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Scientists around the world give us 10 to 20 years to change our behavior. But negative "Doom and Gloom" environmentalism will not move the people toward positive change. Nobody wins if we feel powerless to change or do not know how. There are three ingredients, three stages, of this talk - information, motivation and inspiration. "Tell me what's in it for me, lift my sights and my spirits, and show me where to start".

Principal Points:

• GDP (GNP) = Consumption. Consumption of what? Consumption of resources, of Earth. We expect GDP to expand indefinitely - but Earth is finite, there is only so much of it. How do we reconcile that?
• There is no long-term conflict between what is good for the economy and what is good for the environment.
• In our grandparents' era, providing for us meant harvesting Earth's abundance. Now, providing for our grandchildren means the careful, conservative preservation of Earth's natural bounty.
• Religious traditions teach us that we have dominion over the Earth. We took "dominion" to mean "control" and "licence to use". We can reinterpret "dominion" to mean "responsibility for" and "stewardship".
• "Sustainability" means the greatest good for the greatest number of people for the greatest period of time. Sustainability can be accomplished through conservation and technological innovation.
• "Can we save the Earth?" is the wrong question. Humans are fragile, not the Earth. And of course we can. Will we? Our values and our choices will determine that outcome.

How You Can Use This Presentation:

This is the most important topic of our time. It will grow more so the next two decades, so there are two versions of this talk. Both run 60 to 90 minutes.

"Our finest hour" relies more heavily on information, logic and eloquence. It is for business and technical audiences.

"Earth is alive: where we gonna live if we wear it out?" is a motivational talk for general audiences. It is more moving, humorous and personal.

This presentation is cerebral, yet warm, not forbidding. It uses full Lecture Theatre style format, so it is entertaining as well as thought-provoking; additional Q & A is welcomed. This is the only talk that requires video projection.

What Clients Say About This Presentation:

"This is unbelievable, but I want you to know that you get top rankings even when you aren't present. I have just been told that in the feedback opinion surveys from the conference, now being tabulated, several members rated you audio tape a '4' (excellent)! How do you do that?"
-John P. Danglade, CAE, Executive Vice President, Wholesale Stationers Association

Quotes From The Talk:

What the Audience Learns:

1. The good news - Earth's present population apparently could be sustained indefinitely at the socioeconomic and technological levels of Western Europe.
2. I absolutely can see my children live better that I have lived. I simply re-define what "The Good Life" and "The American Dream" mean: "liveablity"; harmony - a sense of enoughness; caring for my material things, not just about them.
3. America has responded repeatedly to save the world for Democracy. Now America can lead the way in literally saving the world - making it safe not just for democracy, but for all who live within it.

Purchase a copy of this presentation from the Longfellow Store