Climate Change Conference 2018
Preserving Ourselves: Local and International Perspectives on Climate Change Threats and Solutions
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Image of the Gemini Wind Farm in the North Sea, depicting several wind turbines across an expansive, ocean horizon
Conference Description
A morning of discussion and debate regarding the urgent issue of how climate change is altering the course of life as we know it. We’ll hear from local businesses with global interests, from state and local government, as well as from two Dutch scholars who bring us perspectives we may wish to consider as we prepare for and attempt to mitigate the unique threats and challenges of climate change.
Please plan to join us for this event. The discussions and lunch are free but seating is limited to 80 persons and we ask that you RSVP to Robbi Osipoff at [email protected] to reserve your seat – admission will require a reservation.
WHEN: Wednesday, October 10, 2018
TIME: 8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
WHERE: Charles W. Loosemore Forum - SCB-1008, L. William Seidman Center, Grand Valley State University PEW campus.
PARKING: Fulton St Lot, under the 131 overpass (just north of the Seidman building)
Featured Speakers
The Keynote Address
Mandy de Wilde, Ph.D., Researcher & Author, the Environmental Policy Group, Wageningen University & Research, the Netherlands
The Netherlands is very much a man-made landscape. From the beginning the Dutch have been locked in battle with water coming in from the rivers and the sea. This never-ending struggle against nature has helped initiate collective effort and a mercantile spirit which lies at the heart of Dutch identity. Nowadays, the Netherlands is facing a new major challenge, namely climate change. In an effort to adapt to climate change the Dutch are taking recourse to the same consensus-based polder model that has kept the country safe and thriving for centuries. Nowadays, both governments and companies view climate change as an opportunity for innovation and economic growth. Nurturing climate-smart innovation, the central government supports the development and marketing of new technologies, products and services and new ways of doing business. However, governments and companies are not the only ones being innovative when it comes to dealing with climate change. Some NGOs and citizens increasingly voice their concerns about the pace and manner in which governments and companies are dealing with climate change. In this presentation, I will showcase how the Dutch are transitioning to a low-carbon, circular and sustainable society by emphasizing the role played by consensus-based decision-making, market-based solutions and social movements.
Photo of dr. Mandy de Wilde sitting elegantly on some steps
The Panelists
Norman J. Saari
Commissioner, Michigan Public Service Commission
Jeff Myrom
Director, Renewable Energy & Electric Vehicle Customer Products, Clean Energy Products, Consumers Energy
Margrethe K. Kearney, J.D.
Senior Staff Attorney, Environmental Law & Policy Center, Grand Rapids, MI
Erik Petrovskis
Director of Environmental Compliance and Sustainability at Meijer, Inc.
Mary Ellen Mika
Director of Global Compliance and Sustainability at Steelcase
Steve Ramus
Global Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Perrigo
Joshua Lunger
Director of Government Affairs at Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce
Cameron Kritikos
Mobilizing & Advocacy Fellow, Climate Witness Project
Jan O’Connell
Development Director and Energy Issues Organizer, Michigan Chapter, Sierra Club
Thomas Franssen, Ph.D.
Researcher, Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS), Faculty of Social Sciences, Leiden University, The Netherlands
Alison Sutter
Sustainability Manager for the City of Grand Rapids
Gillian Giem
Program Manager, U.S. Green Building Council - West Michigan Chapter
The Moderators
John A. Kinch, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Michigan Energy Options
Kelly Parker, Ph.D.
Professor of Philosophy, Director of the Environmental Studies Program
Michael DeWilde, MTS
Professor of Management, Director of the Koeze Business Ethics Initiative, Seidman College of Business, Grand Valley State University
Program
For a downloadable version of the program, please click here.
8:30 – 8:40 a.m. Welcome
Michael DeWilde
Professor of Management, Director of the Koeze Business Ethics Initiative, Seidman College of Business, Grand Valley State University
8:40 – 9:30 a.m. Panel One:
Energy and Michigan’s Future: Policies and Practices
Moderator: John A. Kinch, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Michigan Energy Options
Norman J. Saari
Commissioner, Michigan Public Service Commission
Jeff Myrom
Director, Renewable Energy & Electric Vehicle Customer Products, Clean Energy Products, Consumers Energy
Margrethe K. Kearney, J.D.
Senior Staff Attorney, Environmental Law & Policy Center
9:30 – 9:40 a.m. Break
9:40 – 10:30 a.m. Panel Two:
Business: Progress and Profit in an Age of Climate Change
Moderator: Kelly Parker, Ph.D.
Professor of Philosophy, Director of the Environmental Studies Program, GVSU
Erik Petrovskis
Director of Environmental Compliance and Sustainability at Meijer
Mary Ellen Mika
Director of Global Compliance and Sustainability at Steelcase
Steve Ramus
Global Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Perrigo
Respondent: Joshua Lunger
Director, Governmental Affairs, GR Chamber of Commerce
10:30 – 10:40 a.m. Break
10:40 – 11:30 a.m. Panel Three:
Moving Forward Together: What We Can All Do
Moderator: Michael DeWilde
Professor of Management, Director of the Koeze Business Ethics Initiative
Cameron Kritikos
Mobilizing & Advocacy Fellow, Climate Witness Project
Jan O’Connell
Development Director and Energy Issues Organizer, Michigan Chapter Sierra Club
Thomas Franssen, Ph.D.
Researcher, Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS), Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Leiden, the Netherlands
Alison Sutter
Sustainability Manager for the City of Grand Rapids
Gillian Giem
Program Manager, U.S. Green Building Council - West Michigan Chapter
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Lunch & Keynote
How the Dutch Are Dealing With Climate Change: Polders, Politics, and Markets
Mandy de Wilde, Ph.D.
Researcher & Author, the Environmental Policy Group, Wageningen University & Research, the Netherlands