The Premier Forum for Young Leaders Announces List of Global Figures to Attend Summit in Tucson, Arizona at Biosphere 2, May 19-21
TUCSON, Arizona – A list of global figures will lend their stature and counsel to young leaders at the One Young World Environment Summit, which takes place May 19-21 in Tucson at the University of Arizona’s Biosphere 2. Counselors at One Young World’s event will work with young leaders from around the planet addressing challenges across the environmental field including changing weather patterns, food security and indigenous rights.
Counselors for the One Young World Environment Summit include actor and activist Adrian Grenier; the first indigenous President of Peru, Alejandro Toledo; NASA Astronaut Ron Garan; CNN meteorologist Jennifer Gray; and Robert Swan OBE, the first man to walk to the North and South Poles.
Other counselors include Jayne Poynter and Taber MacCallum, two of the original “Biospherians” who lived in the biosphere for two years, from 1991 to 1993. This is the 25th anniversary of the Biosphere, a “must see wonder of the world” that houses biomes such as a rainforest, a fog desert, mangroves and a coral reef under 3.14 acres of glass in the Sonoran desert.
One Young World is unique in giving delegates the opportunity to interact with some of the world’s leading politicians, business leaders and campaigners and opens up a platform empowering them to make lasting connections to drive positive change.
The One Young World Environment Summit is the first in the One Young World series to address one specific topic following six global events that have attracted young leaders from more than 196 countries making One Young World the most international gathering of young people other than the Olympics.
“We are thrilled to announce the initial list of speakers for the One Young World Environment Summit. It is a testimony to the draw of the energy and ideas of young people that experts from around the world are coming to share their knowledge with the One Young World audience,” said Ella Robertson, Managing Director of One Young World International. “The setting of Biosphere 2, the world’s largest earth science lab, will inspire tangible action on environmental issues.”
The list of confirmed counselors attending the One Young World Summit Environment Summit includes:
· Adrian Grenier, Actor and co-founder of SHFT.com
· Alexander Verbeek, Founder of the Planetary Security Conference, diplomat and security adviser
· Charlene Wheeless, Principal vice president of Global Corporate Affairs, Bechtel
· Christine Milne, Environmentalist, former Leader of Australian Green Party and retired Australian senator
· Hugh Welsh, President and general counsel, DSM North America
· Jan Pronk, Professor, veteran of Dutch Politics and president of the Kyoto Protocol
· Jane Poynter, CEO World View Enterprises Inc, former Biospherian
· Jennifer Gray, CNN meteorologist
· Joaquin Ruiz, Director of University of Arizona Biosphere 2, dean of the UA College of Science and Thomas R. Brown Distinguished Professor
· John Baker, Managing director of WildAid
· John Schulz, AVP, sustainability operations, AT&T
· Sir Jonathon Porritt, Founder-director of Forum for the Future
· Leyla Acaroglu, Founder and director of Eco Innovators & Disrupt Design, creative force for positive sustainability-led change
· Ken Kragen, Legendary pop music manager of We Are the World and Hands Across America
· Margie Alt, Executive director, Environment America
· Miranda Johnson, Environment correspondent, The Economist
· Philiip Barlag, Executive director, World 50
· President Alejandro Toledo, first indigenous president of Peru
· Robert Swan OBE, Polar explorer, environmentalist and the first man ever to walk unsupported to both the North and South Poles
· Ron Garan, Humanitarian and former NASA astronaut
· Taber MacCallum, Chief technology officer of World View Enterprises, co-founder of Paragon Space Development Corporation, former Biospherian
· Col. Hal Bidlack, Valued member of ASP’s Consensus for American Security
More confirmed counselors will be announced closer to the event. For more information, visit www.oneyoungworld.com.
– About One Young World International: One Young World International is a new division of One Young World, the premier global forum for young leaders. It will host a series of satellite events throughout the year, gathering 500 young leaders to discuss pressing global issues. The first event will be specifically themed on the environment and will take place at Biosphere 2, Tucson, Ariz., May 19-21, 2016.
– About One Young World: One Young World is the principal global forum for young leaders aged 18 to 30. Established in 2009, One Young World hosts an annual summit attended by 1,300 delegates from 196 countries. No youth-dominated event represents as many countries outside the Olympics. One Young World is a unique platform for young leaders to network with peers from every country and sector, sharing ideas to develop solutions to address urgent global issues.
Following the summit, One Young World Ambassadors go on to deliver initiatives in their countries and communities, often collaborating with other One Young World Ambassadors to develop projects on a global scale. Over 8.9 million people have been impacted by the work of One Young World Ambassadors since 2010, with 2.7 million being impacted in 2015. Unlike any other event, the One Young World Summit gives delegates the kind of media platform afforded ordinarily only to those who lead countries and corporations.
– About Biosphere 2: The University of Arizona Biosphere 2 consists of a unique large-scale experimental apparatus housing seven model ecosystems, a team of multidisciplinary scientists, a broad science education and public outreach program, and a modern conference center. The seven model ecosystems are: 1) a mature rain forest with over 90 tropical tree species, 2) a 2600 m3 ocean, 3) forested swamps dominated by mangrove trees, 4) a tropical savanna grassland, 5) a 1,400 m2 coastal fog desert, 6) three desert hillslope landscapes, and 7) a 162,000 m2 model city and urban ecosystem comprising Biosphere 2, its campus, and associated buildings and facilities.
The Biosphere 2 Science Program addresses societal grand challenges related to water, environmental and energy management through design of large-scale experimentation in each of these model ecosystems. These experiments support the development of computer models that simulate the biological, physical and chemical processes to predict ecosystem response to environmental change. In return, these coupled-systems model simulations inform scientists about the next level of experimentation needed to advance understanding of these complex systems’ responses that can be tested against observations in natural systems.