FIT SUSTAINABILITY CONFERENCE 2013

Request for Break-Out Session and Student Project Exhibition Proposals
The Seventh Annual FIT Sustainable Business and Design Conference will be held
on April 9, 2013 in the John Reeves Great Hall. The theme of the conference is:

“People, Planet, Prosperity: The Sustainable Balancing Act”

The concept focuses on social justice, and incorporating sustainability both as the core of business strategy and in our day-to-day lives to have an economically feasible, positive impact on people and the planet. Best practices will be presented by speakers, in break-out sessions, and in exhibits.

The organizing committee is reaching out to all faculty and staff for proposals on topics for break-out sessions as part of the conference. Information about previous years’ conferences can be found at: http://www.fitnyc.edu/sustainability.

If you would like to submit proposals and/or are interested in helping with organizing the conference (faculty and student volunteers are needed and welcomed), please email Sandra_Krasovec@fitnyc.edu or Nomi_Kleinman@fitnyc.edu.

Break-Out Sessions

FIT Faculty and staff are encouraged to submit their proposals for presentations in 3 areas:

1. How sustainability is incorporated into each of their respective schools and disciplines

2. Curriculum building

3. Sustainable FIT- everyday actions for a greener campus life

Sessions should be 45-minutes long and can be presentations, workshops, roundtable discussions, or other formats. Break-out sessions are held in the Seminar Rooms in the lower level beneath the Great Hall, or in other locations on campus, as appropriate to the target audience, activity and topic.

Please submit the following information in your proposal:

1. Your name, department, title, email address and phone number.

2. Title of your presentation.

3. Brief summary of your presentation and how it relates to this year’s conference. theme and/or “FIT Forever Green,” the continuing college-wide sustainability effort.

4. Equipment that you may require, e.g. laptop and projector, smart board, etc.

Student Project Exhibition

Student projects relating to sustainability will be exhibited in the Great Hall and around the college during the conference. Please be prepared to work with your students to display their projects on the afternoon of Monday, April 8th and to dismantle them after 5:30pm on Tuesday, April 9th. There will also be an option to display work in digital format.

Please submit the following information if you would like to have student work displayed at the conference:

1. Your name, department, course, email address and phone number.

2. A brief description of the project.

3. Number of students who will be exhibiting.

4. Preferred method or needs for displaying work.

Proposals for Break-Out Sessions and the Student Project Exhbition will be reviewed and selected by The Sustainability Council to provide comprehensive and diverse issues related to sustainability.

Final submission deadline is Friday, February 15, 2013.

Please send to Sandra_Krasovec@fitnyc.edu or Nomi_Kleinman@fitnyc.edu.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sustainable-business/pamela-ravasio-sustainable-textiles

This article addresses the need for closed loop recycling of fibers involved in the textile process.  It also highlights the challenges facing certain closed loop systems that require more technology for recycling over other materials that are more readily available, such as cotton.

http://www.bricartsmedia.org/events/on-purpose-art-design-in-brooklyn-2012

This announcement showcases an exhibition in Brooklyn that features, designers, artists and architects whose work addresses collective strategies that touch on the challenges of sustainable contemporary urban living.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/06/nyregion/rooftop-greenhouse-will-boost-city-farming.html?_r=1&nl=nyregion&emc=edit_ur_20120406

Bright Farms is a privately owned company slated to develop the largest rooftop farm in the United States on the site of a former Navy warehouse in Brooklyn.  Set to open in Spring 2013, the greenhouse will make use of hydroponic agriculture which will help to conserve storm water runoff.

http://inhabitat.com/incredible-amsterdam-office-created-entirely-from-cardboard/

This article features an interior office space designed by Nothing, an Amsterdam based design firm.  The interior structures of the office are constructed entirely out of cardboard, an inexpensive and recyclable material.  The firm utilizes a “no screw- no glue” construction technique which promotes a cleaner indoor air environment as well as makes for easy replacement of one component if a piece gets damaged.

http://www.airdye.com/about/how/

This website showcases an innovative technique in the textile dyeing industry.  By air dyeing fabric, it eliminates the large amount of toxins released and water required to achieve the traditional results.  On average, the dyeing and finishing aspects of textiles contributes to close to 20% of the industrial pollution.  This technology offers a wide range of applications for both the garment and interiors industry.

http://cooperator.com/articles/1712/1/Play-Spaces-and-Children039s-Programming/Page1.html

This article focuses on how play spaces and children’s amenities have become important aspects in the marketing of NYC residential buildings.  The trend is towards keeping children active with offering various programs.  This is popular for young families who want to maintain living in Manhattan over living in the suburbs.

http://ecobrooklyn.com/craft-living-roof/

This articles demonstrates the popularity of incorporating green roofs for their benefits of heating insulation as well as the secondary beneficial aspects of carbon offsetting.

http://www.playlsi.com/Explore-Products/Nature-Inspired-Playground-Designs/Articles/Playground-Design-Trends/Pages/Playground-Design-Trends.aspx

This article focuses on the shift in contemporary playground design towards nature inspired elements over traditional man-made single structure equipment.

http://www.npr.org/2012/10/25/163606540/algae-as-car-fuel-possible-but-not-sustainable

Using algae as a bio-fuel option has been in development since the 1970s.  This article reviews the challenges facing algae as fuel as a sustainable option due to the amount of energy, resource, and land mass required to extract the oil from the algae to produce enough quantities to make it a viable alternative.