Science fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson and experts examine sustainability’s history

The USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Science’s English Department will host an innovative conference next week in downtown Los Angeles to explore the history of sustainability and environmentalism.

The GREEN Conference will feature keynote addresses from best-selling science fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson and Pablo Mukherjee from the University of Warwick, whose research includes environmental theory and literature.

“The goal is to think about how the past informs the current environmental crisis and where we’re headed,” said conference organizer Devin Griffiths, associate professor of English and comparative literature at USC Dornsife. “We also want to help academics think about sustainability not only as a topic of research but something that’s integrated into their teaching and everyday life.”

The conference seeks to be an exemplar of sustainability. The location was chosen for its proximity to public transportation, participants will have the option to support carbon offsetting when they register, and nine panels, including the plenary sessions featuring Robinson and Mukherjee, will be held online to eliminate the carbon footprint associated with travel.

“Our goal is to have a net carbon-zero conference,” Griffiths said.

The meeting takes place March 5 to 8 at the Sheraton Grand Hotel at 711 South Hope Street. Registration information is available on the conference website.

The conference is sponsored by the USC Office of the Provost and the USC Dornsife Office of the Dean.