2012 Industrial Ecology GRC/GRS, Les Diablerets, Switzerland, June 17-22, 2012

Gordon Research Conferences, East Greenwich RI

Investigators

Abstract

1226469 (Suh) The Gordon Research Conference on Industrial Ecology (GRC-IE) will be held at the Les Diablerets Conference Center, in Les Diablerets, Switzerland, June 17-22, 2012. A companion meeting for graduate students and post-doctoral researchers, the Gordon Research Seminar on Industrial Ecology (GRS-IE) will be held in conjunction with the GRC-IE on June 16-17, 2012. This award is in partial support for U.S. participant costs. The scientific program provides the opportunity to present and deliberate on research at the frontiers of this highly interdisciplinary field. The format of the conference also allows substantial unprogrammed time for informal exchanges among diverse individuals at different stages of their careers. The 2012 GRC-IE focuses on the global sustainability imperatives and the role of industrial ecology in addressing them. Sessions are organized in the form of questions such as How do we green rapidly industrializing nations and what's the role of IE in developing countries? (Session 4) or What is the role for LCA in informing policy makers, given the complexity of socio-economic and technological interactions? (Session 6). The final session is designed as a panel discussion for identifying cutting-edge research agenda for IE to address global sustainability imperatives. Industrial ecology makes important contributions to the development of knowledge, technologies and policies that can reduce the environmental impacts of industrial systems, both directly and as a basis for private strategy and public policy - by situating technological analysis in a broader economic and social context. By providing financial support to U.S-based graduate students and post-docs, and to U.S.-based scholars who would not otherwise be able to participate, this award will help promote the development of a robust and diverse industrial ecology research community. GRC-IE and GRS-IE are designed to offer stimulating and even provocative new research ideas. The GRC-IE Conference will be attended by about 150 scientists, engineers and other researchers in the field of industrial ecology from the United States, Europe, and Asia, as well as Latin America and Africa. The GRS-IE seminar is held in conjunction with the GRC-IE as a forum for graduate students and researchers in industrial ecology. The program of GRC-IE and GRS-IE involves substantial portion of female scientists as speakers, and we will draw participation by minorities and early career researchers and students.