Subject:
REACT 2008 Press Release - July 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
10/07/2008
|
|  | July 24, 2007
PRESS RELEASE
 Energy Conference Targets Conservation, Renewable Energy and Rural Sustainability
PORT HAWKESBURY – A multi-faceted energy conference and trade show hosted by the Inverness Victoria Federation of Agriculture, is taking shape for early November at the Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre in Cape Breton.
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. The event is designed to appeal to a wide range of audience members – from farm producers and other business owners, to municipal leaders, youth and members of the general public.
“Our goal is to develop an event that speaks to everyone who is concerned about the rising cost of energy and how it affects rural Nova Scotia,” says Conference Coordinator Jim Rutten, who together with Trade Show Coordinator Shannon Carrigan is developing the format for REACT 2008. “We’re hoping everyone who attends REACT 2008 will come away with practical ideas that they can implement immediately to save energy. The event is also about empowering people to form new collaborations in response to global warming, environmental change, and opportunities in the energy sector.”
REACT 2008 features a key note address by internationally acclaimed author Thomas Homer-Dixon who wrote the Governor General Award winning book The Ingenuity Gap. His latest book, The Upside of Down, was awarded the 2006 National Business Book Award in Canada.
The Upside of Down looks at how today’s converging energy, environmental, and political-economic stresses can lead to a breakdown of national and global order – and at the things communities can do now to keep such a breakdown from being catastrophic. During his Friday night presentation at REACT 2008, Thomas Homer Dixon will also detail the opportunities that exist for the bold reform of our societies -- and at how rural communities can prosper from being in the forefront of change.
For agricultural producers, REACT 2008 will feature panel discussions surrounding on-farm conservation, as well as exploring the resources and investment models that exist for using and producing renewable energy, bio-fuels and bio-heat on the farm. Featured panelists from the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture, the Nova Scotia Cooperative Council, the Nova Scotia Agricultural College, Conserve Nova Scotia and other organizations will be on hand for these conference sessions, while the trade show will offers producers the chance to meet one-on-one with wind, solar, and other private sector renewable energy companies.
For community leaders, producers and business owners alike, the conference will highlight the various provincial policy and municipal initiatives that are being created to support rural sustainability. Panel speakers from a cross-section of provincial departments -- and from municipalities throughout Nova Scotia -- will be on hand to compare notes on how their plans are developing, and how these initiatives are designed to support greener communities.
The conference will encourage the general public to learn more about the relationship between local food production and rural sustainability. Community members can also receive an update at REACT 2008 on how the Green Action Plan is developing in the Strait-Highlands region of Cape Breton. A youth focus is also being developed at the conference that will highlight the training and career opportunities within the energy sector, as well as showcasing the green initiatives that are being developed by regional students.
Planning for REACT 2008 has been taking place since January 2008, with the participation and support of a Project Steering Committee that includes representation from the Department of Agriculture, AgraPoint, Agri Futures Nova Scotia, Agriculture Agri-Food Canada, the Inverness Victoria Federation of Agriculture, the Nova Scotia Department of Energy, the Nova Scotia Department of Economic Development, the Nova Scotia Department of Skills and Learning, Service Canada, the Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre and the Strait-Highlands RDA. Steering Committee members are taking an active role in overseeing the conference and trade show format and in generating financial support for the event.
Detailed information on the REACT 2008 event is available by visiting the website at www.REACT2008.ca, or by linking to the Strait-Highlands Regional Development Authority website at www.strait-highlands.ns.ca The REACT 2008 Project Office, located at the Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre, can be reached by calling (902) 625-5486.
Media Contact:
Amy Melmock
(902) 625-1140
|