Sixth Annual Nelson Institute Earth Day Conference
FEATURING
OVERVIEW
Against a backdrop of extraordinary global economic, environmental and social challenges, the sixth annual Nelson Institute Earth Day Conference will examine issues related to consumption and growth, economic and environmental sustainability, quality of life and happiness.
Envisioning a Fairer Future: Sustainability, Security and Happiness on a Finite Planet will explore a variety of views on economic models and job creation and links between our standard of living, our sense of well-being, and the health of the environment and ourselves.
There is a great need for the introduction of new values in our society, where bigger is not necessarily better, where slower can be faster, and where less can be more.
-U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson, founder of Earth Day, 1970
Featured speakers will include:
- Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba, Minister of Works and Human Settlement in the Kingdom of Bhutan, which has pioneered the alternative economic measure of "gross national happiness" to promote sustainable development, preserve cultural values, protect the environment and support good governance.
- Juliet Schor, author of True Wealth: How and Why Millions of Americans are Creating a Time-Rich, Ecologically Light, Small-Scale, High-Satisfaction Economy, as well as The Overworked American: The Unexpected Decline of Leisure and The Overspent American: Why We Want What We Don't Need.
- Donald Worster, Hall Distinguished Professor of American History at the University of Kansas who is working on a new book about responses to The Limits to Growth since its publication in 1972. His many previous books include Nature's Economy and Rivers of Empire.
- Julia Alvarez, author of an upcoming nonfiction book, A Wedding in Haiti, which explores development and justice issues in the impoverished island nation before and after the 2010 earthquake. Her novels include Saving the World and In the Time of the Butterflies.
- Richard J. Davidson, Vilas Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Director, Center for Investigating Healthy Minds; Director, Laboratory for Affective Neuroscience; and author of the forthcoming book, The Emotional Life of Your Brain.
- Daniel Oros, Partner, Kleiner Perkins Cau field and Byers, a venture capital firm specializing in digital, greentech and life sciences investments. Oros, who focuses on the firm's Green Growth Fund, is a former vice president at Goldman Sachs
For the complete conference agenda, view the program.
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