The theme of the sixth annual conference, which coincides with the 40th anniversary of the best-seller Limits to Growth, is “Adaptation: Creating a Resilient Future.” The HSU symposium in the Kate Buchanan Room will be anchored by top specialists in the field who will examine the effects of climate change on energy and transportation systems, food production, economics and natural resources.
The conference combines the symposium on campus Thursday and Friday, July 19-20, and an Expo/Trade Show and tours from the Arcata Community Center on Saturday, July 21. Attendance at the expo is free and open to the general public.
Nationally recognized authors and experts at the Humboldt State symposium will probe the development of strategies and technologies that can foster adaptation to a changing climate. Headline speakers are:
- Bill McKibben, famed educator, environmentalist and author of The End of Nature, The Global Warming Reader and Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future and founder of 350.org, an advocacy organization for grassroots global climate solutions
- Richard Heinberg, Post-Carbon Institute senior fellow and author of more than 10 books on energy policy
- Rob Hopkins, co-founder of the Transition Town movement and of the Transition Network, author of The Transition Handbook—From Oil Dependence to Local Resilience and The Transition Companion
- Mario Vangelisti, impact investor and founder of the Slow Money Alliance, which explores innovative local investment strategies
Humboldt speakers will include Michael Furniss of the Redwood Science Lab, who will discuss the impact of climate change on redwood forests; Aldaron Laird of Trinity Consulting, author of the Humboldt Bay Shoreline Inventory and Inundation Assessment; Kirsten Schwind, co-founder of Bay Localize and author of the Community Resilience Toolkit; and Allyse Heartwell, online campaigner for 350.org.
The Building Green Communities Trade Show and Expo at the Arcata Community Center on Saturday, July 21 will include exhibitors and vendors with information, goods and services related to the development of a sustainable and resilient future. A number of working groups will delve further into issues presented at the conference.
Tours departing from the center will include the Arcata Marsh and Humboldt State’s CCAT House, oyster farms and the Potowat Health Center, local food producers, dairies and fisheries and a Northcoast Tribal Tour featuring indigenous permaculture and redwood canoe construction.
Conference pricing ranges from $20 (webcast) to $49 (general admission). All conference attendees will receive a Community Resilience Toolkit, a 120 page workbook of all resource materials for investigating and explaining how to build community resilience.
Attendance at the Tradeshow/Expo is free and tours are $40 for the Permaculture Tour and $55 for the Indigenous Adaptation Wisdom Tour.
Full information is available at (707) 599-6612 and online registration is posted at www.AdaptationConference.org.
Conference manager Larry Goldberg can be reached at (707) 845-7272 and larry@northcoast.com.