By Debra KaufmanBig-name guests and a special focus on water will mark the 19th annual conference of the Society of Environmental Journalists, being held from Oct. 7 to 11 in Madison, Wis.According to SEJ executive director Beth Parke, 820 people attended last year’s conference in Roanoke, Va., but she anticipates a 20 percent drop in attendance this year, due to the recession.It’s a tribute to this community that so many people do come to the conference,” she said. “People take vacation time and spend their own money to get there.”The conference will introduce attendees to some of the new faces and forces in the Obama administration. For the first time, a sitting Secretary of Agriculture — Tom Vilsack — will speak at the SEJ Conference. Also expected to speak, but not confirmed at press time, is Lisa Jackson, the new administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.Other high-level government speakers include Nancy Sutley, chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality; and Jane Lubchenco, undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere, and administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.With the 15th annual conference on climate change in Copenhagen only a few months away, the SEJ Conference will also closely examine climate change issues, with an opening plenary, “Countdown to Copenhagen,” kicked off by a keynote address by former Vice President Al Gore.The panel discussion that follows will be moderated by New York Times environmental reporter Andrew Revkin and feature Sutley and Lubchenco; Changhua Wu, greater China director of The Climate Group; and James Rogers, chairman, president and CEO of Duke Energy Corp.“We have more big-name newsmakers than we have ever had,” said SEJ director of annual conferences Jay Letto, a founding member of SEJ, who notes that author/farmer Wendell Berry, who became the group’s 1,500th member at last year’s Roanoke
conference, will also be coming back.Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle, Tia Nelson (daughter of late Sen. Gaylord Nelson, the founder of Earth Day), former Forest Service chief Mike Dombeck and Native American professor and journalist Patty Loew will greet attendees at an opening “Welcome to Wisconsin” reception.“Ms. Loew will talk about Native American efforts,” said SEJ and conference co-chair Chuck Quirmbach. “Native Americans are speaking with
Source: Read full article
Source: Read full article
