Press Release - USM to Sponsor SEJ National Conference
October 4, 2002
USM to Sponsor Society of Environmental Journalists' National Conference Oct.
9-13 in Baltimore
National Gathering Brings Together Top-Flight Journalists, Educators
to Discuss Major Environmental Issues
The University System of Maryland (USM) will sponsor the Society of
Environmental Journalists (SEJ) 2002 Annual Conference, to be held October 9-13
at the Wyndham Hotel, 101 West Fayette Street in Baltimore. The event will bring
together hundreds of journalists and researchers, commentators and policy
experts from the USM and dozens of other institutions to discuss major
environmental issues as well as the coverage of environmental affairs.
Highlights of the event include a number of tours, panels, plenary and lunch
sessions with top speakers from science, industry, government agencies, and
advocacy groups.Faculty from various USM institutions will be involved in
discussions on environmental issues of interest pertaining to Maryland as well
as the rest of the country, such as marine and coastal issues, environmental
health, bioterrorism, energy conservation and alternative energy sources,
invasive species, suburban sprawl, environmental justice, Freedom of Information
issues, globalization, climate change, environmental politics, and more. The
program was completely planned by journalists.
USM Chancellor William E. Kirwan will deliver remarks during the opening plenary
session (details below) and the scientific poster session, the latter to be held
on Thursday, October 10 at 4 p.m. in the Liberty Ballroom. At the poster
session, environmental and human-health researchers from across the USM, as well
as other institutions such as the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel,
MD, will display and discuss some of their latest findings on a wide range of
topics.
Key panel discussions include:
Opening Plenary: "Blind Spots: Uncovering the Taboos of Environmental
Reporting." Are population growth, consumerism, and related topics too
complicated and contentious for news coverage? Speakers: Sen. Gaylord Nelson,
Earth Day Founder; Paul Ehrlich, Stanford University; Nicholas Eberstadt,
American Enterprise Institute; Betsy Taylor, Center for the New American Dream;
Lee Horwich, USA Today; Ellen Ruppel Shell, Boston University.
(Friday, Oct. 10, 8:30 - 10:15 a.m., International Ballroom)
Voting Green: Politics and Environmental Policy. With important mid-term
elections only weeks away, top Democratic and Republican leaders will discuss
environmental policy changes under the first two years of the Bush
administration, square off on the issues and consider what impact November
elections may have.
(Saturday, Oct. 12, noon - 2 p.m., International Ballroom)
Pfiesteria: Panel to examine controversy in the scientific community and media
coverage of this key issue in marine science and environmental health. Speakers: JoAnn Burkholder, North Carolina State University; Wayne Litaker, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Brad Bell, WJLA-TV, Washington D.C.
(Friday, Oct. 11, 10:45 a.m. - noon, Carroll Room)
Registration information as well as the complete program are available online at
http://www.sej.org .
Working journalists on assignment or daily deadline who intend to cover plenary
and panel sessions may sign up for session access and fee waiver by phoning
Society of Environmental Journalists Executive Director Beth Parke at
215/884-8174 through October 9. During conference hours, phone the Wyndham at
410/752-1100 and ask for the SEJ conference line.
The Society of Environmental Journalists is the only North American membership
organization of working journalists dedicated to improvements in environmental
reporting. SEJ has more than 1,260 members working in all types of news media,
in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and 32 other countries. SEJ programs are designed by
journalists to build a stronger, better-educated, and more closely connected
network of professional journalists and editors who cover the environment and
environment-related issues. SEJ's primary goal is to advance public
understanding of critically important environmental issues through more and
better environmental journalism.
Contact:
Chris Hart
Phone: 301/445-2739
E-mail: chart@usmd.edu
