From Plant Press, Vol. 20, No. 3, July 2017.
The Smithsonian Institution’s inaugural Earth Optimism Summit took place over Earth Day weekend at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, DC, on April 21-23, 2017. Earth Optimism is a global initiative that celebrates a change in focus from problem to solution, from a sense of loss to one of hope, in the dialogue about conservation and sustainability. More than 1,480 registrants, including thought leaders, scientists, environmentalists, artists, civic leaders and international media, attended the summit, while hundreds more walked through the Innovation Commons public space and enjoyed 20 interactive exhibits. Department of Botany’s John Kress and Gary Krupnick were among the 237 presenters that spoke in 7 plenaries and 35 “deep dives.” Beyond the conference, via live stream and social media, the Summit reached and inspired hundreds of thousands of people online.
Featured content at the Summit included species survival, solutions for pollution, success in the city, people and communities for change, food, working land and seascapes, saving wild spaces, and energy innovation. Kress moderated the deep dive session “Apps for the Planet” and Krupnick moderated the session “At Home with Conservation.”
Beyond the summit, 19 Earth Optimism events were held in museums and galleries of the Smithsonian in Washington, New York, Anacostia and Panama City, Panama. In 10 countries around the world – from Colombia to New Zealand – sister organizations hosted 26 events celebrating their own success stories and inspiring hope for the planet.
Videos of all plenary sessions along with the deep dive sessions that were held in the Center’s amphitheater were captured via Facebook Live and are archived and available for viewing at https://earthoptimism.si.edu/live-stream/. All other sessions were recorded and will be added to the website in the coming weeks.
Earth Optimism is one of four strategic conservation areas of the Smithsonian Conservation Commons, a new initiative to unite scientists from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, the National Museum of Natural History, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, and the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, as well as the Smithsonian’s rich cultural and public-facing assets and long-standing partnerships, to tackle complex conservation problems on a global scale.
See videos of the sessions “Apps for the Planet” and “At Home with Conservation” after the jump...
Videos:
Apps for the Planet
At Home with Conservation
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