ONLINE: Nelson Institute Earth Day Conference

press release: Join the Nelson Institute in celebrating the 50^th anniversary of Earth Day during the virtual, Nelson Institute Earth Day Conference on Monday, April 20, 2020 from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Hosted by the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, which is named after Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, this conference titled, Earth Day@50: Aspiring for Sustainability, Striving for Justice, Crafting the Planet will feature a wide range of live and prerecorded sessions from speakers who will discuss how we can leverage the best aspects of the past environmental movements while incorporating an increased sense of social justice. There will also be ample opportunity for live engagement through a discussion board and a share your story feature on the website.

“This event is the Wisconsin Idea in action— a way to bring the very best environmental science and the very best environmental conversations taking place on campus directly to the community,” said Nelson Institute Dean, Paul Robbins. “In light of COVID-19, we are unable to offer a traditional conference experience this year, but we remain steadfast in our mission to connect with all of you. Given our deep desire to honor the Earth Day legacy in this monumental year, we will convene an online Earth Day Conference experience— a way in which we can create a virtual community where we can all come together to celebrate and to learn. We invite all Badgers and friends around the world who share a passion for the environment to join us.”

The virtual conference will begin with a virtual presentation by Eduardo Brondizio, the co-chair for the Global Assessment of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services of the Inter-governmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), Lucas Joppa, the chief sustainability officer at Microsoft, and Mariama White-Hammond a pastor of ecological justice. Their session, titled, Imagining Our Collective Future: What Kind of World Do We Want To Craft? will discuss the importance of social justice, technology, and intentionality in crafting our shared future.

At 12 p.m. Jonathan Patz, director of the Global Health Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the John P. Holton Chair in Health and the Environment will host a live webinar titled, Transmission and Transitions: How Climate Change Is Impacting Human and Planetary Health which will focus on the connection between human health and planetary health.

There will also be a special, 50^th anniversary of Earth Day session featuring Tia Nelson, the daughter of Earth Day founder and Nelson Institute namesake, Gaylord Nelson and author, Adam Rome, who will share how Earth Day has impacted our culture and what the success of this initiative can teach us as we address global climate change and growing environmental challenges.

Additionally, virtual attendees will also have the opportunity to view a number of prerecorded breakout sessions throughout the day that will feature a range of topics related to food justice, sustainable wildlife management, and more.  

New this year, the Nelson Institute will also be hosting a conference within a conference, as the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council and Evolution Marketing, LLC lead the virtual workshop, Tactics and Tools for Carbon Strategy and Management. This conference will feature two prerecorded session as two live sessions that will highlight the methods businesses are using to manage, reduce, and offset their carbon footprints.

“We are fortunate to have a range of presenters and programming that will make for a robust and interactive conference,” said conference coordinator and Nelson Institute assistant director of Community Engagement & Alumni Relations, Emily Reynolds. “We invite you to join us for this exciting anniversary celebration as we work together to craft a future filled with hope, positivity, and intentionality.”

To view the complete conference program and register, visit https://earthday.nelson.wisc.edu/