OGDEN, Utah — Professionals who are leading the way in environmental progress will gather at the Intermountain Sustainability Summit at Weber State University, March 16-17 in the Shepherd Union Building. The summit will include presentations from Mary Robinson, the first female president of Ireland, and John Cook, a climate scientist known for addressing false beliefs about climate change.

“The Intermountain Sustainability Summit is a rich and unique opportunity for people from a variety of sectors to come together and learn new information, share ideas and make connections with others,” said Alice Mulder, Sustainability Practices and Research Center director. “Solutions to the challenges we face, such as improving air quality and building community resilience in the face of climate change, require multidisciplinary problem solving. This event offers a place for varied approaches, interests and disciplines to come together.”

The two-day summit has become Utah’s largest multi-topic sustainability conference. Each year, it attracts approximately 400 participants. This year will include nearly 50 speakers and presenters hosting sessions on topics such as writing for social change, addressing climate change in communities, integrating sustainability across campuses and funding energy management programs.

Robinson will deliver her keynote speech on March 17 at 2:30 p.m. Robinson is the current president of the Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice, which is a center focused on the connection between climate change and human rights in the world’s poorest countries, where people are most affected by climate change. Her foundation works to support those who are most affected by climate change. Robinson is also the former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and former chair of the Council of Women World Leaders. Her session will focus on climate justice and is expected to attract an audience of 700 people.

Cook’s workshop will be held on March 16 at 8 a.m. Cook is a research assistant professor from the Center for Climate Change Communication at George Mason University. He created the website skepticalscience.com and specializes in explaining and correcting myths regarding climate change. Despite a wide consensus among scientists that global warming is mainly human caused, there is still a subset of the public that thinks otherwise. Cook’s session will explore the psychology and techniques behind debunking myths and false information.

New this year, the summit will include a Higher Education Forum, March 16 from noon-5 p.m. The forum was developed in partnership with students, staff and faculty from Weber State University, University of Utah, Westminster College, Salt Lake Community College and Utah State University. Schools from across the region will collaborate and discuss solutions to collective challenges on their campuses.

For a complete schedule of events, visit intermountainsustainabilitysummit.com.

Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University.

Contact:

Bonnie Christiansen, Academic Sustainability coordinator
801-626-6326 • bchristiansen2@weber.edu

Alice Mulder, Sustainability Practices and Research Center director
801-626-6198 • amulder@weber.edu

Author:

Rachel Badali, Office of Marketing & Communications
801-626-7295 • rachelbadali@weber.edu