Hundreds of students and community members gathered in Lawrence Hall over the weekend for the ninth annual Holistic Options for Planet Earth Sustainability conference.
Hosted by the Ecological Design Center, the conference focused on ecological urbanism and architecture, and had a variety of keynote speakers, panels and workshops. A total of four keynote speakers addressed topics from new forms of communal living to creating a more community-oriented and ecologically sustainable society.
The panels were split into three different sections: people, parts and projects, with each panel tackling a different topic.
Patricia Thomas, an architect and planner who works in the City of Eugene Planning Division, sat on a panel focusing on codes for Oregon ecocities.
“I think that many of you are at a conference like this because you want to make a difference in your community,” Thomas said. She added that communities can takes steps to support themselves by doing a variety of things, such as improving the appearance of buildings, avoiding urban sprawl and providing affordable housing.
Another panel, titled “Politics of Renewable Energy,” focused on what people in the community can do to recruit others to start using renewable energy, such as solar energy.
Panelists also addressed ways communities can support themselves through energy conservation.
Steve Musser, a specialist in renewable energy system design and installation, stressed the importance of people conserving energy.
“Conservation is the No. 1 renewable energy source,” he said.
Christopher Dymond, who works for the Oregon Office of Energy as an energy analyst, agreed with Musser and added that, until there is more energy conservation, solar energy won’t work.
“I have an 8 year old, and I tell her every night: ‘You can’t have your solar cookies until you eat your conservation vegetables,’” he said, drawing a laugh from the audience.
Neil Eisenberg, the former president of the San Francisco Board of Permit Appeals, wrote the 1999 San Francisco municipal utility district ballot initiative. Eisenberg said the important thing to do with solar energy was to cut the cost.
“What we have to do is bring down the cost of solar power,” he said.