Institute leader to discuss environmental, economic strategies in

Daily Journal of Commerce (Portland, OR), Apr 25, 2005 by Justin Stranzl

The founder and president of a Washington, D.C., sustainability think tank will discuss environmental and economic strategies April 30 in Bend.

Neil Seldman, who in 1974 co-founded the Institute for Local Self Reliance, will speak on behalf of 3EStrategies, a Central Oregon sustainability advocacy group. He'll discuss the origins of the sustainability movement and trace it back to the early 19th century, when both detractors and proponents of capitalism first addressed the issue.

The think-tank president won't focus his discussion solely on sustainability's roots. He's expected to discuss the movement as it stands today, when sustainability became the so-called third phase of the U.S. environmental movement. He'll also likely discuss the environmental movement's fourth phase, environmental justice, and its relationship with the sustainability movement.

Seldman is in Bend as a contributor to the Juniper Ridge sustainable design charrette, a planning forum comprising designers, community leaders, business owners and environmentalists that 3EStrategies will host April 29.

Seldman will stay in Bend for his speech the following night and hopes to use his experiences in Central Oregon as a platform for discussing state and local strategies for creating markets for local, sustainable development.

Seldman will speak from 5:30 to 7:30 at the Central Oregon Environmental Center, 16 N.W. Kansas Ave., Bend. Admission to the event costs $20, with proceeds going to 3EStrategies.