World Environment Day 2007: Melting Ice - A Hot Topic?

On June 5, 2007, the Norwegian Embassy in Washington, D.C. and National Geographic Society
held a conference to celebrate World Environment Day. The conference was co-sponsored by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and discussed political and technological solutions to global warming.

Opening

Terry D. Garcia, Executive Vice President, National Geographic Society
H.E. Knut Vollebaek, Ambassador of Norway,Video greetings from speakers at remote locations incl transmission from the opening of the World Environment Day in Troms
Bill Mansfield, Senior Advisor to the Executive Director, UNEP:Visual evidence of Global Climate and Eco System Change

Ice Bear - NG film screening (ed. vers.) with presentations

Liv Arnesen, Polar Explorer: Exploring the impacts on the Arctic environment
Will Steger, Polar Explorer: Report from his latest expedition, Global Warming 101

Panel 1. Melting Ice – A Hot Political Topic?
Moderator:Juliet Eilperin, Washington Post Staff Writer

Dennis Dimick, Executive Editor National Geographic Magazine: "The Big Thaw - Ice on the Run, Seas on the Rise"
Erik Assadourian, World Watch Institute: "Moving beyond the consumer society"

Panel 2. Reducing Emissions - What Are the Options?
Moderator: David F. Hales, President of the College of the Atlantic

Bill Wehrum, Acting Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation, EPA
Lasse Nord, Norwegian Commission on Low Emissions: "How Norway can reduce its emissions by 50-80% by 2050"
Silje Schei Tveitdal, Political Advisor on Energy and Environment "Norwegian Parliament: From oil economy to renewable energies"

Carbon capture and storage
Introduction: William Christensen, Norwegian Ministry of Energy

Svend Soeyland, Bellona: "CO2 sequestration - bridging technology towards a renewable future"
Arve Thorvik, Vice President, EU Affairs, STATOIL: "Carbon Capture and Storage. Industrial solutions in the making"

Panel 3. Technological Solutions
Moderator: Dr. Joseph Romm, Center for Energy and Climate Solutions: The Low Carbon Car of the Future

Alden Meyer, Director of Strategy Policy, Union of Concerned Scientists: "Technological solutions to global warming"
Scott Sklar, President, Stella Group: Market Trends for Renewable distributed Generation and Smart Grids
Peter Repinski, UNEP: Energy efficiency: Green buildings

Closing remarks by representative from Sierra Club, followed a reception offered by the Royal Norwegian Embassy (at National Geographic Society)