reThink Waterloo 2009

 reThink Waterloo 2009 was a public forum to promote sustainability in the Region of Waterloo. The day long event inspired members of our community to take action towards a sustainable future – and  to answer the question “What can I do?”

The conference, held at the Centre in the Square, included seminars with local experts, an exhibit hall, and visionary keynote by Dr. David Suzuki. reThink Waterloo 2009 connected those looking to lighten their environmental impact with the help they need to take daily actions that can bring about real and significant reductions in our collective footprint.

2009 – Featured Speaker Dr. David Suzuki

reThink Waterloo was honoured to have Dr. David Suzuki present the closing keynote address for our 2009 conference on Saturday, October 17.   Dr. Suzuki is one of Canada’s most respected scientists, environmentalists, and speakers.  He has become a household name as a Canadian environmental icon, having spent a lifetime dedicated to promoting environmental awareness.

What Can I Do? – Dr. David Suzuki  talked about the fundamental crisis of how we see ourselves on this planet. We have come to think we are the reason the rest of nature exists, that it is our right to use whatever we want if we can make money. He spoke about what it is that blocks us from seeing our true nature - as biological beings which are as dependent on the productivity of the rest of life on Earth as any other species. Our numbers, technology, consumption and economy are totally out of balance within the biosphere. It is extremely urgent since we are undermining the life support systems. David also described what we have to do, outlining that if we can get through the current bottleneck of denial, most people will prefer to live as we are going to have to. His entire talk was linked to what we can do as individuals to make changes.

reThink Waterloo 2008

reThink Waterloo was founded in 2008 through a partnership between several local organizations and institutions including All Our Relations (www.allourrelations.org), the University of Waterloo Sustainability Project (uwsp.feds.ca) and the University of Waterloo Faculty of Environment (www.fes.uwaterloo.ca). The goal of the first forum, held on October 5, 2008, was to bring the community together to think about our individual and collective impact on the world and about how we could change that impact for the better.

For the inaugural conference, organizers brought northern rights advocate Sheila Watt-Clouthier, world-famous environmental activist Robert Kennedy Jr. and many other brilliant local thinkers to the Waterloo Recreation Centre for a full day of new perspectives and new choices.