Each year, the Environmental Studies Program at Lewis & Clark offers a symposium on environmental affairs. The multi-day event brings together experts from around the country for a dynamic series of lectures and panels on contemporary issues in environmental affairs.
This year's symposium focuses on modifications of our biophysical surroundings that are considered "unnatural." Certain activities, such as species restoration and biomimicry, are uncritically embraced while others, like genetic modification and cloning, can be seen as monstrous and perverse. What shapes these ethical and aesthetic preferences and how can we analyze them in a constructive way? Do unexamined ideologies foreclose opportunities for positive environmental change? This symposium will explore complex issues such as genetically modified organisms, species resurrection, rewilding, ecological restoration, artificial intelligence and the ethics of "messing with creation".
The Symposium kickoff event will be hosted at the Oregon Zoo's Cascade Crest ballroom from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Doors open at 5 p.m. Admission is $10.