Sustainable Living
September 2007

Bioneers Conference
Spokane Hosts Conference on Solutions to The Planet's Most Pressing Problems

The landmark UN Millennium Ecosystem Report recently issued a dire warning: "Human activity is putting such a strain on the natural functions of Earth that the ability of the planet's ecosystems to sustain future generations can no longer be taken for granted."

In the midst of this urgency, the annual Bioneers Conference presents leading scientists and social innovators who are creating practical solutions to help restore the Earth's imperiled ecosystems and heal our human communities. Presenters at the 2007 Bioneers Conference will discuss topics including:

. Developing technologies that create prosperity without degrading the planet
. Building a green economy to lift people out of poverty
. Creating a new field of nontoxic chemistry that doesn't pollute


Spokane will host a live satellite broadcast of the Bioneers Conference from Friday, October 19, through Sunday, October 21, 2007 at Spokane Falls Community College.

The Bioneers Conference will feature social change agents sharing new strategies for environmental and social justice, local food systems, sustainable communities, social healing through the arts and much more. Speakers include:

. Charlotte Brody, Executive Director of Commonweal, on how industrial chemicals are creating widespread illness and new solutions for regaining our health and democracy.

. Van Jones, Founder of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, on how to forge a new green economy to lift people out of poverty.

. Eve Ensler, Awarding winning playwright and founder of V-Day on helping women around the world reclaim peace, power and pleasure.

. Evon Peter, Chairman of the Native Movement and former chief of the Neetsaii Gwich'in Village in northeastern Alaska, who will offer an indigenous perspective on how to survive the next hundred years.

Afternoon workshops at SFCC will explore solutions to local and regional issues and offer ample time for networking. Local topics will cover youth activism, biofuels, the farmer-chef connection, fair trade, sustainable farming, preservation of wildlands, river activism, urban forestry, art, film and much more.

"The Spokane Bioneers planning committee is honored to be presenting its first beaming Bioneers conference this October. The creative innovations in our region that will be featured, along with the nationally recognized keynote speakers, will guarantee a weekend of exploration, celebration and connection," said Patty Gates, Executive Director of the New Priorities Foundation in Spokane.

"The Bioneers Conference is an oasis of hope, a wellspring of leading-edge ideas and solutions for creating positive change," said Kenny Ausubel, Bioneers co-founder. "We bring together the most innovative and effective leaders, from the grassroots to the canopy, who are creating the world we dream for our grandchildren."

About the Bioneers Conference

Bioneers inspires, educates and connects people to act effectively with practical solutions and innovative social strategies for restoring the Earth's imperiled ecosystems and healing human communities.

For eighteen years, the Bioneers Conference has provided a dynamic forum to help foster a culture of solutions. Bioneers connects people, ideas, issues and networks in a "globalocal" movement, celebrates people and nature, and reflects a "reverence movement" dedicated to creating conditions conducive to life. We seek to transform the wounds of separation, exploitation and violence into a culture of cooperation, justice and healing.

More information about the Spokane Bioneers can be found at www.sustainspokane.org.

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The North Columbia Monthly provides news, views, humor and a calendar of events for an area that stretches from Nelson in British Columbia south to Spokane in Washington State and covers all points in between. A free (and free-thinking, progressive) magazine, The Monthly is available at several hundred spots throughout the region and now is also available on-line at www.ncmonthly.com. Published once a month since 1994, The Monthly is an independent magazine that often challenges contemporary wisdom by encouraging critical thinking about issues and attitudes in the region and beyond.

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