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We are inundated with compelling first hand accounts of the extreme. Good or bad, print or video, everywhere we turn there’s a story being told that would have left our ancestors positively spellbound. For us, it’s just another one in the long line. Such is the nature of communications in the world we live.
But LIVE testimonials … eyewitness reports, in person … THOSE never lose their impact. Such was the nature of last night’s program on Women in Peace. From retired Army Col. Ann Wright’s candor to the often painful insights of the three panelists who have spent years "on the ground" in Rwanda, Sudan, Kenya, Israel, Palestine and elsewhere … the stories prompted more than a few tears. Even for the more stoic among us, "compelling" doesn’t begin to describe the evening.
As moderator, Michele Hovey asked great questions and just the right combination of generic ones to be answered by everyone and specifically pointed ones aimed at each individual. Larry King, move over.
Man, are we blessed to have the Symposium here to bring us programs of this quality. As usual, my only regret was that the sixty people in the room wasn’t two hundred and sixty. Funny how often I think that same thing. There’s just no shortage of competition around here when it comes to interesting things to do. But that’s a good thing.
Thanks Carrie, Kelli, Pam, Deb, Michele and everyone else who made it happen (again).
Rob LeVine
Chairman, Vail Symposium
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Thanks to all of you at the Vail Symposium for giving this community such amazing and valuable programming – and a special thanks to the Board (including its great new members) for all their great and committed work! The Symposium is truly an asset for this Valley – and beyond!
With great appreciation,
Kathleen Eck, Vail Symposium Advisory Council
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The Vail Symposium concluded the 2010 Unlimited Adventure Series on March 11th with a presentation by Les Guthman adventure filmmaker extraordinaire. This event was a fantastic conclusion to a season filled with awesome adventurers.
Guthman's films focus on many different types of adventures, from climbing some of the world's largest mountains, kayaking the fastest rivers, and running the most extreme marathons, to the struggle to protect the precious resources, such as water.
One of his films, “Farther Than the Eye Can See,” featured blind climber-adventurer Eric Weihenmayer and his guide and Unlimited Adventures participant Jeff Evans. Evans shared his experience of guiding Eric up rock climbs such as El Capitan, the world-renowned rock face in Yosemite National Park, and Mount Everest, as well as his teammate in many adventure races.
Other programs this season saw accomplished ocean rower Roz Savage, daring climber Kitty Calhoun, treasure hunter Kirsten Gum from the Travel Channel and of course, ski film maverick Greg Stump.
The Vail Symposium in partnership with the town of Vail's Public Library strives to bring prolific adventurers to their Unlimited Adventure Series each year.
As a small non-profit, we rely heavily on the support of the sponsors and individuals who make our programs possible. Without this year's sponsors providing spaces for the programs, an after-party location, lodging and transportation for speakers, and door prize giveaways, the Unlimited Adventure Series would not have been a success.
Most importantly, our sponsors ensure that all of the Unlimited Adventure programs remain free to the public.
The Vail Symposium thanks all of its 2010 sponsors who ensure that this special program can continue and remain free, including town of Vail, town of Vail Public Library, Antlers at Vail, Vail Daily, PSAV Presentation Services, The Bookworm of Edwards, Red Bull, The Tap Room, KZYR The Zephyr, Coors Tap the Rockies, Plum TV and TV8. Thanks to those who provided door prizes including Coors Tap the Rockies, 4 Eagle Ranch, Chicks with Picks, Dogma Athletica, Cascade Resort and Spa, Radio Shack of Avon, Greg Stump Productions, and Nova Guides.
Thank you on behalf of all of us at the Vail Symposium!
Carrie Marsh
Executive Director, Vail Symposium
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The nation’s climate scientists are challenged to develop mechanisms and pathways for their knowledge to reach to local levels. Efforts have been made with the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and many national and state-wide reports. As the science is often pitched at global and regional levels, it does not speak to individuals concerned with local issues. Further confounding the matter is the widespread ventilation of the undergarments of the science through publicized emails and some scientific missteps. These sagas will recede in the rear view mirror as good science transcends. But what of the message? Is anyone listening?
Surveys demonstrate that interest in climate change is declining; it is not only dismissed as a threat, it is dismissed altogether. Naomi Oreskes studies the public’s perception of science and notes that people are increasingly driven by political dogma and are less willing to make the effort to learn about underlying scientific data. Their beliefs and actions are driven by unenlightened short term self-interest and a desire to maintain the status quo. She draws a metaphor wherein we have all been seated at a feast for many years, the table has groaned with abundance; suddenly a waiter appears with a bill. Whose bill is this? Has there been a mistake? Was the meal not free?
The world’s ecosystems are responding to climate change by shifting to higher altitudes and higher latitudes. Forests and reefs are challenged to adapt as they cannot easily move. Our western pine forests have lost tens of millions of acres to the warm winter loving pine bark beetles. Coral reefs may adapt to warming seas, but the acidification of the oceans caused by high CO2 levels might cause them to start dissolving before the end of this century.
Energy is another variable in this game: Cheap energy is not clean. Clean energy is neither cheap nor convenient. A glance at electrical generation finds huge inertia in cheap coal: China’s electricity is 80% from coal, India’s 58%, and ours 49%. Some say, all you need to do is capture the CO2-we proved that we could clean up the sulfur and the particulates. All it takes is desire and money. Accessible liquid oil resources are dwindling as demand rises. Some say the newly discovered natural gas resources in North America, make a sham of our long term energy mix projections and suggest we develop gas fired electricity generating plants to build a viable path around burning coal. In the longer term, note that we didn’t invent word processing by putting cap and trade limits on typewriters, and we didn’t leave the stone age because we ran out of stones. Perhaps fission or fuel cells will be in our future energy mix. Bright young scientists are hard at work on both scores.
Ecosystem changes, be it in reefs or forests are most believable to those who live close by. Distant changes are easy to ignore. In the Vail Valley we can hardly ignore the decline of our pine forests. We are witnessing an unprecedented trajectory of ecosystem disruption and biodiversity loss. In response we are fighting change with change. Our State Legislature is considering increasing the renewable energy standard for electricity generation to a remarkable 30% by 2020. Our largest utility, Excel, has announced plans to convert hundreds of megawatts of electrical generation from coal to cleaner fuels. Our largest airport, DIA, has a train system almost entirely powered by the sun. Each change promises our children a cleaner planet.
While many climate scientists question the need to take energy away from their research and allocate it to communication, the most eager to do so are those with grandchildren. They know that we hold in our hands strands of knowledge that are not being woven into cloth of understanding, and that consequently our actions and policies do not reflect hard-won insights. These grandparents have fallen in love with those who are to inherit the earth and are among the most energetic proponents of change.
Bob Raynolds is a Consulting Geologist and Research Associate at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Raynolds will be a speaker in the 2010 summer Energy + Environment series.
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I recently attended a talk and post-talk dinner on Iran. Absolutely fabulous evening! The talk was stimulating and engaging; lots of good questions and discussions. The post talk dinner at Todger Anderson's house was truly special. It felt like I was at a United Nations dinner; so many people from all walks of life discussing a multitude of topics. I especially enjoyed visiting with a woman from Singapore who shared her Asian perspective on a variety of issues. Thanks, Vail Symposium, for bringing pieces of the global world into our living room. I look forward to more events like these.
Carole Feistmann
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Only the Vail Symposium could assemble such an illustrious group of experts from Temple Grandin to researchers and advocates in the field of Autism and bring them all here to our valley. Parents, teachers, medical professionals and interested community members all gained a greater awareness of Autism from the inside out.
Anne Dunlevie
Board President
Gifted Education Team of Eagle County
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On February 16th, Rose Gottemoeller spoke to a crowd of about fifty (very intelligent) Vail Valley residents and visitors. I hate to employ such an over-used term, but most would agree that she was simply awesome. As personable and humble as she could possibly be, and yet obviously so incredibly knowledgeable and thoughtful, that it was just a pleasure to be in her presence.
Her observations about Putin and Putinism were insightful, as well as the challenges associated with nuclear disarmament, the clan structure and Russia's mistrust of the west in general. Throughout her talk about all the enormous problems, she continued to hold out hope for improvement, progress and even peace. It was sobering yet slightly optimistic at the same time. Admittedly, she did say pointedly that she was "from Ohio, and therefore had no choice but to be optimistic". I'm not sure exactly what that meant, but it was as charming as she was.
Just another in the Symposium's incredibly long line of fabulous speakers.
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OK! What a great way to kick off the 2008 season ... Jordan Metzl was every bit as good as his brother Jaime was last year ... and that was a ten.
After showing the video on the Ironman (how DOES anybody do that?), he talked about kids sports, followed by drugs in sport (some legit, some not) and finished with some advice on lifelong fitness (pertinent to those of us who happen to be in our second half-century).
It was all great, but different parts of it resonated with different parts of the audience. It was good to see some of the local ski coaches there, as well as some big time athletes like Mike Kloser, not to mention tri-athletes Jordan and Jaime themselves.
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