Past Events: Penn State Energy and Environment Calendar Archive

There are two webinars available: once at 2 p.m. and once again at 6 p.m. Over one million homes and farms in Pennsylvania get their drinking water from a private well or spring. The Safe Drinking Water Clinic Webinar is designed for people who manage one of these private drinking water supplies. We'll cover how to test and protect your well or spring, and when water treatment might makes sense. We will also discuss well and spring system inspection and maintenance so you know how to protect your family, your property, and the groundwater we share.

On the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, join us for a virtual lunch break to learn and ask questions about crucial carbon and climate initiatives occurring at Penn State from a variety of groups and different perspectives. Panelists include: -Divya Jain and Joshua Adams, Penn State students -Mark Sentesy, Climate Crossover -Charlie Anderson and Margot Kaye, Carbon Negative 2030 -Nicholas Rowland and Brandi Robinson, University Faculty Senate

Hongxing Liu, Assistant Professor of Economics Lafayette College. Best Management Practices and Nutrient Reduction: An Integrated Economic-Hydrologic Model of the Lake Erie Basin  ZOOM Link:   https://psu.zoom.us/j/904363125  Or by phone only:  +1 646 876 9923 (US Toll) Meeting ID: 904 363 125   Hosted by: Environment and Natural Resources Institute College of Agricultural Sciences 

The Radiocarbon Universe Webinar Series presents: Fundamentals of Radiocarbon​ with Brendan J. Culleton

EESI EarthTalk Webinar: Shale energy development trends and challenges. Watch on Zoom: https://psu.zoom.us/j/594342606 See all the EESI EarthTalk Webinars: https://www.eesi.psu.edu/seminars-conferences/seminars-conferences-eart…

This week's Ecology seminar will be given by Dr. Ruth DeFries (Columbia University), and she will be talking about her latest book "What Would Nature Do: A Guide to Our Uncertain Times." The seminar is on Friday, April 17th at 2:30 pm at this Zoom link: https://psu.zoom.us/j/215629904 */

Organized by the Center for the Business of Sustainability at the Smeal College of Business The coronavirus pandemic hit the world right as sustainable business and impact/ESG investing were taking off.  The Paris Climate Agreement, UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Greta Thunberg’s #FridaysforFuture, and the rapid growth in impact/ESG investing are just a few of the global drivers that were catalyzing business’ engagement with social and environmental issues. Then a novel virus shut down the world economy.

Ponds are a common feature in Pennsylvania’s landscape and they provide a source of enjoyment for many landowners. Although ponds occur naturally in this area, many have also been constructed for a variety of purposes. Join us for the Pond Management Webinar Series to learn more about keeping your pond healthy and beautiful!

In 2014, California passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), sweeping new groundwater management legislation designed to put an end to groundwater over-pumping and ensure there’s enough water for people, the economy and wildlife in California for generations to come.

EESI EarthTalk Webinar Richard Alley, Evan Pugh University Professor of Geosciences, will lead a discussion with the researchers and graduate students of Penn State’s ice group on how much sea-level rise scientists expect from melting ice and answer questions about what this means for citizens and scientists.

Dr. Grace Direnzo will present "Using integrative Bayesian approaches to examine ecological and evolutionary influences on disease dynamics" Join the webinar: https://psu.zoom.us/j/544305641.

This is the Pennsylvania edition of the nationwide effort to focus on state-level climate action. PA's call will be moderated by Pittsburgh Chief Resiliency Officer, Grant Ervin, and features: Jacqui Bonomo of Penn Future; Joylette Portlock of Sustainable Pittsburgh; and Hannah Smith-Brubaker of PA Association for Sustainable Agriculture. The focus will be on public health, agriculture, and energy. The webinar is free and open to the public.

EESI EarthTalk Webinar: Climate change increases hazards, such as rising sea levels and intensifying storms. Designing a strategy to manage these risks hinges on understanding the risks and how strategies navigate tradeoffs. Klaus Keller, professor of geosciences, will discuss at the next EarthTalks how engaging with stakeholders and decision-makers can help scientists identify mission-oriented basic science questions, and how scientists can help to improve decisions.

CANCELED DUE TO THE UNIVERSITY'S CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE

The Coral Restoration Consortium’s Genetics Working Group will present a webinar on their recently-published paper titled “Considerations for maximizing the adaptive potential of restored coral populations in the western Atlantic”. This paper provides practical advice for restoration practitioners and resource managers when making decisions about what species to work with, how many genotypes to include in nurseries, and how to design outplant plots to increase the chances of successful cross-fertilization. Join Dr. Iliana Baums, Dr. Mikhail Matz and Dr.

The coronavirus pandemic is fundamentally changing the way many organizations operate for the foreseeable future. Remote work is a new reality. How can leaders create an excellent remote culture? What are the best practices for virtual meetings? Susan Mohammed, Ph.D., Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute's team science expert, discusses these topics at the institute's next Translational Science Series webinar.

Predicting landscape response to climate change and human impact is important for assessing natural hazards and pollution due to the export of sediment and solutes from watersheds. However, the resilience of watersheds varies widely depending on geologic, climatic, and land-use history, and the interplay of these legacies is challenging to untangle.

Earth system models can show the effects of climate change on global and continental scales, but the models are limited at smaller scales. So, how can scientists help decision makers prepare for climate change risks regionally? Chris Forest, professor of climate dynamics, will look at uncertainty in Earth system model projections and its effects on assessing climate risk and proposing solutions at the next EarthTalks seminar at 4 p.m. Monday, March 23. The seminar will be broadcast through Zoom: https://psu.zoom.us/j/594342606.

This talk will discuss the need for additional control when power systems are operating with high (over 50%) converter-based renewable generation.  Traditional synchronous generator controls are set to handle transient, voltage, damping, and frequency stability issues arising from contingencies.  With the anticipated retirement of many steam units and replacement by increased penetration of renewable resources, the total system inertia and synchronizing torque will be decreased, affecting power system stability properties and increasing the likelihood of cascading blackouts. 

Governments are turning to solar and wind power as means of generating electricity while reducing carbon emissions. But how do these energy sources get on the power grid? Seth Blumsack, professor of energy policy and economics and international affairs at Penn State, will look at the challenges of adding renewable energy to the power grid at the next EarthTalks seminar at 4 p.m. Monday, March 16. The seminar will be broadcast through Zoom: https://psu.zoom.us/j/594342606. The talk is free and open to the public.