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UGA School of Law conference to explore sustainability in Georgia

Athens, Ga. – The University of Georgia School of Law’s 25th Annual Red Clay Conference will be held March 1 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Larry Walker Room of Dean Rusk Hall.

The conference will explore the environmental costs and benefits of sustainable business, government and energy in Georgia. The event is free for all UGA faculty, staff and students. Registration is $10 for the general public. For planning purposes, registration is requested at http://www.law.uga.edu/red-clay-conference before Feb. 27.

“There are benefits to increasing sustainability efforts in the state of Georgia, but there are also a lot of obstacles keeping businesses, governmental entities and individual consumers from being successful,” said Jill H. Jenkins, conference co-organizer and third-year law student. “Our goal is to address some of these challenges and to raise awareness about potential solutions through educational presentations and open forum discussions.”

Specifically, conference panelists will look at how Southeastern cities are using law to encourage sustainable business and government processes; the environmental, economic and legal costs and benefits of sustainable energy sources; and whether or not corporations have a responsibility to adopt eco-friendly practices.

Dennis H. Treacy, executive vice president and chief sustainability officer of Smithfield Foods, will deliver the keynote address at 12:30 p.m. He will speak on his company’s efforts to incorporate sustainability measures into its business.

Sponsored by the law school’s Environmental Law Association, the Red Clay Conference is organized by Georgia Law students to increase public awareness of environmental issues of regional, national and international significance. For more information, see www.law.uga.edu/red-clay-conference.