Commissioner's Lecture Series
The Commissioner's Lecture Series was started in 2011 to mark the 40th anniversary of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. In the years since, DEEP has had a remarkable record of leadership and achievement with a profound and positive impact on the health and well-being of Connecticut.
This lecture series was launched to honor that record of public service and to help us think about how best to meet the challenges that lie ahead.
January 29, 2014 lecture by Brenda Pulley, Senior Vice President of Recycling for Keep America Beautiful "Transformation of an Occasional Recycler to an Everyday Recycler" (Length: 55 minutes)
Ms. Pulley’s presentation focused on Keep America Beautiful’s efforts to increase recycling participation by transforming how the public views the value of materials in our waste stream.
October 15, 2013 lecture by Andreas Kraemer, Director of Ecologic Institute in Berlin, Germany – The Climate Change: A Global Perspective on Prospects for Action (Length: 58 minutes)
Mr. Kraemer provided insight on how European nations are addressing climate and clean energy issues and perspective on how developments overseas compares with the situation here in the United States.
September 17, 2013 lecture by Anthony Leiserowitz, Director, Yale Project on Climate Change Communication - Climate Change in the American Mind (Length: 1 hour)
Dr. Leiserowitz spoke on American attitudes about climate change and discussed strategies for more effective public engagement.
April 3, 2013 lecture by Rand Wentworth, President of the Land Trust Alliance - What Land Conservation Will Look Like in the 21st Century (Length: 59 minutes)
Land trusts in Connecticut and across the nation have worked with private homeowners for years to protect millions of acres of land for farming, wildlife habitat, scenic beauty and recreation. As the population grows, and development of land continues, the future brings serious challenges to make sure that lands with significant conservation value are protected.
January 24, 2013 lecture by David Yarnold, President of the National Audubon Society (Length: 50 minutes)
Mr. Yarnold spoke about the reinvention of Audubon and how the organization is no longer just about birds, but works to promote a variety of environmental issues and build public interest in them. He also highlighted the work of Audubon CT and the importance of state chapters in the national picture. In addition to Mr. Yarnold, Patrick Comins, Director of Bird Conservation for Audubon CT also spoke about the efforts of the state chapter
July 18, 2012 lecture by Daniel Jacob, Professor of atmospheric chemistry and environmental engineering at Harvard University (Length: 56 minutes)
Daniel Jacob discussed his research on air quality, climate change, and implications from human activity. Professor Jacob has been a pioneer in the development of global 3-D models of atmospheric composition, has served as Mission Scientist on seven NASA aircraft missions, and is a member of several satellite Science Teams.
April 23, 2012 lecture by Terry Tamminen, President and Founder of the non-profit organization Seventh Generation Advisors and Tribute to State Representative Terry Backer (Length: 1 hour and 7 minutes)
Terry Tamminen, the former Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency has helped other states and world governments adopt clean energy and sustainability polices based on California's experience. Terry Backer is being recognized for his years of service as Soundkeeper and his commitment to the preservation of Long Island Sound.
April 18, 2012 lecture by Paul Anastas, Director of the Center for Green Chemistry & Green Engineering at Yale and the Teresa and H. John Heinz III Professor in the Practice of Chemistry for the Environment at Yale University (Length: 51 minutes)
Paul Anastas, known as the “Father of Green Chemistry” is known for his groundbreaking research on the design, manufacture, and use of environmentally-friendly chemicals and has an extensive record of leadership in government, academia, and the private sector. Back in 1991, when he was a young staff chemist at EPA, Paul Anastas invented the term “Green Chemistry” -- an approach to chemical production that called for the elimination of toxic processes at the outset, to avoid having to clean up hazardous waste after the fact. Later on he co-authored a book, 12 Principals of Green Chemistry, and has been involved with this approach ever since.
February 27, 2012 lecture by Mary Nichols, Chairman of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) (Length: 59 minutes)
Ms. Nichols is a national leader and expert on environmental issues and spoke on her experiences in California with that state's plan to reduce greenhouse gases and move toward a clean and efficient economy.
February 15, 2012 lecture by Amory Lovins, Chairman and Chief Scientist, Rocky Mountain Institute. (Length: 52 minutes)
Amory presented the business case for the future of clean energy sources and what steps the U.S. will need to take to encourage private industry to help end our reliance on conventional energy sources.
August 25, 2011 lecture by Reed Hundt, CEO of the Coalition for Green Capital. (Length: 51 minutes)
Reed's talk focuses on the energy industry's transition from carbon-intensive energy to clean energy. As Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission from 1993-1197, Reed helped drive a major transformation in a large sector of the world-wide economy which provides a model for the clean energy transformation that is happening today.
April 14, 2011 lecture by Michael Shellenberger and Ted Nordhaus . (Length: 1 hour and 15 minutes)
Michael and Ted are committed environmentalists and exciting thinkers who challenge much of the prevailing wisdom about how best to advance the environmental agenda.