Water Fight! Fracking, Food, Art & Economy
Monday, May 16th
2:00 - 5:30 pm  Doors Open at 1:30
5:30 - 7:00 pm  Local Food, Local Drinks and Networking

Tishman Auditorium, The New School
66 West 12th Street, New York 10011

Parsons The New School for Design and The Baum Forum present an action-oriented conference to energize and educate the public about industrial hydrofracking in our watersheds and regional foodsheds. The event will provide inspiration and tools to protect our ecosystem and build a green economy. By confronting, debating, strategizing and visioning, we will celebrate water, food, art and activism. The program will be moderated by Anna Lappé, author of Diet for a Hot Planet.

Hydrofracking, a dangerous, modern technology employed by gas and oil companies to extract hard to reach gas in the Marcellus and other low-permeable shales, is recognized for its potential to degrade the watersheds of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and beyond. The toxic effects of fracking on water, air, soil and health have been documented and measured, and will compromise the sustainability of farming, vitaculture, and tourism in this region and elsewhere.

Program Overview

1:30    Registration and Welcome

Short film screenings: Standing on a Stone, The Unfractured Future and Hydrofracking Explained

2:00    How Do We Navigate a Fractured Social Landscape?

Opening Remarks: Jean Gardner, School of Constructed Environments The New School; Joel Towers, Parsons The New School for Design; Hilary Baum, Baum Forum

Anna Lappé, Small Planet Institute; Wenonah Hauter, Food and Water Watch; Tracy Carluccio, Delaware Riverkeeper Network; Ken Jaffe, Slope Farms; Kate Sinding, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)

4:00    How Do We Navigate a Fractured Economy?

David Levine, American Sustainable Business Council; Cecil Corbin-Mark, WE ACT for Environmental Justice;  Severine von Tscharner Fleming, The Greenhorns, National Young Farmers Coalition; Leo Miller, Eugene Lang College The New School

Paul Bermanzohn, Lois Gibbs, Center for Health, Environment & Justice; Miriam MacGillis, Genesis Farm

5:00    How Do We Navigate a World Turned Upside Down?

Laura Simms, Storyteller; Bill Morrish, School for Constructed Environments, Parsons and Wendy Brawer, Green Map

5:30    Food, Drinks and Networking

Friends of the Conference:

Organic Valley • American Sustainable Business Council • Brewery Ommegang • Brooklyn Food Coalition •Bullfrog & Baum • Catskill Citizens for Safe Energy • Catskill Mountainkeeper • The Cleaver Co. & The Green Table • The Coalition for One Voice • Earth Environmental Group • Farmhearts • Finger Lakes Progressives • Food & Water Watch • Food Systems Network NYC • Food Karma Projects • Frack Alert • Glynwood • Green Map System • The Greenhorns • Hudson Valley Seed Library • Jimmy’s No.43 • Just Food • Natural Resources Defense Council • New York Coalition for Healthy School Food • NOFA NY • NYH2O • Parent Earth • People For a Healthy Environment, Inc. • PRINT Restaurant • Safe Water Movement • Sane Energy Project • ScheinMedia • Sky Dog Projects • Slow Food NYC • United for Action

Special Thanks to:

Amy's Bread • Brewery Ommegang • City Bakery • Co. Pizza • Dallis Bros Coffee • Dickson's FarmStand Meats • Equal Exchange • Jimmys No. 43 • Organic Valley • Print Restaurant • SlantShack Jerky • Tierra Farms

Event Producers: Baum Forum and Parsons The New School for Design.

This event will take place during the two-week-long Parsons Festival.  It is also part of The New School’s semester-long Water Discourses, which draws on the intellectual, creative strength present throughout The New School to explore and analyze water related issues within local, regional and global contexts.

This event is free and open to the public.
A suggested donation is welcome in an effort to cover conference expenses.