Resolution 2020: Action in a Time of Disruption with Dr. Rob Davies

Energy Conservation Works presents

Resolution 2020: Action in a Time of Disruption with Dr. Rob Davies

January 16, 2020

5:00-7:30PM

The Center Theater
Free & Open to the Community

Reception in the Theater Lobby from 5:00-6PM

Presentation begins at 6PM

For the January installment of the Sustainability Series, Energy Conservation Works will welcome Professor Rob Davies, of Utah State University, to the main stage at Center for the Arts. Davies will present on the level of action and commitment necessary to respond successfully to the global climate emergency. According to Davies, his talk will acknowledge that “˜(w)e exist in a state of planetary emergency.’ but that, “˜(w)e have what we need to build a sustainable, just, and vibrant space for humanity. With courage and resolve, we stand on the edge of extraordinary achievement.’
This event will be FREE, beginning with a social hour and refreshments from 5 to 6 pm, with the program to follow. The evening will feature ECW and other community partners and organizations with local climate, energy, and emissions-related programming. These partners will share immediately actionable steps to decrease one’s footprint during the social hour preceding the talk and as well as during the program. The list of actions will be compiled into a list of New Year’s Climate “˜Resolutions’

Davies was a notable presence at the recent Mountain Towns 2030 Conference in Park City UT, where he wowed the audience with his talk on climate data and the compelling case for immediate and significant action. Davies was applauded for his ability to weave complex data and important societal messages into his hour-long talk there. Upon returning from the conference, the cohort of Jackson Hole attendees sought Davies out to present in a similar fashion here in Jackson. Present at the conference were staff and elected officials from the Town and County, along with representatives of Energy Conservation Works, The Jackson Hole Land Trust, Beyond Efficiency, and even a resident of Teton County.

Mayor Pete Muldoon, who attended the conference, noted that “˜climate change is the defining challenge of our time, and its potential impact on our community and our way of life cannot be overstated.’ He continued, “˜Jackson can lead the nation on this issue, and if we are serious about conservation, the environment, and our economic well-being we must do exactly that. Dr. Davies’ event is a must-see for anyone with a sense of civic duty and concern about our future, and I encourage everyone to attend.’

ECW’s Executive Director, Phil Cameron, noted, “˜Davies talk artfully presented compelling, hard data on the issue of climate change in an approachable manner while also framing the appropriate level of response needed. The talk invigorated the audience, giving us an answer to the often-asked question, “˜ok, now what?”

The MT 2030 conference invited mountain communities from throughout the region to discuss and chart a path to net-zero emissions by 2030. Since the conference both the Town of Jackson and Teton County have jointly signed on to a letter and directed staff to generate an inventory of local actions that could carry the community towards this goal. Officials from the Town and County will offer brief remarks on this recent action as part of the program and the event will conclude with an emphasis on immediate, local actions that residents can adopt.

As a physicist, Professor Davies’ training has been in atmospheric physics, surface physics, and quantum optics. But his work for more than a decade has been in critical science communication, principally focused on global environmental change and sustainable human systems. Over the past decade Dr. Davies has delivered hundreds of public lectures “• to policymakers, business leaders, civic organizations and faith communities “• and his “performance science” theatrical collaboration The Crossroads Project | Rising Tide has been performed across the U.S. and in three countries. Dr. Davies has served as a scientific liaison for NASA on the International Space Station Project; as a project scientist with USU’s Space Dynamics Laboratory; and an officer and meteorologist in the United States Air Force. Originally hailing from the Black Hills of South Dakota, Dr. Davies is currently the Associate Professor of Professional Practice in Utah State University’s Dept of Physics, in Logan, Utah.

The event is made possible with the support and partnership of Energy Conservation Works, The Center of Wonder/Wonder Institute, The Town of Jackson, Teton County, Sustainability Series, Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities, Slow Food in the Tetons, Hole Food Rescue, Jackson Hole Airport, and Beyond Efficiency.

For more information please visit our Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/583261208899203/