Gatherings don’t get any greener than this. EarthX, billed as the world’s largest green gathering, is coming to Fair Park in Dallas April 20-23.
What began as a predominantly consumer event 13 years ago, now brings together heads of industry, thought leaders, investors, innovators, researchers, policymakers and the everyday global citizen. EarthX will offer more than a dozen conferences, several of which are free to attend, in its Congress of Conferences, which attracts the world’s foremost environmentalists, conservationists, scientists, academics, entrepreneurs, advocates, and political leaders engaged in the environmental space today.
Joining those conferences are multiple stages of free Earth-friendly content that will take place during the free EarthxExpo April 21-23.
Among the many speakers during the event will be U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, who represents Texas’ 33rd District. The Fort Worth Democrat will be on a panel entitled “Perspectives from Across the Congressional Aisle Regarding Priorities of the Energy and Commerce Committee on Energy Industry and Future of the Permian Basin.” That panel is Friday, April 21, at 11:10 a.m.
“I am excited to join EarthX at their annual conference to discuss pressing issues in the energy sector and how they impact the lives and livelihoods of Texans across our state,” Veasey said. “As a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, I play an active role in shaping energy policy to help benefit Texans and all Americans. On the committee, I have a chance to help us do things like achieve energy security, continue to help Texans access good-paying jobs in the energy sector and improve our nation’s path to clean energy.”
Also taking the stage during the event will be Rick Perry, former Texas governor and U.S. Secretary of Energy and Texas Congressman August Pfluger.
The prestigious list of participating experts includes:
- Dr. Scott Tinker, Texas State Geologist and founder and chairman of the nonpartisan Switch Energy Alliance, a 501(c)(3), whose vision is to inspire an energy-educated future though films. He is the co-producer and on-screen guide for the feature-length documentary, “Switch,” the critically acclaimed film released in 2012 on global energy, and is also the writer and the on-screen guide for “Switch On,” released in 2019, about global energy poverty.
- Dr. Jainey Bavishi, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Deputy Administrator, and former Chief of Sustainability for New York City.
- Alex Epstein, founder and president of the Center for Industrial Progress, and author of “The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels” and “Fossil Future.”
- Andrew Zimmern, American chef and host of the Travel Channel’s “Bizarre Foods” series.
- Analiese Gregory, Michelin-starred chef and author of “How Wild Things Are.”
- Hunter Lovins, founder of Natural Capitalism Solutions featured in the award‐winning film “Lovins On the Soft Path.” Her best known book “Natural Capitalism” won the Shingo Prize.
- Jane Mosbacher Morris, founder of To the Market, a company connecting businesses and consumers to ethically made products around the world, and author of “Buy the Change You Want to See: Use Your Purchasing Power to Make the World a Better Place.”
- Justin Winters, co-founder of One Earth, a philanthropic organization working to galvanize science, advocacy and philanthropy to drive collective action on climate change.
- Van Jones, CNN news and political commentator, best-selling author, Emmy Award winner and lawyer. He served as President Barack Obama’s Special Advisor for Green Jobs in 2009 and founded or co-founded several non-profit organizations.
- Chantal Chalita, the first EcoBlogger in Mexico, known for inviting all her followers to become “imperfect environmentalists.” Through her GREEN ME brand, she seeks to spread a more ecological and sustainable lifestyle.
- Jerry Tinianow, founder of WestUrb and first Chief Sustainability Officer of the city of Denver.
- Dr. Joshua Goldstein, co-writer for Oliver Stone’s new film “Nuclear Now.” He is an award-winning scholar of international relations and his book “War and Gender” won the International Studies Association’s “Book of the Decade” award.
The speaking schedule for the Energy Conference on Friday April 21:
8-8:10 a.m. – Opening remarks by Alex Beehler, Former Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment.
8:10-8:40 – Keynote speaker: “Future of Energy: Perspectives on Balancing Security, Economy, and Emissions Reductions,” Dr. Scott Tinker.
8:40-9:20 – Keynote Speaker: “Future of Energy: Perspectives from Business and Policy Leaders on Balancing Security, Economy, and Emissions Reductions,” Cindy Yeilding, Senior Vice President, BP America, retired; Ryan Zinke, Representative and Former Secretary of Interior.
9:20-10:00 – “Oil & Gas Industry Initiatives Best Practices and Further Opportunities to Decarbonize Its Operations,” Alex Beehler, Former Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment; John Dabbar, Managing Director, Low Carbon Technologies, Conoco Phillips Company; Chad Zamarin, Executive Vice President Corporate Strategic Development, Williams Companies; Neil Chaterjee, Former Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman.
10:15-10:55 – “Emerging Technologies That Will Advance Emissions Reduction in the Fossil Fuel Industry,” Danny Rice, CEO, NetPower; Ethan Emerson, Research Scientist.
11-11:30 – “Perspectives from Across the Congressional Aisle Regarding Priorities of the Energy and Commerce Committee on Energy Industry and Future of the Permian Basin,” U.S. Reps. August Pfluger, Marc Veasey.
11:30-11:50 – “Energy Shorts: Selected Presentation from Earthx2023’s Request for Presentations Program,” Aryn Thomas, Solutions Architect|Microgrid Competency Center, Schneider Electric.
Noon-1:15 p.m. – “Luncheon Fireside Chat: Varied Perspectives About the Future of Fossil Fuels,” Perry; Epstein; Professor John Nielsen-Gammon, Texas A&M University, Texas State Climatologist.
1:20-1:50 – “Fireside Chat: The Future of Nuclear Energy,” U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischman, Tennessee.
1:5-2:30 – “How Advances in Nuclear Energy Will Be Key Factor for Getting to Net Zero and Addressing the World’s Growing Energy Needs,” U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, Illinois; Dr. Jess Gehin, Associate Lab Director, Nuclear Science and Technology, Idaho National Laboratory; Paul Dabbar, former Department of Energy Under Secretary for Science.
2:30-3:10 – “Latest Important Breakthrough on Nuclear Energy Options for Widespread Usage and Barriers and Challenges That Still Need to be Addressed,” Dr. Shannon Bragg-Sitton, Sitton Director Integrated Energy & Storage Systems Division at Idaho National Laboratory; Joshua Goldstein, Director of Clean Energy Platform for Integrated Energy Systems Development at Idaho National Laboratory.
3:15-4 p.m.– “Energy Shorts: Selected Presentations from Earthx2023’s Request for Presentations,” Monika Murugesan, VP Microgrid Offer Management, Schneider Electric.
3:15-4 p.m. – “Energy Shorts: Selected Presentations From Earthx2023’s Request for Presentations,” Brad Stutzman, Founder/CEO, O3 Energy, Renewable Energy solutions for heavy power users.
3:25-3:40 – Pre-film overview of Oliver Stone’s New Documentary “Nuclear Now” with Dr. Joshua Goldstein and Oliver Stone.
3:40-6 p.m. – Pre-release airing of “Nuclear Now” with Goldstein and Stone.
Free conferences and pavilions:
- Environmental Justice: Highlights real-world ways people can become aware of and involved with key issues facing our region and our nation. The target audience for this conference is current and potential activists and those seeking greater information on local issues related to Environmental Justice. It will include a sneak preview of a film about 4DWN, a Dallas skate park that doubles as an urban farm and food distribution center.
- Hemp: This stage will showcase the farming and production of hemp, hemp-based products and technologies, as well as blockchain utilization and carbon capture in the hemp industry.
- Rocky Mountain: This region has a strong basis of economic sectors that include agriculture, range land, outdoor recreation, and tourism, in addition to leading industry sectors of aerospace, national research laboratories, and renewable and traditional energies. Rocky Mountain recreation industries such as skiing, hunting and fishing, camping and sightseeing will be grouped to showcase the region’s rich resources and how they will be sustainably managed for future generations.
- NextGen: An area of the public expo geared toward ages 15-25 who are looking to get involved in the environmental movement. The two-day programming consists of interactive workshops and will showcase various university environmental degrees, Q&A panels with high-level sustainability professionals, local organizations to get involved with, and more.
Conferences requiring paid registration:
- Built Environment: Brings together the leaders in sustainability and circularity in the building and engineering sector. Topics include federal policy and project funding, the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on the building sector and resilience in Texas, all geared toward a financially and environmentally sustainable model. Friday, April 21.
- Climate Adaptation: Climate enthusiasts and professionals will hear from high-level scientists and policy leaders about the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s assessment process, ocean and climate science, extreme weather events, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)-led U.S. Climate Ready Nation plan, climate and health connections, droughts, forest fires and sea-level rise in this international, fact-driven conference. Saturday, April 22.
- Energy: Features a wide range of topics affecting the energy industry. It will look at the role fossil fuels will play in the transition to a net-zero economy examining emerging technologies that will advance carbon elimination in the fossil fuel industry. It will also explore the role nuclear energy will play in achieving global net-zero objectives. The conference will feature experts discussing advances in small modular reactors (SMRs) and challenges that still need to be addressed. Friday, April 21.
- Farm, Ranch, Forest, Land: Topics include collaborative conservation, the future of Texas lands, combating climate change as well as forest and land management. The target audience is landowners, conservationists, farmers and ranchers. Friday, April 21.
- Island Resilience Forum: Brings together island leaders and champions from around the world to discuss solutions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Its purpose is to showcase innovative approaches to creating transformative change that can be replicated and scaled to support communities on the front lines of climate change. Saturday, April 22.
- Latin America: This two-day bilingual program will feature a slate of Latin American speakers zeroing in on topics including a renewed focus of Latin American corporations on ESG, climate change and a circular economy for transport, and heroic actions that impact the planet by extraordinary NGOs in Latin America. Friday-Saturday, April 21-22.
- Wildlife Conservation: Topics showcase innovative conservation efforts and include sessions on combating change through conservation. The target audience is conservationist, wildlife experts, agricultural students, hunters, ranchers, farmers and landowners. Saturday, April 22.
Invitation-only conferences:
- Seventh Annual E-Capital Summit: Has convened, inspired, and catalyzed action from hundreds of investment firms, early to late-stage innovators, established global companies, industry thought leaders, policymakers, incubators and accelerators, and researchers. They tackle some of the world’s greatest investment and business opportunities in sustainability, resilience, conservation, clean technology, and climate technology. Thursday, April 20 through Saturday, April 22. To request an invitation to the E-Capital Summit, email ecapital@earthx.org.
- Corporate Impact Summit: Brings together over 100 hand-picked executives, advocates, investors, and funders to share candid insights and ideas from the front lines of sustainability and environmental protection. Thursday, April 20 and Friday, April 21. To request an invitation to the Corporate Impact Summit, visit future500.org/summit.
Free public stages (These will feature speakers, panel discussions, short films and more):
- Blue Speaker Stage: Learn about the health and future of our oceans and water at this highly interactive stage of scientific and environmental leaders.
- EarthxTV Interview Stage: Guests will enjoy their favorite on-air talent from EarthxTV as they interview environmental speakers, present show snippets and meet with fans.
- Green Speakers Series Stage: Will focus on speakers discussing environmental and sustainability issues. Topics include Parks for Downtown Dallas, Understanding Pollinators, American Red Cross: International Humanitarian Law, and The Three Sisters and Food Secure Communities.
- Latin America Pavilion Stage: U.S./Latin America collaboration will be showcased featuring panels with leading Latin American NGOs, political leaders from across the globe and academic thought leadership.
Organizations such as the United Nations will convene additional conferences onsite during EarthX2023.
For information on attending or participating in EarthX, visit earthx.org.