By Maria Totoraitis
Returning to the Saint Louis Science Center for a fourth year, SciFest Saint Louis is set for October 18-23. From the United Nations Kyoto Protocol to backyard chickens, SciFest will explore environmental topics and resources for the entire family to think globally and act locally. The weekend sessions open to the public cover a variety of issues.
Graciela Chichilnisky, Ph.D., world-renowned economist and author of the carbon market portion of the U.N. Kyoto Protocol that became international law in 2005, will lead a session titled Global Efforts Address Climate Change. Learn about the economics of climate change from one of Time magazine’s “Heroes of the Environment” for 2009. Chichilnisky’s ideas not only seek to foster the development of green technologies but have the potential to halt climate change while narrowing the gap between rich and poor nations.
In the session, Cleaner, Greener Neighbor-hoods, citizens will learn how to make neighborhoods safer and more livable by beautifying the community landscape. Operation Brightside will inspire the creation of mini-ecosystems with energy and resource conservation techniques for the backyard.
The technology behind electric vehicles will be examined in Electric Cars, Unplugged. Adam Ruebsam, Clean Energy Manager at French Gerleman, Mark Nealon, Manager of System Meter and Smart Grid from Ameren and a representative of Smith Electric Vehicles will present a closer look at electric vehicles in this session.
In Shocking Secrets of Future Energy, visitors will explore where energy comes from today and where it will come from in the future with the Science Center’s Director of Energy and Aerospace, Gregg Maryniak, and Ewa Jasinska, Head of EXPERYMENT Science Centre in Gdynia, Poland.
A group of Maplewood Richmond Heights School District middle school students will discuss how chickens can be more than just food in the session Chickenologists. These chicken enthusiasts wrote the book on Chickenology and understand “the art and science” of raising healthy chickens.
All sessions and events take place at the Science Center.
Ticket Prices – Science Center Members: Saturday or Sunday Day Pass – $5 Adult / $3 Child; non-Members: Saturday or Sunday Day Pass – $10 Adult / $6 Child
Evening events on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday require a separate ticket. For additional ticket information and a complete schedule, please visit scifeststl.org.