16th Annual Global Environmental Sustainability Symposium:

Climate Change Impacts on Self, Society, Economy, & Environment

A contributor to the worldwide teach-in for climate justice

A contributor to the Drive Electric Earth Week events

Join us as we examine challenges facing society regarding climate change. If you would like to have an exhibitor's table, please contact Dr. Charles Button by Email: Buttonche@ccsu.edu or by Phone: 860.832.2788

The CCSU Global Environmental Sustainability Action Coalition (GESAC) invites you to learn and teach about the actions humans must take now to ensure that future generations will experience a life of peace, health, and harmony with our one and only home -EARTH.

Event Schedule

9:15 – 9:45 Welcome & Opening Address

Dr. Charles E. Button, Professor, Central Geography Department

10:00 – 11:45 Electric Vehicles Display - Student Center Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Are you EV curious? Join local electric vehicle (EV) owners, enthusiasts to learn about electric vehicles, their clean-air benefits, cost-savings, and check out the EVs on display. Test drive an electric car, visit with exhibitors, and learn how easy it is to drive and convert EVs.

12:00 – 12:45 Electric Vehicle Panel Discussion

Moderator: Dr. Charles E. Button

• Richard Jordan, President, Tesla Owners Club of CT
  Model S owner since 2014 (213,000 miles)
• Deborah Carr
  Nissan Leaf & Tesla Model 3 owner since 2015 (24,000 miles)
• Barry Kresch, President, EV Club of CT
  Tesla Model 3 & Chevy Volt owner since 2012
• William Cross, Social Media Manager, Tesla Owners Club of CT
  Hyundai Ionic 5 & Tesla Model 3 owner since 2018

1:00 – 1:45 Reflect & Preserve: Writing/Multimedia Contest Presentations

Moderator: Christian Reyes, Program Assistant, Central Center for Community Engagement & Social Research

• Michelle Carrasquillo
• Samantha Jones
• Areesha Waseem
• Sofia Thalheimer

As co-sponsored by GESAC, the Center for Community Engagement and Social Research (CCESR) at Central held a writing and multimedia contest, Reflect & Preserve: What Climate Change Means to Me, during the 2022-2023 academic year. This contest presented an opportunity for Central Students to win scholarships of up to $2,500 by submitting reflections on the global climate crisis. Students were presented the option to submit purely written submissions or multimedia submissions that could include a visual art, video, or audio/musical component. This segment will feature presentations from some of this contest’s winning finalists: Michelle Carrasquillo, Samantha Jones, Areesha Waseem, and Sofia Thalheimer.

2:00 – 2:45 Climate Change in the Anthropocene

Gary Gomby, Adjunct Professor, Central Geological Sciences Department

The Anthropocene has been proposed as a new geologic epoch in which humans have become a global geophysical force. This presentation illustrates how climate change is intimately connected to other planetary changes, such as land system change, ocean acidification, biodiversity loss, and eutrophication of coastal and freshwater systems. These changes are being driven by a rapidly urbanizing global population as well as the conversion of ecosystems to “production ecosystems” designed to produce food, fiber and fuel, and are globally linked via opaque supply chains. We look at the deeper meaning of the Anthropocene—whose Anthropocene is it? All of humanity, or a much smaller percentage? Climate change raises issues that lie at the heart of Earth system alterations that threaten to upend our global civilization--disproportionate causation, disproportionate benefits and impacts, disproportionate responsibility to this and unborn generations. Successful solutions must therefore be broad-based, equitable and sustainable, and will require profound alterations in our actions if we are to become true planetary stewards.

3:00 – 3:45 Trash Talk with Katherine

Katherine Bruns – Town of West Hartford Recycling Coordinator

Trash Talk with Katherine: Do you know CT is facing a very real waste crisis with increased amount of our trash being shipped out of state? Are you confused about recycling? Ever wondered what those ‘recycling’ triangles actually mean? Is recycling really happening? How can we reduce the waste we create in the first place? Join West Hartford’s first recycling coordinator for a dynamic, information-filled presentation followed by a Q and A discussion about the state of recycling in Connecticut, the mounting trash crisis, and what the state is doing to address this growing issue. Katherine will explain the 6 “R’s” of recycling and waste management, discuss the pesky and misleading recycling triangles, explain why black plastic is no longer allowed in recycling and yet pizza boxes are now accepted among many other issues.

Connecticut is in a trash crisis that we cannot simply recycle our way out of. It is already trucking over 300,000 tons of trash outside the state and that number will only increase, with rising costs to follow. Katherine will also share ideas on how to reduce waste both at home and while out at the office, the gym, travelling and places of worship. The most effective way to reduce waste is not to create it in the first place!

4:00 – 4:45 Illustrated Poster Presentations

Interact with presenters of scholarly posters from various academic disciplines.

5:00 – 6:30 Sustainability Social Mixer & Sustainability Exhibitor Fair

Jazz Music provided by Brown Paper Sax

Interact with sustainability enthusiasts from non-governmental organizations, businesses, and governmental agencies that offer sustainability information, jobs/internships, and service to society while you socialize with other sustainability enthusiasts, and enjoy the sweet jazz stylings of Brown Paper Sax.

Sustainability Fair Exhibitors (click on vendor's name to see their website)

If your organization, governmental agency, or business wishes to have an exhibit,
email Dr. Charles Button: Buttonche@CCSU.edu 

Ana Grace Project (invited) 
Bike New Britain (invited)
Bike Walk CT (invited)
Central Geography Department (confirmed)
Central Sustainability Degree Programs (confirmed)
Central Student Sustainability Club (confirmed)
Central Public History Program (confirmed)
Central Office of Environmental Health, Safety, & Sustainability (confirmed)
Connecticut Explored (the Magazine of Connecticut History) (confirmed)
Connecticut Farmland Trust (invited)
Connecticut Food System Alliance (invited)
Connecticut Forest & Park Association (invited)
Connecticut League of Conservation Voters (invited)
Connecticut Preservation Action (confirmed)
Connecticut Sierra Club (invited)
Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation (confirmed)
CT rides (invited) 
CT fastrak (invited) 
Environmental Learning Centers of Connecticut (invited)
Global Environmental Sustainability Action Coalition (confirmed)
Maria's Place - CCSU Community Food Pantry (invited)
New Britain Roots (invited) 
New England Electric Auto Association (invited)
The ReCONNstruction Center (invited)
Sodexo - Central Dining Services (invited)
Solar Energy Association of Connecticut (invited)
Urban Miners (invited)
350CT.org (invited)