Earth Day activities keep 'green' in UW-Green Bay

GREEN BAY — The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay will host a range of activities this Earth Day, April 22, highlighted by the symposium “Green Innovations 2009: Connecting Natural Capital to Economic Competitiveness.”

The event will bring business, University and community members together to learn about the intersection between businesses and the environment and how, often, what’s good for the environment is good for business.

Keynote speakers will address sustainable business practices. An entrepreneur’s showcase will feature innovations and services in energy technologies and green business, and breakout sessions will offer advice on developing human capital for sustainability, transitioning to sustainability and profiting from sustainability. Registration is required for participation in the symposium, which runs from 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. in the University Union, 2420 Nicolet Drive.

The event marks the launch of a new UW-Green Bay center, the Environmental Management and Business Institute, which will connect science, policy and business to focus on issues facing the region’s communities and businesses. EMBI also recalls UW-Green Bay’s ‘Eco U’ history, and aims to strengthen the institution’s leadership in the promotion of environmental awareness and eco-friendly initiatives. For more information visit www.uwgb.edu/embi.

Other Earth Day activities on campus include:

• Sustainability Social, 5-6 p.m. Refreshments and networking in the UW-Green Bay Phoenix Room in the University Union.

• “Why Should We Care About Sustainability?” 6 – 7:30 p.m., in the Phoenix Room. National speaker Bob Willard, a leading expert on the business value of corporate sustainable strategies, will talk about the importance of sustainability in today’s world. Willard, author of “The Sustainability Advantage,” is also a keynote speaker earlier in the day at the “Green Innovations 2009” symposium. The 6 p.m. discussion is free and open to the public. Hosts for the program include the Environmental Management and Business Institute, the Green Bay Metropolitan Sewage District, the student Public and Environmental Affairs Council, the UW-Green Bay Student Government Association and the Students In Free Enterprise student group at UW-Green Bay.

Those visiting campus for Earth Day are invited to stay for either of a pair of evening concerts.

• University Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band Concert, 7:30 p.m. in the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets at the door are $7 for adults and $5 for students and seniors.

• Folksinger Sean Smith, 9 p.m., at the Common Grounds Coffeehouse in the University Union. Smith, a folk singer with a “style somewhere between Dylan and Leadbelly,” focuses his music on the realities of life, from politics to relationships. Admission is free.

Earlier in the week, on Monday (April 20), UW-Green Bay will host a free showing of “Fortunate Wilderness,” a documentary film by George Desort about the 50-year study of the interaction between wolves and moose on Isle Royale in Lake Superior. The showing will take place at 7 p.m. in Room 208 of Mary Ann Cofrin Hall.

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