Urban Environment – Sustainability Comes of Age

Urban Environment – Sustainability Comes of Age – NYTimes.com.

OPAR Internship in Policy Research

The Georgia Tech Research Institute’s Office of Policy Analysis and Research (OPAR) is seeking student interns for the Fall 2009 semester. Ideal candidates will balance technical skills with an interest in public policy. The work environment is a small team of policy analysts in an information technology research laboratory.  For application information contact Moon Kim atmoon.kim@gtri.gatech.edu.

John Barrow for Congress Finance Internship Program

The Finance portion of the campaign raises the funds that are essential to re-electing Congressman John Barrow in 2010.

Encouraging Communities to Go Green

Students are invited to attend this discussion of the Atlanta Regional Commission’s new Green Communities Program, which helps metro Atlanta local governments reduce their environmental impact and become more sustainable, recognizing that achievement through voluntary certification.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Brown bag lunch 12-12:30

Program 12:30-2pm

Centergy Building @ Tech Square, 75 5th St, Hodges Connections Room (3rd floor)

“Green” Career Job Fair

Interested in a “green” career? Want to know more about “green” business in the Atlanta Area?

Join CareerEco for our FIRST Eco-Job Forum, Thursday, Feb. 26th from 5-7 pm at the Centergy Building in Tech Square.  Students are FREE!
For registration and more information visit: http://www.careereco.eventbrite.com or email us at events@careereco.com
The EcoJob Panel brings together prominent executives from corporate, government, and entrepreneurial settings to discuss their environmental careers. These experts will share their career advice and their outlook on job opportunities in the environmental and sustainability sectors:

*      Mandy Schmitt, Director of Sustainability for the City of Atlanta
*      Roger Reisert, President and CEO of C2 Biofuels in Georgia
*      Brande Singleton former Home Depot Manager of Leadership.

Public Policy Professor Testifies to Congress

The House Science and Technology Committee meets Wednesday February 12 in search of innovative ways to deal with electronic waste.  Experts testifying to the Committee include Prof. Valerie Thomas, a Georgia Tech professor with joint appointments in the School of Industrial and System Engineering and the School of Public Policy.

Lawmakers are currently crafting legislation that would support research into better recycling technologies and the use of more environmentally sensitive materials, according to a committee staff member. The problem of disposing discarded electronics such as computers and televisions has been growing as new products rapidly come on the market and consumers discard old models. Those discards end up in the waste stream, where chemicals and other toxic materials break down. According to U.S. EPA, there were 1.9 million to 2.2 million tons of used or unwanted electronics in 2005, of which 345,000 to 379,000 tons were recycled. EPA estimates electronic waste is growing two to three times faster than any other waste stream.  The hearing is Wednesday, Feb. 11, at 10 a.m. in 2318 Rayburn.

College Recycling Program

Look  for plastic bottle recycling bins located in hallways and NEW battery recycling bins in all IAC administrative offices.

If you are interested in getting involved with the recycling program, please contact Lawton Fairchild at mfairchild3@gatech.edu

Cash Prizes for Socially & Environmentally Responsible Value Enhancement

This year a new contest track has been added to the Georgia Tech Business Plan Competition. The I2S is intended for current Georgia Tech students and staff who have a very early stage idea or venture concept that ultimately is focused on the triple bottom line of return on investment economically, environmentally, and socially. In the I2S Competition, teams simply develop an idea concept, initial business model, and feasibility analysis rather than a full business plan (which is expected in the other Business Plan Competition events).

Students and Georgia Tech staff are encouraged to form interdisciplinary teams to create new ideas for products, services, or technology applications that would provide innovative solutions to sustainability issues with economic value and minimal, negative environmental or social impact. The idea must be based on either an innovative approach/technology to solving a social problem (see prior BPC winner Sustainable Refrigeration); or uses technology to sustain the environment (see prior BPC winner Jat Biodiesel). To participate, teams must develop a brief executive summary of the idea and feasibility, and prepare a poster and present the idea to a panel of social entrepreneurs.

See:  http://mgt.gatech.edu/fac_research/centers_initiatives/bpc/bpc_intersection_i2p.html