ENERGY + ENVIRONMENT: Turning Goals into Reality

Monday, March 22 and Tuesday, March 23, time TBD, Westin Riverfront Resort, Avon

The year 2009 will be crucial for the state of climate change around the world. Global leaders will gather in Denmark to discuss recognized proposals to limit the adverse effects of climate change. The Vail Symposium will review what was discussed in these meetings and how policy leaders and scientists alike can turn these goals into reality. Discussions will be led by representatives from the Colorado Geological Survey, Colorado Governor's Energy Office, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Environmental Defense Fund, Johns Hopkins University, Smithsonian Institution, National Snow and Ice Data Center and others. Several panels will highlight the latest in environmental policy and the areas that can most greatly affect a positive change in climate protection in the areas of snow/ice melt and deforestation.
Here is a sampling of some of the speakers involved:
On Policy:
Tom Plant is the director of the Colorado Governor's Energy Office. Prior to GEO, Tom was executive director of the nonprofit Center for ReSource Conservation and served in the Colorado House of Representatives from 1998 through 2006. Auden Schendler is the executive director of sustainability at the Aspen Skiing Company. In 2006, Auden was named Time magazine’s "global warming innovator." His recent book, Getting Green Done, ". . . defines strategies that will actually help," says Dr. James Hansen, director of the NASA Goddard Space Institute.
On our Forests:
Eldredge Bermingham is the Director of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, a unit of the Smithsonian Institution headquartered in Panama City. This premier biological institute is dedicated to increasing the understanding of the past, present and future of tropical biodiversity and its relevance to human welfare. Their research represents the best observational platform in the world for evaluating the impact of global change, including climate, on the ecosystem function of forests.
On Ice and Snowmelt:
Mark C. Serreze is the senior research scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center at the University of Colorado. His current projects include the evaluation of causes for the declining sea ice cover and the synthesis of information on atmospheric and oceanic forcings.
This event will be held in the LEED certified property, Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa. For detailed information about this program including pricing, times and more background on individual speakers, please visit our website. Sponsorship of this program is made in part by
Alpine Bank, East West Partners, Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate, Vail Beaver Creek Magazine and Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa. A portion of this program is in partnership with the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens.