Sierra Club Monthly Program: An evening with three young environmentalists
Details
Happy Hour /food and beverages (http://www.scholzgarten.com/): 6-7 pm
Socializing and informal discussions on current events: 6-7 pm
Announcements and program begin at 7 pm
PROGRAM: An evening with three young environmentalists
- Methane Pollution on University Land with Emma Pabst, Global Warming Solutions Associate, Environment Texas. UT prides itself on leading the way towards a clean, sustainable future, but when it comes to controlling global warming pollution from fracking operations on university-owned land, UT’s approach is stuck in the past. We'll explore the issue of methane pollution on University Land, how UT can prevent these emissions, and what we can do to get them there.
Emma graduated from the University of Texas at Austin where she earned a BA in African Diaspora Studies, a minor in Rhetoric, and served as an active member of the policy debate team. Today, she leads up Environment Texas' global warming campaigns, including their work fighting the oil and gas industry in west Texas. Currently, she's working to ban routine flaring operations in the state, as well as pressuring UT and A&M to reduce methane emissions on university-owned land.
- Public Transit and CapMetro's Project Connect with Lauren Banister, Transportation Associate, Texas Public Interest Research Group (TexPIRG). From congested highways to dirty fuel, transportation is one of the leading causes of air pollution in our country. We need a way to move people from place to place in a clean and accessible way -- a transportation system that moves people, not cars. Laruen will present on TexPIRGS work to promote CapMetro's Project Connect, a comprehensive plan to reinvent transit here in Austin.
Lauren is the new Transportation associate with the Texas Public Interest Research Group, or TexPIRG, a consumer and environmental advocacy group that works to keep people healthy and safe and protect the environment. Lauren recently moved here from Burlington, Vermont where she studied agriculture, advocated for food justice, and tried to rely solely on her bike and two feet for transportation despite the dishearteningly steep hills. She now works to build support for public transportation in Austin and the ways that it can improve the quality of the environment and people's lives.
- Nature-based Communities: Using Green Infrastructure to Combat Water Pollution with Anna Farrell-Sherman, Clean Water Associate, Environment Texas. As Texas and Austin grow, we face increasing water pollution, urban heat, flooding danger, and water shortages. Nature-based infrastructure, like rain gardens, green roofs, and the restoration of natural spaces can help combat all these problems. Anna will discuss Environment Texas’s work to promote nature-based solutions, and what these changes can do to prevent water pollution in Texas.
Anna is the new Clean Water Associate at Environment Texas, a statewide group advocating for our clean air, clean water, and open spaces. She's excited to get to work exploring and preserving Austin’s beautiful natural spaces, and meet environmental-advocates from all walks of life along the way. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, rock climbing, and cooking.
Consider biking, carpooling, or taking Cap Metro (http://www.capmetro.org/planner) to the meeting. Free parking is available after 6pm on San Jacinto and nearby streets.