Clean Energy
Event Assets: The Climate Economy in Southern Illinois - Creating Resilient Businesses, Jobs and Communities - June 12, 2019
- Click here for Keynote and Panelist Bios and Topics.
- Keynote: Seth Feaster, Data Analyst and Researcher, Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, Energy Industry Trends
- Panel discussion:
- Watch the Video of the Clean Energy Panel Discussion
- Seth Feaster
- Amanda Pankau, Prairie River Network (Illinois Clean Energy Jobs Act)
- Aur Beck, AES Solar (solar energy, rebates, living off grid)
- Tim Michels, Energy Resources Group (energy management, efficiency, retrofits)
- Karen Schauwecker, SIU Sustainability Office (Saluki Energy Focus Group, Drawdown.org resources)
Economic Diversification
Event Assets: The Climate Economy in Southern Illinois - Creating Resilient Businesses, Jobs and Communities - June 12, 2019
- Click here to read Keynote and Panelist Bios and Topics.
- Keynote: Dr. John Ikerd, Professor Emeritus U. of Missouri and Author, Sustainable Agriculture and Economic Sustainability
- Panel Discussion
- View Video of Economic Diversification Panel Discussion
- Dr. John Ikerd
- Cindy Winland, Senior Fellow, Just Transition Fund
- Kim Watson, Senior Account Manager at Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity
- Lisa C. Merrifield, Community and Economic Development Specialist, University of Illinois Extension
- Michael McKee, USDA Rural Development
Innovation
Event Assets: The Climate Economy in Southern Illinois - Creating Resilient Businesses, Jobs and Communities - June 12, 2019
- Click here to read Keynote and Panelist Bios and Topics.
- Keynote: Albert Bates, Founder and President of Global Village Institute for Appropriate Technology, Chief Permaculture Officer, eCO2, for Cool Design, and Co-Author of BURN: Using Fire to Cool the Earth (carbon cascades)
- Panel Discussion:
- View Video of the Innovation Panel Discussion
- Albert Bates
- Adena Rivas, Community Programs Coordinator, City of Springfield (new directions for plastics recycling)
- Kelly Pearson, Shawnee National Forest (ecotourism partnerships)
- Dr. Kofi Akamani, SIU Forestry Assistant Professor (community strategies for ecosystem management)
- Dr. Paul Anderson - retired professor, inventor (carbon credits and blockchain)
You can have a kickoff event in your town!
A kickoff event can happen in any town! You can take the basic template of this full-day event and do it locally. You just need a "catalyst," either an individual or organization (school or nonprofit, e.g.) to take the lead, and a main sponsor helps too. You might ask: why would I want to do that?
A kickoff brings everyone together, inspires and gets the imagination going, and provides great networking opportunities. Plus, it gets you prepared for what is to come, which we have no way of knowing for sure. Since the June 2019 event, Carbondale has spruced up its climate action plan and hired a city sustainability manager, the state of Illinois passed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, and much more! There is funding available now finally for everything we got rolling back in 2019, and things are still moving in all kinds of new directions. Coincidence? Maybe, but it helps to be prepared!
We continued our local efforts with online events throughout 2000-2021 and started doing resilience fairs and weekly meetings in fall 2021. Also in 2020-2021, we set up the CLimate Economy Action Network for online education, community groups and project management, and resource exchange, which is free and open for everyone anywhere to use. It's a process! Groups have moved ahead with new businesses, projects and grant proposals.
If you'd rather start a little smaller, you could go with a resilience fair, which is just an hour or two, and pretty much zero budget with the help of local partners. Read more.
Please contact us if you have any questions, or want any help: Amy McMorrow Hunter, 618.713.2896, amy @ the climate economy . com (no spaces).