ILLINOIS HUMANITIES COUNCIL

Tuesday, June 30, 2009 6:00pm to 8:00pm

Checking the Gauge: The Legacy of Water and Oil Policy

Illinois Humanities Council

We face a series of critical decisions about managing oil and water resources that have the potential to change our communities for better or for worse.

What critical choices will we have to make about managing oil and water resources? Join us as we examine how our perceptions and values have shaped environmental policies and planning, the choices made in Chicago's early efforts to control its water needs, and the legacy that we want to leave for future generations. [MORE]

Tuesday, February 17, 2009 7:00pm

Crosscurrents: Ethanol, Oil, and Water in Southern Illinois

Illinois Humanities Council

Ethanol shows promise as a replacement for fossil fuels, yet requires significant water and land resources to produce. What is the promise of ethanol and what are its limitations?  How does producing ethanol influence the supply and demand for water?
 
This program of the Illinois Humanities Council's year-long "All Consuming" series examines the environmental and ethical questions involved in increased ethanol production.
Panelists: [MORE]

Tuesday, November 18, 2008 6:30pm to 8:00pm

H2Oil: Mixing Oil and Water

Chicago History Museum

The opening event of the Illinois Humanities Council's year-long "All Consuming" series features Richard Heinberg—author of Peak Everything: Waking Up to the Century of Declines and Senior Fellow at the Post Carbon Institute—in conversation with Steve Edwards of Chicago Public Radio. [MORE]

Wednesday, July 15, 2009 noon

It All Flows Downstream: Following Our Oil and Water Footprints

Illinois Humanities Council

This program, held in conjunction with the Museum's Water exhibit, will examine the impact of oil and water consumption on our lives.  It is also part of the Illinois Humanities Council's year-long statewide series: All-Consuming: Conversations on Oil and Water. [MORE]

Monday, May 18, 2009 7:00pm

No Silver Bullets: Unintended Consequences of Oil and Water Solutions

Illinois Humanities Council

How have we developed technology and policy to manage oil and water resources through history? Historically, have we found what we thought was the "silver bullet" that would solve the problem, only to discover often unanticipated social, economical, and ecological costs? What "slick solutions" will we come up with next?
  [MORE]

Thursday, August 13, 2009 6:00pm

Not a Drop to Spare: Oil and Water Scarcity in Popular Culture

Columbia College Chicago

Resource scarcity is a common feature in post-apocalyptic scenarios. How has scarcity of water or oil resources been depicted in films and television programs and what do these depictions tell us about our concerns about these resources? How do they reflect the times in which they were produced?
  [MORE]

Saturday, October 24, 2009 11:00am

Wellsprings Eternal: Imagination and Innovation for Oil and Water

Archeworks

The challenges we face ahead in managing oil and water resources can be daunting.
 
What are the imaginative and creative solutions being developed? Can technology and design really solve the problems we face or will we need to consider much more significant changes and sacrifices at the individual, community, and global level?
 
Panelists: [MORE]

Tuesday, January 27, 2009 6:00pm

Yours, Mine, Ours, or Theirs? Accessing and Controlling Oil and Water

Are oil and water resources to be stewarded and shared or commodities to be bought and sold? Does any person, country, or community own oil and water resources? How do the concepts of ownership and stewardship affect access to oil and water? What questions are raised by the privatization of resources?
  [MORE]