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Call for Papers 2nd German Environmental Sociology Summit Reshaping Nature: Old Limits and New Possibilities Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, UFZ Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany November 5-7, 2009 Venue: http://www.leipziger-kubus.ufz.de/ The German Sociological Society's Section on Environmental Sociology and the Department of Urban and Environmental Sociology at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ are pleased to announce the Second German Environmental Sociology Summit in Leipzig (Germany) from November 5 7, 2009. Environmental sociologists have long called for the reduction of the impact of modern societies on ecosystems. More recently, new research in the ecological and technical sciences, augmented by public discourse about strategies for adapting to and mitigating ecological changes caused by humans (e.g., global warming), as well as natural catastrophes (e.g., earthquakes, tsunamis), have fostered sociological research on not only the risks but also the opportunities for the social design of environmental dynamics. In light of these debates, this conference will explore sociology's potential for helping to better understand the social possibilities and limits of the "shapability" of an ever changing natural world. The organizers of the Second German Environmental Sociology Summit invite papers that focus on the following subjects: new governance and policy prospects for adapting to climate change; the limits and possibilities of sustainably restoring and revitalizing industrially altered landscapes; new forms of sustainability, be it on the local, regional (e.g., consumption), or on the global (e.g., emissions trading) level; and education and learning to meet the challenges of sustainable development. Presentations that focus on the viability (incl. economic, aesthetic, or practical facets) of adaptive technologies involving alternate energy sources (wind, waves, solar power, and alternate fuels) are also especially welcome. Nevertheless the conference will not restrict papers to these subjects and is open to other original proposals. Abstracts of no more than 300 words are due April 15, 2009 via email to Johanna Hilsberg at: [log in to unmask] For further information contact Matthias Gross, Department of Urban and Environmental Sociology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany, Phone: 49 (341) 235 1746; Fax: 49 (341) 235 1836.