Blue Planet Summit taps array of experts

Star-Bulletin staff

The Blue Planet Foundation is convening an ambitious conference this week in Ko Olina, bringing together dozens of experts in the field to develop tangible ways to advance the goal of clean energy for Hawaii.

The first Blue Planet Summit, which is closed to the public, runs Thursday through Saturday at the Ihilani Resort. The list of speakers and panelists scheduled includes:

» Gov. Linda Lingle

» Robert F. Kennedy Jr., environmentalist

» David McClain, president, University of Hawaii

» Henk Rogers, entrepreneur, founder of Blue Planet Foundation

» Mark Brownstein, managing director, Environmental Defense Fund

» Puanani Burgess, community building facilitator and trainer

» Dr. Heidi Cullen, the Weather Channel

» Neal DeSnoo, energy officer, City of Berkeley, Calif.

» Christine Ervin, former president and chief executive officer of U.S. Green Building Council

» David Garman, former undersecretary, U.S. Department of Energy

» Denis Hayes, chief executive officer, Bullitt Foundation; national coordinator of first Earth Day; chairman, Earthday Network

» Jeffrey R. Izzo, energy officer, Bureau of Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs, U.S. State Department

» Elizabeth Kapuuwailani Lindsey, Ph.D., explorer, National Geographic Society

» Theodore E. Liu, director, Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism

» Former U.S. Rep. Pete McCloskey (R, Calif.)

» Jeff Mikulina, director, Sierra Club-Hawaii Chapter

» Hawaii Rep. Hermina Morita (D, Hanalei-Kapaa), chairwoman, Hawaii House Energy and Environmental Protection Committee

» William P. Parks Jr., deputy assistant secretary, Research and Development, U.S. Department of Energy

» Kenneth E. Pringle, mayor of Belmar, N.J.; board of directors, New Jersey Transit

» Stephen Reed, executive director, Blue Planet Foundation

» Richard E. Rocheleau, Ph.D., director, Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, University of Hawaii

» Tony Rogers, Rosebud Sioux Tribe Utility Commission

» Clyde Sakamoto, chancellor, Maui Community College

» Frank Sesno, CNN journalist

» Ramsay Taum, Native Hawaiian Culture and Sustainability, University of Hawaii at Manoa

» Charmaine Tavares, mayor, Maui County

» Hawaii Rep. Cynthia Thielen (R, Kaneohe-Kailua)

» R. James Woolsey, Vantage Point Venture Partners; former director, Central Intelligence Agency; senior executive adviser, Booz Allen Hamilton