Presenter: Daniel C.K. Chow, Joseph S. Platt-Porter Wright Morris & Arthur Professor of Law, Ohio State University Moritz College of Law

Discussant: Peter Oh, Associate Professor of Law at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.

The conference promotes evidence-based policy-making on environment and energy, drawing on policy experiences and research knowledge from the US and the EU. Specifically, the focus will be on the challenge of securing energy for economic growth while ensuring the protection of human health and the environment. The broader conference agenda examines the choice of the energy portfolio of various countries, and how trade-offs should be struck on the benefits and risks of various energy resources.

This event will take place on Friday, February 14th from 1:00 to 4:00 PM in the William Pitt Union Assembly Room, Ball Room, and Kurtzman Rooms. It is designed to provide students with an opportunity to learn about the variety of language courses, programs, scholarships, and student organizations available to them at Pitt. Last year's language fair was a major success with over 400 students in attendance. We hope to build on this success in 2014.

A CONFERENCE FOR GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS ORGANIZED BY THE DEPARTMENTS OF CLASSICS, THEATRE ARTS AND ENGLISH/ FILM STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH

IMPORTANT NOTICE: All students (graduate and undergraduate) graduating this spring must complete an application for graduation for the certificate. Be sure to stop by the GSC office to complete application form before January 14, 2014.

The Sociology Department will be starting off its speaker series this Friday January 10th with a book session, Social Movements in the World-System: The Politics of Crisis and Transformation with authors Drs. Jackie Smith and Dawn Wiest and panelists: Michael Goodhart, Jules Lobel, and Marcus Rediker. This event recognizes the publication of Social Movements in the World-System by faculty member Jackie Smith and her collaborator, Dawn Wiest. A panel of colleagues from Pitt’s history and political science departments and from the law school will offer commentary on the book.

Robert C. Orr, Assistant Secretary-General for Strategic Planning at the United Nations, and Ambassador Kamal. What are the prospects for achieving an agreement on climate change that can adequately address the reality of global warming? And can the UN help states manage the large-scale changes that scientists say are needed to mitigate, if not prevent, catastrophic climate change? Dr.

Daniel Lashof, from the Natural Resource Defence Council, will outline how representatives of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are involved in UN and international negotiations. He will illuminate the range of views among civil-society groups on the climate negotiations, how civil-society activists advocate for change within the UN, and what possibilities and limitations citizens face when trying to shape global environmental politics.

Stuart Beck, Ambassador for Oceans and Seas, Permanent Mission of Palau, will address climate change from the perspective of Palau, an island country in the Western Pacific Ocean that is particularly threatened by rising sea levels. He will provide insight into the ways the UN system creates opportunities for small countries to make their voices heard and into the obstacles faced by countries promoting more proactive policies on climate change.

James Sniffen, from the United Nations Environment Program, will provide a picture of how UN Secretariat staff work to support international climate negotiations. Experienced UN staff members such as Mr. Sniffen are expert on the substance of these negotiations. They carry out research, consult with ambassadors and their delegations, and provide supporting documentation to facilitate negotiations and to support international agreements.