The conversation between broadcaster Sir David, biologist Professor Wilson and co-founder of the Eden Project Sir Tim Smit will take place at the Royal Geographical Society in London on October 22 and will be streamed live around the world for free as part of Half-Earth Day.
The event, entitled How to Save the Natural World, is a collaboration between the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation and the Eden Project. In addition to the live stream, an edited film of the conversation and exclusive highlight interviews with panelists and guests will premiere as part of the Eden Project’s Festival of Discovery and be available to watch for free online.
Virtual this year, Half-Earth Day will be streamed live online and include panel discussions, plenary sessions, and lectures held from 2 pm-8:30 pm BST (9 am-3:30 pm EDT). Featured speakers in addition to Sir David, Professor Wilson and Sir Tim include recently elected President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Razan Al Mubarak, indigenous rights and climate activist, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, and internationally recognized scientist Johan Rockström, among many other voices and efforts all working toward preserving life on our planet.
Half-Earth Day 2021 will once again bring together people from around the world and across disciplines to share their unique perspectives and thought leadership on how we can work together to achieve the goal of Half-Earth, setting aside half the land and seas to ensure the health of our planet for future generations.
We are “the mind of the biosphere,” as E.O. Wilson says, let us make the most of this opportunity to protect life on Earth.
The conversation between Sir David, Professor Wilson and Sir Tim will take place at 7 pm-8:30 pm BST (2 pm-3:30 pm EDT) on Friday October 22 and is free to watch with registration at https://half-earthday2021.brandlive.com/half-earth/en. The conversation will be preceded by E.O. Wilson’s new lecture, Ecosystems and the Harmony of Nature. Professor Wilson’s latest lecture is a clarion call for a “Linnean renaissance” – to redouble our efforts to discover, name and map all life on earth so it can be protected.
This year, nations are gathering to agree and set in motion a plan to save the natural world (COP15, COP 26), against the backdrop of a global pandemic, increasingly visible impacts of a changing climate, and continued calls for social and environmental justice.
Paula J. Ehrlich, President and CEO, E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation and co-founder Half-Earth Project shared, “It will take tremendous moral conviction to protect the lands and seas necessary to save the majority of life on Earth, and even bolder research to also ensure we leave no species behind. We must courageously address the biodiversity crisis in our communities, our classrooms, and our boardrooms to champion a more enduring ethic to care for our planet.”
Sir Tim Smit, co-founder of the Eden Project, said: “On the shoulders of giants we stand! What a rare privilege to be in the company of two men who, more than any other, have shaped our appreciation, understanding and love for the Natural World. For most of us attending, David Attenborough provided one of the soundtracks to our youth and gave us a gateway into the natural world which so motivates us today, to protect it.
“Similarly, the legendary Harvard biologist and American father of biodiversity (the phrase he coined), Ed Wilson, a giant ceaselessly banging the drum for us to wake up before it is too late. He and his team’s championship of Half-Earth has stimulated a global conversation about the scale of intervention needed.
“These venerable old gunslingers will be preceded by yet another marvelous and inspiring person, the recently elected President of the International Union for Conservation and Nature, the charismatic Emirati, Razan Al Mubarak. To say we feel honored in being able to draw this event together is an understatement and, to be honest, I am not sure I have ever been as nervous of anything, in excited anticipation, as much as this.”
Half-Earth Day 2021 is a collaboration of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation and the Eden Project, presented by CBRE, with additional support by The National Geographic Society, the National Audubon Society, the Garrison Institute, Mishcon de Reya, and the James M. and Catherine D. Stone Foundation.
The Festival of Discovery is a virtual festival curated by the Eden Project Communities team, who are also responsible for the UK’s annual community celebration The Big Lunch that saw over 9 million people take part in 2021 and next year from 2-5 June 2022 is an official part of Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The festival is an exciting journey to explore a better future together for our planet and will take place between November 11 and 13. For more information, see https://thefestivalofdiscovery.com/.
