Bill Clinton and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speak at Waterkeeper Alliance conference
"It was a real treat to meet President Clinton in a small setting- he thanked all the Riverkeepers for the great work we do, so I'm passing that on to all our members and volunteers," stated Columbia Riverkeeper's Brett VandenHeuvel. Brett and Staff Attorney, Lauren Goldberg, attended the Waterkeeper Alliance conference in New York City from June 24-28.
Bill Clinton and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speak at Waterkeeper Alliance conference
"It was a real treat to meet President Clinton in a small setting- he thanked all the Riverkeepers for the great work we do, so I'm passing that on to all our members and volunteers," stated Columbia Riverkeeper's Brett VandenHeuvel. Brett and Staff Attorney, Lauren Goldberg, attended the Waterkeeper Alliance conference in New York City from June 24-28. Columbia Riverkeeper is part of the Waterkeeper Alliance, an international champion of clean water and strong communities, with 189 programs on six continents. "Bobby Kennedy is an environmental hero.I learned a lot by spending the week with Bobby and other Waterkeepers," Lauren said. The theme of this year's conference was the impact of global warming on water quality.
The Waterkeeper groups participated in workshops, took a boat tour of New York Harbor with the Hudson Riverkeepe. The agenda also included the following speakers:
- Jon Carson, Chief of Staff, White House Council on Environmental Quality spoke about the nexus between the administration's agenda and water quality
- Bill Reinert, National Manger of the Advanced Technologies Group, Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.spoke about peak liquids and the energy water nexus
- Waterkeeper Alliance Chairman and Founder, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. introduced speakers President Bill Clinton and Dr. James Hansen
- President Bill Clinton, founder of the William J. Clinton Foundation and 42nd President of the United States, delivered the conference keynote address
- Dr. James Hansen, head of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, addressed the conference with immediate actions that must be taken to move beyond fossil fuels
- Richard Heinberg, Senior Fellow of the Post Carbon Institute, and a leading authority on peak oil and peak coal, spoke about the "clean coal" myth and post carbon strategies
- British Explorer Robert Swan (OBE), the first person to walk to the North and South poles, shared his inspiring story and showcased sustainable living practices, and Yun Jianli, head of the Middle Han Waterkeeper, talked about waterway conservation and restoration efforts in China
- Marjora Carter, Presiden, Marjora Carter Group, LLC, and MacArthur "genius"grant winner, spoke about poverty alleviation through green economic development
- John H. Dunnigan, Assistant Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, spoke about climate change and preserving our fisheries
- Elizabeth Ramirez, Cartagena Waterkeeper, spoke about river conservation in Columbia
- Waterkeeper Chairman and Founder, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. delivered the keynote address at a 10th Anniversary Celebration at the World Financial Center's Winter Garden in Manhattan
