Ecotourism (or ecological tourism) is the environmentally-friendly alternative to your next vacation. Generally speaking, ecotourism focuses on volunteering, personal growth, and learning new ways to live on the planet; typically involving travel to destinations where flora, fauna, and cultural heritage are the primary attractions. Responsible ecotourism includes programs that minimize the negative aspects of conventional tourism on the environment and enhance the cultural integrity of local people.

About the presenters: Neel Inamdar is an Ecotourism Business Advisor at Conservation International (CI). He has over 15 years of experience in owning and operating tourism facilities and worked both in the non-profit and for-profit world. Before coming to Washington, DC, Neel was the Ecotourism Business Advisor at the African Conservation Centre in Nairobi, Kenya, where he was responsible for developing and streamlining CI’s engagement with the tourism industry to utilize the value chain in support of conservation in CI’s hot spot countries.

**Program sponsored by the First Year Book and the Office of the Vice-President for Academic Affairs

Since December 2007, more than 30 faculty, staff, and students of the Climate Action Plan Workgroup have been working on a campus-wide strategic plan to reach climate neutrality. Learn about the two-year process to develop the initial strategic plan, preliminary findings of the Workgroup, and how you can get involved. Also, see the results of the campus greenhouse gas inventory.

About the Presenters: Dr. Matthias Ruth is Roy F. Weston Chair in Natural Economics in the School of Public Policy, Director of the Center for Integrative Environmental Research, Director of the Environmental Policy Program at the School of Public Policy, Co-Director of the Engineering and Public Policy Program, and Chair of the Climate Action Plan Workgroup at the University of Maryland.

**Program sponsored by the First Year Book and the Office of the Vice-President for Academic Affairs

Dr. Albert Bartlett has given his one-hour talk, Sustainability 101: Arithmetic, Population, and Energy, more than 1603 times in 49 states, a dozen or so times in Canada, and several times overseas. Since 1969, the talk has evolved but the message remains unchanged: "The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function." Learn why sustainability is the only solution to humanity’s fundamental mathematical problem.

About the presenter: Dr. Albert Bartlett is Professor Emeritus of Physics from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Since the late 1960s he has concentrated on public education on the problems relating to and originating from population growth. More recently he has written and lectured on sustainability, examining the widespread misuse of the term, and examining the conditions that are necessary and sufficient for sustainability in any society.

**Program sponsored by the First Year Book and the Office of the Vice-President for Academic Affairs

Peak Oil refers to the inevitable point when the global supply of oil cannot meet the demand, a point which some observers say we have reached. Implications of the end of cheap oil may be profound for the world--socially, economically, and environmentally. Learn more about life after peak oil in this session of the Sustainability Speaker Series.

About the presenter: Dr. Erik Lichtenberg is Professor of Agriculture and Resource Economics at the University of Maryland whose work on the economics of agriculture and environment has received international prominence.

**Program sponsored by the First Year Book and the Office of the Vice-President for Academic Affairs

Engineers Without Borders USA is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to sustainable development through engineering assistance and training internationally responsible engineering students. The UM Chapter, which is open to undergraduate and graduate students of all disciplines, is responsible for numerous sustainable development projects around the world. Come hear about the real world change these students are making in disadvantaged communities and learn how you can get involved.

About the presenters: Sarah Ness, President of the UM Chapter of Engineers Without Borders, will be joined by others from the group for this highly anticipated presentation.

**Program sponsored by the First Year Book and the Office of the Vice-President for Academic Affairs

This spring, the University of Maryland will once again compete in RecycleMania, a ten-week national recycling competition among colleges and universities. The Terps faired well against ACC rivals last year but this year, we aim to dominate! Come to this kickoff meeting to find out how you can help UM win the competition and ask those burning questions about campus recycling efforts you have been building up.

About the Presenters: Maria Lonsbury is co-chair of the University’s RecycleMania efforts and the long-standing recycling guru for the Division of Student Affairs. Pat Dollar is the Manager of Recycling and Solid Waste for the campus. Sandy Dykes is the Assistant Director of Building and Landscape Services in the Department of Facilities Management.

**Program sponsored by the First Year Book and the Office of the Vice-President for Academic Affairs

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system has rapidly become the standard against which all "green buildings" in the US are rated. The University of Maryland recently decided that all new construction and major renovations on campus will meet at least LEED-Silver criteria. Come learn about facilities in the DC area that have received LEED certifications and discover how the next generation of buildings at UM will be more efficient, healthier, and more sustainable than our existing buildings.

About the presenters: Tom Mawson is the Executive Director of the US Green Building Council (USGBC)-National Capital Region. Holly Jamison Carr is on the USGBC-NCR Board of Directors and, as a LEED accredited professional, is very familiar with many of the LEED certified buildings in the region.

**Program sponsored by the First Year Book and the Office of the Vice-President for Academic Affairs

The Sustainability Speaker Series, hosted by the Office of Sustainability, strives to engage the campus community in conversation about broad issues of sustainability. Bring your lunch every other Wednesday and enjoy an intriguing 45 minute presentation followed by 15 minutes for Q/A.

**Program sponsored by the First Year Book and the Office of the Vice-President for Academic Affairs

The Sustainability Speaker Series, hosted by the Office of Sustainability, strives to engage the campus community in conversation about broad issues of sustainability. Bring your lunch every other Wednesday and enjoy an intriguing 45 minute presentation followed by 15 minutes for Q/A.

**Program sponsored by the First Year Book and the Office of the Vice-President for Academic Affairs

The Sustainability Speaker Series, hosted by the Office of Sustainability, strives to engage the campus community in conversation about broad issues of sustainability. Bring your lunch every other Wednesday and enjoy an intriguing 45 minute presentation followed by 15 minutes for Q/A.

**Program sponsored by the First Year Book and the Office of the Vice-President for Academic Affairs

Forensic psychiatrist, Lise Van Susteren, will be giving a topical presentation regarding the environment on Tuesday, November 6 at 7 p.m. The event will take place on campus at the University of Maryland where Van Susteren will advocate the urgency our planet faces if our climate crisis is not properly addressed. Van Susteren was chosen and trained by former Vice President, Al Gore, to give her version of his Oscar winning documentary, An Inconvenient Truth. Van Susteren has traveled all over the Maryland and D.C. Metropolitan area to advocate the urgency our planet faces if our climate crisis is not properly addressed. Her presentation offers educational slides, informational graphs, as well as practical energy conservation methods. For more information please contact Sammy Popat (Arts, '99) at 301.405.1416 or email at sammypopat@yahoo.com

.** Program sponsored by College Park Scholars Alumni Association and co-sponsored by The First Year Book.

The Sustainability Speaker Series, hosted by the Office of Sustainability, strives to engage the campus community in conversation about broad issues of sustainability. Bring your lunch every other Wednesday and enjoy an intriguing 45 minute presentation followed by 15 minutes for Q/A.

**Program sponsored by the First Year Book and the Office of the Vice-President for Academic Affairs

Expand your knowledge about our reliance on oil and the impact that the end of cheap oil will have on our development patterns.  What will this mean for you and the way you live?

Happy hour at The Inn & Conference Center, University of Maryland University College (UMUC) Oracle Lounge on campus will follow at 5:00pm!

For more Information contact Brooke Taylor

**Event hosted by the Student Planning Association (SPA) and co-sponsored by The First Year Book.

The Sustainability Speaker Series, hosted by the Office of Sustainability, strives to engage the campus community in conversation about broad issues of sustainability. Bring your lunch every other Wednesday and enjoy an intriguing 45 minute presentation followed by 15 minutes for Q/A.

**Program sponsored by the First Year Book and the Office of the Vice-President for Academic Affairs

The Sustainability Speaker Series, hosted by the Office of Sustainability, strives to engage the campus community in conversation about broad issues of sustainability. Bring your lunch every other Wednesday and enjoy an intriguing 45 minute presentation followed by 15 minutes for Q/A.

**Program sponsored by the First Year Book and the Office of the Vice-President for Academic Affairs

The Sustainability Speaker Series, hosted by the Office of Sustainability, strives to engage the campus community in conversation about broad issues of sustainability. Bring your lunch every other Wednesday and enjoy an intriguing 45 minute presentation followed by 15 minutes for Q/A.

**Program sponsored by the First Year Book and the Office of the Vice-President for Academic Affairs

The Sustainability Speaker Series, hosted by the Office of Sustainability, strives to engage the campus community in conversation about broad issues of sustainability. Bring your lunch every other Wednesday and enjoy an intriguing 45 minute presentation followed by 15 minutes for Q/A.

**Program sponsored by the First Year Book and the Office of the Vice-President for Academic Affairs