Lunch Forum - February 9, 2017
In Dreams Begins Responsibility – Applying Environmental Assessment to Outer Space Development
Presented by William R. Kramer, Ph.D.
Date: Thursday, February 9, 2017
Time: 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. (presentation begins promptly at noon)
Location: Oahu Country Club, 150 Country Club Road, Honolulu HI 96817
Cost: $25 for HAEP members
$30 for non-members and guests
Lunch options listed below.
Summary:
Within 20 to 30 years, space-faring nations and private entrepreneurs may be mining asteroids and the Moon, constructing permanent human habitations on the Moon and Mars, and undertaking significant industrial projects in outer space.
There is concern that humanity is failing to identify and assess the potential environmental impacts of such extraterrestrial actions. Without such analyses, space projects may result in the unintended consequences of environmental degradation experienced here on Earth.
The speaker will present and discuss a proposal for industry-driven standards and an environmental code of conduct based, in part, on best management practices. The work of environmental professionals no longer needs to be confined to Earth; outer space offers a very real, exciting and unique opportunity for future growth.
Speaker Biography:
William R Kramer received a BS in wildlife biology and an MS in public administration. He worked as a wildlife biologist for the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. and the US Fish and Wildlife Service in Hawaii and the Pacific region. He retired from federal service as Head of the Service’s Branch of Endangered Species Recovery and Consultation. Following that, he was a full-time consultant to the US Navy for over a decade on environmental compliance issues.
Interest in outer space policy took him back to the University of Hawaii where he earned his doctorate in political science in 2012. His dissertation research included a bioethical analysis of NASA’s search for extraterrestrial life, an assessment of international environmental protocols for outer space development, and proposals for intellectual property (patenting) guidelines regarding issues that would rapidly emerge should novel lifeforms be discovered. He has taught courses in biology and bioethics at the Hawaii Pacific University and on the ethics of extraterrestrial exploration at the International Space University in Strasbourg, France. He has published related papers in peer-reviewed journals, such as Space Policy.
Lunch Selections:
Option 1: Herb Roasted Marinated Chicken "BLT" Club Sandwich with French Fries
Option 2: Grilled Portobello Mushroom Sandwich with Mixed Green Salad and Papaya Seed Dressing
Beverages
Coffee, Tea, Iced Tea, Plantation Tea
Within 20 to 30 years, space-faring nations and private entrepreneurs may be mining asteroids and the Moon, constructing permanent human habitations on the Moon and Mars, and undertaking significant industrial projects in outer space.
There is concern that humanity is failing to identify and assess the potential environmental impacts of such extraterrestrial actions. Without such analyses, space projects may result in the unintended consequences of environmental degradation experienced here on Earth.
The speaker will present and discuss a proposal for industry-driven standards and an environmental code of conduct based, in part, on best management practices. The work of environmental professionals no longer needs to be confined to Earth; outer space offers a very real, exciting and unique opportunity for future growth.
Speaker Biography:
William R Kramer received a BS in wildlife biology and an MS in public administration. He worked as a wildlife biologist for the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. and the US Fish and Wildlife Service in Hawaii and the Pacific region. He retired from federal service as Head of the Service’s Branch of Endangered Species Recovery and Consultation. Following that, he was a full-time consultant to the US Navy for over a decade on environmental compliance issues.
Interest in outer space policy took him back to the University of Hawaii where he earned his doctorate in political science in 2012. His dissertation research included a bioethical analysis of NASA’s search for extraterrestrial life, an assessment of international environmental protocols for outer space development, and proposals for intellectual property (patenting) guidelines regarding issues that would rapidly emerge should novel lifeforms be discovered. He has taught courses in biology and bioethics at the Hawaii Pacific University and on the ethics of extraterrestrial exploration at the International Space University in Strasbourg, France. He has published related papers in peer-reviewed journals, such as Space Policy.
Lunch Selections:
Option 1: Herb Roasted Marinated Chicken "BLT" Club Sandwich with French Fries
Option 2: Grilled Portobello Mushroom Sandwich with Mixed Green Salad and Papaya Seed Dressing
Beverages
Coffee, Tea, Iced Tea, Plantation Tea
