Environmental Thought - Environmental Practice
Manchester Environmental Forum
31st January 2003
The Manchester Environmental Forum Postgraduate Conference is an opportunity
for research students from across the UK to meet, discuss their work and
practise presenting before a sympathetic audience. In a research field that
cuts across faculties and funding bodies, this one-day meeting provides a
rare chance to exchange ideas and experiences.
The theme for the conference is intentionally broad: please come and discuss
your work in progress whether you are a scientist, a philosopher or a social
researcher. What matters is that you focus on the wider implications of your
research for environmental thought and practice, clearly and concisely.
The conference will take place on 31st January 2003 at the University of
Manchester. Presentations should last for 15-20 minutes each. The conference
fee is £7, payable on the day, and the deadline for registration is 10th
January. Inquiries and abstracts (maximum 200 words) should be directed to
Tom MacMillan, School of Geography, University of Manchester, Oxford Road,
Manchester M13 9PL (0161 2753674), or [log in to unmask]
A provisional programme, including keynote speakers, will be announced in
due course.
Manchester Environmental Forum is a discussion group that meets regularly at
the University of Manchester. For details of other Forum activities visit
http://www.man.ac.uk/umec/Forum/


8. BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS? COMMUNICATING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
11th December, London, UK
Exploring new ways to meet the cross-sectoral challenge of communicating
Sustainability. Global Action Plan and FUTERRA invite you to a conference
that will examine how we communicate sustainable development, learn from
past successes and failures, and bring together the business, government and
NGO sectors. For details visit the website www.futerracom.org/conference

10. MA IN SUSTAINABLE FUTURES
Kingston University, School of Architecture & Landscape
The concepts of sustainable development and sustainability have become
central to the ambitions of many governments and corporations. Pressures of
our developed society have led to an increased awareness of the requirement
to manage both the natural and built environments in order to satisfy the
needs of both the present generation and posterity. The issue of
sustainability is forming an inherent part of professional life with a
strong relevance for all those involved with the creation, management and
renewal of our urban and rural environments. Inherent in developing a
comprehension of sustainability, is a knowledge and understanding of the
issues facing society.
MA Sustainable Futures is designed to allow individuals from various
professional backgrounds the opportunity to broaden their knowledge of
sustainable development issues while studying specific related areas of
interest in depth. An interdisciplinary approach will be adopted, with an
emphasis placed on the use of case studies and workplace-based learning. It
is anticipated that upon entering the course you will already have had or be
working in relevant employment and may even be a member of one of the urban
and rural environment professions. The course comprises of twelve modules.
Eight of these are taught via lectures, seminars, studio work, workshops and
case studies, engaging in subjects such as the historical context of
sustainability, social, environmental, and economic sustainability, and an
innovative interdisciplinary case study project. Issues covered by these
modules will include sustainable development introduction, ecology and
governance, Local Agenda 21, social responsibility and ethics, stakeholder
dialogue, funding possibilities, and key performance indicators. The
assessments involve projects, essays, 'crits' and presentations. The
remaining four are student-centred research where you will undertake a
Dissertation or Masters Project, supported by research methods modules.
The course will initially be offered with three pathways  design, investment
and regeneration. Each pathway will have a prescribed module. The Design
module will cover such matters as sustainable building design, conservation,
housing issues, specification and materials. The Investment module will
include eco-tax, fiscal issues and risk assessment, environmental impact
assessment, environmental and welfare economics and sustainable investment.
The Regeneration module will cover urban renewal, sustainable cities,
transport issues, whole life cycle costs and master planning. An option
module may be taken from the remaining two pathway modules.
For further information contact:
Helen Iball
Sustainable Futures
Associate Course Leader
School of Architecture & Landscape
Faculty of Art, Design and Music
Kingston University
Knights Park
Kingston KT1 2QJ
t 020 8547 7410
f 020 8547 7186
e [log in to unmask]
www.kingston.ac.uk/sustainabledesign



A new Biodiversity Strategy for England entitled Working with the Grain of
Nature' has been published by DEFRA. The Strategy builds on the foundations
already laid in conserving habitats and species and aims to go further by
ensuring that the implications for biodiversity as a whole are considered as
an integral part of other key policies, such as for agriculture, water,
woodlands, urban areas and the marine and coastal environment.
Working with the grain of nature: a biodiversity strategy for England
(Defra, October 2002) is available from Defra publications, Admail 6000,
London, SW1 2XX and on the Defra website:
www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/ewd/biostrat/index.htm