Instructed by Richard E. Hyman

Participate in a highly interactive forum, focused on examining threats and opportunities in today’s seemingly unfriendly ocean environment. We will study global, national, and local perspectives on environmental challenges such as Connecticut’s Long Island Sound Blue Plan, and the Atlantic Canyons and Seamounts. Topics will include in-depth discussion of recent and pending constructive and destructive federal legislation, including offshore oil drilling, plastic pollution and coastal resiliency.

Discussions will encourage students to share their knowledge and questions, and help them decide and strengthen their own personal positions. The course will promote environmental advocacy, and encourage and suggest ways for attendees to get involved and take action personally. The class will hear from subject matter experts, representatives of qualified not-for-profit organizations, and the offices of some Connecticut congresspeople in Washington D.C., either in-person or remotely. The class will conclude with an optional field trip, related to the course, to be selected by the class.

Richard E. Hyman Biography
Richard E. Hyman authored FROGMEN, a memoir about working for Jacques Cousteau aboard Calypso. His career has been in business, in the fields of telecommunications and technology. Today he’s engaged in environmental education. He was Connecticut’s delegate at 2017’s Blue Vision Summit, an ocean advocacy conference in Washington, D.C. Richard mentors locally and worldwide, recently webcasting with schools in 69 countries for the Climate Action Project. He has also webcast to schools from Classroom Under the Sea, an underwater habitat, on the subject of climate change.

Richard studied at Fairfield, Furman, Georgetown and Yale Universities. He is a member of the Board of Trustees for Fabien Cousteau’s Ocean Learning Center, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Westport Weston Family YMCA.