The annual
Bioneers conference is a hub of visionary and practical solutions, gathering people at the crossroads of ecological restoration, the business of sustainability, social justice and the sacred. Bioneers inspires, educates and connects people to act effectively with practical solutions and innovative social strategies for restoring the Earth's imperiled ecosystems and healing human communities and economies.
The 7th annual Colorado Bioneers features a live simulcast of Bioneers plenaries; a marketplace featuring products and services for sustainable living; film, music and arts; children's activities; and over 24 sessions and workshops. By linking internationally renowned speakers with local topics and experts, the Colorado Bioneers satellite conference inspires a potent 'global-local' approach towards local and regional solutions.
Registration is affordable. Cost is $20/day, $12/day for students, and free for CU-Boulder students. Multi-day discounts, student, educator and senior discounts, scholarships, and volunteers' opportunities available.
Local highlights of Colorado Bioneers include:
Dialogue Council, Fri. - Sun., 2:00 - 3:20 (Norlin Library British Studies Room). Join us as Bioneers presenters, Indigenous leaders, government officials, youth leaders, and Bioneers participants engage in an on-going dialogue exploring the deeper underlying philosophies and dynamics that affect us all as we move toward finding the solutions that will create a just and sustainable world. Presented by Ian Sanderson.
Local Agriculture: The Future of Food in Boulder County, Fri., 3:20 - 5:30 p.m. (Humanities 1B90), panel featuring Shanan Olson (Abbondanza Organic Seeds and Produce), Cindy Torres (Longmont Farmers Market, Boulder County Food and Agriculture Policy Council), Corwin Bell (Back Yard Hive), Shannon Francis (Woodbine Ecology Center), and Zia Parker (Willow Way Wellness), moderated by Michael Brownlee.
Slow Money: Investing as if Food, Farms, and Fertility Mattered, keynote address by Woody Tasch (in person), Friday, 7:00 p.m. (Humanities 150). In a world of ever-accelerating capital markets, a world in which there is no such thing as money that is too fast, a company that is too big, or intermediation that is too complex, Slow Money asks: Can investing in local food systems offer an authentic, viable alternative? If organic farming and small food enterprises are key to the health of the economy, society and the soil, how can they attract more funding from government, philanthropy, and capital markets? What would the world be like if we invested 50% of our assets within 50 miles of where we live?
Introduction to the Crash Course, Sat., 3:20 - 5:30 p.m., by Don Hall (Humanities 135). Chris Martenson's Crash Course as helped hundreds of thousands of people to better understand the current economic and environmental crisis and take action to prepare themselves and their communities for the changes that are to come. In this introduction, we will take a tour through the Economy, Energy, and the Environment to understand how and why "the next twenty years are going to be completely unlike the last."
Carbon Neutral: Ending Our Contribution to Global Warming, Sat., 4:30 - 5:30 p.m., by Michael Brownlee (Humanities 1B80). It is time to reverse the disastrous course of profound unsustainability that threatens the health and well-being of the entire biosphere. We must now rise to the occasion and begin to set things aright-from bottom up. We must start in our own back yards, in our own neighborhoods, in our own Main Streets, in our own communities. Learn how we can do the unthinkable, what no other community in this nation has had the will to do so far: make a solid commitment together to end our contribution to global warming and become carbon neutral by 2020.
Transition: The Most Inspiring Movement in the World (and how you can bring it to your community)!, Sun., 3:20 - 5:30 p.m., by Michael Brownlee. FIRST HOUR: Hundreds of communities around the world are joining together in what is perhaps the fastest-growing and most significant social change movement in history, unleashing their collective genius to meet the monumental challenges of peak oil and climate change. Transition engages whole communities in strengthening themselves against the effects of global crises, resulting in a life that is more fulfilling, socially connected and resilient. This workshop will explore the revolutionary Transition process as it is being applied in communities from the UK to Japan, focusing on keys to relocalizing and strengthening local economies. SECOND HOUR: A panel of Colorado Transition Initiative representatives discuss the development of transition throughout the state.
Local Currency, Barter, and Trade: Developing Our Own Economic Infrastructure, Sun., 3:20 - 4:20, panel featuring Annette Riggs (Community Connect Trade Association), Mark Fischer (Inspire Commerce), Howard Lambert (SkillShare Network of Boulder County), and Mickki Langston (Mile High Business Alliance). In the past, local currencies and exchange systems have been of great benefit during challenging times. This panel discussion will explore what solutions are on the horizon that we could begin implementing now.
It all takes place on the Boulder
campus of the University of Colorado
