Keynote Schedule
Saturday 9:30 - 11:30am
Al Gore
Vice President
Former Vice President Al Gore is co-winner, with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for "informing the world of the dangers posed by climate change." Mr. Gore is the author of An Inconvenient Truth, a best-selling book on the threat of and solutions to global warming, and the subject of the movie of the same title, which was awarded a 2007 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. Gore also chairs the Alliance for Climate Protection, a non-profit organization designed to help solve the climate crisis.
He is cofounder and Chairman of Generation Investment Management, a firm that is focused on a new approach to Sustainable Investing. He is also a partner in the venture capital firm, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, heading that firm's climate change solutions group. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Apple Computer, Inc. and a Senior Advisor to Google, Inc. Gore is also cofounder and Chairman of Current TV, an independently owned cable and satellite television network for young people based on viewer-created content and citizen journalism.
Gore has been the leading advocate for confronting the threat of global warming since his election to the U.S. Congress 30 years ago. His pioneering efforts were outlined in his best-selling book Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit (1992). He led the Clinton-Gore Administration's efforts to protect the environment in a way that also strengthens the economy.
Friday 9:30 - 11:30am
Hunter Lovins
Founder & President
Natural Capitalism Solutions
Hunter Lovins is an international consultant, professor, speaker and author on enhancing business value while practicing environmental sustainability. She presents regularly to audiences ranging from business, government, community groups and universities. For over 20 years, she has been widely published, quoted and referred to on how being environmentally friendly increases profits.
Hunter is one of the founders of the new field of Sustainable Management, a co-developer of America's first accredited MBA Sustainable Management program and a Professor of Business at Presidio School of Management. Hunter's best known book, Natural Capitalism- Creating the Next Industrial Revolution, is widely considered to be an inspiration and an essential reference book. President Clinton called it "A huge deal." The Economist stated, it will "...leave every reader with the hope that the old battle between business and the environment can reach a peaceful and constructive conclusion." She has authored hundreds of articles and books.
Hunter Lovins' Links:
David Suzuki
Author & TV Host
The Nature of Things
David Suzuki is an award-winning biologist and broadcaster who has has pioneered efforts in sustainable ecology. For his work Suzuki has received a UNESCO Prize for Science, as well as the United Nations Environmental Medal. His best-selling books include Good News For A Change: How Everyday People are Helping The Planet, Genethics: The Clash Between the New Genetics and Human Values, and The David Suzuki Reader. He is also host of the award-winning television show The Nature of Things. David Suzuki is a brilliant interpreter of science and nature for the non-specialist and engages audiences in an informative and profound discussion of our place in the natural world. He is currently Professor Emeritus in Zoology at The University of British Columbia.
David Suzuki's Links:
Thursday 9:30 - 11:30am
Chris Jordan
Photographer & Designer
Chris Jordan is an internationally acclaimed photographic artist and activist whose work explores the detritus of American mass culture. His newest series, titled Running the Numbers, depicts the staggering statistics that define contemporary America, in huge intricately detailed panels as large as thirty feet wide. These huge works invite the viewer to walk up close and see every detail as a metaphor for the role of the individual in our hypermodern society. Chris's work is exhibited widely in the US and Europe, and has been featured in magazines, newspapers, weblogs, documentary films and television programs all over the globe. A sought-after speaker on the subject of mass culture, Chris also has appeared on several national television programs recently. Currently Chris is spokesperson for National Geographic's Earth Day 2008. He lives in Seattle with his wife the poet, Victoria Sloan Jordan, and his son Emerson.
Chris Jordan's Links:
Chuck Reed
Mayor
City of San Jose
Chuck Reed is the 64th Mayor of San José. Launching the San José Green Vision in October 2007, he has laid out 10 ambitious goals that will guide the City of San José over the next 15 years including a commitment to receive all electrical power from clean renewable sources. As Mayor of San José, Chuck is committed to improving the quality of life in the City, boosting the public's trust in local government, and fixing the City's structural budget deficit. The Reed Reforms, a comprehensive strategy to return honesty, fiscal responsibility, and open government to City Hall, are part of Chuck's vision to make the political process more accessible to the general public. The reforms require further disclosure from elected officials, add restrictions on lobbyists, and increase the role of citizens in San José government.
Chuck Reed's Links:
John Knott
Founder & CEO
Noisette Project
President and co-founder of the Noisette Company, LLC, John Knott leads the Noisette Project development team, which is collaborating in a public-private partnership with the City of North Charleston to restore 3,000 acres of the city's historic urban core. Mr. Knott has 38 years of experience in the urban redevelopment, historic preservation and community rehabilitation fields. He is an internationally recognized leader in the redevelopment of cities, and has served as an advisor to municipalities throughout the United States and Canada, in addition to cities in China and Russia.
As the Noisette Company's visionary, Mr. Knott guides the Company's master planning process with the local community in North Charleston, emphasizing the balance between business and residential uses with the restoration of the region's ecosystem. In 2001, Dewees Island, a 1,206-acre eco-friendly residential development managed by Mr. Knott, won the Urban Land Institute's prestigious Award for Excellence.
John Knott's Links:
Host
Sarah Susanka
Author, The Not So Big House
Susanka Studios
Bestselling author, architect and cultural visionary Sarah Susanka is leading a movement to redefine the American home and lifestyle. Her "build better, not bigger" approach to residential architecture has been embraced across the country and her "Not So Big" philosophy is evolving beyond our physical habitations and into how we inhabit our lives.
In May, Random House released Susanka's latest title, The Not So Big Life: Making Room for What Really Matters. In the book, she reveals that quality-over-quantity serves not only architectural aims, but life goals as well. She unveils a process for changing the way we live by fully inhabiting each moment of our lives and showing up completely in whatever it is we are doing. Through this process, readers will discover more meaningfulness, vitality and that sense of being "at home" in life that so many people are searching for today.
Sarah Susznka's Links: