The CCESS2024 is a proud partner and co-host of the Global Climate Change Week, championed this year by the University of Tasmania. You can access the list of all GCCW 2024 worldwide events here.

Chanting the Waters

"Chanting the Waters" poem by Craig Santos Perez, recited by the class of Professor Brian Deyo, English, GVSU

Eleanor Moreno

Eleanor Moreno is a Queer Afro-Latine community organizer and advocate, currently serving as the Strategy Manager for the Kent County Food Policy Council and the Regional Coordinator for Why Hunger. They are also running for the Grand Rapids Public School Board. With a deep commitment to social impact and community empowerment, Eleanor focuses on building a sovereign food ecosystem and nurturing connections through food and storytelling. Through their leadership and advocacy, they strive to empower underrepresented groups and foster a vibrant, inclusive community.

Erica Bouldin

Erica Bouldin is a passionate environmentalist who has been uplifting voices of the marginalized communities in West Michigan for two years. As a Climate Justice Organizer with the Urban Core Collective she cultivates organic relationships within Grand Rapids in hopes to lessen the divide between frontline communities and the representatives who are responsible for assisting them with gaining access to a healthy, sustainable future.

Tanya Cabala

Tanya Cabala is a dedicated community environmental advocate with over 30 years of experience. She is a Lakeshore outreach organizer for the West Michigan Environmental Action Council. She currently works on several important projects promoting clean energy solutions, leads a Muskegon County recycling initiative, assists with WMEAC blogs, and collaborates with Muskegon area teachers on a zero waste education curriculum. Tanya has served 12 years on the City Council and is currently in another four-year term. She is a Founder of  White Lake Area Nature Walks,  a community organization introducing residents to local natural assets, and established a consulting business supporting Great Lakes organizations.

Peter A. Victor

Peter A. Victor, author of Escape from Overshoot. Economics for a Planet in Peril and several other books, received his Ph.D. in economics from UBC in 1971. He has worked for over 50 years in Canada and abroad on economy and environment as an academic, consultant and public servant. Positions held include Assistant Deputy Minister in the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Dean and Professor in the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change at York University, Canada, and Renewable Energy Advisor to the Kenya Ministry of Energy and Regional Development. His work on ecological economics, notably on environmentally extended input-output analysis, ecological macroeconomics, and alternatives to economic growth, is widely cited and has been recognized through the award of several prizes and election to the Royal Society of Canada.

Day 1: Tuesday, October 15, 2024 from 1 PM to 6 PM at GVSU Russel H. Kirkhof Center, Allendale, MI

 Climate Expo, conversations, and coffee

Welcome by Brian Deyo, CCESS2024 Planning Committee Chair.

Opening Remarks by Donovan Anderson, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.

"Food as a Form of Resistance". Keynote Presentation by Eleanor Moreno, Strategy Manager for the Kent County Food Policy Council and the Regional Coordinator for Why Hunger Introduction by Anne Caillaud, Modern Languages and Literatures, GVSU.

"The Most Dangerous Pipeline". A conversation with Erica Bouldin, Line 5 Engagement Coordinator, Michigan Climate Action Network. Introduction by Meg Woller-Skar, Biology, GVSU.

Panel discussion with Eleanor Moreno and Erica Bouldin, moderated by Brian Deyo, English, GVSU.

Tea/Coffee break and discussion. EPA grant collaboration announcement by Terry Gates, Executive Director, Healthy Planet Strategies.

Outdoor Breakout Sessions:

Session A - How to Compost? An Interactive Guide. This interactive session by Catherine Molloseau, Assistant Professor of Engineering and Isak Davis, Farm Manager and Educator, GVSU will take place at the Sustainable Agriculture Project. Shuttle transportation from KC to SAP and back will be available.

Session B - Reimagining Green Infrastructure: Rewilding as High-Impact Practice (HIP). A campus walkabout with Eileen Boekstein (EGLE) and Brian Deyo (GVSU).

Indoor Breakout Sessions:

Session C RM 2270 KC- Statewide Networks Support for Teaching Climate.  Interactive workshop by Denise Keele, Executive Director (MICAN), Elise DeCamp, Education Advisor (MICAN), Eileen Boekestein (EGLE), Lauren Westerman (MAOEE), Rose Spickler (MiSBF), Jeff Insko (Oakland University), and Brian Deyo (GVSU). This collaborative workshop will bring together Climate Education Action Team organized by the Michigan Alliance for Outdoor and Environmental Educators, and the Higher Education for Climate Action in Michigan organized by the Michigan Climate Action Network. 

Session D - RM 2266 - Presentations. Moderated by Abbe Forbes (Student Affairs) and Kin Ma (Geography and Sustainable Planning).

Equitable Access to Technologies for Underrepresented and Small-Scale Farmers to Build Resilience to Climate Change by Daniel Uyeh, Justin Simard, Singel Wenona, Pang-Ning Tan, Ike Iyioke, and Lifeng Luo, Michigan State University.

The Joyful Case for Going Vegan by Matthew Halteman, Calvin University.

Day 2: Wednesday, October 16, 2024 in Muskegon from 3:30 to 6:30 PM

GLISA ELF  Stakeholders symposium at Robert B. Annis Water Research Institute and cruise on W.G. Jackson research vessel. 

Refreshments and Conversations. Welcome by Jamie Cross, Education Specialist, AWRI.

GLISA ELF Project "Elevating Youth Leadership And Peer-Learning To Support Climate Adaptation In West Michigan Lakeshore Frontline Communities". Presentation by by Rylie Dietz, Rebecca Lubbers, Elena Lioubimtseva, Diane Miller, Janet Vail, and Kin Ma, GVSU.

"Finding Your Power: Lessons from a Lifelong Environmental Advocate". Keynote presentation by Tanya Cabala, Lakeshore Outreach Coordinator, West Michigan Environmental Council. Introduction by Elena Lioubimtseva, Geography and Sustainable Planning, GVSU.

Cruise on Muskegon Lake and presentation about the AWRI climate education program by Jamie Cross, Amanda Syers, and Bopaiah  Biddanda, AWRI scientists.

DAY 3: OCTOBER 17, 2024 Online

Recasting the University with a Sustainable Systems Epistemology at Its Heart. An online global forum by the University of Tasmania (Tasmania, Australia), Erasmus University (Rotterdam, The Netherlands) and Grand Valley State University (Michigan, USA)

Keynote Speaker: Emeritus Professor Stephen Sterling, University of Plymouth, UK.

Speakers:

- Professor Dr Agni Kalfagianni, Erasmus University

- Professor Fred Gale, University of Tasmania

- Associate Professor Brian Deyo, Grand Valley State University

- Associate Professor Aidan Davison, University of Tasmania

- Dr Laura Ripoll Gonzalez, Erasmus University

- Dr Graham Wood, University of Tasmania

- Dr Ana Vasques, Erasmus University

CCESS 2024 International Youth Forum, moderated by Elena Lioubimtseva, GVSU Geography and Sustainable Planning Department

"Elevating Youth Leadership And Peer-Learning To Support Climate Adaptation In West Michigan Lakeshore Frontline Communities" (GLISA-ELF) by Rylie Dietz and Rebecca Lubbers, GVSU

"What Are the Specific Difficulties in Meeting the Climate Change Targets in the Far North of Scotland?" by Tina Irving, Student at Heriot Watt University, Orkney, Scotland, United Kingdom

"Equity and Inclusion in Climate Action and Adaptation Plans of Michigan Cities" by Katherine Carron, GVSU and Kaytlin Poynter, University of Colorado, Denver

Keynote Address  "Escape from Overshoot" by Dr. Peter Alan Victor, Professor Emeritus of Environmental Studies at York University, Canada, moderated by Elena Lioubimtseva

Order your own copy of "Escape from Overshoot: Economics for a Planet in Peril" book here.

Dr. Peter A. Victor, author of Escape from Overshoot. Economics for a Planet in Peril and several other books, received his Ph.D. in economics from UBC in 1971. He has worked for over 50 years in Canada and abroad on economy and environment as an academic, consultant and public servant. Positions held include Assistant Deputy Minister in the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Dean and Professor in the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change at York University, Canada, and Renewable Energy Advisor to the Kenya Ministry of Energy and Regional Development. His work on ecological economics, notably on environmentally extended input-output analysis, ecological macroeconomics, and alternatives to economic growth, is widely cited and has been recognized through the award of several prizes and election to the Royal Society of Canada.