UCLA Sustainability

Gardening in Unlikely Places: Growing in Containers with Yvonne Savio
2020-04-22 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | CA
Wednesday, April 22, 2020 – 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Location: Zoom bit.ly/CSUNSustainZoom
Cost: Free

Presented by: Yvonne Savio
Yvonne Savio grew up on a 3/4-acre hillside lot in Pasadena growing year-round fruits and vegetables and flowers with lots of manure and compost and “making do” before it was called recycling or repurposing. She knows what “harvested at the perfect moment of ripeness” means and enjoys enabling others to enjoy the benefits of “growing your own.” For 36 years, she worked for the University of California, conferring with statewide vegetable, fruit, and ornamentals specialists; then revitalizing the Los Angeles County Master Gardener Volunteer Program, teaching 1150 Master Gardeners who then served 1.3 million county residents. Since she retired in 2015, she continues to inspire gardeners, making presentations, and providing monthly tips and blogging on her www.GardeningInLA.net website where she invites everyone to submit gardening events and job opportunities open to the public.
To learn more about Ms. Savio, please click here.
Zoom link: bit.ly/CSUNSustainZoom

Carbon Drawdown Now! Building to Combat the Climate Crisis
2020-04-22 14:00 - 15:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
Date And Time

Wed, April 22, 2020
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM EDT

ONLINE. Celebrate Earth Day from home with an interactive talk on embodied carbon and how we can make better buildings for the climate.

About this Event

** To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, we have made changes our Earth Day plans.**
Come together and celebrate Earth Day from home with an interactive webinar presented by the R.W. Kern Center and NESEA! Join us to talk embodied carbon, systems thinking, and climate justice with Jacob Deva Racusin and Ace McArleton of New Frameworks Design & Build.
The energy we spend constructing and operating buildings makes up a big portion of global carbon emissions. But buildings can become part of the climate crisis solution! We’ll cover the major carbon emissions associated with building, how we can use systems thinking and creative material solutions to lower these emissions (or even take them negative!), and how carbon-smart building can advance climate justice. Bring your curiosity and questions to find out how you can be part of this climate solution.
Register for free on Eventbrite; we’ll post the Zoom link to participate in the next few weeks. In the meantime, check out the R.W. Kern Center website for more info on climate impacts of the built environment, and sign up for brief monthly RWKC updates.
Please contact kern@hampshire.edu with questions.

Earth Day Virtual Celebration with Griffith Park
2020-04-22 16:00 - 17:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
Wednesday, April 22 at 4 PM – 5:30 PM

On the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, Friends of Griffith Park invites you to join in for a free ZOOM presentation with Jorge Ochoa, chair of Horticulture at Long Beach City College, who will discuss Insects & Plants: They Belong Together. Learn about this fascinating relationship that may be taking place in your own backyard!

Zoom must be downloaded in order to access… https://cccconfer.zoom.us/j/94859480434

Integrative Geopolitics: Climate Resilience in a Post-COVID World
2020-04-22 16:30 - 17:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
Wednesday, April 22 at 4:30pm

The Office of Sustainability, in collaboration with the Environmental Initiative, Environmental Studies Program, and the Lehigh Sustainability Council, at Lehigh University are thrilled to announce that the keynote speaker for Lehigh’s Earth Week 2020 celebration will be Joseph Robertson, Global Strategy Director for the Citizens’ Climate Education. The year 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and people across the globe will be celebrating the day through the international theme of climate action.
Please join us for Lehigh’s Virtual Earth Week Keynote Speaker Joseph Robertson
Global Strategy Director, Citizens’ Climate Education
“Integrative Geopolitics: Climate Resilience in a Post-COVID World”
April 22 at 4:30pm
Join the virtual webinar here.
The virtual talk is open to the public and we welcome all who wish to attend.
Please visit our Earth Month Celebration 2020 webpage for a running list of other virtual events occurring all month long throughout the country. To learn more about Earth Day and find other events being held around the globe, please visit the Earth Day Network.

Earth Day Love Letter Writing
2020-04-22 17:00 - 18:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Wednesday, April 22 from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM

Please join E3 in celebrating Earth Day by writing love letters to our one and only Mother Earth at 5pm this Earth day, Wednesday April 22nd!
Zoom: https://ucla.zoom.us/j/96675384818pwd=[REDACTED]

DIY Wednesday - Face Masks and Dreamcatchers
2020-04-22 17:00 - 20:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Wednesday, April 22, 2020 – 5:00pm to 8:00pm
Location: Instagram @csunasproductions

AS Productions will be hosting live tutorials on Instagram @csunasproductions on the creation of an upcycled dreamcatcher and DIY facemasks. The live dreamcatcher tutorial will be on at 5 PM, Facemasks will start at 7 PM.

Happiness & Sustainability Around the Earth
2020-04-22 18:00 - 2020-04-23 18:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
The Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) invites you to join our networks around the world, around the clock for a 24-hour webinar event, Happiness & Sustainability Around the Earth, on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day anniversary, Wednesday, April 22. During this 24-hour webinar, we will circumnavigate the globe to navigate happiness, well-being, and sustainability amongst COVID-19.

In this stressful and uncertain time, it is important to stay socially connected, while maintaining physical distancing. Happiness and well-being is something all humans share in common, and it is achieved through connecting with one another. According to the World Happiness Report, happiness is a better measure of a nation’s progress than GDP and using social well-being as a goal drives better public policy.

This 24-hour webinar will give us an opportunity to:

Engage with experts and community leaders on how various sustainable development initiatives across the globe are creating a more just and thriving society
Explore how the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs) are being met across 13 regions and networks
Discuss how happiness is still alive amidst a global pandemic

The 24 hours of this webinar is being split into two twelve hour sessions. Please view the timing and lists of networks presenting for each session below before registering. If you want to view the entire 24 hours, you will need to register for both sessions.
https://www.unsdsn.org/24hour-webinar

DIY Workshop: Beeswax Wraps
2020-04-23 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Thursday, April 23, 2020 – 12:00PM
Location: Instagram csunas_sustainability

Learn how to make crafts that can help save the planet and money, with AS Sustainability’s DIY Workshops. All DIY workshops will be posted on the AS Sustainability Instagram page at 12 PM on the following dates. Instagram: csunas_sustainability
April 23rd – Beeswax Wraps: Save money with this sustainable alternative to plastic wrap and single-use plastic.

City Nature Challenge 2020
2020-04-24 - 2020-05-03
April 24-27: Taking pictures of wild plants and animals.
April 28- May 3: Identifying what was found.

What is the City Nature Challenge?
Invented by citizen science staff at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (Lila Higgins) and California Academy of Sciences (Alison Young). The City Nature Challenge is an international effort for people to find and document plants and wildlife in cities across the globe. It’s a bioblitz-style competition where cities are in a contest against each other to see who can make the most observations of nature, who can find the most species, and who can engage the most people.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s City Nature Challenge is no longer a competition. We want to embrace the collaborative aspect of the CNC this year and the healing power of nature to allow people to document their local biodiversity in whatever way they can.
Why participate in the City Nature Challenge?
There is nature all around us, even in our cities! Knowing what species are in our city and where they are helps us study and protect them, but the ONLY way to do that is by all of us – scientists, land managers, and the community – working together to find and document the nature in our area. By participating in the City Nature Challenge, not only do you learn more about your local nature, but you can also make your city a better place – for you and other species!

Find Wildlife
It can be any plant, animal, or any other evidence of life found in your city.

Take a Picture
Take a picture of what you find. Be sure to note the location of the critter or plant.

Share!
Share your observations through iNaturalist or your city’s chosen platform.
Create your own iNaturalist account

Visit iNaturalist.org
Download the app from the AppStore or Google Play
Sign In
Start sharing your observations
Get feedback from actual scientists, experts, and other naturalists

The Future of Food
2020-04-24 09:30 - 10:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
Friday, April 24, 9:30 am – 10:45 am PST

Seth Goldman, Co-Founder, Eat the Change, PLNT Burger, and Honest Tea and Chair of the board, Beyond Meat, in conversation with Dr. Jennifer Walske, Interim Faculty Director of Impact@Anderson, on the future of food, including how we balance the needs of our population and the health of our planet, through more sustainable food consumption practices. “COVID-19 has shown us how global our food sourcing has become – but consumption trends often run counter to our goals for environmental sustainability and equity in food access. For the future of our planet and people, we must source and consume food in a more novel and efficient way.” Jennifer Walske, Interim Faculty Director, Impact@Anderson.

Register Here

Coronavirus and the Climate Crisis: Mobilizing Health for Common Solutions
2020-04-24 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
April 24 from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Zoom RSVP here

Gary Cohen has been a pioneer in the environmental health movement for thirty years. Cohen is President and Co-Founder of Health Care Without Harm and Practice Greenhealth. He was also instrumental in bringing together the NGOs and hospital systems that formed the Healthier Hospitals Initiative. All three were created to transform the health care sector to be environmentally sustainable and serve as anchor institutions to support environmental health in their communities.

COVID-19 and Environmental Law
2020-04-24 13:00 - 13:50 (America/Los_Angeles)
DATE: Friday, April 24, 2020
TIME: 1:00 p.m. – 1:50 p.m.

The UCLA Emmett Institute and UCLA Institute for Technology, Law and Policy invite you to a Zoom conversation on COVID-19 and environmental law with UCLA Law faculty this Friday, April 24, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT
UCLA Law professors William Boyd and Ann Carlson will respond to questions for environmental law amid the global response to the coronavirus pandemic. Professor Richard Re will moderate the conversation, addressing issues such as:

Reductions in Los Angeles air pollution
Federal regulatory rollbacks during the pandemic
Lessons from the coronavirus pandemic for law and policy approaches to climate change
Impacts on the oil and gas sector – and global energy markets

The event will last approximately 50 minutes and will allow for Q&A. Participants will be asked to submit questions via the Zoom chat channel.
The event is free and open to the public. Register to receive Zoom link. Please contact Daniel Melling, melling@law.ucla.edu, with any questions
Speakers:

William Boyd, Professor of Law, UCLA School of Law; Professor, UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability. Full bio.
Ann Carlson, Shirley Shapiro Professor of Environmental Law, UCLA School of Law; Faculty Co-Director, UCLA Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment. Full bio.

Richard Re (moderator), Professor of Law, UCLA School of Law; Co-Director, UCLA Institute for Technology, Law and Policy; Faculty Co-Director, PULSE (Program on Understanding Law, Science & Evidence). Full bio.
In addition to the Zoom conversation, UCLA Emmett Institute faculty are addressing environmental issues in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic and celebrating the 50th anniversary of Earth Day this week with a series of posts on the Legal Planet blog. Subscribe to Legal Planet.

Poppy Hour
2020-04-24 17:30 - 18:30, 2020-05-01 17:30 - 18:30, 2020-05-08 17:30 - 18:30, 2020-05-15 17:30 - 18:30, 2020-05-22 17:30 - 18:30, 2020-05-29 17:30 - 18:30 (America/Denver)
Theodore Payne Foundation presents

Fridays at 5:30-6:30pm PST
A LIVE show, on the internet, about California native plant gardens, and the people and ideas behind them. Grab your beverage of choice and join us on Zoom or YouTube where you can share questions and comments during the hour. Join Evan, Margaret, Andrew, and Philip every Friday through the pandemic.

Climate Adaptation Reseach Symposium: Measuring and Addressing Societal Impacts
2020-05-08 08:30 - 17:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
Mark your calendars for a first-of-its-kind national symposium featuring social science research that measures the scale and scope of climate impacts, as well as how to address those impacts through adaptive markets, public policies, and planning.

DIY Workshop: Unpaper Towels
2020-05-14 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Thursday, May 14, 2020 – 12:00pm
Location: Instagram: csunas_sustainability

https://www.csun.edu/as/events/diy-workshop-unpaper-towels
Learn how to make crafts that can help save the planet and money, with AS Sustainability’s DIY Workshops. All DIY workshops will be posted on the AS Sustainability Instagram page at 12 PM on the following dates. Instagram: csunas_sustainability
May 14th – Unpaper Towels: Learn how to customize your own reusable cloth towels to replace single use paper towels.

DIY Workshop: Body Wash and Hand Soap
2020-05-21 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Thursday, May 21, 2020 – 12:00pm
Location: Instagram: csunas_sustainability

Learn how to make crafts that can help save the planet and money, with AS Sustainability’s DIY Workshops. All DIY workshops will be posted on the AS Sustainability Instagram page at 12 PM on the following dates. Instagram: csunas_sustainability
May 21st – Body Wash and Hand Soap: Learn how to make a simple and inexpensive body wash and hand soap.

Talking Trash. Cultural Uses of Waste
2020-05-28 14:00 - 15:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
Thursday, May 28, 2020, from 2:00 to 3:30pm, Pacific Time (PT)

Join us on Thursday, May 28, 2020, from 2:00 to 3:30pm, Pacific Time (PT) for a remote presentation by Professor Maite Zubiaurre, a member of the UHI Core Faculty and Professor of Germanic Languages and of Spanish & Portuguese, discussing her recent scholarly monograph, Talking Trash. Cultural Uses of Waste (Vanderbilt University Press, 2019).
Professors Charlene Villaseñor-Black (Art History; Chicana Studies, UCLA) and Allison Carruth (English, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, UCLA) will be joining for a discussion of the book.
To register for the event please visit: https://ucla.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_0l_QscF0SfC8pNbP5dIzyQ
Talking Trash. Cultural Uses of Waste, has been awarded the “2020 Norman L. and Roselea J. Goldberg Prize from Vanderbilt University Press for the best book in the area of art or medicine.” https://humanities.ucla.edu/news/maite-zubiaurre-talking-trash-award/
For more information about the discussion please see the following links:
UCLA Center for European and Russian Studies: https://www.international.ucla.edu/euro/event/13950
Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/235152641083066/

Virtual Tour & Networking: Sustainability on Campus - Obtaining LEED Gold 101 at LA Valley College
2020-07-16 16:00 - 18:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
4:00 – 5:30pm PST Presentation + Virtual Tour
5:30 – 6:00pm PST Virtual Happy Hour
Join us via Zoom!
https://zoom.us/j/95984290329

This is a complimentary event brought to you by USGBC-LA, Verdical Group, and the USGBC-LA SFV Branch.
The event is open to all USGBC-LA Members as well as the General Public!
Click here to join the USGBC-LA community today!
USGBC-LA is pleased to partner with Verdical Group and the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) to present a virtual tour of Los Angeles Valley College’s LEED v3 BD+C Gold-certified Community Service Center and Glen Gateway buildings.
Hear from the project leads at LA Valley College, the design team, and the LEED consultant as they provide a virtual walkthrough of these two unique buildings, highlighting specific sustainability challenges and successful savings measures along the way.

GPRO Fundamentals of Green Building Virtual Training - GBCI, AIA, and PDH credits available!
2020-07-21 10:00 - 2020-07-22 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
GREEN PROFESSIONAL BUILDING SKILLS VIRTUAL TRAINING
GPRO Fundamentals of Building Green
Session 1: July 21, 10am – 12pm PST
Session 2: July 22, 10am – 12pm PST
Exam will be taken online

Via Zoom
Link will be sent to partipants who complete registration
Register Here

The construction industry is moving quickly towards greener, high-performing buildings, creating increased demand across the country for sustainable building skills.
This course teaches the basics of sustainability and provides an overview of the essential strategies and work practices that make buildings more efficient. GPRO covers the “green gap” between standard trade skills and the new awareness required to successfully implement sustainable building practices.
Individuals with experience in construction and building operations will have an advantage when taking Fundamentals of Building Green and in passing the certificate exam, but anyone with an interest in green building is encouraged to participate.
GPRO Fundamentals of Building Green is the prerequisite for all GPRO trade-specific courses.
Click here to learn more

WHAT STUDENTS LEARN

Economic and health benefits of green building
Causes and impacts of a changing climate
Transitioning to sustainable construction practices
Complying with green codes and standards
Understanding LEED
Overview of green building strategies
The importance of building commissioning (systems quality assurance)

Why Attend a GPRO training:
Sheila Washington, Corporate Sustainability Programs
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
“The GPRO training was an amazing experience! The class covers a wealth of information: What is Sustainability, Measuring Building Performance, Climate Change and a history of the environmental movement (just to name a few). The instructors are well versed on the subject matters. A professional training manual is provided and it’s an excellent reference for all things related to green building, sustainability, conservation and more! I attended the training at Metro headquarters in downtown Los Angeles (adjacent to Union Station). They offer classes that are open to the public! After taking the GPRO training I have a better understanding of how green building can positively impact the environment, communities and jobs. I recommend this class for anyone interested in creating opportunities for growth in your career.”

In partnership with Metro, the Fundamentals of Green Building course is offered virtually in two installments, and the exam being offered online. The course fee (starting at $225) includes materials, instruction, and certification exam.
Please provide the appropriate SBE, DBE or NAICS code to verify your small business or non-profit once you have entered your name and email. Small businesses are defined as having an annual budget under $1.3 million.

BECOME A GPRO CERTIFICATE HOLDER!
GBCI, AIA and PDH credits are available!

LEED V4/4.1 Materials Training (For Manufacturers)
2020-07-22 13:00 - 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
1pm-4pm PST
Zoom link sent after completion of registration
$175 for members / $225 for general public
Register Here

LEEDV4/V4.1 MATERIALS TRAINING FOR PRODUCT MANUFACTURERS

The training will cover the requirements, documentation types, documentation development processes, and available resources to achieve the following LEED v4/4.1 BD+C NC and ID+C CI/Retail materials-related credits:
• MR BPDO- Environmental Product Declarations
• MR BPDO- Sourcing of Raw Materials
• MR BPDO- Material Ingredients
• IEQ Low Emitting Materials
The training will also include collaborative activities encouraging attendees to consider how the information applies to their work/products, and which product certifications most align with their work.

Facilitators:
Jeff Frost

Jeff Frost is recognized as a national subject matter expert on a wide array of material issues affecting the built environment.
He is the co-founder of the national mindful MATERIALS collaborative; an industry-led initiative to make it easier for building professionals to select products with health and environmental attributes. He is an invited member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Material Knowledge Working Group (MKWG); a group of industry professionals helping shape the AIA’s approach to materials for their members.
Brightworks is a member of the Health Product Declaration Collaborative (HPDC) and Jeff is co-chair of the Content Inventory Technical Sub-Group (TSG); tasked with improving the content and structure of the Health Product Declaration (HPD). He joined the USGBC’s Technical Advisory Group (TAG) for subject matter related to Materials and Resources credits in 2018.

Alex Setmajer

Alex is a Project Manager and Materials Specialist at Brightworks Sustainability, where she helps
clients navigate the escalating complexity of material choices in the built environment.
Her experience with healthy and sustainable materials includes working directly with building
project teams pursuing the Living Building Challenge Materials Petal and Red List Vetting, LEED
Materials credits, custom corporate healthy materials programs, measuring embodied carbon
and building life cycle assessments (LCAs). Alex also works directly with product manufacturers
to advise and support them to improve their transparency and sustainability initiatives.
Alex is involved in the development of Brightworks’ materials scoring tool, that helps designers
select preferred materials by scoring products across a number of indicators.

Webinar: LEEDing Ladies Episode 3: The Consequences of Consequential Damages
2020-07-23 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Join us via Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/667849496
This is a complimentary event open to all USGBC-LA Members as well as the General Public.

LEEDing Ladies: Conversations on Construction. Episode 3: The Consequences of Consequential Damages
It’s no surprise that green building projects often carry with them unique expectations that are often not at issue in conventional construction projects. But what happens when those expectations aren’t met?
Join Hunt Ortmann and USGBC-LA on July 23rd 2020 from 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. to learn more about the consequences of consequential damages in green building. During this webinar, we’ll discuss:
• What exactly are consequential damages?
• How they can come into play during green building projects;
• Ways to utilize your contracts to best protect yourself.
Don’t be caught unawares! Join us so you had into your next project with your eyes wide open.

Speakers:

Kathlynn Smith is a shareholder with Hunt Ortmann with extensive experience representing the construction industry in complex construction litigation and transactional matters. For over 10 years, Ms. Smith’s practice has been devoted to representing owners, developers, contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers on both public and private works of improvement in a wide variety of matters from project inception through trial. In particular, Ms. Smith has successfully represented her clients in the litigation and arbitration of claims involving scope of work disputes, delay and disruption, mechanic’s liens and stop notices, payment and performance bonds, bid protests, and construction defects. In addition, Ms. Smith is experienced in drafting and reviewing construction contracts, contract administration, and drafting procurement documents. Ms. Smith has successfully resolved complex construction disputes involving multi-million dollar claims as well as assisted her clients procure or negotiate contracts for large complex public and private works of improvement.
Ms. Smith is a frequent presenter and author on various topics related to or that impact the construction industry. Ms. Smith also is the co-author of the “Smart Girls’ Guide To Construction Law” and architect of the “Smart Girls’” initiative directed at women-owned and/or operated companies in the construction industry.

Jennifer Tung is an associate attorney with Hunt Ortmann. She focuses her practice on a broad array of matters, including breach of contract claims and construction litigation. Ms. Tung has represented a diverse client base, including both owners and contractors. A native Angeleno, Ms. Tung speaks Spanish and Mandarin Chinese. She is a tae kwon do black belt. Prior to law school, Ms. Tung worked as a professional political organizer and fundraiser.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/667849496
Meeting ID: 667 849 496
One tap mobile
+16699006833,,667849496#

Net Zero Accelerator 2020 Cohort Meet and Greet
2020-07-23 16:00 - 18:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Net Zero Accelerator 2020
Cohort Meet and Greet
July 23rd, 2020
4 – 6 PM
Join us via Zoom!

Join us to meet our 2020 Net Zero Accelerator cohort of 17 innovative startup companies delivering building technology to help enable a net positive future.
You’ll hear their fast pitches and have the opportunity to be matched up with this year’s startups for mentorship, pilot projects, and more!
The 2020 program is focused on building decarbonization (materials & operations), clean construction (waste & efficiency), and occupant wellness for all building types (commercial, institutional, multi-family, affordable housing, etc.).
Bring your own beverage of choice and join us virtually this year to learn more about future innovations and the people behind it!

Join us via Zoom!
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/95687568947
Meeting ID: 956 8756 8947
One tap mobile
+16699006833,,95687568947#
Dial by your location
+1 669 900 6833
Meeting ID: 956 8756 8947

Building Resilience: Community as the Building Block for Resilience
2020-07-28 10:00 - 11:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
Building Resilience:
Community as the Building Block of Resilience

Now Virtual!
Tuesday, July 28th, 2020; 10 AM – 11:30 AM PST
Join on Zoom
Link sent to participants after completed registration
Register Here
Metro Partners: $75.00
USGBC-LA Members: $75.00
General Public: $90.00

As American communities are confronted by compounded and systematic challenges, we need new models to build resilience for all people. Communities that are connected and empowered are better off today and more able to respond and recover when disaster strikes. Why are communities fundamental to resilience, and how do we find, connect and support our local communities? How does this translate to developing strong teams at work, and how can we leverage organizations and project teams to prepare for a changing world? This 90-minute interactive workshop will provide participants with real-world examples and strategies for understanding and supporting team building and community engagement as a key component of resilience.

Facilitator: Heather Rosenberg, Director, Building Resilience-LA Program at USGBC-LA

Heather Rosenberg is a USGBC Ginsberg Fellow and leader of Building Resilience-LA, a USGBC-LA program that brings resilience to the building scale. She recently led the development of Building Resilience-LA: A Primer for Facilities. With more than 15 years working on the leading edge of green building and sustainability, she is co-author of the USGBC report “Social Equity in the Built Environment,” co-authored the core curriculum for USGBC’s Green Building and LEED Core Concepts Guide, and writes and blogs extensively on issues of social equity and resilience. An ecologist by training, Heather formerly served as a principal at CTG Energetics, where she worked on sustainability projects in buildings, communities and local governments. She was appointed by Mayor Eric Garcetti to serve on the City of LA’s Innovation and Performance Commission and serves on the National Institute of Standards and Technology Resilience Panel-Social and Economic Committee and the USGBC Social Equity Working Group.

Reframing the Climate Conversation: Telling the Story to Bring About Productive Climate Action
2020-07-29 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
REGISTER HERE

Presentation Intros:
It can be difficult to talk about climate change in ways that are productive, informative, and engaging — but the scale of the challenge in front of us requires that we find a way to do this. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be a guessing game. Jessica Moyer, from the FrameWorks Institute, will share the research process her organization undertook to identify the most common reasons that conversations about climate change go wrong, as well as to design, develop, and test communications strategies that foster a ‘common good’ mindset and prompt solutions thinking. Emily Moberg, Executive Chair of the National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation, will share how these powerful communications techniques can be used to talk about climate change—the causes and the solutions.
You’ll leave this presentation with a deeper knowledge about how the American public thinks about climate change and how your communications influence thinking as well as with concrete tools to facilitate productive conversations about the climate.

Speaker Bios:
Jessica Moyer is a sociologist and geographer by training, and a Principal Strategist at the FrameWorks Institute where she helps advocates working across a range of progressive social issues engage the public in more productive conversations—ones that build public understanding and drive positive change. Prior to joining FrameWorks, Jessica served in various roles at social and environmental organizations, including the Washington Conservation Corps, Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, Stillwater Sciences Inc., and the Center for Marine Resource Studies in the Turks and Caicos Islands. She has held research and teaching positions at universities in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Emily Moberg is the Executive Chair for the National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation and has worked with the organization since 2013 in roles ranging from curricular design to leading the network’s Science Fellows. A scientist herself, she conducted her doctoral research in the MIT-Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution joint program and has conducted research at Yale and Rutgers on the impacts of climate change on fisheries. Emily believes that empowering scientists and science educators how to communicate about climate change is a critical component of climate action.

Webinar: Advancing LEED for Cities and Communities in California
2020-07-30 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Advancing LEED for Cities and Communities in California
Via Zoom
https://zoom.us/j/92381724351

On July 30 join the USGBC LA Chapter as we explore the LEED for Cities and Communities rating systems and how California cities and communities are aligned with the program’s emphasis on climate, resilience, health and social equity. We’ll connect directly with the program staff and stakeholders from the LEED Cities and Communities Working Group based here in southern California. We’ll also hear from a recent city and a community working towards certification on the new LEED v4.1 for Cities and Communities program. There will be ample time for questions and a discussion with our speakers. So, bring along your pressing challenges and top questions — we hope you can join us!

Agenda

Welcome and Introductions
Program overview, discuss current projects in the region, distinguish between product types and approach
Provide examples of prerequisites and credits that address regional priorities (e.g. climate, resilience, equity, health, pandemic issues)
Hear from two projects; how is their work on resilience and equity are reflected in the certification process?
Guided Discussion and Q&A
Conclusion

About Presenters
Hilari Varnadore
Vice President for Cities
Washington, District of Columbia
Hilari brings more than two decades of experience in public administration and nonprofit leadership to her role as VP, LEED for Cities. Previously Hilari led STAR Communities as its executive/founding director. In that capacity, she deployed the first framework and certification program for local sustainability in the US, the STAR Community Rating System. She has served as a chief sustainability officer and principal planner in local government and has led two nonprofit organizations as CEO.
Hilari is invested in helping cities, towns and counties use data to drive decision-making, investments and community improvements that are more equitable and resilient. Her approach to sustainability is holistic and rooted in the triple bottom line. Her areas of expertise include strategic planning, facilitation, program development and administration, policy development, governance, stakeholder engagement, fundraising, marketing and communications.
She holds a Master’s of Arts degree from Northern Arizona University in Geography with an emphasis in Community Planning and a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Unity College of Maine in Environmental Policy. Hilari serves on Metropolitan Washington COG’s Climate, Energy & Environment Policy Committee, the board of the Emerald Cities Collaborative, and the EcoDistrict Advisory Council. She is a 13-generation Marylander and a Girl Scout troop leader.
Listen to Hilari’s recent overview video of the LEED for Cities and
Communities program: https://youtu.be/0arx2tsTUfg

Vatsal Bhatt
Vice President – Communities
Setauket, New York
Dr. Vatsal Bhatt consults with the U.S. Green Building Council as the Vice President for Communities, where he helped conceptualize and make operational the LEED for Cities and LEED for Communities rating systems. He co-leads the Application Frameworks working group on the National Institute for Standards and Technology led efforts for developing “IoT Enabled Smart Cities Frameworks” and serves on the US technical advisory group for the ISO’s technical committee 268 for sustainable cities. He recently peer reviewed the Future of Housing Roadmap for XPRIZE. He is also serving on the Board of Advisors for the Wellbeing City Award mobilized by the New Cities Foundation.
As a senior energy policy analyst at the Brookhaven National Laboratory, Dr. Bhatt has worked on various national and international assignments for energy systems analysis and low-carbon development for the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Science Foundation, universities, foundations, and international governments. He has developed energy-water-climate change systems modeling for long-term national, regional and urban analysis.
Dr. Bhatt has led the USDOE’s U.S.-India-China Cities Partnership for Energy and Environment for 2007-2014 and provided technical assistance to the governments of India and China and state and local governments on low-carbon urban growth strategies and EcoCity planning and implementation. He serves as a senior advisor to US Department of State managed US-China EcoPartnerships Secretariat.
In August 2013, the Woodrow Wilson Center for Distinguished Scholars invited Dr. Bhatt to participate on a five-member panel to facilitate developing China’s Energy-Water Roadmap.
Dr. Bhatt is a senior advisor to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority for New York State’s 100% Renewables Study and EPRI project on NYS Electric System Climate Resiliency.
Dr. Bhatt is a lead author of the U.S. Global Change Research Program’s first-ever assessment of the “Effects of Climate Change on Energy Production and Use in the United States”, Synthesis and Assessment Product 4.5.

Zoom Meeting Details:
Meeting ID: 923 8172 4351
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+16699006833,,92381724351# US (San Jose)
Meeting ID: 923 8172 4351
