The Vermont Environmental Consortium and Vermont Technical College (VTC) are excited to announce registration is open for a joint fall conference: “Designing a Closed Loop Community.”
The conference will be held Thursday, November 13, 2014 at VTC’s Judd Hall on its Randolph Center campus. The conference will focus the strides VTC has made to close the carbon cycle on the Randolph campus and how others might incorporate those practices in their own community. It will include discussion of “Big Bertha”, VTC's biodigester; the campus's carbon foot print; local food systems, and renewable and sustainable practices conducted on the campus. The day's events will include four panels; related exhibitors; tours of the campus; keynote speaker; and a discussion of VTC's future vision for building more carbon conscious communities.
The event runs from 8:45AM – 4:15PM. Registration includes all sessions and lunch. The panels will be focused on the following topics: Carbon in Transportation and Logistics: Moving People, Food and Waste; Recycling Energy and Nutrients by Anaerobic Digestion; Composting — Capturing Carbon and Energy through Local Agriculture; and Creating a Carbon Conscious Community — Initiatives in the City of Montpelier.
Confirmed speakers currently include Daniel Smith, Interim President of VTC; Karen Glitman, Director of Transportation Efficiency at Vermont Energy Investment Corporation; Shaun Fielder, Executive Director of the Vermont Rural Water Association; Tim Shea, Committee Chair for Montpelier Energy Advisory Committee (MEAC); Johanna Miller, Montpelier Energy Advisory Committee (MEAC) and VT Energy and Climate Action Network (VECAN); Barbara Conrey, Professor at VTC College & Montpelier Energy Advisory Committee (MEAC); Joan Richmond- Hall, PhD, Associate Professor (SCI), Program Director (SDT) at VTC; Christopher Dutton, VMD; Richard Hall, owner, Fairmont Farm; Brent Beidler, owner, Beidler Farm; Sosten Lungu, PhD, Agronomist and Associate Professor of Agriculture at VTC.
There are opportunities to attend, exhibit, and sponsor this event. Learn more about the event, see a full agenda, and register online by visiting the event webpage found under “Featured Event” on http://www.vectogether.org or visit VEC’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vermont-Environmental-Consortium/277911338887994. Please register by November 10, 2014.