Going Green Lectures • 2019
Previous Lectures - 2018 - click HERE
Thursday, November 21, 2019
7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Houston Advanced Research Center
8801 Gosling Road, The Woodlands, TX
The Changing Landscape of Energy Production and Use ” - What’s Next?
Mr. Robert L. Jones
Lead for the Conroe Chapter, Citizens’ Climate Lobby
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Topic: Mr. Jones’ talk will first take an historical look at energy sources and uses in the United States and review the economic and environmental characteristics of the various energy-producing technologies. In addition to talking about trends in energy use and forecasts, Mr. Jones will also delve into how electric utilities, industries and businesses are changing their strategies to accommodate environmental issues, including an increasingly carbon-constrained economy.
SPEAKER: Mr. Robert L. Jones has over 40 years of experience in power generation technologies using coal, nuclear, natural gas, geothermal, biomass, solar and wind. He is currently the Lead of the local Woodlands, Conroe and Huntsville chapter of Citizen’s Climate Lobby. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from Union College in Schenectady, New York.
Registration for this event is not necessary.
Those who attend will also enjoy learning about HARC’s energy and water efficient building, which has been awarded the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum Green Building Certification. HARC’s is the first building in The Woodlands or Montgomery County to be designated as such.
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Date: Thursday, November 21st, 2019
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Houston Advanced Research Center, 8801 Gosling Road, The Woodlands, TX 77381
This event is free and open to the public. There will be cookies….and maybe even brownies
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Thursday, October 24, 2019
7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Houston Advanced Research Center
8801 Gosling Road, The Woodlands, TX
Mycophile or Mycophobe:
We all need mushrooms!
Teri MacArthur
Environmental Education Specialist for The Woodlands Township Environmental Services Department.
The Woodlands G.R.E.E.N. is sponsoring a Going Green Sustainability Lecture titled “Mycophile or Mycophobe--we all need mushrooms” to be held at the offices of the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), located at 8801 Gosling Road, The Woodlands, on Thursday, October 24, at 7:00 p.m.
Teri MacArthur is a resident of the Woodlands and of Montgomery County for more than 40 years. She has been interested in mushrooms of the area since the early 1980’s. Teri was a long-time member of the Texas Mycological Society, now dissolved, and has been a Certified Texas Master Naturalist since 2001. She managed the Spring Creek Greenway Nature Center from its opening through 2012, and is currently an Environmental Education Specialist for The Woodlands Township Environmental Services Department.
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Those who attend will also enjoy learning about HARC’s energy and water efficient building, which has been awarded the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum Green Building Certification. HARC’s is the first building in The Woodlands or Montgomery County to be designated as such.
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Date: Thursday, October 24, 2019
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: HARC - Houston Advanced Research Center, 8801 Gosling Road, The Woodlands, TX 77381
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This event is free and open to the public. There will be cookies! And maybe brownies.
Thursday, September 26, 2019
7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Houston Advanced Research Center
8801 Gosling Road, The Woodlands, TX
USGS Annual Groundwater Table Data
How Are We Doing?
Chris Braun
Hydrologist and Groundwater Specialist
USGS Texas Water Science Center.
Jason Ramage
Hydrologist
USGS Texas Water Science Center
The Woodlands G.R.E.E.N. is sponsoring a Going Green Sustainability Lecture titled “USGS Annual Groundwater Table Data: How Are We Doing?” to be held at the offices of the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), located at 8801 Gosling Road, The Woodlands. The lecture will be held on Thursday, September 26, at 7:00 pm. The presentation will be by Mr. Christopher Braun and Mr. Jason Ramage of the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
Topic: The USGS has been monitoring groundwater table levels in hundreds of water wells in our region for more than 40 years, including wells that are pumping water from the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers--sources of drinking water for much of Montgomery County. At September’s Woodlands G.R.E.E.N. lecture, our speakers will discuss the results from the latest round of measurements and will highlight various trends that have developed over the past decades of data collection and analysis.
SPEAKER: Chris Braun is currently a Hydrologist and Groundwater Specialist with the USGS Texas Water Science Center. Chris’ work as a hydrologist covers a full spectrum, including water quality, surface water, and groundwater projects through his 26-year career with USGS. In July, 2019, Chris transferred to the Texas Water Science Center Gulf Coast Branch to serve as a hydrologist. He holds a B.S. degree in Geological Sciences and a M.S. in Water Resources Engineering, both from the University of Texas at Austin.
SPEAKER: Jason Ramage is currently a Hydrologist with the USGS Texas Water Science Center. Jason’s project work has been focused on groundwater, compaction, and subsidence in the Gulf Coast Aquifer System. He has also been involved in groundwater quality sampling in production wells looking at a variety of constituents from major and minor ions, trace metals, radiochemical isotopes, age dating isotope, and others. Jason holds a B.S. degree in Geology from the University of Houston.
Registration for this event is not necessary.
Those who attend will also enjoy learning about HARC’s energy and water efficient building, which has been awarded the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum Green Building Certification. HARC’s is the first building in The Woodlands or Montgomery County to be designated as such.
Date: Thursday, September 26, 2019
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Houston Advanced Research Center, 8801 Gosling Road, The Woodlands, TX 77381
This event is free and open to the public. There will be cookies….and maybe brownies.
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Thursday, Thursday, May 23, 2019
7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Houston Advanced Research Center
8801 Gosling Road, The Woodlands, TX
“HARC’s Road to Net-Zero Energy”
Dr. Mustapha Beydoun
Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer HARC
Carlos Gamarra
Senior Research Associate
The Woodlands G.R.E.E.N. is sponsoring a Going Green Sustainability Lecture entitled “HARC’s Road to Net-Zero Energy” to be held at the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), located at 8801 Gosling Road, The Woodlands, on Thursday, May 23rd, at 7:00 p.m. Dr. Mustapha Beydoun, Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer at the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), along with Carolos Gamarra, Senior Research Associate at HARC, will provide an overview of the unique features of HARC’s LEED Platinum building, while offering an update on the facility’s journey to becoming one of the first certified commercial Net-Zero Energy (NZE) buildings in Texas.
Speaker: Dr. Beydoun is the Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer at HARC where he is responsible for directing, administering, and coordinating the operations of HARC in support of the organization’s strategic and administrative goals. His research interests are in the field of air quality, vehicle emissions, urban planning and growth management, as well as renewable energy. Dr. Beydoun holds a Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning from Ohio State University and a B.A. from the University of Florida.
Carlos Gamarra is a Senior Research Associate for Clean Energy Technologies at HARC. He also serves as the Assistant Director of the Department of Energy’s southcentral Combined Heat and Power Technical Assistance Partnership, and Energy Manager for HARC. Carlos holds a M.Sc. in Industrial Engineering and a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering, obtaining his CEM and P.E. certification after more than 10 years of experience in the design, construction and optimization of industrial and commercial facilities. Carlos is currently a Ph.D. candidate researching the profitability limits of electrical micro-grids.
We hope you’ll come hear more about HARC’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum Green Building Certification. HARC’s is the first building in The Woodlands or Montgomery County to be designated as such. The recent installation of additional solar panels is just one of the ways that HARC continues to strive to be Net-Zero and to set an example for others.
Date: Thursday, May 23rd, 2019
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Houston Advanced Research Center, 8801 Gosling Road, The Woodlands, TX 77381
This event is free and open to the public. Please come and bring a friend or two. There will be cake to celebrate the close of another successful Woodlands G.R.E.E.N. Sustainability Lecture Series season and the G.R.E.E.N.’s 30th Birthday.
Thursday, Thursday, April 25
7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Houston Advanced Research Center
8801 Gosling Road, The Woodlands, TX
"Enraptured by Raptors"What Would We Do Without Them?
Mary Anne Weber
Education Director for Houston Audubon
The Woodlands G.R.E.E.N. is sponsoring a Going Green Sustainability Lecture entitled “Enraptured by Raptors” to be held at the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), located at 8801 Gosling Road, The Woodlands, on Thursday, April 25th, at 7:00 p.m. Mary Anne Weber, Education Director for Houston Audubon’s Raptor and Education Center, will speak to the group about what puts raptors at the top of the food chain and the dangers they face living in urban and suburban environments.
Topic: Get to know your local raptors and what puts them at the top of the food chain. Learn about the environmental benefits of the magnificent birds and the dangers they face living in an urban and suburban setting. The program will also highlight ways to help local raptors and attract them to your property. Give a hoot and a scream and join the Woodlands G.R.E.E.N. and Houston Audubon for this special presentation!
Speaker: Mary Anne Weber is the Education Director for Houston Audubon and has been in that position for 20 years. She also manages Houston Audubon’s Raptor and Education Center. Mary Anne has worked with captive raptors for over 30 years and cares for the educational raptors that accompany the hundreds of programs given by Houston Audubon each year. Mary Ann has a B.S. in Wildlife Biology and Forestry from Virginia Tech. She has worked at the Raptor Trust in New Jersey, and managed the Wind Rock Wild Bird Rescue in Montana. Mary Anne has won numerous awards for her unique education programming that highlights bird education on the Upper Texas Coast. Her programs are for all ages and all audiences.
Those who attend will also enjoy learning about HARC’s energy and water efficient building, which has been awarded the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum Green Building Certification. HARC’s is the first building in The Woodlands or Montgomery County to be designated as such.
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Location: Houston Advanced Research Center, 8801 Gosling Road, The Woodlands, TX 77381
This event is free and open to the public. Please come and bring a friend or two. There will be cookies!
Thursday, Thursday, March 28
7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Houston Advanced Research Center
8801 Gosling Road, The Woodlands, TX
Texas Forest Pests
Some Old and Some New
Allen Smith
Forest Health Coordinator for East Texas
Texas Forest Service
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The Woodlands G.R.E.E.N. is sponsoring a Going Green Sustainability Lecture entitled “Texas Forest Pests; Some Old and Some New” to be held at the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), located at 8801 Gosling Road, The Woodlands, on Thursday, March 28th, at 7:00 p.m. Allen Smith, Forest Health Coordinator for East Texas for the Texas Forest Service, will speak to the group about the common threats to forest health in Texas and the region, as well as updating the group on the new threat to Ash and other tree species from the Emerald Ash Borer.
Topic: The importance of forests to our environment, including our climate, is becoming more and more evident as we learn its role in sequestering carbon, releasing oxygen, and helping cool a warming planet. The forests also serve as a “buffer” for rain runoff and can significantly diminish flooding, as well as improve water quality as the water moves across the forest floor to our creeks and streams. Unfortunately, our forests are decreasing in size, in part due to disease and insects. Our speaker will discuss the common threats to forest health in Texas and the region as well as updating the group on the new threat to Ash and other tree species from the Emerald Ash Borer. Allen’s presentation will enlighten participants on the work that goes into collecting data and identifying the pests to forest health as well as ways the Texas Forest Service recommends mitigating he damage from them.
Speaker: Allen Smith holds Bachelors of Science degrees in Environmental Science and Forestry, and a Master of Science in Forest Entomology from Steven F. Austin State University. He has been working for the citizens of Texas as a member of the Texas Forest Service for 17 years and is currently serves as the Forest Health Coordinator for East Texas. Allen is a native Texan.
Those who attend will also enjoy learning about HARC’s energy and water efficient building, which has been awarded the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum Green Building Certification. HARC’s is the first building in The Woodlands or Montgomery County to be designated as such.
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Date: Thursday, March 28, 2019
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Houston Advanced Research Center, 8801 Gosling Road, The Woodlands, TX 77381
This event is free and open to the public. There will be cookies!
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Thursday, February 21, 2019
7:00 PM HARC
8801 Gosling Road, The Woodlands
Pollinators: From Bees and Bats to Butterflies
The Woodlands G.R.E.E.N. is sponsoring a Going Green Sustainability Lecture entitled “Pollinators; From Bees And Bats To Butterflies” to be held at the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), located at 8801 Gosling Road, The Woodlands, on Thursday, February 21st, at 7:00 p.m. Kendall Clark, Environmental Education Specialist with The Woodlands Township and specializing in Sustainable Landscapes, will speak to the group about the importance of pollination and pollinators and the Woodlands Township’s new program to become a Monarch Champion City as recognized by the National Wildlife Federation.
TOPIC: Kendall will speak to the group about The Woodlands Township’s new program, “Plant For Pollinators” and its goal to become a Monarch Champion City as recognized by the National Wildlife Federation. Kendall will also focus on the important role that pollinators, including the Monarch Butterfly, play in our everyday world. A significant amount of the food we eat is only available because of pollinators and Kendall will share with us the ways in which we as individuals and groups can help them in their task by increasing their habitat, whether the pollinators be birds, butterflies, bees or bats.
SPEAKER: After a long consulting career with Hewitt Associates, and then owning her own business, Kendall started a non-profit organization named Project PolliNation in 2017. Currently she is working as an Environmental Education Specialist in the Environmental Services group of The Woodlands Township. She is an avid gardener (of course), nature lover, and student of all things mysterious (what’s more mysterious than the transformation of a caterpillar to a butterfly?). I hope you’ll join us for this informative talk. And then go plant a bunch of flowering things!
Those who attend will also enjoy learning about HARC’s energy and water efficient building, which has been awarded the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum Green Building Certification. HARC’s is the first building in The Woodlands or Montgomery County to be designated as such.
Date: Thursday, February 21, 2019
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Houston Advanced Research Center, 8801 Gosling Road, The Woodlands, TX 77381
This event is free and open to the public. There will be cookies!
Thursday, January 17, 2019
7:00 PM HARC
8801 Gosling Road, The Woodlands
Solarize The Woodlands
Dori Wolfe
Wolfe Energy
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The Woodlands G.R.E.E.N. is sponsoring a Going Green Sustainability Lecture entitled “Solarize The Woodlands” to be held at the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), located at 8801 Gosling Road, The Woodlands, on Thursday, January 17th, at 7:00 p.m. Dori Wolfe, founder of Wolfe Energy and an active member of Solarize Houston (a non-profit project sponsored by Houston Renewable Energy Group), will speak to the group about how to bring solar to the area, via rooftop solar for homes and businesses or via community solar arrays.
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Topic: Learn about an exciting opportunity for local residents and business owners to bring solar energy to The Woodlands with a non-profit project sponsored by Houston Renewable Energy Group (HREG). Through competitive bidding for the installer and group purchasing for the enrollees, investing in rooftop solar can be made simple and financially attractive. Since 2016, HREG has conducted three “Solarize Houston” campaigns with great success. In early 2019 HREG plans to bring the program to greater-Houston area neighborhoods such as The Woodlands; where neighbors encourage neighbors to “go solar”.
SPEAKER: Dori Wolfe founded Wolfe Energy in order to share her passion for energy conservation and renewable sources. She has been actively involved in Solarize Houston since 2012 and been working to bring community solar projects to fruition. These projects include a 7 Megawatt array in Stafford, Vermont, which came on line in 2017. It is the largest Superfund solar project in the northeast. In 2015, Wolfe developed a 110 kW array benefitting 5 local non-profits in the same town and in September brought on-line the first “hybrid” community solar array owned 100% by residents while also benefiting the town. Dori has dedicated substantial volunteer time to educating students and communities in sustainable practices including developing an elementary school energy curriculum, serving over 10 years on the town energy committee, and lecturing on renewable energy. Dori has a BSME degree from Cornell University.
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Those who attend will also enjoy learning about HARC’s energy and water efficient building, which has been awarded the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum Green Building Certification. HARC’s is the first building in The Woodlands or Montgomery County to be designated as such.
Date: Thursday, January 17, 2019
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Houston Advanced Research Center, 8801 Gosling Road, The Woodlands, TX 77381
This event is free and open to the public. There will be cookies!