Sustainable Consumption Research and Action (SCORAI) Network
Inaugural Workshop
Individual Consumption and Systemic Societal Transformation
Clark University
October 15-17, 2009
Final Program
Thursday, October 15
Friday, October 16
Saturday, Ocotber 17
Workshop Sponsors
Download a printable program
6–8 pm. Reception at the Crown Plaza Hotel
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8:30–11 am. Opening Plenary, Dana Commons, Clark University
Chair: Maurie Cohen
Welcome: David Angel, Provost, Clark University
Opening Remarks: Halina Brown and Philip Vergragt
Keynote: Peter Victor, Managing without Growth: Slower by Design not Disaster
William Rees, What's Blocking Sustainability? Human Nature, Cognition, and Denial
Discussion
11-11:30 am. Coffee Break
Note on workshop format: Each session is scheduled for 90 minutes. The format entails 10-minute presentations by each author followed by a 10-minute commentary by an assigned discussant and 50 minutes of moderated discussion. Presenters are strongly encouraged to limit themselves to a maximum of five PowerPoint slides! All sessions will be held in the Dana Commons.
11:30 am–1 pm. Localism and Ethical Green Consumption
Chair: Philip Vergragt
Jody Emel, Roberta Hawkins, & Dominic Pascarelli, Opportunities for Significant Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reductions in University Dining Halls: Ethical Consumption of Meat and Dairy
David Hess, Localism, Urban Investment, and Sustainable Consumption
Andrew Szasz, Can We Consume Our Way to Climate Restoration? An Agenda for Studying "Smaller Carbon Footprint" Consumption
Discussant: Joseph Sarkis
1–2 pm. Lunch at Dana Commons
2–3:30 pm. Local Information, Institutional Contexts, and Intervention Strategies
Chair: Halina Brown
John Gowdy & Marsha Walton, The Importance of Local Information to Attitudes about Climate Change Policy
Ned Woodhouse, Institutional Contexts for Sustainable Consumption: The Case of Green Chemicals
Eric Arnould, Market Evasion and Participation: Implications for More Sustainable Energy Consumption
Discussant: Marian Chertow
3:30-4 pm. Tea Break
4–5:30 pm. Framings and Metaphors
Chair: Philip Vergragt
Richard Wilk, Is Sustainable Consumption Possible?
Discussion
Tom Princen, Speaking of Sustainability: The Potential of Metaphor
Group Exercise on the Role of Metaphors
7 pm. Workshop Dinner at the Crowne Plaza Hotel
Guest Speakers
Edward Ottensmeyer, Dean, Clark University Graduate School of Management and Associate Professor of Management
Sarah Assefa, Worcester Green Jobs Coalition
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9–10:30 am. Well-Being
Chair: Maurie Cohen
Kyle Knight & Eugene Rosa, The Environmental Costs of Life Satisfaction: A Cross-National Empirical Test
Anders Hayden, Enough of That Already: Sufficiency-Based Challenges to High-Carbon Consumption in Canada
John Stutz, Pursuing Sustainability in a World Shaped by Explosive Growth
Discussant: John Ehrenfeld
10:30–11 am. Coffee Break
11 am–12:30 pm. Poverty, Households, and Communities of Practice
Chair: Halina Brown
Jeffrey Barber & Jack Luskin, Connecting Communities of Practice on Sustainable Production and Consumption: Prospects for Regional Cooperation
Vanessa Timmer, Emmanuel Prinet, & Dagmar Timmer, Advancing Sustainable Household Consumption: Insights for Effective Policy Development
Diana Mincyte, The Poverty Perspective on the Politics, Culture and Economy of Sustainable Consumption
Discussant: Linda Varangu
12:30–1:30 pm. Lunch at Dana Commons
1:30–3 pm. Institutional Change and Political Action
Chair: Philip Vergragt
Rachel Schwom, Social Institutions, Consumption Impacts, and Opportunities for Making Change Happen
Steven Moore, Coding Consumption in the Built World
Margaret Willis & Juliet Schor, Does Changing a Light Bulb Lead to Changing the World? Civic Engagement and the Ecologically Conscious Consumer
Discussant: Michael Maniates
3–4 pm. Closing Session
Chair: Halina Brown
Jane Maddox, Outreach and Messaging
Philip Vergragt, Synthesis
Maurie Cohen, Next Steps
Open Discussion
4 pm. Adjourn
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The workshop is supported by the following sponsors:
ProQuest–U.S. Geological Survey Partnership
Clark University, Provost's Office
Clark University, Department of International Development, Community, and Environment
Clark University, Graduate School of Geography
Clark University, Graduate School of Management
Tellus Institute, Boston
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Download a printable version of the 2009 SCORAI workshop schedule.
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