Sustainability lectures begin March 18

“Sustainability,” “LEED-certified” and “green” are buzzwords seen and heard more and more often around campus. To help the WUSTL community better understand what those terms mean and how the University is incorporating the ideas they signify into practice, WUSTL is offering three sustainability lectures March 18 and 19.

The talks will cover humanity’s impact on the Earth and highlight efforts made by the University and others to lessen that impact.

“These sessions were particularly devised to give a broad view of the global sustainability issues we all face as well as an introduction to the specific approaches we plan to take — and, in some cases, already are taking — at Washington University,” said Matt Malten, assistant vice chancellor for campus sustainability. “These will be the first of what we plan to be many discussions about sustainability.”

The lectures, sponsored by the School of Engineering, the College of Architecture and the Department of Facilities Planning & Management, are free and open to the public. No advance registration is required.

The session schedule is as follows:

“The 11th Hour,” a documentary that explores how modern humans impact the Earth’s ecosystems and ways humans can reduce or even reverse that impact, will begin at 11:30 a.m. March 18 in the Women’s Building Formal Lounge. “The 11th Hour” features commentary from more than 60 experts, including former Soviet Union Prime Minister Mikhail Gorbachev, scientists Stephen Hawking, former CIA head R. James Woolsey and sustainable design experts William McDonough and Bruce Mau.

“Our Sustainable U. — Washington University Strategies and Tactics for a Sustainable Campus,” a lecture by Malten, will take place March 19 at noon at the Women’s Building Formal Lounge. Malten will discuss the initiatives already undertaken by WUSTL to lessen its environmental impact — such as the WeCar program, the use of biofuel and green-building construction — and the University’s plans for future sustainability efforts.

“LEEDership: Building Green — U.S. Green Building Council Certification/Accreditation Issues,” a lecture by Paul Todd Merrill, adjunct professor in the School of Engineering and director of sustainable construction at Clayco Inc., begins at 5:30 p.m. March 19 at Lopata Hall, Room 101. Merrill will provide an overview of the LEED point system and discuss how one goes about becoming a LEED-accredited professional.

For more information, contact Malten at 935-4898 or malten@wustl.edu.