Online Event - Unlocking Human Potential for Biodiversity Virtual Conference

This virtual event will take place on June 5, 2020 from 9 a.m. to noon as part of World Environment Day (WED). Montréal is the North American host city for WED. This event is being organized by Space for Life and the Secretariat of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.  It imagines the future of our planet, our cities, and our spaces as well as the cohabitation between species on Earth, humans included.

Unlocking Human Potential for Biodiversity is an opportunity to reflect on how can we better understand the human potential to preserve biodiversity, get closer to nature and guide our future actions. This virtual conference asks us to consider what we need to understand about human beings—our motivations, our ways of thinking and acting—that could help us develop the most effective policies, actions, communications and projects?

To help answer these and other questions this online event will bring together renowned experts and calls us to share our collective intelligence. At a time when a health and economic crisis triggered by COVID-19 is causing an unprecedented global slowdown, this event urges us to take a step back. It brings together a variety of people in an environment that is conducive to sharing.

Unlocking Human Potential for Biodiversity is the first phase of a vast project designed to find and implement solutions for the future. This event proposes to create a space to share and communicate on the subject of the environment with participants from various backgrounds (scientists, artists, educators, citizens, activists and Aboriginals) from Quebec, Canada and elsewhere around the world.

This virtual encounter brings together four committed scientists on a unique panel that will address the theme of human potential in order to identify solutions and make a difference. Against the backdrop of a global crisis, they will attempt to address the ways that we can we collectively guide our future actions to preserve the biodiversity of our planet.

This issue will be addressed in a round table by the Mayor of the City of Montreal, Valérie Plante, the Federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Jonathan Wilkinson, the Director for North America, United Nations Environment Program, Barbara Hendrie, the Acting Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, the Executive Director of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, Richard Morgan and the Director of Space for Life, Charles-Mathieu Brunelle.

Afterwards, participants will be divided into sub-groups to discuss and share their findings on topics such as our individual and collective relationship with nature and biodiversity. They will attempt to answer questions such as :

• What should be the focus of our collective attention? 
• What are the opportunities to be seized? 
• What types of projects should be pursued, developed and implemented?

A review of the workshops will follow to share main outcomes with all participants.

The event is is part of Montréal's Space for Life's Laboratory of Possibilities. It will be hosted by Julie Bourbonnais, Ph. D., Organizational Psychologist, Hors-Piste. It will include Anne-Sophie Gousse-Lessard, Ph. D., researcher in social and environmental psychology and committed citizen Matthieu Ricard, Ph. D., author and initiator of humanitarian projects Stanley Asah, Ph. D., Associate Professor, Conservation Psychology Vandana Shiva, Ph. D., eco-feminist and founder of Navdanya
(see the speakers full biographies below).

Key Speakers

Anne-Sophie Gousse-Lessard

Anne-Sophie completed a PhD in social and environmental psychology and held a postdoctoral fellowship on adaptation to climate change. She is now an associate professor at the Institut des sciences de l'environnement (ISE) at UQAM and a research fellow at the Centre de recherche en éducation et formation relative à l'environnement et à l'écocitoyenneté (Centr'ERE). She also holds the chair on the ecological transition at UQAM and is a research officer with the Réseau inondations intersectoriel du Québec (RIISQ). Her research interests include the motivational processes, levers and barriers related to behaviour changes (individual and collective) and eco-citizenship. She is particularly interested in sustainable mobility (via the Chantier auto-solo), eco-anxiety and activism from a social transformation standpoint. Anne-Sophie Gousse-Lessard is a lecturer, a speaker and she writes blogs for the Unpointcinq media. She is also involved in the board of directors of the Réseau des femmes en environnement.

Matthieu Ricard

A Buddhist monk, author, photographer, scientist and initiator of humanitarian projects in Asia, Matthieu Ricard also has a PhD in cell genetics. During a trip to India in 1967, Matthieu Ricard met Tibetan spiritual masters. After settling in the Himalayas in 1972 following his thesis in cell genetics at the Pasteur Institute, he became a monk in 1979 and went on to serve as a French interpreter for the Dalai Lama in 1989. He has given numerous conferences, including a dozen at the World Economic Forum in Davos and at the United Nations. A prolific author, Matthieu Ricard participates actively, as a scientist and Buddhist monk, in scientific research in neuroscience on the effects of meditation on the brain. He has co-published several scientific papers on this subject. As a photographer, he has published a dozen albums and donates all of his rights to the humanitarian association Karuna-Shechen, which he founded. In 2019, this organization helped more than 380,000 people in Tibet in the areas of education, health and social services.

Stanley Asah

Stanley Asah is an Associate Professor at the University of Washington specializing in Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Management with a focus on Conservation Psychology. He studies the ways to orient human behavior, organizational behavior, and political behavior toward sustainability and conservation outcomes. His interests in the human dimensions of conservation include topics such as: how to connect people—especially children—to the outdoors; effective strategies for motivating pro-environmental behaviors; social responses to environmental hazards such as wildland fire; the social impacts and social acceptability of renewable energy systems; how people benefit from ecosystems and how those benefits could serve as motivators of environmental stewardship behaviors. He is also interested in how to use the psychological sciences, including social marketing and persuasive communication, to initiate, direct and sustain pro-environmental behaviors such as energy conservation and efficiency.

Vandana Shiva

Vandana Shiva is an Indian scholar and an environmental activist who has dedicated nearly five decades of her life to the protection of biodiversity. Shiva completed and received a PhD in the foundations of quantum theory at the University of Western Ontario. Her scientific research and work in biodiversity conservation with local communities, especially women, has allowed her to evolve a paradigm of oneness and non-separability, which she refers to as the "biodiversity of the mind". Her work has shown how, through the conservation of biodiversity, humans can produce more food, better health, reduce hunger, disease and poverty. Currently based in Delhi where she established the Earth University and a biodiversity conservation farm, she has authored more than twenty books, is one of the leaders and board members of the International Forum on Globalization, and a figure of the global solidarity movement referred to as the Earth Democracy movement. She received numerous awards for her service to the Earth, the protection of biodiversity and people’s rights.

Click here to access the live event.
Click here to see the other activities and events taking place for World Environment Day.

Read More»

The Deadly Implications of Trump's Cuts to Environmental Protections

President Donald Trump's cuts to environmental protections are even more deadly in the era of COVID-19. The United States has reached the grim milestone of 100,000 coronavirus deaths, that is more than 33 times the number of people that died in 9/11 and more than the number of US troops killed in the Korean and Vietnam wars combined.

Trump's denial, slow response, and mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic made the situation far worse which is why he has been blamed for the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans. According to research out of Columbia University, the Trump administration's failures have killed an additional 36,000 people. The number of deaths is also being inflated by Trump's rollbacks to the EPA and the Department of the Interior. Thus far, 64 environmental protections have been cut and 34 are in the process of being eradicated.

Cuts to clean air

This administration's environmental assaults include the overturning of 19 air pollution and emissions rules with another 8 that are slated for removal. Through his erosion of the Clean Air Act, the Clean Power Plan and cleaner cars Trump has increased climate change causing greenhouse gas emissions and directly contributed to the deaths of thousands of Americans.

Trump's assaults on clean air will lead to an increase of at least 867 million more metric tons of carbon emissions and increase respiratory diseases. Recent research published by PNAS revealed that 100,000 Americans die each year from heart attacks, strokes and other illnesses caused by air pollution. The same report indicated that these health costs amount to $886 billion a year.

Under the Trump administration, air quality has declined. A 2019 study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, found that fine particulate pollution increased 5.5 percent between 2016 and 2018. This study suggests that the increase in pollution was responsible for 9,700 premature deaths in 2018 alone. Air pollution also increases the risks posed by the coronavirus. According to Harvard research, dirty air increases the risks of death or serious illness from COVID-19.

Even the Trump administration's own assessments acknowledge that their actions will kill Americans. According to a regulatory impact assessment from Trump's own EPA, Obama's Clean Power Plan alone could lead to the deaths of as many as 1,400 people by 2030 due to air pollution. Earlier this year, the EPA moved forward with a plan to roll back the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which protects people against pollution in their communities. As part of a new EPA policy, chemical plants, oil and gas operations, power plants, steel mills, coal plants, and other industrial facilities can stop monitoring and reporting air and water pollution. This follows the gutting of the EPA by Scott Pruitt, and his assaults on clean air are part of his murderous legacy

Fossil fuel powered administration

Pruitt is one of the first fossil fuel industry advocates that Trump hired. Another more recent example is oil industry defender Jeffrey Bossert Clark who was tapped to lead the Department of Justice's enforcement of environmental regulations.

Trump has overturned 11 rules related to drilling and extraction with another 8 in progress. He is taking advantage of the fact that people are distracted by the pandemic to provide billions in bailouts to the fossil fuel industry and he is attempting to expand drilling in the Arctic. His administration is working to clear the way for ConocoPhillips' Willow project which would allow up to 250 new drilling wells, a processing facility, hundreds of miles of ice roads and pipelines, airstrips, a gravel mine, an offshore gravel island and ice bridge.

Trump's fossil fuel powered politics is supported by Republicans. His Interior Department is full of fossil fuel insiders and they have opened up more land for oil and gas leasing by cutting back protected areas. Their efforts amount to a declaration of war on nature. They have overturned 9 wildlife protection rules with another 2 slated for removal. Their most egregious assault on nature may be their gutting of the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Suppression of science

The Interior Department is at war with science. This is a direct reflection of Trump's disdain for science which is particularly concerning in the context of the coronavirus. To protect the health and safety of Americans, this pandemic requires the application of the best science. Yet, as this global health crisis kills hundreds of thousands, this administration continues to attack science.

The Trump administration recently announced restrictions that prevent the EPA from using the best available science when assessing environmental and public health protections like those that support clean air. The "Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science" proposal gives EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler the power to ignore information that cannot be made public by law. By ignoring medical studies, personal health data, and clinical reports, the EPA excludes important information that can be used to protect families. Even the EPA's own Scientific Advisory Board was not allowed to review the proposal before it was released to the public.

Simply the worst

Trump is making a bad situation worse in many ways. He refuses to advocate (or follow) the dictates of scientists, this includes refusing to wear masks (and deriding people who wear them). He haqs recommended that people take hydroxychloroquine despite the evidence that suggests there are no benefits and it may be harmful to people with COVID-19. He has even advocated drinking bleach or using "powerful lights" to kill the virus.

You don't need to be smart to be compassionate, but this may be his weakest attribute. His insensitivity is legendary. Rather than lead a national response to unite the country, Trump divides the nation, plays golf and attacks political opponents. As a result, there are one hundred thousand dead and 1.7 million Americans infected with the coronavirus. There has never been a crisis in the United States where a president has performed so poorly or this immorally.

Trump is making the situation worse by playing politics with the lives of Americans. He is sending crucial medical supplies like masks and respirators to states like Florida, which he needs to win reelection this fall. While denying support for states like New York where he has no chance of winning.

In 2018, it was already clear that the Trump presidency was the worst in American history. At the start of 2020 before the pandemic broke in the U.S., Trump earned the distinction of being the the worst ever president for our environment. More recently, Jeffrey D. Sachs, professor and director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University concluded that Trump is, "the worst president in our history."

Trump recently signed an executive order that seeks more regulatory cuts in an effort to jump-start the economy, which he sees as essential for his reelection prospects. The death toll is staggering but it is far from over. Most epidemiologists expect it to get worse as the country opens without proper testing and amidst confusing and harmful messaging from the nation's commander-and-chief. Like almost every one of Trump's policies, his approach to reopening the economy will backfire in spectacular fashion. When Trump is finally escorted out of the White House, he will leave a legacy of failed policies and dead bodies.

Read More»

Online Event - Electrifying the Economy: Reducing Carbon While Creating Jobs

This online event will take place on Thursday May 28, 2020, 1 PM – 2 PM. The climate change debate is often dominated by doom and gloom headlines. The idea of electrifying our economy offers a positive vision of the future. Widespread electrification of energy, industry and transportation could create huge numbers of new jobs and dramatically reduce climate changing emissions.

How do we raise the level of ambition to the scale that is needed? How does the current situation of the pandemic, and the feelings of urgency around restarting economic activity, impact the move to electrification? What actions can we take as individuals and what should we be demanding of our governments? The Panelists include:

Bruce Lourie, Ivey Foundation

Bruce is president of the Ivey Foundation, an Adjunct Professor at the School of Policy Studies, and Senior Fellow at the Institute for Sustainable Finance, both at Queen’s University, and visiting lecturer at the University of Oxford Social Finance Programme. He is a Board director of several organizations including the new Canadian Institute for Climate Choices, the Transition Accelerator and the SeedChange Foundation. He is a former Director of the Independent Electricity System Operator, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Environmental Defence and many others.

Sarah Petrevan, Clean Energy Canada

A passionate policy advocate and commentator, Sarah works to advance policies that support clean energy and tackle climate change. With more than a decade of public policy experience, Sarah works to promote policies and programs that help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while creating jobs and a strong economy. Sarah serves as a board member of Blue Green Canada, and regularly collaborates with industry and business leaders to advocate for policies and programs to leverage Canada’s clean energy opportunity. Before joining Clean Energy Canada, Sarah held several senior positions within the Government of Ontario, and worked for a leading non-profit. She holds a degree in political science with a specialization in public policy. Most recently, Sarah is the recipient of the 2018 Clean 50 Emerging Leader Award, in recognition for her leadership in clean capitalism. She is based in Toronto.

Matt Wayland, IBEW

Matt Wayland began in the Canadian office of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) in 2011. The IBEW represents close to 70,000 members across the country in a variety of sectors including Manufacturing, Telecommunications, Voice Data Video, Utilities, Construction, Maintenance, Radio and Television, Sound and Alarm systems, Railroads, Shipyards, Pulp and Paper Mills, Mining, Tree Trimming, Health Care and Government employees. Matt has raised the IBEW’s profile with various levels of politicians of all party stripes bringing issues that matter most to IBEW members, to the attention of policy and decision makers. In April of 2018, Matt was appointed by the federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna, to the Task Force on Just Transition for Canadian Coal Power Workers and Communities. In August of 2018, Matt was named the Executive Assistant to the International Vice President (IVP) and Canadian Director of Government Relations by IBEW IVP Tom Reid. In August of 2019, Matt was appointed by the Prime Minister and Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour as one of the Co-Chairs for the Ministerial Advisory Committee on a National Campaign to Promote the Skilled Trades as a First Choice Career for Young People. Matt is a licensed red-seal electrician and has been a proud member of IBEW Local Union 303 in St. Catharines, ON. Prior to his current role, Matt served his Local Union in several capacities.

To register click here

Related
Decarbonization through Electrification in the Transportation Sector

Read More»

The Coronavirus has Improved the Way We Work

The coronavirus is a turning point that has changed the way we work. Remote working was already trending before the pandemic hit. However, the number of people working from home increased from 3.6 percent to 66 percent during the pandemic. The work from home trend has been facilitated by the proliferation of technologies related to telecommuting and videoconferencing.

Working from home affords a number of benefits including reducing commuting time which decreases stress and lends itself to a better work-life balance.  It also cuts costs for both employees and companies.  Companies that support working from home can reduce the amount of physical space required for workers thereby substantially reducing their overhead. This makes sense given that commercial office spaces are highly inefficient as they are vacant more than half the time.

During the lockdown telecommuting allowed workers to stay home and videoconferencing replaced face-to-face meetings. This contributed to a host of environmental benefits including driving down climate change causing emissions. Telecommuting reduces traffic, congestion, and pollution from cars while videoconferencing decreases the emissions associated with work related air travel.

Telecommuting and teleconferencing will also slash demand for oil, the leading cause of climate change causing pollution. As explained by Erik Holm Reiso, a senior partner at Rystad: "If we learn that remote working can work people may begin to question whether we need to take long haul flights to meet people in person. This could alter whether demand for oil ever recovers to the levels we have seen in previous years."

According to Kate Lister, remote working is here to stay. Lister is one of the world's leading authorities on work-at-home strategies. She is president of Global Workplace Analytics (GWA) and her firm’s research forecasts that 25-30 percent of the workforce will work at home at least part of the time by the end of 2021. Their research suggests that 56 percent of the U.S. workforce holds a job that is compatible (at least partially) with remote work.

Gallup data from 2016 shows that 43 percent of the workforce worked at home at least some of the time. Their analysis also revealed that remote work is highly desirable to the most talented employees. A 2019 analysis from Owl Labs found that 80 percent of employees want to work from home at least some of the time.

The Gallup analysis found that working from home improves outcomes and the GWA research suggests that remote working improves both productivity and results. The research also reveals massive potential cost savings.  Each employee can save between $2,500 and $4,000 a year (working remotely half the time) and even more if they are able to move to a less expensive area and work remotely full time. The typical employer can save about $11,000 per year for every person who works remotely half of the time. GWA estimates that during the Covid-19 crisis work from home initiatives will save U.S. employers over $30 Billion dollars a day.  In addition to reduced costs working from home also provides better disaster preparedness.

The pandemic has forced us to work differently and this may contribute to permanent changes in the the way we work. Business travel can be expected to decline as big companies realize that videoconferencing is just as effective as face to face meetings. This is the view of Amy Myers Jaffe, the director of the Program on Energy Security and Climate Change at the Council on Foreign Relations. She added that she also thinks remote working may be here to stay, with some companies abandoning offices altogether. This view is shared by Prithwiraj Choudhury, an associate professor at Harvard Business School. Choudhury explained that this will give workers the freedom to work from anywhere in the world including small towns with much lower costs of living.

The cornavirus has helped to make the business case for remote working and provided proof of feasibility.  Widespread adoption would reduce both environmental impacts and costs.  According to Lister, "there is no easier, quicker, and cheaper way to reduce your carbon footprint than by reducing commuter travel." However, the driving rationale will be likely be about cost savings that do not sacrifice productivity or results.

We have already made the shift the only question that remains to be answered is whether or not this new way of doing business will stick. Early results suggest that working from home will become mainstream. As reported by CNN, major companies like Twitter, Facebook, Square, Shopify, Groupe PSA, Box, have all indicated that they are making remote working a permanent option. As explained by GWA, the cornavirus may prove to be the tipping point for remote work.

Read More»

Virtual Conference - Advances in Electric Drives, Process Control and Automation (VCADPCA2020)

This virtual global scientific forum will take place online on June 9, 2020. VCADPCA2020 is a platform for researchers, academicians as well as professionals from all over the world to present, discuss and promote advances in knowledge, research and practice in the field of electric drives, process control, automation and energy engineering (for a full summary of the areas of interest see the list below). This conference is focused on delivering and analyzing industrial and academic advancements.

Areas of interest

• Electrical Machines and Adjustable Speed Drives
• Energy Efficient Control Techniques
• Power Converters and Modeling
• Efficient Energy Utilization
• Power Quality Issues and Solutions
• Smart Grid & IoT
• Green and Renewable Energy Technology
• Process Control Systems
• Soft Computing in Power Systems
• Intelligent Control
• Sensor Fault Detection and Diagnosis
• Embedded Control of Converters and Drives
• Analytical and Virtual Instrumentation
• Diagnosis and Sensing Systems
• Roboticsand Control
• Industrial Automation System
• Modelling and Simulation of Drives

To access the brochure click here
To register click here.

Read More»

COVID-19 can be a Paradigm Changing Social Tipping Point for Climate Action

The coronavirus may facilitate fundamental changes that help us to combat climate change. This pandemic has captured global attention and there is reason to believe that it may augur an unprecedented shift in our attitudes and behaviors.  At the very least it sets the stage for a reorganization of our lives and our behaviors.  If these changes are sufficiently widespread they would give us a good chance of keeping temperatures from surpassing upper threshold limits that represent an existential threat to life on Earth.

If we are to tackle climate change we will need to see global changes. This must include individuals, businesses, all levels of government, as well as international organizations and multinationals. While laws, rules and regulations are undeniably critical, to address the scale of the threat we face we need genuine resolve that goes beyond fear of censure or sanction.

What we need is a psychological change that augurs a paradigm shift.  Only pervasive public support can force leaders to marshal the political will to act. To make this possible we need to see a far reaching change in fundamental values.

We can expedite this transition by leveraging our understanding of social tipping points (STP) and social tipping interventions (STI). STP is about far more than enhancing awareness this is about rapidly changing social norms. The research reveals that STIs can activate a contagious process that rapidly spreads values, norms, behaviors and technologies.

As explained by the Potsdam Institute to accelerate a fundamental shift in behavior we need to create a new social equilibrium in which climate action is recognized as the social norm. Research indicates that moving away from fossil fuels may be the first step in what has been described as a positive avalanche effect. This may be the most effective route to expedite the opening of political pathways that lead to decarbonization.

Whether or not the coronavirus will prove to be a tipping point remains to be seen. However, if we apply what we have learned from STI we may be able to increase the prospects for prosocial change. This modern day plague is in no way a guarantee that we will alter our perilous trajectory but it does afford an opportunity to do so. We have already seen how it has significantly decreased climate change causing greenhouse gas emissions and now we are challenged to sustain these changes. If nothing else the cornavirus has made it clear that widespread change is possible.

Related

The Road to Recovery - The Courage to Hope for a Better World

The Revolutionary Upside of Covid-19
The Forthcoming Economic Collapse Could Save Us From Ourselves
COVID-19 is Driving Down Emissions and Buoying Hope for Climate Action
How the Coronavirus Helps Renewable Energy and Hurts Fossil Fuels

Read More»

Republicans Controlled by the Fossil Fuel Industry are Killing Climate Action

Despite a plethora of scientific warnings and the overwhelming economic logic of climate action, the alliance between Republicans and the fossil fuel industry is keeping climate denial and dirty energy alive. Republicans have systematically undermined democracy through protracted campaigns of disinformation that distort the facts and muddies public confidence in science so that they can manipulate the American public, hold on to power and line their pockets.

Republicans are gaming the system and their insidious disinformation campaigns extend to our schools.  They use a wide range of tactics to hold onto power including voter suppression, redistricting, hate, efforts to undermine voter confidence and false allegations of voter rigging. It is tragically ironic that Russia meddled in the electoral outcome to help elect Donald Trump.

It is important to understand that Trump did not emerge from a vacuum, he is the byproduct of  the GOP's tactics.  Although Trump is often considered to be the most corrupt president ever to occupy the office, Republican corruption predates his presidency. In 2015, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse attributed climate disinformation to the fossil fuel industry and their Republicans minions. Subsequent analysis have revealed the ways in which the fossil fuel industry buys politicians and political outcomes. There has also been increasing scrutiny of the ways that Republicans use their power to buoy the dominance of dirty energy.

Republicans are once again doing the bidding of the fossil fuel industry this time by targeting renewable energy which is is struggling from the impacts of COVID-19.  This is consistent with the Trump administration's disdain for renewables and love of fossil fuels.  Although Republicans are refusing to support renewable energy they continue to support fossil fuels. This is in addition to subsidies for oil and gas that are already ten times what the U.S. spends on education. This is made possible by virtue of the fact that the fossil fuel industry pays legislators to protect its funding.

As reported by Geoff Dembicki in a Vice article, efforts to undermine renewable energy are coming from climate denying fossil fuel funded conservative groups. This effort is being led by Life:Powered which is the spawn of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, an Austin-based "think tank". They sent a letter signed by 27 right-wing think tanks encouraging law-makers to block aid to solar and wind companies.

Although Democrats wanted to see support for clean energy, Republicans led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are following the dictates of  their conservative overlords and refusing to consider additional tax credits to solar and wind companies. Republicans made sure that support for renewables was excluded from the stimulus package that was signed into law on March 30. These same forces will be working to ensure that climate action gets no support in forthcoming stimulus packages.

The fossil fuel industry has been instrumental in galvanizing opposition to climate action and Republicans are instrumental to dirty energy's control over American politics.

Read More»

Energy Job Losses in the US Due to COVID-19

COVID-19 has caused massive energy job losses. Some sectors have been hit harder than others and while many energy jobs will return others may not. Our economies will be decimated by the coronavirus and millions of jobs have disappeared forever, however, there is an upside to this deadly pandemic that bodes well for employment opportunities in some sectors over the long term.

This is the worst unemployment situation since the Great Depression. So far 36 million Americans have lost their jobs and according to Fed estimates, a total of 47 million jobs could be lost resulting in an unemployment rate of 32 percent. The energy sector has not been spared and fossil fuels have been hit particularly hard. While 20 percent of the clean energy and efficiency jobs could be lost up to 33 percent of the fossil fuel exploration and production workforce could lose their jobs.

The coronavirus is merely hastening the demise of dirty energy.  Long before the pandemic hits the fossil fuel industry was in decline. In Canada more than 53,000 oil industry jobs were lost between 2014 and 2019. The the oil crash of 2020 sent the industry into a tailspin and is causing a spate of bankruptcies. Shale oil and other more expensive forms of fossil fuel extraction are no longer economically viable.

Despite massive subsidies directed towards the fossil fuel industry the green economy continues to provide far more jobs than oil, gas and coal combined. Clean energy is driving green job growth and 5 years ago it was already apparent that renewables were replacing fossil fuels. This is a trend that continued into 2020 and accelerated by the outbreak of COVID-19.

According to the U.S. Energy and Employment Report, in 2019 clean energy workers outnumbered fossil fuel workers three to one. According to E2, the clean energy sector is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the country with a 10.4 percent increase in job creation since 2010. At the beginning of 2020 the clean energy and energy efficiency sectors employed 3.4 million workers. This included more than 2 million jobs in energy efficiency and half a million jobs in renewable energy.

Billions of dollars worth of renewable energy projects have been delayed or canceled in the U.S. An April report indicates that almost 100,000 renewable energy jobs have been lost due to COVID-19 public health measures. The U.S. clean energy and energy efficiency sectors have lost 594,300 jobs representing 17.8 percent of the clean energy workforce and another 255,653 positions could be lost by the end of June.

At the start of the year the US oil industry employed over 150,000 people in extraction, The U.S. oil and gas industry lost 51,000 drilling and refining jobs in March many thousands more are expected to follow. In Texas alone 30,000 jobs have been lost in the industry and that could go up to 100,000 which is one third of the states exploration and production workforce. When related jobs are factored the total number of jobs lost could be as high as one million people in Texas alone.

There are many who are reluctant to celebrate the demise of the fossil fuel industry because of concerns about the economic and employment impacts. However, clean energy jobs are better jobs than those afforded by the fossil fuel industry for a number of reasons. This includes the fact that clean energy provides more jobs and a wider diversity of jobs. These jobs are not centralized and therefore they are more resilient and contribute to economic diversity. These jobs are part of a growth industry and they are therefor more secure than those in the fossil fuel sector.

Perhaps most importantly clean energy does not contribute to pollution and death (millions die each year because of polluted air). Nor does it contribute to climate change which represents an existential threat to all life on this planet. Fossil fuels are the leading cause of climate change. All the way back in 2012 fossil fuels were the most hated industry in the U.S., since then we have seen how oil spills destroy the environment, we have seen report on fossil fuel corruption, deception and disinformation. All of these factors are driving an increasingly vigorous fossil fuel divestment efforts.

We have to factor the costs associated with failing to reign-in climate change as well as the windfall of benefits associated with the green economy. Climate action offers trillions of dollars in savings and stellar ROI. The benefits of climate action far outweigh the costs. In addition to direct benefits from climate action there are a raft of co-benefits that prove the net economic gains. Every dollar invested in climate resilience offers a tenfold return. Business leaders are also coming to terms with the fact that they cannot afford to deny climate risks. Fossil fuels are destined to die because the industry is destroying the planet upon which all economic activity depends. One of the many lessons that we have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic is that there is a tremendously high cost associated with inaction.

Energy has taken a dramatic hit but renewables will bounce back while many dirty energy jobs are gone for good.

Read More»

Webinar - A Vision for NSF Earth Sciences 2020-2030: Earth in Time

A free report release webinar titled "Vision for NSF Earth Sciences 2020-2030: Earth in Time," will take place on Tuesday, May 19th from 2-3pm EDT.  It will explore the contents of the NSF Earth Sciences report which identifies priority research questions as well as the initiatives and partnerships required to answer them. It will also provide recommendations to plan and support research over the next decade.

Society depends on Earth system functions which connect in unexpected ways—from the microscopic interactions of bacteria and rocks to the macro-scale processes that build and erode mountains and regulate Earth’s climate. Efforts to study Earth’s intertwined processes are made even more pertinent and urgent by the need to understand how the Earth can continue to sustain both civilization and the planet’s biodiversity.

Click here to register.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Earth Sciences report will release to the public at 11:00 AM ET on May 19, 2020. You can download a free PDF from the National Academies Press.

Read More»

Trump Guts ESA as Part of his Ongoing War with Nature

The Trump administration is behind a steady barrage of environmental insults but the assaults on the Endangered Species Act (ESA) are among the most heinous.  While this administration has amassed a track record of harming wildlife, the weakening of the ESA is the crowning achievement of their war on nature. This move is all the more egregious in light of a recent UN Biodiversity report which indicates that one million species are on the brink of extinction around the world.

Another recent report shows that marine life is also being killed by warming seas. This is consistent with the actions of an administration that killed at least 88 environmental regulations. Trump's personal disdain for the natural world is clearly evident in his budgets which have sought dramatic cuts to environmental protections.

Changes to the ESA mean more species are sure to go extinct in the U.S.  It is now easier to remove species from the protected list and remove protections for those listed as threatened. Provisions protecting habitat have also been weakened.  ESA has saved countless species in the 46 years since its passage including grizzly bears, bald eagles, peregrine falcons, manatees and humpback whales. Changes to the ESA could end many species including some of America's most iconic animals.

The Trump Administration made another move against the Bears Ears National Monument. In 2017 Trump shrunk the monument by 85 percent and in August the Bureau of Land Management released a new plan to eliminate all protections for the remaining 15 percent.

Trump's drilling leases in Bears Ears and elsewhere generate more greenhouse gas emissions than the EU does in a year. Since becoming president more than 375 million acres (150 million hectares) of public lands and waters have been opened for fossil fuel extraction. According to the Wilderness Society these leases will generate between 854m and 4.7bn metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.

The contempt with which Trump views nature is not only evident in his policy decisions. His reelection campaign has sold more than 140,000 plastic "Trump straws," that mock plastic-straw bans. Straws are widely understood to be both a leading source of plastic pollution and a risk to wildlife.

Even when Trump's lackeys have been forced to resign their successors are just as bad or worse. This is true at the Department of Interior it is also true at the EPA which has been the headquarters of Trump's environmental deregulation efforts. The Trump administration has staffed government departments and agencies with fossil fuel advocates this includes the former EPA chief Scott Pruitt and his replacement Andrew Wheeler. 

The EPA continues to make reckless decisions like the one it made in July to forego a ban on the pesticide chlorpyrifos. They made this ruling even though there is evidence to suggest it causes cognitive problems in children. This is yet another blatant example of putting corporate profits ahead of public well-being.

In July the Trump administration gave the fossil fuel industry, factory farms and other industrial polluters the right to contaminate waterways. The same waterways that Americans use for swimming and fishing, the same water that they drink each day. This is a flagrant contravention of the Clean Water Act. If the EPA has their way the Clean Water Act will go the way of the ESA.

To add insult to injury this is a delusional president who tries to tout his green record when the data clearly shows that in addition to ramping up greenhouse gas emissions, overall air quality has declined during his presidency. It is not just the Trump administration's failure to act to protect the environment, it is also the things that this government is actively doing to increase climate pollution. This man can be expected to exercise his power to destroy the natural world for as long as he is allowed to rule.

We must appreciate the self interested malevolence and corrupt intent of this president. Trump will not be satisfied until he has extracted ever last penny out of the Earth regardless of the impacts on plants, animals or people. It is not hyperbole to suggest that protesting Trump and voting him out of office in 2020 is essential to the survival of life on this planet.

Related
Fossil Fuel Powered Politics Driving Trump's War with Nature

Read More»

How Supply Chain Resilience Mitigates Against Risks from Pandemics and Climate Change

Whether as a defense against global pandemics or as part of a wider climate strategy companies are exploring ways of improving their supply chain resilience. Now more than ever companies need to increase their efforts to build more resilience into their supply chains so that they can quickly respond to changing demands and disruptions. The COVID-19 pandemic has drawn attention to supply chain vulnerabilities and this article reviews many of the lessons that have been learned as well as their implications for climate mitigation and adaptation efforts. 

The economic impacts from the coronavirus will be substantial. As explained in the seventh annual Kearney US Reshoring Index, COVID-19 will have a "historic" impact on our economies. "[T]he massive operational disruption wrought by the coronavirus pandemic will compel companies to fundamentally rethink their sourcing strategies," the report says. It also says "companies will be compelled to go much further in rethinking their sourcing strategies—indeed, their entire supply chains...More fundamentally, we anticipate that the threat of future crises will compel companies to restructure their global supply chains with an eye toward increased resilience, as well as lower risks and costs, as resilience is the key to operating profitably in the face of ongoing disruptions."

The coronavirus has revealed supply chain weakness including those that contribute to the insecurity of our food system. Although COVID-19 has made procurement a top shelf issue, concerns about these vulnerabilities are hardly new. Supply chain risks were already apparent in 2013. These concerns were reiterated in a 2019 report from Zurich that reviewed the risks to infrastructure and the need for businesses to prepare for rising sea levels associated with global warming.

Supply chain risks are everywhere, including those associated with technologies that are geared towards managing climate change. According to a 2018 PwC report the renewable energy sector could be hampered by a lack of access to minerals and metals and this could disrupt entire supply chains. These pervasive vulnerabilities prompted Barry Parkin, Chief Sustainability and Procurement Officer for Mars Incorporated to say our supply chains are "broken".

Sustainability

Supply chain risk mitigation is a key component of sustainability. The concept of a sustainable supply chains has been around for many years. These supply chains reduce costs through improvements in efficiency and increased resilience to shocks. Corporations like IKEA are integrating sustainability into their supply chains because they understand that this reduces risks and stabilizes costs.  A sustainable supply chain is a key component  of corporate social responsibility and it is composed of five basic elements: Leadership, measurement, collaboration, design, vetting and leadership.

Creating sustainable supply chains requires leadership that includes integrating a wide range of metrics. Such measurement is critical as it provides proof of value and affords insights that can help companies to enhance efficiency throughout their supply chains. Perhaps the most important single dimension of a sustainable supply chain involves collaboration between buyers and suppliers that improves processes and reduce consumption. Such approaches can reduce the risks of disruption and minimize adverse environmental impacts which contributes to increased efficiency, lower costs and higher profits. Research demonstrates that a collaborative sustainable supplier network outperforms a buyer-centric "mission control" supply chain, resulting in a steady supply over the long term, that financially benefits both buyers and suppliers.

Well crafted design can also reduce resource requirements, thereby decreasing costs and impacts.  To be both socially responsible and to mitigate against risk exposure corporations need to carefully assess their suppliers and ensure they have appropriate levels of oversight.

Tracing, monitoring and reporting

Constant supply chain tracing, monitoring, reporting and risk mapping are essential to effective supply chain oversight. The Kearney report suggests that to mitigate against risks companies need to do a thorough assessment of their supply chains. "Companies can protect their supply chains by tracing back needs from customers to suppliers. Your suppliers require real-time monitoring of inputs, and you’ll need daily updates to manufacturers on stock levels, inventory, deliveries, and priorities." The report further states that rapid response strategies should include "creating plants to restart operations and retrain your workforce if necessary."

Pierre-Francois Thaler, co-CEO and co-founder of the corporate social responsibility ratings platform EcoVadis has suggested a few strategies to manage in the absence of onsite supplier audits suspended by the coronavirus. As reported by Environmental Leader, Thaler suggests that evidence-based digital assessments and supplier ratings can help deal with the lack of supply chain transparency and ensure that partners are meeting sustainability and ESG expectations. Thaler notes that such assessments can also help organizations hone their audit strategy and prioritize the suppliers that need an onsite audit.

Shortening and diversifying

The global nature of modern day supply chains means that events in one part of the world can have far reaching impacts. This is true of pandemics and climate impacts which can be expected to increasingly reverberate up and down supply chains. These impacts wreak havoc on procurement, production and logistical tactics. It is therefore reasonable to consider reducing risks by shortening supply chains. This involves efforts to minimize the distance and the steps associated with procuring resources to make supply chains more resilient and reduce climate change causing emissions. Shorter supply chains reduce transportation time and costs and make companies less vulnerable to global supply chain disruptions. However, shortening supply chains is not a panacea, entirely local sourcing could put a company at a disadvantage when a local event wipes out local supplies.

The tendency to blame global supply chains for the pandemic and to suggest that all we need to do is buy local is facile. International supply chains, which Parkin described as "the engines of global growth" are critical to the well-being of millions of people around the world. Eliminating global supply chains would not only increase poverty, in many cases it would decrease efficiency are erode profitability. 

Companies need strategic planning and this will require different tactics for differing realities. So while shortening the supply chain can make sense in many contexts, solutions need to be assessed on a case by case basis. Companies should leverage a diverse array of global supply options. One of the most important things they can do is diversify their sourcing to ensure that they have ready access to materials from a wide range of locations. As explained in the the Kearney report companies should "spread the risk" and avoid "putting all their eggs in the lowest cost basket".

Additional guidance and resources

There is a wealth of information on sustainable supply chains. A white paper from Enviance titled "Digging In: The Nuts and Bolts of Supply Chain Sustainability" is a good starting point. It focuses on first steps and includes success stories as well as tips for involving stakeholders, forging partnerships and operational changes that can increase efficiency.

The Future of Supply Chain is another report that covers the challenges and innovations in supply chain management. The report addresses the importance of collaboration, as well as the ways that information can be used to make supply chains more efficient. More recent guidance on integrating sustainability into procurement can also be found in the ISO 20400:2017 document. Kearney has also created a site for business leaders dedicated to navigating the COVID-19 crisis.

Some excellent supply chain guidance has come out of consultancies like  BSR which is a global nonprofit business network dedicated to sustainability. They encourage the use of tools like the Science-Based Targets initiative. BSR also created something called the Climate-Resilient Value Chains Leaders Platform which includes multinational corporate giants like Coca-Cola Company and Mars. 

CERES is another non-profit that is providing supply chain guidance. The sustainability focused company was named after the Greek harvest goddess who taught humans how to grow food.  CERES has a roadmap for corporate sustainability and the Ceres Company Network includes more than 50 corporations that are working on improving the climate resiliency of their operations by shoring up their supply chains.

The way forward

Whether due to pandemics or climate change we can expect increased supply chain disruptions going forward. Companies can be more resilient by making their supply chains more sustainable. In addition to mitigating against risks from disruption, sustainable supply chains have the capacity to proactively address the over-exploitation of scarce resources.

To minimize exposure to risks from disruption companies need to assess, evaluate and optimize their procurement operation. The Chief Sustainability and Procurement Officer for Mars Incorporated explained that in order to fix systemic supply chain weaknesses, "we must shift to long-term models for corporate buying that are anchored on building mutuality, reliability, resilience, and risk management into the core of our buying patterns."

COVID-19 has taught us many things and as stated in the Kearney report "the lessons learned during the crisis should be codified to inform future work as you grow your business." Companies need to rethink their sourcing strategies and re-imagine their supply chains. This entails carefully reviewing their procurement strategies and conducting scenario planning to assess their risk exposure.

There is a wealth of available data that gives companies a starting point they can build upon.  However, each company will need to create supply chain strategies that address their specific circumstances and requirements. These efforts are not only about minimizing risks from disruption and maximizing profitability, they are also a matter of survival.

Related
COVID-19 Exposes Supply Chain Vulnerabilities that Cause Food Insecurity
The Sustainable Supply Chain Imperative 
Building Resilience to Supply Chain Disruptions due to Climate Change
Sustainable Procurement: Environmental Social and Economic Supply Chain Considerations
Video: Future Supply Chain 2016

Read More»

How the Coronavirus Helps Renewable Energy and Hurts Fossil Fuels

Covid-19 is helping to drive a seismic shift in energy that will accelerate the rise of renewable energy and expedite the demise of dirty energy.  Replacing fossil fuels with clean energy is an absolutely essential part of keeping temperatures within acceptable limits. A report commissioned by the Guardian found that replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy could curb the rise in global temperatures and reduce CO2 emissions as much as 70 percent by 2050. Although it may be hard to see from where we are today, there is a hopeful upside to this deadly virus. There is little doubt that things will get far worse before they get better, however, the forthcoming economic collapse may prove to be the catalyst that forces us to alter our perilous trajectory.

Declining energy demand and emissions

According to a recent International Energy Agency (IEA) report  Covid-19 will wipe out demand for fossil fuels. Year over year demand for gas is expected to fall by 5 percent, and demand for coal is forecast to fall by 8 percent. Global energy demand will decrease by 6 percent and in advanced economies like the EU demand is expected to fall by 11 percent while U.S. oil demand is expected to experience a 9 percent decline.

In addition to a wealth of environmental benefits Covid-19 is driving down emissions.  As reported by The Guardian, countries that have imposed strict lockdowns have seen a 25 percent drop in week-to-week energy demand and a 25 percent reduction in carbon emissions.  In 2020 we may see a 2.5 billion tonne decrease in carbon emissions. The IEA predicts the reduction in fossil fuel demand is expected to lead to a 2.6 gigatons or  8 percent decline in global carbon emissions in 2020 compared with 2019.  This is a drop six times larger than the record fall after the financial crisis in 2009.  The financial crisis of 2020 will result in a decline in atmospheric carbon that is bigger than the combined reductions of every financial crash since the second world war.

Electricity generated by fossil fuels accounts for one quarter of global carbon emissions. As quoted by The Guardian, Rob Jackson, the chair of Global Carbon Project said: "The drop in emissions is global and unprecedented."

The fall of fossil fuels

Covid-19 may be a nail in the coffin of the fossil fuel industry but dirty energy was dying before the outbreak of this modern day plague.  According to the IEA low oil prices are here to stay. The fossil fuel industry is in decline due to market realities and their once vaunted position has been decimated by revelations about the corruption and deceit. This is evident in polls that show their disinformation efforts are faltering. More recent polls suggest that the coronavirus may be helping people to acknowledge the threat posed by the climate crisis.

The pollution generated by the fossil fuel industry is deadly killing at least seven million people annually. Such pollution also makes us more vulnerable to respiratory diseases including Covid-19. This is fueling popular outcries against dirty energy powered political corruption. The dangers of fossil fuels are also contributing to an unrelenting divestment movement. From storage systems to supply chains, the dangers of transporting fossil fuels are among the weaknesses being exposed by this pandemic.

Renewable energy challenging fossil fuels

This is the biggest decline in energy use since the Great Depression almost a century ago. It is important to note that not all sources of energy will be equally effected. The fossil fuel industry will continue to suffer the brunt of this energy tsunami. While almost every sector of the economy will be pummeled by the forthcoming economic recession, low prices will drive many oil companies into bankruptcy while renewables are expected to keep growing.  While global demand for oil has already fallen by 5 percent this year, the IEA indicates that we can expect to see a 5 percent increase in global use of renewable electricity in 2020.  In 2020 renewable energy is expected to account for almost one third (30%) global electricity demand.

Long before the coronavirus, renewable energy was gaining ground on fossil fuels.  The Covid-19 pandemic has expedited the transition away from dirty energy to renewables.  Despite massively disproportionate subsidies for oil and gas clean energy continues to narrow the gap. In 2019, renewable energy accounted for 72 percent of new energy sources. Although the Trump administration has slowed growth, renewable energy is expected to account for more than one fifth of electricity produced in the U.S. in 2020. This represents a doubling of clean power production in the last decade.

All around the world clean energy projects have benefited from government efforts to address climate change. This has driven down prices to the point where renewables are now competitive with fossil fuels. In many parts of the world electricity generated by wind and solar are cheaper than natural gas and coal. While oil prices have plummeted natural gas and coal prices have not seen similar price declines.

Improving efficiency, declining costs and modular battery technology are all coming together to make the case for renewable energy over fossil fuels. Scaling renewables and battery technology will further reduce costs and make them increasingly efficient and affordable. The more they grow the more economies of scale will make these technologies even more competitive. Renewable energy has other major advantages over fossil fuels, they can be built fairly quickly and generate power locally foregoing the need for transmission infrastructure. Renewable energy is also far more resilient to economic swings.

Renewable energy will survive and thrive

Renewable energy has grown prodigiously, however the sector is not immune to the global slowdown. According to the Solar Energy Association the coronavirus could result in a 33 percent reduction in the 19 gigawatts of new solar capacity that were expected this year and up to half of the quarter million solar workers could be temporarily furloughed.

As reported by the New York Times, Wood Mackenzie, an energy research and consulting firm, thinks these estimates may be overly pessimistic. "Renewables are on a growth trajectory today that I think isn’t going to be set back long term," said Dan Reicher, the founding executive director of the Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance at Stanford University. "This will be a bump in the road." 

Renewables have consistently exceeded expectations. "We blew through all of the projections," said Caton Fenz, chief executive of ConnectGen, a wind, solar and electricity-storage developer based in Houston. "We’re surfing a long-term wave," he said. "We just can’t get specific things done because of the pandemic, but I don’t think that affects the broader trajectory." In 2019 solar capacity increased 23 percent compared to 2018 adding 13.3 gigawatts, exceeding natural-gas generation.
 
In a recent report Raymond James analysts estimated that renewable energy sources would provide 20.7 percent of U.S. electricity this year. They believe that utilities may try to get more electricity from renewable energy due to this pandemic.

"We believe, over the long run, we are well positioned to outcompete incumbent generators," said Abigail Hopper, president of the Solar Energy Industries Association.

The opportunity of a lifetime

Any effort to address climate change must include serious efforts to curtail our use of fossil fuels. Fossil fuel advocates have deep pockets and powerful political allies. Based on their past behavior, the industry cannot be expected to go quietly and they will likely use all the tools at their disposal to resist the transition.  However, Covid-19 presents us with an opportunity to challenge their dominance.

"The virus provides a glimpse of just how quickly we could clean our air with renewables," the  chair of the Global Carbon Project said, but he warned of the "need for systemic change in our energy infrastructure, or emissions will roar back later."  We have reason to be concerned that bailouts directed towards the oil and gas industries could undermine renewable energy's superior positioning.  "This is a historic shock to the entire energy world. Amid today’s unparalleled health and economic crises, the plunge in demand for nearly all major fuels is staggering, especially for coal, oil and gas. Only renewables are holding up during the previously unheard-of slump in electricity use," said Dr Fatih Birol, the IEA Executive Director. "It is still too early to determine the longer-term impacts, but the energy industry that emerges from this crisis will be significantly different from the one that came before."

The coronavirus has given us an opportunity to alter our energy equation and avert a climate catastrophe. Renewable energy is vital to our future. This is the key point in a Los Angeles Times editorial titled, "Renewable energy must be the future, if we are to have one at all." As the author Scott Martelle said, it’s now or never. 

Related
Energy Job Losses in the the U.S. Due to COVID-19 

Read More»

Online Event - Collective Resilience Summit

The Collective Resilience Summit will take place May 12 - 17, 2020. This free, online and highly interactive summit will explore how to develop and sustain the individual and collective resilience we need to meet our increasingly complex global challenges with wisdom, skill and compassion. This entails a deep exploration of what it means to be human and how we can heal and repair our relationship with the earth, our fellow species and each other so that we can learn to thrive together as one human community in the face of adversity. Learn from more than 40 experts including leading neuroscientists.

This pandemic is exposing all of us to significant traumatic distress and placing us at risk for a host of stress and trauma-related health consequences in addition to the risk of contracting coronavirus. By addressing these risks with simple yet powerful tools and practices​ we can deepen our resilience and co-create resilient communities, organizations and a more resilient society.

Resilience is also a long-term issue for the future of humanity. This summit will explore strategies for increasing individual, relational, collective, cultural, social and systemic resilience. Finally, this summit will help us to listen to and heal our relationship with the Earth.

Participants will learn

• How to deepen your own physical, mental, emotional and spiritual resilience 
• How to co-create communities of care and resilience, wisdom and compassion 
• How to envision and work toward a culture of resilience, justice and sustainability 
• How to take care of ourselves, our families, our employees and each other.  

A Completely New Kind of Online Summit

The Interactive Summit Site will have curated and self-organizing opportunities, to engage and interact with your fellow participants, Summit sponsors and participating presenters -- including Q&A sessions, film premiers, Way of Council dialogues, breakout rooms for Circling practice and Authentic Relating games and additional opportunities for networking and community building.

Summit Presenters

Increase your resilience knowledge and skills with these inspiring and influential neuroscientists, trauma experts, mindfulness teachers, indigenous leaders, social justice and climate activists, futurists and sensemakers:

• TARA BRACH, PHD, Psychologist, Buddhist Teacher, Author of Radical Acceptance & Radical Compassion
• DAN SIEGEL, MD​, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Founder. of Mindsight Institute, Best-Selling Author of Aware, Mind & Brain Storm
• RHONDA MAGEE, JD​, Professor of Law, Mindfulness Teacher, Social Justice Advocate, Author of The Inner Work of Racial Justice
• RICK HANSON, PHD, Psychologist, Senior Fellow of UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, and NY Times best-selling author of six books including Buddha’s Brain
• RICHARD J. DAVIDSON, PHD, Neuroscientist, Founder of Center for Healthy Minds, Author of the Emotional Life of Your Brain​
• ROSHI JOAN HALIFAX, PHD, Buddhist Teacher, Zen Priest, End-of-Life Care Pioneer, Author of Standing at the Edge
• STEPHEN PORGES, PHD, Psychologist, Trauma Expert, Research Scientist, Professor of Psychiatry & Originator of Polyvagal Theory
• PAT OGDEN, PHD, Psychotherapist, Trauma Expert, and Founder of the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute
• ACHARYA FLEET MAULL, PHD, Buddhist Teacher, Social Entrepreneur, Founder of Prison Mindfulness Institute, Author of Dharma in Hell & Radical Responsibility
• DIANE MUSHO HAMILTON​, Zen Teacher, Professional Mediator, Founder of Two Arrows Zen, Author of Everything is Workable and the Zen of You and Me
• BILL MCKIBBEN, Award Winning Environmentalist, Author & Activist, named to Foreign Policy’s 100 most important global thinkers list
• MICHELLE LATIMER, Aboriginal Canadian Actress & Filmmaker of Metis-Algonquin descent and Director of the award winning Viceland series Rise
• RON SIEGEL, PSYD, Psychology Professor, Clinician, Educator and Author of The Mindfulness Solution: Everyday Practices for Everyday Problems
• MELLI O'BRIEN, Speaker, writer, mindfulness teacher and co-founder of Mindfulness.com. Co-founder and host of The Mindfulness Summit
• HAN HUANG, PHD, Molecular Biologist, Researcher, Educator, Humanitarian & Executive VP and former CEO of Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation
• JIMMY SANTIGO-BACA, Award Winning Poet, Teacher & Author of A Place to Stand and Martin and Meditations on the South Valley
• TAMI SIMON, Conscious Business Leader & Founder of Sounds True, a multi-media publisher disseminating spiritual wisdom
• GEORGE MUMFORD, Motivational Speaker and Mindfulness & Performance Coach working with elite professional athletes, Olympians and corporate executives
• MARK COLEMAN, MA, Mindfulness Teacher, Wilderness Guide and Author of Awake in the Wild: Mindfulness in Nature as a Path of Self-Discovery
• DAVID TRELEAVEN, PHD​, Writer, Educator, Trauma Expert & Author of Trauma Sensitive Mindfulness
• NIKKI MYERS​, MBA, Yoga Therapist & Founder of Y12SR - Integrating Yoga and 12-Step Addictions Recovery & Relapse Prevention
• JEFFREY SACHS, PHD, Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, Director of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network
• LAURIE LEITCH, PHD​, Clinician, Trauma Expert, Originator the Social Resilience Model (SRM) & Director of Threshold GlobalWorks
• PAIKIASOTHY, SARAVANAMUTTU, PHD, Peacemaker, Humanitarian, Founder of the Centre for Policy Alternatives and recipient of the Citizens Peace Award in Sri Lanka
• IMAM ABDUL MALIK MUJAHID, American Muslim Imam, Author, Producer, Nonprofit Entrepreneur and former Board Chair World Parliament of Religions
• JOANNA HARDY, Insight Meditation Teacher & Retreat Leader at Spirit Rock Meditation Center and Insight Meditation Society
• TIOKASIN GHOSTHORSE​, Lakota Nation Peacemaker, Indigenous Rights Activist, Award Winning Musician, Pine Ridge “Reign of Terror” Survivor and Nobel Peace Prize Nominee
• BARBARA VEIGA, Producer, Photographer, Filmmaker working globally with Greenpeace, Sea Shepherd, Amazon Watch, Avaaz, and Founder of Women’s League for the Oceans
• ZACHARY STEIN, ED.D, Philosopher, Author, Research Scholar at the Ronin Institute, Academic Director of the Center for Integral Wisdom
• MIKE GILLILAND, Futurist, Sensemaker, Podcaster, Commentator, Resilience Trainer & Co-founder of FutureThinkers.org
• EUVIE IVANOVA, Futurist, Sensemaker, Podcaster, Commentator, Resilience Trainer & Co-founder of FutureThinkers.org
• JOE BREWER, Futurist, Change Strategist, Complexity Researcher, Cognitive Scientist & evangelist for the field of Culture Design
• JOHN STOKES, Musician, Performer, Writer and Teacher of Tracking, Founder-Director of the Tracking Project
• PAZ (MAPITZMITL XUIKWETPALTZIN), Community activist & ceremonial leader of indigenous and Hispanic descent working for indigenous rights since 1970
• RICHARD REOCH, Buddhist Peacemaker & Human Rights Activist, former President of Shambhala International, global media chief for Amnesty International
• MILES KESSLER, Aikido, Meditation & Integral Practice Teacher, Summit Organizer, Founder of The Integral Dojo
• SARA LEWIS, PHD, Anthropologist, Professor of Contemplative Psychotherapy, Author of Spacious Minds: Trauma & Resilience in Tibetan Buddhism
• GABRIEL KRAM, Founder of Applied Mindfulness, Convener of the Restorative Practices Alliance & Host and Producer of the Restorative Practices Film Series
• ALESSANDRA SOLLBERGER, Entrepreneur, investor and founder of Top Tier Impact, a global private network of impact investors and impact entrepreneurs
• LT. RICHARD GOERLING (RET), Retired Police Lieutenant and Coast Guard Commander, Mindfulness Teacher & Resilience Trainer and Founder of Mindful Badge
• SARA NESS, Founder of Authentic Revolution, a consulting & training company for connection and leadership skills
• MARK WALSH, Embodiment Trainer & Facilitator, Aikido black belt, Founder of Integration Training and Embodiment Facilitator Training
• ALEXANDER BEINER, Writer, Facilitator, Musician and Meditation Teacher, Cultural Commentator at Rebel Wisdom & Founder of Open Meditation
• INGMAR RENTZHOG, Eco-warrior, CEO and founder of We Don't Have Time. The world's largest social network for climate action

Event Schedule

Day 1 - May 12th: Individual Resilience

What is Resilience & How do we Build and Sustain our Personal Resilience... Even in the Face of Adversity?

Day 1 Presenters

• Richie Davidson, PhD
• Rick Hanson, PhD
• Nikki Myers
• George Mumford
• Sara Ness & Acharya Fleet Maull, PhD
• Mark Walsh

Day 2 - May 13th: Relational Resilience & Healing Trauma

How to Heal and Transform Trauma, Create Authentic Connection and Sustain Resilient Relationships

Day 2 Presenters

• Roshi Joan Halifax, PhD
• Laurie Leitch, PhD
• Pat Ogden, PhD
• Stephen Porges, PhD
• Dan Siegel, MD
• David Treleaven, PhD

Day 3- May 14th: Collective-Community Resilience

How to Co-create Communities of Care & Resilience

Day 3 Presenters

• Tara Brach, PhD
• Lt. Richard Goerling (ret.)
• JoAnna Hardy
• Han Huang, PhD
• Gabriel Kram
• Melli O'Brien
• ​Ron Siegel, PsyD

Day 4 - May 15th: Cultural-Societal Resilience

How to Create a Culture of Resilience Grounded in Social, Economic and Racial Justice

Day 4 Presenters

• Sara Lewis, PhD
• Rhonda Magee, JD
• Imam Abdul Malik Mujahid
• ​Richard Reoch
• Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, PhD
• Gary Slutkin, MD
• Tami Simon

Day 5 - May 16th: Sensemaking & Resilient Systems

How to Envision a New Way Forward for Humanity... Think Globally and Act Locally

Day 5 Presenters

• Alexander Beiner​
• ​Joe Brewer
• Mike Gilliland & Euvie Ivanova
• Diane Musho Hamilton
• Miles Kessler
• Jeffrey Sachs, PhD
• Alessandra Sollberger
• Zachary Stein, Ed.D

Day 6 - May 17th: Listening to the Earth & Indigenous Voices

Learning from Native Wisdom Holders and Healing Our Relationship with the Earth

Day 6 Presenters

• Mark Coleman
• Tiokasin Ghosthorse​
• Michelle Latimer & Barbara Veiga
• Bill McKibben
• Ingmar Rentzhog​
• Jimmy Santiago-Baca
• John Stokes & Paz (Mapitzmitl Xuikwetpaltzin)

Flexible 48-hour Access allows you to enjoy any or all of the inspiring conversations posted each day of the Summit at your convenience, any time of day or night, for 48 hours.

Click here to register.

Read More»