C2ST Speakeasy: “The Ecology of Industry” with Dr. Weslynne Ashton

August 4, 2015

Geek Bar Beta
1941 West North Avenue, Chicago, IL, USA

Program Series:
Climate, Energy, and Environment

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Is it possible for our industrial activities to ever exist in harmony with nature? What can nature teach us about how to sustain our economies? Industrial ecology has been proposed as the “science of sustainability.” Its theories and tools are focused on examining how humans utilize materials and energy in societies, and the environmental impacts associated with the use of those resources. It presents a vision for industry organized like a natural ecosystem, where there is no waste, and where energy and materials are continuously cycled in the system. In this talk, we will explore how industrial ecology is informing industry and society more broadly  about how to understand our impacts on the environment and transition towards sustainability.

Event Details

C2ST Speakeasy is held on the first and third Tuesdays of every month at Geek Bar Chicago. Attendance is free, but registration is strongly encouraged. Please click HERE or on the “Buy Tickets” button below to register.

Speaker

Weslynne Ashton

Weslynne Ashton is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Management and Sustainability at the Illinois Institute of Technology Stuart School of Business. Her research focuses on two core areas: industrial ecology, industrial symbiosis and collaborative approaches to environmental management, and sustainability strategies for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and new ventures. She is also interested in leveraging business to contribute to sustainability in under-resourced and developing regions through her research and teaching. She currently leads an eight country, interdisciplinary project focused on education for cleaner production and its implementation in small and medium enterprises in Latin America. She teaches courses in Industrial Ecology, Business Sustainability, and Social Entrepreneurship across graduate business, public administration and environmental management and undergraduate environmental engineering programs. She has a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and master’s and doctoral degrees in Environmental Science from Yale University’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.