Other planned presentations on the first day include Clean Lighting Market Success; Saving Money and Reducing Campus Carbon Footprints; Marketing Energy Innovations in the Automotive Industry; The Right Stuff for Renewable Energy; and Sustainability at NASA’s University: Training New Thought Leaders at Florida Tech. That evening, the Space Coast Tiger Bay Club will lead a panel discussion on economics and energy featuring leading engineers and scientists.

A March 9 highlight will be a presentation by a member of the Indian Parliament, noted commentator Chandan Mitra. His presentation will be

Other presentations on the second day include The Danube River Disaster; Tsunami in India’s Shorelands: Learning Sustainability from Natural Disaster Victims; Impact of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on Ecosystems Services of Coastal Marshes; Sustainable Fisheries; Macroalgae Biofuel: Green Revolution in Blue Water, Eucalyptus for Biofuel; Acquisition of Protected Lands in a Changing Economic Climate; New International Initiatives to Conserve the MesoAmerican Biological Corridor; The Importance of Ethics in Climate Change; Global Change, Local Management & the Sustainability of Coral Reef Ecosystems; Sustainable Urban & Suburban Community Initiative in Developing Countries: Evidence from Vietnam and Indonesia; and Operationalizing Sustainable Development on a Regional Level by Holistic Education.

Online registration begins Dec. 15. Complete information on the event and online registration are available at http://411.fit.edu/sustainability/

Sponsorships to help defray conference costs are available. The gold, silver and bronze sponsorship levels of $5,000, $2,500 and $1,500 offer company/organization advertisements, conference registration and banquet tickets. For more information on sponsorships contact Michelle Verkooy at (321) 674-6852 or via e-mail at mverkooy@fit.edu.

A conference registration fee of $85 ($25 for students) entitles registrants to attend both daily sessions as well as luncheons. For those wishing to attend one day only, the daily fee is $50 ($15 for students), which includes lunch.
For more information, contact Linda Ward, College of Science, Florida Institute of Technology at (321) 674-7573 or via e-mail at lward@fit.edu. Florida Tech is located at 150 West University Blvd, Melbourne, Fla., 32901.