Future leaders to propose global energy solutions at inaugural Equinox Summit: Energy 2030

WATERLOO, ON, May 24 /PRNewswire/ - Imagine you could travel forward in time 20 years... Did we equip future generations with the knowledge they'll desperately need to prepare for a soaring population, draining fossil fuels and the environmental effects of our current high-carbon energy choices?

June 5 to 9, 2011 in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, the Equinox Summit: Energy 2030 (www.equinoxsummit.org) is joining today's experts with tomorrow's leaders to reboot the global energy dialogue and explore how cutting-edge science and technology may advance an increasingly electrified and low-carbon future.

A Global Roster
To work alongside pioneering scientific experts and seasoned advisors, we have selected 18 members to participate in the Equinox Summit's Forum of future leaders. These exceptional young people, ages 20 to 30, represent 12 different countries and vast networks that could propel limitless change in our global community as we prepare for a sustainable future. Here is a quick snapshot at some of our Forum members:

• Zoë Caron, Canada, whose passion for renewable energies has landed her a spot as a Climate Policy and Advocacy Specialist at the World Wildlife Fund Canada
• Kerry Cheung, United States, who examines the development of smart grid technology as a Science and Technology Fellow for the American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Felipe De Leon, Costa Rica, who has developed clean energy projects throughout Central America as part of the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism
• Jian hua Ding, China, who has drafted invaluable policy advice on carbon emissions for the Chinese Ministry of Housing, Urban and Rural Development
• Michael-Donovan Ezeilo, Nigeria, whose collaborative work has led to the development of several environmental policies that became Nigerian law in 2010
• Ayesha Masood, Pakistan, who advocates passionately for the development of renewable energy in her country and beyond through public campaigns and student education
• Jakob Nygard, Denmark, who has researched and analyzed environmental and energy policy for the European Parliament
• Gita Syahrani, Indonesia, whose international legal advocacy have allowed her to advise the Indonesian government on a national low-carbon and clean energy investment strategy

The full list of Forum participants can be found on our website at: http://wgsi.org/content/confirmed-participants-forum

Catalyzing Change through Collaboration
Through four days of intense working sessions in the spirit of open collaboration, these next-generation leaders will work with a quorum of scientists and a group of advisors to envision a sustainable, electrified future coupled with a growing need to expand the capacity, increase the resilience and security, and improve the efficiency of our energy systems. Recommendations will be shared through the presentation of the Equinox Communiqué at the end of the Summit on June 9, 2011.

About Waterloo Global Science Initiative
Founded in 2009, the non-profit Waterloo Global Science Initiative (WGSI) is a partnership between Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics and the University of Waterloo. WGSI aims to present highly focused international conferences that can advance dialogue and catalyze the long-range thinking necessary for scientific and technological solutions of the future.

SOURCE Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics