Confronting Climate Change

Charles C. Mann and James Fallows are featured in this discussion. Speakers: Charles C. Mann, James Fallows

In Conversation with EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy and Hari Sreenivasan. Speakers: Gina McCarthy, Hari Sreenivasan

Award-winning photographer and filmmaker Pete McBride will present his ongoing work on watersheds, rivers and freshwater around the world. Called a Freshwater Hero by "National Geographic", McBride will show short films and imagery from the Ganges River (sacred) and the Colorado (scarce) — both of which he has traveled source to sea — in an effort to raise awareness of the challenges freshwater faces globally. His latest project, showcased in the July issue of "Outside Magazine", highlights the pulse flow from last spring to restore the Colorado River Delta. Joining a group of river lovers, they became the first to traverse this now dry delta by standup paddle-board— a symbolic gesture to celebrate the temporary return of a river. Pete McBride

The story of climate change has proven itself to be an elusive, frustrating, and slippery story to grasp, share, and make comprehensible to a skeptical and scientifically unsophisticated population. But according to master storyteller Kendall Haven, if we can change the story in people’s minds, we can influence their beliefs and behavior. The process of creating a story of climate change for any particular audience is far from easy and straightforward. Many discuss this in scientific terms but miss the imperative of story terms — those terms, concepts, and elements critical to the successful telling and receiving of the story. This session will present new research into the story elements and mechanisms that most effectively create powerful story influence. Kendall Haven

The carbon pollution problem plagues us with more questions than answers, and those questions often lead to doubts, fears, and inaction. Instead, suggests Roger Sant, we should focus on our past victories, searching among them for the keys to a complex future. In this talk, Sant shares forty years of experience in the energy industry, drawing out the lessons most essential to helping us move forward. Roger W. Sant, Coral Davenport

On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. It killed eleven workers and caused the worst oil spill in American history. The explosion still haunts the lives of those most intimately affected, though the story has long ago faded from the front page. At once a fascinating corporate thriller, a heartbreaking human drama, and a peek inside the walls of the secretive oil industry, The Great Invisible, directed by Margaret Brown, is the first documentary feature to go beyond the media coverage to examine the crisis in depth through the eyes of oil executives, survivors and Gulf Coast residents who experienced it first-hand, and then were left to pick up the pieces while the world moved on. Underwritten by Walton Family Foundation. Margaret Brown, Robert L. Cavnar, Emily Verellen

Domestic shale gas has transformed the US energy equation, but its development can have unacceptable impacts on air and water quality, while methane emissions from oil and gas development can undo the climate benefit of burning natural gas instead of other fossil fuels. Colorado has led the way with the nation's strongest air pollution standards for oil and gas development, including the first direct regulation of methane. Governor John Hickenlooper and Environmental Defense Fund President Fred Krupp, who worked closely on the breakthrough rules in Colorado, lead a discussion of the way forward for shale gas. Fred Krupp, John Hickenlooper, Gillian Tett

What do we see when we look at the Earth, and what do these observations mean for the years ahead? Barbara Ryan, secretariat director of the Intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO), discusses this Geneva-based, voluntary partnership of governments and organizations dedicated to coordinated, comprehensive, and sustained Earth observations and information — sharing what scientific observers worldwide are learning about the state and health of planet Earth. Barbara J. Ryan, Alexis Madrigal

Dr. Brian Enquist, an expert in ecology and evolutionary biology, brings to life a geographic inventory of forest assets for western North America. When coupled with the latest climate models, a high-resolution picture emerges of the health of our future forests. New advances in bioinformatics and mathematical modeling enable us, for the first time, to answer the question ‘what will the forest in my backyard look like?’ This presentation, produced in concert with the local Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, is cutting edge both in analyses and technological interface, and will demonstrate what we will experience over the coming decades if action on a grander scale is not taken. The science of climate change and forest health is revealing potentially dramatic implications for all of us, whether we be homeowners, recreationists, investors, insurers, or land developers. Brian J. Enquist, Jerry Murdock, Chris Lane

With a focus on consumers, maybe the newest players in the energy market will guide us all to maximizing our energy consumption, with powerful results both economically and environmentally. Tony Fadell, David Crane, Alexis Madrigal

Today’s North American energy headlines — about the shale revolution, the next generation of transport fuels, the United States’ shift from a net energy importer to a net exporter, and so on — reflect major implications on everything from geopolitics to driver behavior. What will it take to create truly visionary leadership of the North American energy landscape? How could factors such as open-market energy exports, sustainability policies, energy-efficient technologies, and food/water management be used to mitigate climate challenges? What action is needed in this decade from governments, industry, and the public to meet growing energy demand despite a complicated state of world affairs? Meghan L. O'Sullivan, Michael Levi, Marvin Odum, Coral Davenport

Despite very challenging assumptions like efficiency improvements, penetration of renewables, and the prospective introduction of Carbon Capture & Storage, how would we describe a ‘least implausible’ route to a 2 degree world? A sneak peak at a provocative study undertaken by Shell, using its best experts. Cho-Oon Khong

Former commander in the British Royal Navy, Tony Long, will guide the audience through an operation to find an illegal fishing vessel by using satellite imagery, animation, and tracking based on INTERPOL’s work. Along the way, Long will describe the impact of illegal fishing through photos and interactive elements, and in doing so will bring to life the various climate change effects and how human trafficking, environmental challenges, and technology all play a role.

A panel of corporate leaders in a variety of industries will discuss energy consumption and sustainability strategies, as well as the question of how energy consumers can figure conservation and climate into their planning. Tom Fanning, Roger W. Sant, Chris Hostetter, Andrew Ross Sorkin