The Center for Environmental and Sustainability Education at Florida Gulf Coast University is exploring the problem of electronic waste (e-waste) as the subject of its annual Terry Tempest Williams Student Dialogue, 7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 4, in the Student Union ballroom.

The Center, whose primary purpose is to elevate the environmental mission of FGCU, is drawing attention to this topic so that individuals within the local community can understand the importance of considering where their unwanted goods end up, especially electronics waste.

The initiative intends to spark youth action and inspire the intellectual climate among the FGCU and Southwest Florida communities, and it fosters an open space for dialogue and student ownership of that dialogue.

Jessica Mendes, graduate student assistant at the Center, is currently conducting an on-campus survey that will reveal the different views and practices of FGCU students and faculty on the topic of e-waste. The results of her findings will be presented and discussed at the Dialogue.

During the Dialogue, an array of expert panelists will help audience participants explore the question of technology, ethics and sustainability in the hidden lifecycle of the electronics we use every day.

Panelists include Jake Swamp, chief of the Mohawk Nation and a representative on the Grand Council of the Iroquois Confederacy; a representative from the Basel Action Network (BAN), an organization whose main focus is toxic trade; and the Center’s Jessica Mendes, who presents her research and provides a student perspective.

The Dialogue is free and open to the public, and the Center encourages attendance from the local community, which they hope will help raise awareness and concern for the e-waste problem in Southwest Florida.

For more information or directions to FGCU, please contact the Center by e-mail at cese@fgcu.edu or by phone at (239) 590-7166.