The hydroelectric plant at the outlet of Beebe Lake provides only 2 percent of the campus's electricity, but it can and one day will be harnessed to provide far more. The solar panels on top of Day Hall only provide enough electricity to power the lights in the McGraw clock tower. But such projects provide "basic environmental education."

So noted Dean Koyanagi, Cornell's sustainability coordinator, in making the point that conservation spurs progress, at an April 28 Environmental Colloquium at Telluride House, hosted by Telluride and Ecology Houses, Cornell's Solar Decathlon team, Cornell's Renewable Energy Society and KyotoNow! The event both showcased Cornell environmental research and provided a forum for debating conservation and sustainability concerns.

Several lecturers tied progress to conservation. Tom Eisner, Cornell professor emeritus of chemical ecology, said that the natural world has a wealth of novel concepts -- a beetle, for example, that uses its wide, bristly feet and beads of moisture to seal itself to leaves -- that can be implemented by humans for technological progress, and that Cornell can be a forerunner in finding them.

Dana Cupkova-Myers, a visiting critic of architecture, showed pictures of buildings designed using complex algorithms to maximize energy efficiency and use of space. "We must start rethinking the materials we use and the structures we build," she said, suggesting that biomimicry, or generating concepts from nature, is also an avenue to better building design.

Joe Regenstein, Cornell professor of food science, defended what environmentalists call an "axis of evil": hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and factory farming. Hormone use, he said, produces more food; antibiotics used properly prevent animal diseases; pesticides often aren't environmentally harmful and sustain plant life, causing better yield; GMOs have traits that "can both deal with existing problems and provide new solutions," such as reducing harmful pesticide use and increasing growth in marginal land; factory farming, which is "not a dirty phrase," he said, minimizes land used, maximizes return and doesn't involve animal abuse when implemented correctly. Regenstein also criticized popular organic foods, stating that such agriculture is far from sustainable and consuming its products is "like tying your hands behind your back to solve a problem."

Mary Lou Zeeman, visiting professor of neurobiology and behavior, concluded the colloquium by warning against "analysis paralysis," or spending too much time analyzing the issues without acting on them. To highlight her notion of grassroots action, she presented various bumper stickers that students in the new course State of the Planet (BioNB321) created, including "Blow me: I choose wind power," "Fewer pit stops for me, a cooler world for you" and "Make every day Earth Day."

"Don't let perfection be the enemy of the good," Zeeman warned. "Get your own solution out there!"

Sam Warren '07 is a writer intern at the Cornell Chronicle.