Contacts:
Jennifer Myers
The Aspen Institute
(202) 736-2906
jennifer.myers@aspeninstitute.org
Diana Pearson
National Geographic Magazine
(212) 610-5548
dpearson@ngs.org
Aspen Institute and National Geographic Magazine
Invite Public to First
Washington, DC, February 4, 2008–– The Aspen Institute and National Geographic magazine have joined forces to produce the first-ever Aspen Environment Forum—a powerful, four-day exchange examining the future of our shared environment and how we, as citizens, corporations and countries, can be responsible stewards.
The public is invited to attend the forum, a gathering of more than 300 thought leaders that will take place from March 26-30, 2008, at the Aspen Meadows Resort and Conference Center in Colorado (visit http://www.aspenenvironment.org for more information). Designed to stimulate open-minded dialogue, the forum is an innovative festival for thought and conversation about the environment across a broad array of topics. Environmental experts, scientists, economists, business leaders, journalists, authors and interested consumers will examine the state of the planet and share their ideas for the future. Each day will focus on a distinctive theme:
- Day One: Scenes from a Changing Planet
- Day Two: Challenges and Opportunities
- Day Three: Environmentally Sustainable Solutions
The forum will conclude with the debut of the Aspen Energy and Environment Awards for excellence in communications, contributions to innovation and environmental solutions.
Among the speakers are experts in science and policy, business leaders and government officials. They include:
- HRH Princess Basma bint Ali of Jordan, chair, Royal Ecological Diving Society
- Lester Brown, founder and president, Earth Policy Institute
- Majora Carter, executive director, Sustainable South Bronx
- Bill Joy, co-founder of Sun Microsystems and partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers
- James H. Kunstler, social critic and author of The Long Emergency and The Geography of Nowhere
- Ira Magaziner, chairman, Clinton Climate Initiative
- Marvin Odum, executive VP-EP Americas, Shell Exploration & Production
- Andrew Revkin, environment reporter, The New York Times
- James Rogers, president and CEO, Duke Energy
- E.O. Wilson, Pulitzer Prize–winning author and biologist, Harvard University
The forum also will feature multimedia presentations by National Geographic photographers and writers who have documented environmental issues, as well as previews of upcoming environment specials from the National Geographic Channel. The photographers include:
- James Balog, who is recording the retreat of glaciers worldwide;
- Michael Nichols, whose groundbreaking wildlife photography has spurred the establishment of national parks in Africa;
- Paul Nicklen, who has captured the beauty and pathos of the warming Arctic;
- Jim Richardson, who has documented Western environmental landscapes for more than three decades.
“This is a particularly unique opportunity for some of the foremost thinkers on the environment to engage one another on the critical environmental and economic issues of our time,” said Walter Isaacson, president and CEO of The Aspen Institute. “National Geographic magazine is an ideal partner as a global leader in connecting people to a world larger than the one in which they live.”
“By launching the Aspen Environment Forum, National Geographic is building on the mission of our magazine. We want to open people’s eyes and inspire them to care about the future of our planet,” said Editor in Chief Chris Johns. “Our 40 million readers worldwide are passionate about the environment.”
To register, contact Deborah Murphy at (970) 544-7960 or deborah.murphy@aspeninst.org, or go to the forum’s Web site at http://www.aspenenvironment.org. Space is limited; early registration and travel booking are encouraged.
Sponsors for the Aspen Environment Forum, presented by the Aspen Institute and National Geographic, include Camco, Duke Energy, General Motors, Goldman Sachs and Shell.
About The Aspen Institute
The Aspen Institute, founded in 1950, is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering enlightened leadership and open-minded dialogue. Through seminars, policy programs, conferences and leadership development initiatives, the Institute and its international partners seek to promote nonpartisan inquiry and an appreciation for timeless values. The Institute is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has campuses in Aspen, Colo., and on the Wye River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Its international network includes partner Aspen Institutes in Berlin, Rome, Lyon, Tokyo, New Delhi and Bucharest, and leadership programs in Africa, Central America and India.
About National Geographic magazine
National Geographic magazine is the official journal of the National Geographic Society, one of the world’s largest nonprofit educational and scientific organizations. Published in English and 31 local-language editions, the magazine has a global circulation of around 8 million. It is sent each month to National Geographic members and is available on newsstands for $4.95 a copy. Single copies can be ordered by calling (800) NGS-LINE, also the number to call to apply for membership in the Society. The magazine’s Web site is at www.ngm.com.
National Geographic magazine will produce a special issue titled “Climate Change: What You Should Know, What You Can Do” to guide readers through the challenges of and potential solutions to climate change. It will be on newsstands in April 2008. For advertising information, contact Claudia Malley, vice president/U.S. publisher, at (212) 610-5513 or cmalley@ngs.org.
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