Nov. 18 Seminar to Focus on Environmental Policy in North Carolina

Durham, N.C.- -- A panel of veteran policy analysts, environmental advocates, and government and business leaders will discuss on Tuesday, Nov. 18, at Duke University how the results of the 2008 election may shape environmental policy in North Carolina.

The seminar, which is free and open to the public, will be held at 6 p.m. at Love Auditorium in the Levine Science Research Center on Duke's West Campus. It is part of the Duke Environmental Leadership (DEL) Program's Coca-Cola Seminar Series.

Panelists will be:

-- Ernest Carl, former deputy secretary, N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources;

-- Kris Coracini, program associate, Environmental Defense Fund;

-- Preston Howard, executive director, Manufacturers and Chemical Industry Council;

-- Jonathan Howes, special assistant to the chancellor, University of North Carolina, and former secretary, N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

--Ellen Reckhow, chairman, Durham County Board of Commissioners;

The discussion will be moderated by Bill Holman, director of state policy at Duke's Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions and former secretary of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

"By bringing together leaders with a variety of perspectives, we hope to give the public a balanced, 360-degree view into the world of policymaking," said Deborah Rigling Gallagher, executive director of DEL and assistant professor of the practice of resource and environmental policy at Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment. Issues to be debated include water, climate change, offshore drilling and sustainable development.

A question-and-answer session will follow the discussion, along with a reception featuring sustainable foods.

Advance registration is encouraged due to limited seating. To register, click here.

The DEL seminar series is supported by a grant from the Coca-Cola Foundation.