Climate protection conference brings world experts to Sonoma

Protecting the local economy while preserving natural resources is a challenge. For the civic leaders and environmental experts participating in the “Climate Protection Everybody Profits” conference, it’s also an historic opportunity. The 5th annual conference comes May 7 to Sonoma’s Veterans Memorial Building.
“This is a fantastic example of collaboration between Sonoma County cities and citizens working together to find local, positive solutions to climate change,” said Supervisor Valerie Brown. Brown will deliver an update on federal stimulus funding, one of nine panels and presentations during the conference, which runs from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The agenda this year is particularly relevant, focusing on the business and economic impacts of climate change, said Amy Bolen of the Sonoma County Water Agency. Making a business case for sustainability and climate protection will be keynote speaker Hunter Lovins. The founder and president of the nonprofit Natural Capitalism Solutions, Lovins is a renowned author and has advocated sustainable development for over 30 years, consulting for citizens’ groups, governments and corporations all over the world. “I believe,” she has written, “that citizens, communities and companies, working together within the market context, are the most dynamic problem-solving force on the planet.
Berkeley Professor David Roland-Holst, another conference speaker, also sees bright spots amid the gloom. One of the world’s leading authorities on the economics of climate change, and a primary source for California’s Global Warming Solutions Act, Roland-Holst wrote, “A lower carbon future for California is a more prosperous and sustainable future.”
The annual “report card” on how Sonoma County is doing on greenhouse gas reduction will be presented, along with information on the Sonoma County Energy Independence Program, which makes $100 million available to private property owners to finance improvements to homes and businesses.
“What are the local opportunities?” will be the topic of a panel discussion that includes Evelina Molina of Youth Green Jobs Sonoma; Gary Edwards of Sage Marketing; and Ned Hill, of La Prenda Vineyards Management.
The conference runs from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sonoma Veteran’s Hall, 126 First St. W. in Sonoma. Tickets are $30, $15 for students, and include a continental breakfast and sustainable lunch buffet. For more information visit everybodyprofitssonoma.com.