Alumnus, Expert on 'Green' Buildings to Speak in Earth Day Celebration

Posted on March 31, 2006

UNC’s Earth Day celebration, to be held April 19 and 21, will feature a keynote speech by “green” building expert Greg Kats ’81 and student-led events on Polk Place.

Kats’ Earth Day talk, “Climate Change, Energy Policy and National Competitiveness. Where are We Going?”, will be at 5:30 p.m. April 19 at the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History. An informal reception, giving UNC undergraduates and others an opportunity to meet Kats, will follow.

Kats is a principal of Capital E, a clean energy technology consulting firm for Fortune 500 and public sector clients, and a senior adviser to Cherokee Investment Partners of Raleigh. He is a former director of financing for energy efficiency and renewable energy at the U.S. Department of Energy and is the author of Green Office Buildings: a Practical Guide to Development.

Kats was a Morehead Scholar at UNC, majoring in English. He also holds degrees from Stanford and Princeton universities.

Earth Day events continue on April 21 with informational displays by about 20 UNC-affiliated environmental organizations on Polk Place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The displays will focus both on Earth Day and on UNC’s activities related to the environment and sustainability. That evening, bands will perform in a concert on Polk Place in honor of Earth Day.

Proceeds from the April 21 Earth Day events will be donated to the UNC Micro-credit Investment Pool, which aims to raise $50,000 to invest in micro-credit initiatives that will help foster sustainable development abroad.

Carolina’s Earth Day events are co-sponsored by UNC’s Student Government, Student Environmental Action Coalition, Carolina Environmental Program and Sustainability Office.

Kats’ speech is free to the public. Those wishing to attend are asked to make a reservation by e-mail or by calling (919) 843-7284.

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