Subject:
REACT 2008 Press Release - September 2008
Summary:
The Rural Energy Action Trade Show and Conference (REACT 2008), slated for Friday, November 7th and Saturday, November 8th, 2008, brings together the themes of conservation, renewable energy and rural sustainability.
Date Created:
10/07/2008
Last Modified
11/14/2008
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|  | September 29, 2007
PRESS RELEASE
 Internationally Acclaimed Speakers Featured at Regional Energy Conference
PORT HAWKESBURY – It isn’t every day that someone who’s advised Ottawa’s Department of Foreign Affairs and the United States National Security Council on energy and security issues makes his way to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia– but this November, internationally acclaimed author Dr. Thomas Homer Dixon will be doing just that.
Thomas Homer Dixon is the keynote speaker at the Rural Energy Action Trade Show and Conference (REACT 2008), taking place at the Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre on November 7th and 8th, 2008. During his evening address on Friday, November 7th, he’ll speak about how communities in Northeastern Nova Scotia can adapt to complex economical, ecological and technological change – and what the opportunities are to get in the forefront of energy revolution that’s taking place around us.
“Thomas Homer-Dixon is the perfect choice as guest speaker for a conference that brings together the issues of conservation, renewable energy, and building sustainable communities,” says REACT Conference Coordinator Jim Rutten. “We’re extremely pleased to have someone of his caliber speaking about issues that are at the core of rural development.”
Thomas Homer-Dixon holds the Centre for International Governance Chair at the Balsillie School of International Affairs in Guelph, Ontario. His ideas about the complex changes that are taking place across the globe came to the national forefront in 2001, when he was awarded the Governor General’s Award for his book “The Ingenuity Gap.”
Since then, his book “The Upside of Down: Catastrophe, Creativity, and the Renewal of Civilization” has been awarded the National Business Book Award in Canada, and he’s been a featured speaker at Yale, Harvard, Princeton, and Cornell Universities and at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, to name but a few of his many engagements.
The November 7th keynote address, which will feature opening remarks from the Strait Area Chamber of Commerce, will be accompanied by a gourmet three-course meal, featuring local foods from the Cape Breton and Northeastern Nova Scotia Region. Tickets to the gala presentation are $50 each (HST inclusive) and can be reserved by calling (902) 625-5486. A $10 discount to the event is available to Chamber of Commerce members.
Thomas Homer Dixon is one of many distinguished figures making their way to the REACT 2008 Conference and Trade Show. His associate, David Hughes of the Geological Survey of Canada will be giving a lunch-hour address on “peak oil” and its implications for Atlantic Canada at the opening lunch-hour event on Friday, November 7th. As a geologist with more than 30 years of experience in studying the energy sector in Canada, David Hughes has developed a keen interest in energy security in Canada, and the political and environmental factors surrounding different forms of energy use.
Throughout the two-day REACT trade show in Port Hawkesbury, participants will have the chance to visit dozens of trade booths related to renewable energy technology, conservation and more. Meanwhile, conference delegates can hear from dozens of panelists and special guests, speaking on energy issues ranging from agriculture, to municipal leadership and small business opportunities and success stories. A full roster of trade show and conference activities is available on the REACT 2008 website at www.react2008.ca, or call (902) 625-5486 for more information.
REACT 2008 is hosted by the Inverness Victoria Federation of Agriculture. Partial funding for this project has been provided by Service Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through Agri-Futures, Nova Scotia’s A.C.A.A.F. Council, Enterprise Cape Breton, the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture, the Nova Scotia Department of Economic Development, the Nova Scotia Department of Energy, the Strait-Highlands RDA, AgraPoint, the Municipality of the County of Inverness, the Town of Port Hawkesbury, the Municipality of the District of Guysborough, the Cape Breton Regional Municipality and Nova Scotia Community College. Private sector supporters include NewPage Port Hawkesbury, Jacques Whitford, 101.5 The Hawk and Maritime Inns and Resorts (Port Hawkebury).
Media Contact:
Amy Melmock, Project Lead
AgraPoint Cape Breton
(902) 625-1140
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