The Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ) will be holding its 26th Annual Conference, in Sacramento, CA, on September 21-25, 2016. California has a 1,100-mile-long coastline. From the heights of Mount Whitney to the depths of Death Valley, the Golden State offers some of the most breathtaking landscapes around the globe.
California is also known for earthquakes, droughts, wildfires and floods. And, among the U.S. states, California has the largest population, biggest economy and some of the most daunting environmental challenges.
Forward thinking political leaders and remarkable natural diversity make California the proving ground for tests and solutions on water supply, energy, sustainable agriculture, air quality, climate change and more.
For all of the reasons outlined above SEJ had opted to hold this conference in California. This is the third time in more than a quarter century that the SEJ conference is being held in the state.
This time it is being held in Sacramento, the state’s seat of political power. This vibrant city, lauded as one of the most ethnically integrated in the world, is not your typical government town. Situated in California’s Central Valley, the Sacramento region is surrounded by farming and agriculture (the expanse of which is visible when you fly into Sacramento International Airport).
A nexus for the farm-to-fork movement, the city has a thriving food culture deeply connected to these farmlands, which has attracted lots of great restaurants and nationally known chefs!
But it’s not just about the food. Sacramento is ground zero for a magnitude of global issues.
California is a bellwether state: the state’s energy and environmental laws serve as models for other states, the nation and other governments.
All of this makes Sacramento the ideal location for SEJ2016.
As a conference co-host UC Davis will supply top-notch scientists and laboratories that will help you answer and solve environmental problems.
There will also be a retrospective on some of the best environmental photojournalism ever and the best environmental reporting of 2015, in a newly dressed-up SEJ Awards Friday luncheon celebration.
The conference will also explore technology’s role and limitations in addressing environmental challenges.
Some of the local issues that will be addressed include:
- The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, the hotly contested hub of the state’s water system
Lake Tahoe, the High Sierra jewel with lessons on water quality, snowpack research and pressures of development - The UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory and emerging ocean issues
Food and agriculture (and wines)
Wildfire issues. - California’s ambitious renewable energy and clean transportation programs
Climate change impacts, mitigation and adaption - Environmental health and justice
Legacy pollution
Energy
Water resources and supply
There will be ride-and-drive opportunities and green buses and alternative vehicles will shuttle you across the city.
On Saturday afternoon attendees can tour UC Davis energy, transportation, food and agriculture labs. Sunday morning science fiction writers will share their thoughts.
Finally, there’s a post-conference tour of three national parks – Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon – celebrating 100 years of National Park Service history.
Click here to register.
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