Video One – His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Summit Opening Remarks

Video Two – SNHU President Dr. Paul Leblanc, Summit Opening Remarks

Video Three – Fr. John Chryssavgis, Summit Opening Remarks

Video Four – Dr. James Hansen, NASA, Opening Keynote Lecture

Video Five – Dr. Jane Goodall’s Keynote on Biodiversity and Conservation 

Video Six – Panel Discussion in Response to Jane Goodall’s Presentation

Video Seven – Bill McKibben’s Keynote on Energy an Climate Change

Video Eight – Panel Discussion in Response to Bill McKibben’s Presentation

Video Nine – Gary Hirshberg’s Keynote on Economy and Innovation

Video Ten – Metropolitan John of Pergamon’s Final Remarks on the Summit

Sister Theosemni presents at the Halki Summit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yvAf1bPyNM

The Most Rev. Dr. Metropolitan Elpidophoros of Bursa’s Summit Closure Speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCkKzOv9Ozs

“In light of Christianity having saved Western civilization several times in eras of crisis have you considered preparing for severe climate change as a prophetic witness by developing off-grid energy independence, building root cellars for food storage, greenhouses for climate control, and growing hardy crops with large root systems like hybrid hazelnuts or sea buckthorn (hippophae rhamnoides) which is a berry containing all the amino acids and phyto-nutrients or whatever is appropriate to the local climate?”

Father John Chryssavgis responds on behalf of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew:

“His All-Holiness considers his ecological responsibility as being the inspiration and encouragement of institutions and individuals as well as communities and corporations to consider the global impact of their actions in order that they may adopt more viable and sustainable practices in accordance with God’s command to care for the creation.

In this respect, arguably as the most pervasive and powerful force on earth, religion — and religious leaders — can prove a defining marker of the space and character of our world, playing a critical role as a force of social and institutional mobilization on a variety of levels.”

Do you have a question for one of our speakers? Submit them online now!

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http://president.snhu.edu/leblanc/

http://blogging.snhu.edu/students/

Today’s Reality:

Big house but small family

More education but less common sense

Advanced medicine but poor health

High income but less peace of Mind

High IQ knowledge but less wisdom

And finally

Lots of human beings but less humanity

Discussion highlighted our materialistic nature and how it is leading to our demise.  We have more money now than ever but we are unhappy, unsatisfied and destructive. Bill Mckibben noted jokingly that some of the larger oil corporations have more money than God – which even got a smile from the His All-Holiness.  Over consumption is everywhere.  Michael Northcott, a noted professor of ethics and ordained priest, shared a quick story about a run he had taken around the island earlier that morning.  He had finished down by the beach where he was bombarded with a field of plastic and other trash.  We don’t need big homes and lots of stuff!!!  Anne Wallin, Director of EH&S and Sustainability at Dow Chemical noted how in Switzerland she is able to live a more simplified life in a much smaller house with only one car while generating 1/3 of the trash as she did in Michigan.  To get to this point we are going to need a major mind-shift, a new cultural reality.

The more developed countries, with the most money and best education, are responsible for the majority of the pollution.  The US is only 4% of the population but we emit the most green house gases which cause climate change.  Effects of climate change are impacting poorer nations with little way to cope.  We are not loving thy neighbor, instead Mckibben states “We are drowning them and sickening them” (and in some cases, killing them).

Discussion on population growth has been scarce thus far.  Perhaps today as we our discussion moves towards food and innovation it will increase.  Jane did highlight the micro loan program, which provides small money to women in developing nations.  She held out her hand as she spoke as if receiving the money to show us how the women felt holding something so precious to them for the first time in their live.  Empowering and educated women leads to lower total fertility rates and helps alleviate poverty.

Much of the conversation after Jane’s session was on the importance of influencing and educating our youth.  Although participant, Vigen Guroian, professor of religious studies at U of Virginia, warned us that we had relied on an active youth group in the past (think 60s & 70s).  He warns that same gung-ho youth turned out to be us!!  But youth are making a difference – Jane’s Roots and Shoots is now in 130 countries and Bill’s 350.org group has participated in over 20,000 demonstrations globally.

Most of the discussion after Bill’s session centered on large corporations.  Who is responsible and how can we get them to listen?  If you have not yet had the pleasure of hearing him speak – run, don’t walk! Maybe you can catch him in Rio – he is on his way there this very minute.  I think I have gecome a Mckibben groupie.

Breakfast time is almost over….. heading down for a quick sip of juice before heading into Gary Hirshberg’s session on Innovation and the economy. 

More ramblings to come.

Most moving were her stories of the forest and the chimpanzees she came to know.  How she was welcomed into the inner circle by David Greybeard – who allowed her to follow him one day through a bushel of thickets.  As Jane appeared on the other side, he was waiting for her.  She offered him a favored food but denied it.  In response, however, he reached for her hand and held it as if to say – thank you. 

I think this is about when my eyes began to well-up a bit.  But as I was sitting in the front of the room I tried to stay strong.  But, her stories continued and were too much and the tears did begin to fall.  Just the tone of her voice as she recalled circling in a plane near her site to see only barren land where rich, lush forest use to stand was too much to take. 

But there is hope.  She reminisced about an afternoon on her veranda in Dar es Salaam when 12 young Tanzanian girls shared their concerns about the state of their environment. They had asked Jane to help them – yet Jane’s reply was to challenge them on what they could do to make change.  The result of this afternoon was the start of Jane’s most successful program “Roots and Shoots”; now in over 130 countries.  In fact she shared with us it was only 4 days ago that she was able to sway the Sheik of the UAE to open a branch.  Now hundreds of thousands of youth around the word are making a difference.  Our own SNHU students, who had a chance to sit with Jane, have pledged to start their own chapter when we return home.

The night before the sessions started we were treated to a tour of the Halki School of Theology – an extremely ancient school where Patriarch Bartholomew and those before him graduated from seminary.  The Turkish government closed the school in 1971 and has refused to allow the Orthodox Church to reopen it.  The community continues to care for it daily and if you step into any one of its classrooms it is as if there were students at the desks that very day.  The artifacts and treasures are awesome and the sadness felt was unbearable.  After, I had the opportunity to walk out with Jane from this monastery, which sits at the very top of the island, and prepared to take the horse carriage for our ride back to the hotel.  “No”, Jane said.  “I could not bear to put those poor creatures through any more misery then what they are already exposed to”. There are no cars allowed on the island so horse and carriage provides the only transport.  Yet, even this type of alternative energy was not acceptable as it was at the cost of another living being. We walked down the hill darting out of the way of carriages crashing through on their way to and from the school.  As we walked I asked where she was living these days and she said “on a plane”.  Seventy-eight years old and she is home only a few days a month – truly remarkable.  But this is also one of her biggest dilemmas.  Sometimes it is hard for her to rationalize the carbon footprint of her travels.  But when it is weighed against the good she does by inspiring all she meets – she accepts the tradeoff (stubbornly).  I found that she also investigates where her clothes are made and makes extremely conscious decisions about things we never think twice about on a daily basis.  It was a lovely walk - although I did pay for it with a few blisters later that evening.  

Jane wears her compassion and empathy on her sleeve for all to see.  How marvelous that such an icon can be so humble and so effective. Yet she also has a great wit and sense of humor.  This was evident when she charmingly compared David Greybeard’s beard to that of His All-Holiness as he sat in the front row - truly a surreal moment for all those attending.

I promise to write more about the panel that followed but it is late (it is 1:06 AM) and the day was long…… 

I hope you are enjoying following our experience virtually.  Please remember to send any questions to us and we will try to get your answers posted.

[View the story "Energy & Climate Change" on Storify]

Biodiversity & Conservation Discussion