Defining Green In Times of Change

April 3-4, 2009. Times are changing. Our country is experiencing changing political, economic and physical landscapes. In Washington, a new administration will inherit not only preexisting environmental challenges but a spectrum of competing responses as well. While the current economic crisis has potential to threaten conservation efforts and the development of green technologies, our physical environment is also seeing degradation of natural resources, threatened wildlife populations, sprawling exurbs, shifting energy portfolios, mounting contamination in oceans and waterways, and increasing storm surges. And in 2009, the Gulf Coast remains a flashpoint of preservational crisis.

The Summit will feature a multidisciplinary range of experts addressing the fate of the environment in light of a new administration, a recovering economy and a continually changing climate. How will new regulations and legal standards shape the future of environmental litigation? What can communities do to protect resources and habitats, or improve infrastructure? And can we even afford these measures? The Summit will address these issues and help define what it means to be green in times of change.

The summit features a keynote address by Global Green President Matt Petersen on Friday, April 3rd:

The New Orleans Nexus - Creating Green Jobs, Green Cities, and New Models of Sustainability.
Can the Big Easy help move our nation from being perceived as a nation of profiteers to a country of social entrepreneurs?

Matt Petersen, Global Green USA President, CEO and board member, joined Global Green USA in 1994. He serves on the Council of Green Cross International, and is Chair of the GCI Energy and Resource Efficiency program. Petersen drives and guides Global Green USAs new programs, including work on water and energy, green power, climate change, and nuclear weapons.

In the aftermath of the Gulf Coast hurricanes, Petersen put forth a vision and mobilized resources to create the Global Green "Healthy Homes and Smart Neighborhoods" initiative which resulted in: the New Orleans Sustainable Design Competition with Jury Chair Brad Pitt; the NOLA Green Schools Initiative funded by the Bush Clinton Katrina Fund; and work with Habitat for Humanity throughout the Gulf Coast to create more energy efficient housing.

Moderatored by Beth Galante: Environmental Lawyer and Director, Global Green New Orleans. Sponsored by the Tulane University Law School Student Bar Association.

Download the Summit brochure