• 2009 Forum Overview

  • Nearly 60 years ago, Chicago businessman and Aspen Institute founder Walter Paepcke set out to transform the Aspen valley into "a center of dialogue and renewal, a place for lifting us out of our usual selves, as we strive to gain a greater understanding of our humanity." In this same spirit, the Aspen Institute and National Geographic will gather energy experts, government and business leaders, writers and photographers, and other knowledgeable and committed voices to explore the intersection of energy and environment, where the link between the world's people and its ecosystems is understood and harmonized to become more sustainable.

    The gradual tightening of our energy supplies and the increased impact of energy extraction and use are pushing our planet's sustainability to unbearable levels. Now, we are challenged to find methods of powering our planet as growing population and the continued aggressive industrialization of the developing world continue to increase our demand for cheap plentiful energy — that can both sustain us and be sustained well into the future. Looking critically at our shared energy future, the 2009 Aspen Environment Forum aims to probe these complex challenges and offer up solutions for the long run.

    The 2009 Aspen Environment Forum is not an exclusive business conference for managers nor a scientific colloquium removed from political realities; nor is it a gathering limited to special-interest organizations or insider policy practitioners. Instead, it combines experts, insiders, and the public in a manner now trademark to the Aspen Institute. Unlike forums where distinguished speakers may appear, lecture for 20 minutes, and then leave, here they remain as eager participants throughout the Forum. Like the Aspen Institute itself, the Aspen Environment Forum is essentially about dialogue and communication. No one is passive, and the enrichment is sustained throughout the entire experience.

    The 2009 Aspen Environment Forum will present a variety of programming over a three-day crescendo, each day addressing the world’s energy supply and future from a different angle:

    Day One:  The Power Challenge

    Day Two:  Energy Transitions

    Day Three:  New Energy World

    Each of these three days will offer a wide range of programming, including:

      • Large plenary sessions offered at least four times a day, taking the form of panels, one-on-one interviews, and/or solo talks;
      • Multiple, concurrent sessions, offered in both the morning and afternoon;
      • Unique daily seminars, featuring innovative ways to engage and reflect on the topics presented each day with selected presenters and fellow Forum participants;
      • Luncheons each day featuring recent photography and conversation with photographers and journalists from our partners at National Geographic.
      • Casual conversations, book signings, and other informal discussions on campus and off throughout the day;
      • Evening exchanges and other events in venues around the City of Aspen.
      • A special awards dinner and awards ceremony.

       

    The Aspen Environment Forum promises to be interesting, engaging, and energizing — true to Aspen Institute tradition. We look forward to seeing you in March 2009!

    Register Now

    For more information, e-mail energyandenvironment@aspeninstitute.org or call (202) 736-2933.