Happy Halloween-eve! If you’re looking for things to do after Saturday, look no further! UYW’s gotcha covered:

Tuesday, November 3rd

Indigenous Organizing for Climate Justice: Jihan Gearon, Native Energy Organizer, Indigenous Environmental Network & Global Justice Ecology Project, asks some hard questions: How is climate change impacting communities in the U.S.?  What would real solutions look like? How are some impacted communities organizing for climate justice leading up to, during, and after the Copenhagen Climate Negotiations in December? Come find out, Tuesday, Nov 3rd, 12-1pm, UEL.

Wednesday, November 4th

A Sense of Wonder: A one-woman show about Rachel Carson, “the patron saint of the environmental movement,” A Sense of Wonder has been touring the United States for over ten years. The play has been the centerpiece of regional and national conferences on conservation, education, journalism, and the environment. Kaiulani Lee has performed it at over one hundred universities as well as at the Smithsonian Institute, the United Nations, the Sierra Club’s Centennial in San Francisco, and the Department of the Interior’s 150th anniversary celebration.  In addition, she opened the 2005 World Expo in Japan and performed the play on Capitol Hill, bringing Miss Carson’s voice once again to the halls of Congress. Free, Wed November 4th, 8pm in Salomon 101.

Operation Wallacea: Scientific Conservation Expeditions in South Africa and Mozambique, Honduras, Madagascar, Peru, Egypt and Indonesia with opportunities to complete Forest, Marine, and Cultural Research in Summer 2010! Gain Field Experience as a Research Assistant working with our diverse pool of on-site scientists studying climatology, biodiversity, marine studies, desert studies, conservation and wildlife management, forest ecology, sociological and cultural studies and more! Wednesday, Nov 4 12-1pm in UEL. More info.

Thursday, November 5th

COST lecture: Climate Change: Elijah Huge, Art and Art History Dept., Wesleyan University, Timmons Roberts, Sociology and Environmental Studies, Brown University, and Hugh Ducklow, The Ecosystems Center, MBL, Woods Hole, will give three presentations on their individual discipline’s view of climate change.

A panel discussion and Q&A will follow individual presentations.  Part of the “Nature and Legacy” series for 2009-10, sponsored by the Cogut Center for the Humanities, Committee for Science and Technology Studies, Environmental Studies and the Environmental Change Initiative. Thursday, November 5th, Pembroke Hall 305, 4-6pm. More info.

Wonder no more what to do this week: UYW has your back. We got lectures, action days, and seminar series coming atcha. Check it.

Friday, Oct. 23

“What are Cities Doing to Adapt to Climate Change?”: Guest Speaker: JoAnn Carmin, Associate Professor of Environmental Policy and Planning, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, MA Institute of Technology. Friday, Oct 23, 12-1pm, UEL. More info.

Saturday, Oct. 24

350.org International Day of Climate Action: This Saturday will be BIG. Come be a part of it, and bring your friends! Seriously, if you take action just once this semester for the environment, come to the International Day of Climate Action! Saturday October 24th Rhode Island residents from all walks of life will unite as part of the 350.org International Day of Climate Action. It will be the biggest collective call that citizens of the world have ever made upon their governments to demand climate justice.

At 11 AM Brown students will converge on the Main Green to snap a bird’s-eye-view photograph spelling 350 with our bodies. We will then proceed down the hill chanting, singing, dancing and banner-waving to Waterplace Park. We will join the Providence community at Waterplace Park for a 12 pm rally to tell our President and our senators that we must take action now. We’ll also enjoy speakers, performances, and activities for all ages.

Tuesday, Oct. 27

ICE-Talk: Energy Science with Prof. Eric Suuberg and Aaron Socha: The second Brown Energy Sciences Seminar will be held next week! This is your chance to find out about the exciting energy-related research happening at Brown, and meet others who share your interest.  This is also an opportunity to focus our efforts as we build our energy initiative into a competitive research center.  Tuesday, October 13th, 12-1pm, MacMillan 317. Our two speakers this week:

1) Prof. Eric Suuberg (Brown Engineering) – “Current Issues in Fuels Chemistry”
2) Dr. Aaron Socha (Brown Chemistry) – “Microbially-mediated coal solubilization”

This Friday, there will literally be a blue whale there. Maybe. If you're lucky.

Wondering what to do this week? Don’t want to dig through all those crazy event calendars/morning mail/ES dept website for events to go to? Welcome to Upcycle Your Week, where we tell you the latest and greatest events happening at and around Brown, every week.

Thursday, Oct 15th

• Grow Your Own Plants with Dorm Gardens!: Need some plants to spruce up your room?  Want to grow your own food? Sound cool to have plants like chocolate mint or spinach growing in your dorm? Come to Dorm Gardens at the Urban Environmental Lab this Thursday, October 15th from 7-8 pm where you’ll get the chance to prepare plants that you can grow in your dorm! Don’t miss out on this good green fun!
• Burning the Future: Dirty coal; cradle to grave: Speaker Judy Bonds, Co-director of Coal River Mountain Watch of West Virginia, has been fighting for social and environmental justice for Appalachian coalfields since 1998. In 2003 she won the Goldman Environmental Prize, awarded to one person from each continent annually, in recognition of her grassroots environmental leadership. Thursday, October 15 at noon, UEL room 106.

Friday, Oct 16th

• Lessons from the Past: Emerging Patterns of Historical Declines in Large Marine Animals: Heike Lotze, Canada Research Chair in Marine Renewable Resources, Department of Biology, Dalhousie Univ will be speaking about the population trends of large marine animals, 12-1pm, Biomed 291.

Saturday, Oct 17th

• Changing the Campus Climate: Climate and Energy at Brown: Come hear three prominent Brown professors and activists discuss the University’s progress in climate and energy. In a panel moderated by Frieda Kay ‘12, Libby Kimzey ‘10, Sri Nagavarapu, and Chris Bull will speak about the work they are currently doing, what Brown’s past accomplishments have been, and where the university is going in the future. Saturday, 10/17, at 10:30AM in McMillan 115.

Tuesday, Oct 20th

• ICE-Talk: Environmental Fellows program: In our second weekly Climate and Energy Brown-Bag Lunch, we will be hosting an information session for the Brown Environmental Fellows program. BEF seeks to introduce students to the intersection between environmental science, policy, and practice. Working Brown faculty and environmental practitioners, fellows will gain direct experience pursuing environmental research in the context of regulatory and conservation practice. Tuesday, Oct. 20th, 12-1pm in McMillan317.

Thursday, Oct 22nd

• An Update on the Global Carbon Cycle: Jorge Sarmiento, Professor of Geosciences and Atmospheric and Ocean Sciences at Princeton University will be speaking at the Geo colloquia about the latest developments in the global carbon cycle at 4-5pm in McMillan 115.