BALTIMORE BIONEERS ’08 CONFERENCE: CULTIVATING CHANGE. INSPIRING SOLUTIONS.
Baltimore Bioneers
National Experts to Address Baltimore Conference on Practical Solutions to Protect and Restore Our Communities and Our Earth
When
November 6-9, 2008
November 6, 6-9 pm, Art Reception and Kick‐Off Reception featuring the music of Bossalingo.
November 7-8, 8:30 am - 5:30 pm, Conference
November 9, 8:30 am – 3:30 pm, Conference
Where
Maryland Institute College of Art, Brown Center
1301 Mount Royal Avenue, Baltimore MD 21217
What
The 2nd annual Baltimore Bioneers Conference features some of the most insightful, inspiring innovators working to change the region and the world. Witness how the power of collaboration across all disciplines can promote practical environmental solutions and innovative social strategies for restoring the Earth and healing human communities. Hear from local and recorded* keynotes, workshops, and panelist discussions. More online at www.cultivatingchange.org.
Keynote Speakers
The following speakers are available to speak with the press. Below is listed a schedule of speakers.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9, Falvey Hall
9:30 am: Opening by Tracy Ward, publisher, Urbanite a founding sponsor of the conference
11:20 am – 12 pm: Jessica Rimington, founder of One World Youth Project and a senior at Georgetown University – “The Next Generation of Social Change”
12:55 – 1:40 pm: Wallace ‘J.’ Nichols, Ph.D., internationally recognized expert on marine conservation and ocean communication with the California Academy of Sciences and Ocean Revolution ‐ “Jump the Chasm: Are You an EcoDaredevil?”
About Bioneers
Bioneers (www.bioneers.org) is inspiring a shift to live on Earth in ways that honor the web of life, each other and future generations. Founded in 1990, Bioneers promotes practical environmental solutions and innovative social strategies for restoring Earth’s imperiled ecosystems and healing our human communities. Baltimore is one of 18 “Beaming Bioneers” cities across the nation.
Baltimore Bioneers Founding Sponsors
CSBA
Tai Sophia Institute
Urbanite
USGBC Baltimore Chapter
2008 Baltimore Bioneers Conference Sponsors
Jim & Patty Rouse Foundation
substance151
Abell Foundation
GOforChange
lori hill event productions
Maryland Institute College of Art
Roland Park Country School
Art on Purpose
Baltimore Community Foundation
Kahn Family Foundation
National Aquarium in Baltimore
Parks & People Foundation
Waldorf School of Baltimore
Woodberry Kitchen ∙
Your Words Worth
Zanvyl and Isabelle Krieger Fund
Benchmark Assets Management
Black Oak Associates
CDM eCycling
Kelley Ray Consulting LLC
P. Flanigan & Sons
Reliant Energy
Vangel Paper
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Sunday, June 1, 2008
JUNK launches across Pacific today!
As marine debris is one of our main concerns as ocean advocates, I thought everyone would be interested in this creative "EcoDaredevil" project by some of our friends and colleagues...
Crossing the Pacific on Junk raft
A guest post from Anna Cummins (photo at right), education advisor of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation.
The average Emerald City reader has likely heard of the infamous "Pacific Garbage Patch," that mythical swath of debris in the Pacific, the size of Texas. Or was it two Texases or wait, twice the size of the moon?
Having recently returned from a month-long research trip through this massive marine landfill, I'll clear up a few misconceptions:
• The garbage does indeed exist. HOWEVER it is not a "patch" of garbage, nor a trash island. It's more like a huge bowl of dilute plastic soup, from California to Japan.
• We can't clean it up, net it away, or sieve it out. It's an area twice the size of the United States, and the debris is too spread out. Imagine a handful of plastic cornflakes sprinkled over a football field. Now imagine 9 million football fields in the Pacific Ocean.
12 years ago, Captain Charles Moore accidentally "discovered" the plastic debris debacle in the North Pacific while sailing an infrequently traveled route from Hawaii to Los Angeles. Stunned by the endless river of plastic junk he found -– toothbrushes, bottle caps, wrappers, fragments –- Moore decided to return with research tools and scientific sampling methods, to better understand what he saw.
In 1999, Moore et al. published the groundbreaking study, 4,200 miles across the Pacific, collecting surface samples the entire way.
What we found this year: the problem has gotten much, much worse. Though our samples are still being processed, Captain Moore guesstimates a fivefold increase in 10 years, bumping plastic to plankton ratios up to 30:1.
And still, we tear through plastic bags and bottles like they're going out of style...
Actually, we'd love to see disposable plastics go out of style. So to bring public attention to the junk in our ocean, we're sailing from Long Beach to Hawaii -- on Junk.

For the last few months, Dr. Marcus Eriksen, Joel Paschal and myself have been creating Junk -– a raft made of 15,000 plastic bottles, an old Cessna 310 airplane, and other assorted junk, to sail from Long Beach to Hawaii.
Marcus and Joel will set sail on June 1 from the Long Beach Aquarium, carrying hundreds of individual messages about plastic debris, to be delivered to D.C. legislators next winter. I'll be charting their daily progress from land, keeping up the blog, and praying for gentle, steady winds.
Come on board! To support our mission, write your message in a bottle here. And to see history in the making -- the first ever plastic bottle boat cross the Pacific -- come on down for the June 1 launch party, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Long Beach Aquarium.
Follow the journey at the JUNK blog. And for information, e-mail me at annacummins@gmail.com.
Top photo by Joel Paschal; bottom photo by Peter Bennett
Crossing the Pacific on Junk raft
A guest post from Anna Cummins (photo at right), education advisor of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation.
The average Emerald City reader has likely heard of the infamous "Pacific Garbage Patch," that mythical swath of debris in the Pacific, the size of Texas. Or was it two Texases or wait, twice the size of the moon?
Having recently returned from a month-long research trip through this massive marine landfill, I'll clear up a few misconceptions:
• The garbage does indeed exist. HOWEVER it is not a "patch" of garbage, nor a trash island. It's more like a huge bowl of dilute plastic soup, from California to Japan.
• We can't clean it up, net it away, or sieve it out. It's an area twice the size of the United States, and the debris is too spread out. Imagine a handful of plastic cornflakes sprinkled over a football field. Now imagine 9 million football fields in the Pacific Ocean.
12 years ago, Captain Charles Moore accidentally "discovered" the plastic debris debacle in the North Pacific while sailing an infrequently traveled route from Hawaii to Los Angeles. Stunned by the endless river of plastic junk he found -– toothbrushes, bottle caps, wrappers, fragments –- Moore decided to return with research tools and scientific sampling methods, to better understand what he saw.
In 1999, Moore et al. published the groundbreaking study, 4,200 miles across the Pacific, collecting surface samples the entire way.
What we found this year: the problem has gotten much, much worse. Though our samples are still being processed, Captain Moore guesstimates a fivefold increase in 10 years, bumping plastic to plankton ratios up to 30:1.
And still, we tear through plastic bags and bottles like they're going out of style...
Actually, we'd love to see disposable plastics go out of style. So to bring public attention to the junk in our ocean, we're sailing from Long Beach to Hawaii -- on Junk.

For the last few months, Dr. Marcus Eriksen, Joel Paschal and myself have been creating Junk -– a raft made of 15,000 plastic bottles, an old Cessna 310 airplane, and other assorted junk, to sail from Long Beach to Hawaii.
Marcus and Joel will set sail on June 1 from the Long Beach Aquarium, carrying hundreds of individual messages about plastic debris, to be delivered to D.C. legislators next winter. I'll be charting their daily progress from land, keeping up the blog, and praying for gentle, steady winds.
Come on board! To support our mission, write your message in a bottle here. And to see history in the making -- the first ever plastic bottle boat cross the Pacific -- come on down for the June 1 launch party, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Long Beach Aquarium.
Follow the journey at the JUNK blog. And for information, e-mail me at annacummins@gmail.com.
Top photo by Joel Paschal; bottom photo by Peter Bennett
Friday, May 30, 2008
EcoDaredevils: JUNK launch on June 1st!
JUNK Launches on June 1st!
Check it out HERE and be there if you can to send them off on their trip from CA to Hawaii aboard a plastic bottle raft.
Check it out HERE and be there if you can to send them off on their trip from CA to Hawaii aboard a plastic bottle raft.
Friday, May 16, 2008
EcoDaredevil: Laser Van Thillo
Here is a true eco daredevil action-the burying of the earth treasure vase in the ocean!
Mark Van Thillo (aka Laser) and other members of PCRF "buried" a consecrated tibetan earth treasure vase in the Southern Pacific Ocean in December.
The intention of the vase, which is filled with prayers and offerings, is to bring protection and healing to wherever it is placed. The dive off Egum Atoll in the Trobriand Islands, Papua New Guinea, took the vase 93 feet down to a pristine shelf.
Watch the video HERE
Mark Van Thillo (aka Laser) and other members of PCRF "buried" a consecrated tibetan earth treasure vase in the Southern Pacific Ocean in December.
The intention of the vase, which is filled with prayers and offerings, is to bring protection and healing to wherever it is placed. The dive off Egum Atoll in the Trobriand Islands, Papua New Guinea, took the vase 93 feet down to a pristine shelf.
Watch the video HERE
Thursday, May 1, 2008
EcoDaredevils; Population and Sustainability Network
Population and Sustainability
A focus for the Network is "to address the taboo nature of 'population issues' - the very word 'population' seems to be problematic for many.
The taboo about 'population' extends to discussion about the over-consumption by the rich minority world. It is, after all, the rich world which is causing disproportionate damage to our fragile planet through its consumption patterns. Biodiversity, climate change and pollution are all serious issues which the Network plans to address."
This is truly EcoDaredevil work and the creativity required includes crafting a conversation that isn't ignored outright by those threatened by this "taboo" topic. And many are.
Support the Population and Sustainability Network
A focus for the Network is "to address the taboo nature of 'population issues' - the very word 'population' seems to be problematic for many.
The taboo about 'population' extends to discussion about the over-consumption by the rich minority world. It is, after all, the rich world which is causing disproportionate damage to our fragile planet through its consumption patterns. Biodiversity, climate change and pollution are all serious issues which the Network plans to address."
This is truly EcoDaredevil work and the creativity required includes crafting a conversation that isn't ignored outright by those threatened by this "taboo" topic. And many are.
Support the Population and Sustainability Network
Rent-a-Cop gets owned by EcoDaredevil walrus
Here's the deal...here in California the beaches belong to ALL of us...even the walruses know that!
That walrus is an EcoDaredevil...and so are the people who made this video, show them some love: Surfrider.org
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