Filmmaker and violinist Kenji Williams will premiere multimedia "Bella Gaia" Sept. 7 to close Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival symposium in Denver

From a Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival press release and info from its web site:

Now in its third decade, the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival’s biennial 6-day conference is an unmatched international industry event drawing 650+ leaders in science, conservation, broadcasting and media to celebrate the world's finest nature films. The 2013 Festival is slated for the last week in September.

In alternating years, JHWFF hosts a Symposium targeting 300-plus technology and non-broadcast media professionals. The next conference is slated for Sept. 5-7 at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science in Denver’s City Park. This year, the JHWFF will launch the Science Media Awards, a prestigious competition to showcase the extraordinary films that illustrate the wonders of science and its far-reaching impact on our daily lives.

Join visionary thinkers in science and public media, for three full days of provocative panels, immersive workshops and casual networking. This year, we launch the inaugural Jackson Hole Science Media Awards competition, with special sessions featuring finalist programs and winners announced at a Gala Celebration Thursday, September 6.

The closing reception on Saturday night includes a 6 p.m. premiere in the IMAX Theater and Gates Fulldome for “Tornado Alley 3D” by Sean Casey. It’s followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers and scientists and a chance to see the unique research vehicles up close. After that, comes a premiere of “Bella Gaia” with a live performance by award winning filmmaker, composer and violinist, Kenji Williams. Inspired by astronauts who spoke of the life changing power of seeing the Earth from space, he created “Bella Gaia” to simulate this transformative effect. Working closely with NASA’s scientific visualization studio, “Bella Gaia” successfully simulates space flight, taking the audience on a spectacular journey around planet Earth. With live music, performance art, large-scale projected NASA scientific visualizations and cutting-edge technology, “Bella Gaia” showcases a thought-provoking stream of crucial scientific data regarding our planet's imperiled ecosystems while celebrating the amazing cultural heritage of humanity and explores humanity’s ultimate challenge as we enter a new epoch called the Anthropocene; where humans become the driving force of environmental change on planet Earth. 

Click here to register for the 2012 Symposium.. For more information, please call the JHWFF at 307.733.7016.

Buffalo Bill Historical Center competes in the EPA’s “Battle of the Buildings”

The Buffalo Bill Historical Center has been selected to participate in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Energy Star National Building Competition: Battle of the Buildings to help improve the energy efficiency of commercial buildings and protect the environment. In the spirit of popular weight-loss competitions, the Historical Center will battle it out against hundreds of other teams from buildings across the country to work off the waste through improvements in energy efficiency with help from EPA’s Energy Star program.

“The Buffalo Bill Historical Center is honored to be a part of this competition,” says Phil Anthony, operating engineer at the Center and a leader of its sustainability program. “We are committed to continuing to improve our energy efficiency and we look forward to seeing how we measure up against other buildings across the nation.”

--snip--

According to EPA, energy use in commercial buildings accounts for nearly 20 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and energy use at a cost of more than $100 billion per year. On average, 30 percent of the energy used in commercial buildings is wasted. Thousands of businesses and organizations work with EPA’s Energy Star program and are saving billions of dollars and preventing millions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions from entering our atmosphere each year.

To watch the competition unfold, visit www.energystar.gov/BattleOfTheBuildings. More information on the Buffalo Bill Historical Center can be found by exploring www.bbhc.org.

Shepard Symposium on Social Justice addresses environmental topics

From a UW press release:

World-renowned physicist and environmental leader Vandana Shiva is the keynote speaker for the 14th annual Shepard Symposium on Social Justice, April 7-9, at the University of Wyoming.

All symposium events are free and open to the public and registration is recommended.

Shiva will discuss "Soil Not Oil: Food Security in Times of Climate Change" at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 7, in the Fine Arts concert hall. A reception and book signing follow the presentation.

Recipient of the 1993 Alternative Nobel Peace Prize (the Right Livelihood Award), Shiva is known as one of the world's most passionate and knowledgeable spokespersons for environmental and economic justice.

In her keynote address and in her most recent book, "Soil Not Oil," Shiva discusses socially-just and environmentally-sound principles for feeding the planet . She expands her analysis to broader issues of globalization and climate change, saying that a healthy environment and a just world go hand in hand. Shiva proposes a solution based on self-organization, sustainability and community rather than corporate power and profits.

"The Shepard Symposium has never highlighted environmental issues before," says Kate Muir Welsh, UW Department of Elementary Education professor and the event's chairperson. She says "eco-justice" includes issues of access to things that sustain the world's population -- clean drinking water, inhabitable land, breathable air and plentiful, healthy food.

"Sadly more and more of the world's population do not have such access," Muir says. "This year's symposium and the many workshops and presentations will provide an opportunity for participants to exchange information and engage in dialogue about these social justice concerns."

A physicist, ecologist, activist, feminist, editor and author of many best-selling books, Shiva established Navdanya, a movement for biodiversity conservation and rights in India that supports local farmers, rescues and conserves crops and plants that are being pushed to extinction and makes them available directly to farmers. She is the founding director of the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology, a network of participatory researchers specializing in ecology, health and sustainability.

Numerous concurrent sessions begin Thursday April 8, beginning at 9:35 a.m. and Friday, April 9, starting at 8 a.m. All sessions are in the Wyoming Union.

La Vida Loca, a one-man show that tells the story of a Mexican immigrant, will be performed by Carlos Manuel in the Fine Arts studio theater at 6 p.m. Thursday.

Chris Paine, director of the 2006 film "Who Killed the Electric Car?" and the forthcoming "Revenge of the Electric Car," is Thursday's keynote presenter. His presentation is at 7:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Concert Hall.

A hip-hop event that features Molina Soleil and Aju is scheduled from 9-11 p.m. in the Wyoming Union Ballroom that evening.

UW faculty member Jessica Smith is the endnote speaker. She will discuss the relationship between Wyoming's energy development and environmental social justice at 11 a.m. Friday in the Wyoming Union Ballroom.

An event to benefit the Matthew Shepard Foundation in the Wyoming Union Ballroom that evening closes the symposium.

A complete symposium schedule is available at http://shepardsymposium.org/.

For more information, contact Sylvia Parker, UW Science and Mathematics Teaching Center, at (307)766-6671 or e-mail sparker@uwyo.edu.

Photo: Vandana Shiva is the keynote speaker for the 14th annual Shepard Symposium on Social Justice, April 7-9, at the University of Wyoming.

The greening of Wheatland Aug. 20-22

From a press release:

Wheatland is gearing up for its first-ever Green Festival to be held Aug. 20-22. The Green Festival will feature guest speakers from various businesses who will discuss wind energy, clean coal and much more. In addition to the speakers, the festival will feature hands-on exhibits designed to educate all ages about the value of taking care of the environment.

Participating vendors will include local growers, artisans, crafters, nursery and greenhouse operators and more. In addition, there will be a quilt show, bake sales, a farmers’ market, garden walks, pet parades and a square dance.

According to organizer Dan Brecht, director of the Platte County Economic Development Corp., there is still plenty of room for anyone who wants to set up a booth or exhibit their wares.

All events will be held in downtown Wheatland, at Lewis City Park and the Wheatland High School Auditiorium. Anyone interested in participating may contact Brecht at 307-322-4232.

The event is free to both vendors and the public, and Brecht is hoping that visitors will come from throughout the region to enjoy the day.

For the latest news from Wheatland, go to www.wheaterville.com

On the front lines in the Wyoming beetle battle

"Four summers ago, I enlisted in the war against the pine bark beetle raging on Wyoming's Togwotee Pass."

This is the lede for Vicki Lindner's article, "We battled the beetles by burning our trees," in today's Wyoming Tribune Eagle. It chronicles the semi-successful beetle battle waged by her and her neighbors outside Dubois. You can read the entire article by going to http://www.wyomingnews.com.

Vicki is a two-time recipient of a Wyoming Arts Council creative writing fellowship. She recently retired as professor in the University of Wyoming creative writing program and now lives in Denver.

Rocky Anderson addresses global warming

From a UW press release:

Rocky Anderson (pictured above), one of the world's top activists on climate change according to Business Week, will speak from 7-9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11, in the Wheeler Auditorium, Room 103 of the Wold Physical Science Center at Casper College. The lecture is free and open to public.

Former Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson's lecture on "Climate Change and the Leadership Imperative" will kick off this year's free public lecture series sponsored in Casper every fall by the University of Wyoming Helga and Otto Haub School and William Ruckelshaus Institute of Environment and Natural Resources, the UW/Casper College Center and the UW Outreach School.

The Natrona County Commission will also hold a public workshop discussion on the how-to of dealing with climate change for local government at 4 p.m. at the county courthouse, before the night event.

Anderson, mayor of Salt Lake City from 2000-2008, led the city to achieve a nearly one-third reduction in municipal government greenhouse gas emissions -- and significant budget savings.

Mark Barron, mayor of Jackson, where municipal government is working on energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emission issues, will join Anderson in the series kickoff talk.

The two local government leaders will give an update on the latest understanding of climate change, along with how-to advice on the everyday challenges of climate change and the money local governments can save via energy efficiency efforts.

The talks will launch the new lecture and discussion series, "Climate Change in Carbon Central -- Developing Strategies in Wyoming," presented by the University of Wyoming/CC Center. Among the featured speakers in the rest of the series this fall are Gov. Dave Freudenthal and Jim Posewitz, executive director of Orion: The Hunter's Institute and a renowned speaker on hunting issues.

The central theme of the UW series is how climate change is part of almost every familiar issue in Wyoming -- from affordable housing to hunting and fishing -- and how addressing those issues from a climate change perspective may provide new ways to solve persistent problems, said series organizer Anne MacKinnon. Ways Wyoming people can work to slow the course of climate change and to adapt to changes already under way will be the focus of six evenings of talks, MacKinnon said.

All talks are from 7-9 p.m. in the Wheeler Auditorium, Room 103 of the Wold Physical Science Center. The series schedule:

Sept. 11, Wyoming Cities and Towns (speakers: Anderson and Barron).

Sept. 25, Workforce Housing (speakers: Mark Woolley, developer of a project in Rawlins; and Scott Kane, owner of Creative Energies renewable energy company in Lander).

Oct. 9, Hunting and Fishing (speakers: Posewitz; and Steve Jackson, UW botany professor).

Oct. 23, Paying the Bills (speakers: Howard Geller, Southwest Energy Efficiency Project; and Mary Byrnes, member of the Wyoming Public Service Commission).

Nov. 6, Kids (speakers: Scott Beall, innovative 7th grade science teacher, New York State; and Craig Sorenson, superintendent of Sweetwater County School District #2).

Nov. 20, State Finances (speaker: Gov. Dave Freudenthal, schedule permitting).

All talks will be downloadable starting the next morning after each event, from the UW Web site: http://outreach.uwyo.edu/ocp/podcasting.asp

FMI: UW/CC Center at (307) 268-2713 or (877) 264-9930; or www.uwyo.edu/uwcc.

Videos wanted for ABC's "Earth 2100"

From an ABC News press release:

In an unprecedented television and internet event, ABC News is asking you to help answer perhaps the most important question of our time — What will our world be like over the next one hundred years if we don’t act now to save our troubled planet?

The world’s brightest minds agree that the “perfect storm” of population growth, resource depletion and climate change could converge with catastrophic results.

We need you to bring this story to life — to use your imagination to create short videos about what it would be like to live through the next century if we stay on our current path. Using predictions from top experts, we will feed you detailed briefings from the years 2015, 2050, 2070 and 2100 — and you will report back about the dangers that are unfolding before your eyes.

Your videos will be combined with the projections of top scientists, historians, and economists to form a powerful web–based narrative about the perils of our future. We will also select the most compelling reports to form the backbone of our two–hour primetime ABC News broadcast: "Earth 2100," airing this fall.

Submit your video at http://earth2100.tv/.

Bluegrass band kicks off climate change event

From a UW press release:

The bluegrass band "Head for the Hills" will perform Wednesday, Jan. 30, at 8 p.m. in the Wyoming Union Skylight lounge. The performance will kick off the University of Wyoming's climate change symposium scheduled Thursday, Jan. 31, in the Wyoming Union.

The band plays a mixture of homegrown compositions, traditional harmonies and has an "innovative approach to improvisation that reflects the band's experiences living the mountain life." Hailing from Fort Collins, Colo., the members use their influence from nature and life experiences to create their unique sound.

The band has played with legendary mandolin player David Grisman, members of the Yonder Mountain String Band, and Benny Galloway and the Wayword Songs.

Preceding the concert is a 6 p.m. "Webinar" (rhymes with "seminar") that will show students how to make a difference in the fight against global warming.

The event is sponsored by ASUW's Student Activities Council and is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided.

FMI: Mike Lange at (307) 766-6340.