New York City alone generates 19,500 tons of construction & demolition waste each and every day. Much of this material is composed of excavated sediments, as well as concrete, brick & glass aggregates- all materials that can be used to create new soils. Soils store approximately double the carbon of our atmosphere, and triple of all terrestrial biomass on Earth, making them one of the most important carbon sinks. We are only scratching the surface of the possibilities that exist with a circular approach to our C&D waste stream. What strategies do we employ to turn this seemingly unthinkable volume of construction material into a critical resource that captures carbon, provides a substrate for agriculture, buries & renders legacy pollutants harmless, protects our coastlines and can transform urban life for the better? Join the Urban Soils Institute and TreePeople to explore the opportunities that exist to realize a truly sustainable future driven by urban soils.

Speakers:

- Dr. Daniel C. Walsh, Principal, Walsh Environmental Solutions & Founding Director, NYC Mayor's Office of Environmental Remediation & Founder, Clean Soil Bank

- Dr. Maha Deeb-Collet, Lecturer, Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire des Environnements Continentaux (LIEC), University of Lorraine

- Dr. Yujuan Chen, Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture, Tennessee State University

- Dr. Dustin Herrmann,Principal Scientist, TreePeople

Moderator: George Lozefski, Field & Education Coordinator, Urban Soils Institute