Category: Webinars and events

Join us this afternoon from 2-4:30 pm (Pacific) for the closing webinar in our offshore wind feasibility series, to learn about next steps in both research and planning processes.

Register now

We welcome participation in these events from a broad audience. Each session is free and open to the public.

• Download related reports

Recordings, slide decks, and other materials from this series can be downloaded on our wind studies page.

Today’s speakers

We will open today with remarks from U.S. Congressman Jared Huffman. Next up, Arne Jacobson will share his reflections on the Schatz Center’s research findings to date and on questions raised during this webinar series. He will also outline our current and upcoming offshore wind studies, and share the timeline of our forthcoming reports and analyses.

Then, we will hear from federal and state agency representatives, to learn of their next steps for exploring offshore wind energy development on the north coast. They will also discuss how community members and other interested parties can continue to stay informed and participate in these processes. Panelists include:

• Chris Potter, Program Manager, Ocean Protection Council
• Necy Sumait, Chief, Renewable Energy, Pacific Region, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
• Eli Harland, Advisor to Commissioner Karen Douglas, California Energy Commission
• and other state and federal agency experts in offshore wind planning

We will then close with a discussion period in which participants are invited to ask questions, share insights, and offer comments on the webinar series.

Funding

Production of this five-part offshore wind webinar series is supported by the Ocean Protection Council of the California Natural Resources Agency. The research studies were funded by the California Ocean Protection Council, the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. 

More information

• Register for this final webinar
• Download our offshore wind publications
• Sign up for updates on our offshore wind research, or contact us with questions at windstudies@schatzcenter.org

Redwood Coast telecom resilience: how broadband, internet, cellular, and emergency communications are changing, and becoming more resilient and climate-smart

** Please note that this talk will be held at 4 pm Pacific. **

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Internet access and cellular communication are increasingly essential for a productive, healthy life. Telemedicine, ecommerce, distance learning, community economies, and social services are all enabled by broadband, cellular networks, satellites, and other kinds of digital connective infrastructure. Digital communications are also increasingly essential to operating lifeline sectors – energy, transportation, water, and food – with maximum efficiency, and to ensure continual operations during both emergencies and business as usual.

In rural environments, the economics of telecom are more difficult, and rural areas of the United States, including rural tribal communities, still lie across a “digital divide” where the quality of internet access, cellular communications, and emergency communications are insufficient, and lag relative to their urban counterparts. Gaps in telecom resources have been highlighted by the covid-19 pandemic, as well recent power shutoff events and outages.

This discussion between two resiliency innovators from California’s rural north coast will focus on solutions that are already in play — or on the near horizon — to bridge the digital divide and provide robust telecom service in rural areas.

Karen Eckersley (above right) is a communications engineer by training and has a technology construction, integration and consulting background. She is a Communications Division Program Outreach Coordinator for the California Public Utilities Commission, and lives in Humboldt County, where she is working to help local Tribes improve their communications resiliency.

Jana Ganion (right) is the Sustainability and Government Affairs Director for the Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe, where she creates strategies for zero-carbon resilience. Her development experience includes low-carbon microgrids, electrified transportation infrastructure, and strategic planning and deployment in sustainability, climate mitigation and adaptation, emergency preparedness, and economic development.

How to attend

We’re holding this year’s Sustainable Futures Speaker Series online via webinar. Each lecture will be streamed via Zoom, and will be followed by a Q&A discussion period. All events are free and open to the public.

• REGISTER for this talk

About the series

The Sustainable Futures Speaker Series stimulates interdisciplinary collaboration around issues related to energy, the environment, and society. All lectures are free and open to the public, and are sponsored by the Schatz Energy Research Center, the Environment & Community graduate program, and the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences at Humboldt State University.

Questions? Email info@schatzcenter.org.

REGISTER for this talk

This event will feature a panel discussion with the editors of Latinx Environmentalisms: Place, Justice, and the Decolonial — Sarah D. Wald, David J. Vázquez, Priscilla Solis Ybarra, and Sarah Jaquette Ray.

The whiteness of mainstream environmentalism often fails to account for the richness and variety of Latinx environmental thought. Building on insights of environmental justice scholarship as well as critical race and ethnic studies, Latinx Environmentalisms maps the ways Latinx cultural texts integrate environmental concerns with questions of social and political justice.

In this roundtable discussion, the editors of Latinx Environmentalisms come together to celebrate the publication of the volume and to talk about the connections – as well as the remaining tensions – between Latinx Studies and the environmental humanities.

How to attend

We’re holding this year’s Sustainable Futures Speaker Series online via webinar. Each lecture will be streamed via Zoom, and will be followed by a Q&A discussion period. All events are free and open to the public.

• REGISTER for this talk

About the series

The Sustainable Futures Speaker Series stimulates interdisciplinary collaboration around issues related to energy, the environment, and society. All lectures are free and open to the public, and are sponsored by the Schatz Energy Research Center, the Environment & Community graduate program, and the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences at Humboldt State University.

Questions? Email info@schatzcenter.org.

Please join us on Monday, October 5 from 2:00-4:30 pm (Pacific) for the fourth webinar in Exploring the Feasibility of Offshore Wind Energy for the California North Coast.

Register now

We welcome participation in these events from a broad audience. Each session is free and open to the public. Closed-caption recordings will also be released following each webinar.

• Download related reports

Please visit our wind studies page for recordings and materials from the first three webinars.

Today’s speakers

We will open with remarks from:

• Mike Wilson, 3rd District Supervisor, Humboldt County Board of Supervisors and North Coast Representative for the California Coastal Commission
• Arne Jacobson, principal investigator on our offshore wind feasibility studies, and Director of the Schatz Center

Laurie Richmond, Associate Professor of Environmental Science & Management at HSU, will then share key findings from a north coast community perspectives analysis regarding the potential impacts and opportunities of offshore wind energy. This research was carried out from 2018-2020, and included interviews with community members as well as input from public meetings and workshops held during this period. The Schatz Center team also conducted a literature review of lessons learned from other communities around the world that have engaged with offshore wind.

Following the presentation, we will hear reflections from five panelists:

• Mike Anderson, Commercial fisherman
• Jana Ganion, Sustainability and Government Affairs Director for the Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe
• Jeff Hunerlach, District Representative, District 40, Operating Engineers Local #3
• Harrison Ibach, President of the Humboldt Fishermen’s Marketing Association
• Jennifer Savage, California Policy Manager for the Surfrider Foundation

Panelist comments will be followed by a discussion period in which participants are invited to share their questions and insights regarding the possibility of wind farm development in the Humboldt Bay region.

Funding

Production of this five-part offshore wind webinar series is supported by the Ocean Protection Council of the California Natural Resources Agency. The research studies were funded by the California Ocean Protection Council, the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. 

More information

• Register for upcoming events in this series
• Download our offshore wind publications
• Sign up for updates on our offshore wind research, or contact us with questions at windstudies@schatzcenter.org

Please join us on Monday, September 28 from 2:00-4:30 pm (Pacific) for the third webinar in Exploring the Feasibility of Offshore Wind Energy for the California North Coast.

Register now

We welcome participation in these events from a broad audience. Each session is free and open to the public. Closed-caption recordings will also be released following each webinar.

• Download related reports

Please visit our wind studies page for recordings and materials from the first two webinars.

Today’s speakers

We will open with remarks from:

• Jennifer Lucchesi, Executive Officer, California State Lands Commission, and
• Arne Jacobson, principal investigator on our offshore wind feasibility studies, and Director of the Schatz Center

Aaron Porter and Shane Phillips of Mott MacDonald will then present analyses of the port and coastal infrastructure that would be required to support offshore wind from the Humboldt Bay harbor, and discuss potential use and environmental impacts for the Bay.

Following the presentation, we will hear reflections from five panelists:

• Adam Canter, Tribal Botanist/GIS Specialist for the Wiyot Tribe Natural Resources Department, Table Bluff Reservation
• Tyrone Conner, Deputy Chief of Waterways Management and Chief of Aids To Navigation for the Eleventh Coast Guard District
• Sharon Kramer, Principal and Senior Marine Biologist at H. T. Harvey & Associates
• Larry Oetker, Executive Director of the Humboldt Bay Harbor and Recreation District
• Antoine Peiffer, Vice President of Engineering at Principle Power

Panelist comments will be followed by a Q&A discussion.

Funding

Production of this five-part offshore wind webinar series is supported by the Ocean Protection Council of the California Natural Resources Agency. The research studies were funded by the California Ocean Protection Council, the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. 

More information

• Register for upcoming events in this series
• Download our offshore wind publications
• Sign up for updates on our offshore wind research, or contact us with questions at windstudies@schatzcenter.org

REGISTER now

Please join us for a five-part webinar series on Exploring the Feasibility of Offshore Wind Energy for the California North Coast. This online series will open on September 14 and run for five consecutive Mondays through October 12. Webinars will begin at 2 pm (Pacific), and will be live streamed and captioned. All events are free and open to the public.

Each week’s webinar will present key findings from offshore wind energy feasibility studies conducted by the Schatz Center’s offshore wind studies team and research partners over the last 18 months. Presentations will be followed by commentary from north coast community leaders and subject area experts — and then by a community discussion in which all attendees are encouraged to share questions and reflections. Leaders from state and federal government will also offer insight during each event.

Schedule of events:

• Monday, September 14: Energy Production and Delivery, and Economic Development
• Monday, September 21: Ecological and Geological Environment
• Monday, September 28: Port and Coastal Infrastructure
• Monday, October 5: Community Perspectives on Regional Impacts and Opportunities
• Monday, October 12: Reflections and Next Steps

Registration

Registration for all events is now open at schatzcenter.org/wind.

For more information or to sign up for research updates from our ongoing wind studies, contact windstudies@schatzcenter.org.

Background

Starting about 20 miles from shore, the north coast of California has the strongest wind resource in the continental United States. Offshore wind development in this region could contribute significantly to California’s climate and clean energy goals while also supporting economic and job development on the north coast. At the same time, issues including environmental impacts, geologic hazards, economic viability, infrastructure needs, and cultural and community resources and existing activities must be carefully examined and collaboratively addressed if this renewable energy opportunity is to be realized.

Funding

Production of this five-part webinar series is supported by the Ocean Protection Council of the California Natural Resources Agency. The research studies were funded by the Ocean Protection Council, the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, and the Federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.

The SARS-2 virus is contained in fluid particles that are emitted from the respiratory tracts of people with COVID-19 when exhaling, talking, coughing, and singing. In this webinar, Mark Nicas will introduce the basics of particle behavior in air, the evidence for inhalation transmission, and control measures to reduce the risk of infection. He will also explore the efficacy of different mask types for reducing virus inhalation and emission.

Mark Nicas is an Emeritus Adjunct Professor at the School of Public Health at UC Berkeley. His academic research has been in three areas: exposure and risk assessment for pathogens including M. tuberculosis, C. immitis and the influenza virus; the mathematical modeling of exposure intensity to airborne chemical toxicants; and variability in the efficacy of respiratory protection. He has a PhD and an MPH in Environmental Health Sciences from Berkeley, a MS in Genetics from the University of Wisconsin, and a BS in Biology/Chemistry from the City College of New York. He has been a professional industrial hygienist for over forty years and is a Certified Industrial Hygienist.

How to attend

We’re holding this year’s Sustainable Futures Speaker Series online via webinar. Talks will be given from 5:30-7:00 pm on Thursday evenings (Pacific). Each lecture will be streamed via Zoom, and will be followed by a Q&A discussion period. All events are free and open to the public.

• REGISTER for this talk

About the series

The Sustainable Futures Speaker Series stimulates interdisciplinary collaboration around issues related to energy, the environment, and society. All lectures are free and open to the public, and are sponsored by the Schatz Energy Research Center, the Environment & Community graduate program, and the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences at Humboldt State University.

Questions? Email info@schatzcenter.org.