News Release

Programs and exhibitions honor World Environment Day &
The 60th Anniversary of the United Nations

San Francisco – In honor of the 60th anniversary of the United Nations and World Environment Day, the San Francisco Public Library will present a series of exhibitions and free public programs throughout the month of June.

The United Nations was founded at a 1945 conference in San Francisco. And 60 years later, the UN returns to the place of its birth with World Environment Day.

United Nations World Environment Day is one of the most important events on the international environmental calendar. It is celebrated around the world on June 5, and each year the United Nations selects a major city to host the main celebrations. Previous hosts include London, Barcelona, Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro. San Francisco serves as host city for World Environment Day 2005, the first time ever in North America.

The theme for World Environment Day 2005 is Green Cities: Where the Future Lives. It will feature a series of special events focusing on urban environmental issues such as recycling, renewable energy, resource conservation, environmental justice and public health. Highlights include two panel discussions on “building green;” a program on the Hetch Hetchy water system and two exhibits on the history of the United Nations created from the Library’s archival holdings. A listing of events follows:

Events

• Saturday, June 4
  What Does Green Architecture Mean? - This exciting panel discussion focuses on sustainable design and construction concepts. You will learn about important concepts and beliefs of sustainable construction, such as site design, building orientation, native plant selection, ventilation, indoor air quality, water conservation and much more. Panelists include Willem Maas, Publisher, Green Home Guide, Michael McCutcheon, Owner, McCutcheon Construction, and Richard Parker, AIA, Principal, 450 Architects, LEED Accredited Professional. Co-sponsored by AIA San Francisco COTE and San Francisco Public Library
  Main Library, Lower Level, Koret Auditorium, 2:00 p.m.
  100 Larkin Street (at Grove)
• Sunday, June 5
  Getting Warmer: The Effect of Global Warming on California - Panel discussion on what may happen in California as a result of global warming. Moderated by Michael Vasey, Professor, Department of Environmental Studies, San Francisco State University, with Stephen Schneider, Stanford, Climate Change Science, Wil Burns, Acting Chair, Department of International Environmental Policy, Monterey Institute of International Studies, Monterey, California, Daniel Kammen, University of California-Berkeley, and Rolf Gradinger Assistant Professor School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences University of Alaska Fairbanks
  Main Library, Koret Auditorium, Lower Level, 2:00 p.m.
  100 Larkin Street (at Grove)
• Saturday, June 11
  How to Incorporate Green Design into Your Home Design - This panel discussion expands on the concepts of sustainable design and construction discussed in the “What Does Green Architecture Mean?” panel. You will learn more about the wealth of information and resources available on the web for homeowners; local building materials available in the Bay Area for homeowners; and planning and building code issues regarding sustainable design and construction in San Francisco. There will also be a live internet connection available for homeowners to conduct their own research while the experts are available to answer questions. Handouts will include local resources available for homeowners. Panelists include Willem Maas, Publisher, Green Home Guide, Michael McCutcheon, Owner, McCutcheon Construction, and Richard Parker, AIA, Principal, 450 Architects, LEED Accredited Professional. Co-sponsored by AIA San Francisco COTE and San Francisco Public Library
  Main Library, Lower Level, Koret Auditorium, 12:00 p.m.
  100 Larkin Street (at Grove)
• Saturday, June 11
  Your Water: Hetch Hetchy—Drain or Maintain - Susan Leal, General Manager of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, presents an historical overview and an update of where we are today with our Water System Improvement Program, along with information about the complex environmental challenges that we face today that are different from when the system was built 100 years ago, how the political climate is still contentious, and a section in the history about the Hetch Hetchy Railroad.
  Main Library, Koret Auditorium, Lower Level, 2:00 p.m.
  100 Larkin Street (at Grove)

Exhibitions

The Signing of the United Nations Charter in San Francisco, 1945 – In 1945 representatives of 50 countries met in San Francisco to establish an international organization dedicated the preserving peace and to reaffirm faith in human rights. The result was the United Nations Charter, the laws that govern the UN. This exhibit, using rarely seen photographs, artifacts and documents from the collection of the San Francisco History Center, provides a view of how the UN Charter was created, the experience of the signers, and the effect all of this had on San Francisco.
Exhibition: From June 4 – August 4, 2005,
Main Library, Third Floor, Humanities Center
100 Larkin Street (at Grove)

Our Rights as Human Beings - 1949 Photo exhibit explaining the UN Declaration of Human Rights
From May 28 – August 11, 2005,
Main Library, Lower Level, Library Café Display case
100 Larkin Street (at Grove)

Hetch Hetchy: Then, Now and Tomorrow - This exhibition of historic and contemporary photographs, documents, and artifacts illustrates the early 20th-century genesis of San Francisco's famous 167-mile water and hydropower system, the unfailing service to today's 2.4 million Bay Area consumers, and tomorrow's challenges, directions, and opportunities.
From June 4 – August 18, 2005,
Main Library, Fifth Floor, Government Information Center
100 Larkin Street (at Grove)

For more information about these or any other library sponsored programs, please call 415 557-4277.