The annual Environment Summit is a unique event designed to bring together citizen advocates, environmental leaders, lawmakers, and policy experts. The summit featured panel discussions and informational briefings regarding critical environmental issues in preparation for the 2024 General Assembly session on February 7th. Participants had the opportunity to engage in conversations about upcoming legislative priorities during a day-long session, which provided both in-person and online options.
Recordings
Tony Leiserowitz, Ph.D., Director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication
Panel: Climate/Energy Solutions CT’s Global Warming Solutions Act must be updated to set higher standards for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This panel will explain actions our state can take to support equitable energy programs and ensure that we have meaningful policies in place to achieve these climate goals
Panel: Climate/Nature Based Solutions Protecting nature is critical to ensuring a climate resilient CT. The panel will discuss how conservation, restoration, and sustainable management can mitigate impacts of climate change, protect biodiversity, and provide major co-benefits to communities
PFAS This presentation will give an update on PFAS cleanup efforts and focus on the need to eliminate the sources of ongoing contamination.
Environmental Rights Amendment This presentation will explain the movement to pass a state Constitutional Amendment that guarantees the right to a safe, clean, and healthy environment for all.
Governor Ned Lamont
Panel: Food Waste Prevention The panel will address steps that CT can take to offset our state’s waste management crisis by preventing or diverting food waste, which is 22% of the waste currently landfilled, incinerated, or shipped out of state.
Panel: Pesticides Neonics are linked to declining numbers of bird species and pollinators. Rodenticides are deadly to CT’s wild raptors. The panel will discuss what can be done to eliminate these deadly poisons from our environment.
Panel: Reducing Vehicle Emissions Transportation accounts for the largest share of CT’s air pollution. The panel will explain how updating vehicle emissions standards can reduce tailpipe emissions from cars and trucks and result in measurable public health and environmental benefits.
Offshore Wind Offshore wind is expected to play a key role in reaching CT’s decarbonization goals. The presenters will provide an update on the status and next steps for this clean energy source in our state and region.
Closing Remarks
Thanks to our generous sponsors!
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Directions & Parking
We encourage everyone to reduce carbon emissions to this event as much as possible, whether it is through utilizing public transportation or sharing a ride with a friend. For more information on Ride Sharing and Connecticut's public transportation to the Connecticut Science Center, please CLICK THIS LINK.
Parking - Convenient parking at the Science Center Garage is located off Grove Street, underneath the Science Center building. It is a public garage. If this garage is full, we recommend the Connecticut Convention Center garage located across Grove Street. Additional parking and shuttle information is available from the Hartford Parking Authority.
Please note that the Connecticut Science Center neither owns nor operates the Science Center garage. Parking fees and all garage operations are determined by Captial Region Development Authority
