Service Learning – Sustainable Rebuilding in N.O.

Payson Professors Charles Reith and Marty Roland will be offering a one-credit service learning course to graduate students wishing to work and learn toward environmentally responsible development in New Orleans East.  This region of the metro area has struggled economically since its inception, and has been the dumping ground for the City’s waste.  It was also severely damaged by Katrina, providing something of a tabla rasa for redevelopment. The service learning opportunities build upon a pre-Katrina EPA study performed by Dr. Reith and Payson students entitled “Launching a Waste-fueled Economy in New Orleans East.”

Students working in New Orleans East will focus on one of three projects: (1) deployment of distributed solar lighting with accompanying WIFI and cell-phone/laptop charging stations, (2) establishment of a biodiesel coop using vegetable oil recycled from the Vietnamese community, and (3) economic and logistic planning for a 1500 ton/day waste-to-energy plant that will produce electricity, natural gas, and usable solids.  All three represent deployments of “leap frog” technology such as can contribute to environmentally responsible development in emerging economies.  All three projects will provide experience and resume-fodder that will directly benefit your careers in sustainable human development.

Dr. Reith is an ecologist and small business owner; Dr. Rowland is an engineer/urban planner who runs environmental programs at New Orleans’ NASA facility.  Both are long-time adjunct professors at Tulane, and are deeply dedicated toward a responsible rebuild of post-Katrina New Orleans.  You many contact them at:  creith@tulane.edu and Martin.A.Rowland@maf.nasa.gov.  Sheila Favalora has enrollment details.

Permaculture

Payson graduate students have a unique opportunity to learn about permaculture and earn a permaculture design certificate for academic credit.  A one-credit special topic will be offered in the Spring that will provide students with academic and practical training in permaculture design, which is an integrated application of engineering, architecture, and organic growing to produce food in complex, waste-fueled systems.  You can read more about permaculture at:  http://www.permaculture.org.au/.  Payson Professor Charles Reith, PDC, offers the course at the ArtEgg Farm in Central City, a permaculture site that demonstrates how distressed urban environments may be ecologically restored and converted to food production.  The course meets Thursday evenings and is best (but not necessarily) taken as a practicum in accompaniment with Dr. Reith’s graduate course in Environment and Development, which meets Monday Nights. The permaculture course will involve outdoor activities, including the design and building of waste-fueled growing systems, and will offer several weekend field trips.  For more information, you can contact Professor Reith at 504.481.7344 or creith@tulane.edu.  Sheila Favalora has enrollment details.

First Annual Payson Center Symposium for Communication and Development Between the USA and the Muslim World

Call for Help

We need help planning this symposiyum. We’re going to need everything from lecturer-wranglers to food and beverage gurus.

What: Statement of purpose for calling the First Annual Payson Center Symposium for Communication and Development Between the USA and the Muslim World:

We the students of the Payson Center for International Development and Technology Transfer recognizing recent changes in relations between the Muslim World and the USA, and feeling heartfelt distress over the changes, wish to open a frank discussion of the issues and differences pertaining to communications and development that cause friction between the parties. Contact Andrew at award1@tulane.edu