Forests and Climate Change (Copenhagen Cafe - San Francisco Carbon Collaborative)

It is estmated that 20% of the global man-made greenhouse emissions are attributable to the destruction of forests. We'll explore the various causes of forest degradation along with other current threats to these essential ecosystems. We'll also look at what's being done by conservationists and indigenous peoples to more sustainably manage these vital resources.

Our panel will be moderated by David Pascal and will be followed by a special film screening. Panelists include:

Colin Wiel is the Founder of ecoReserve, a new technology platform that enables individuals and social networks to engage in land conservation. With an extraordinary team of technologists and advisors, including Dr. Jane Goodall, Scientific Director of Gombe Stream Research Center, and Matt Flannery, CEO of Kiva.org, ecoReserve hopes to do for land preservation what micro-lending and micro-philanthropy have done elsewhere in the developing world. The mission of the organization is to not only restore and protect endangered land, but to support sustainable livelihoods and spawn a new micro-conservation grassroots movement. Colin is also co-President of the San Francisco chapter of the Keiretsu Forum and an active Angel investor, who often remains involved in the companies in which he invests.

Gregor MacLennan has worked on indigenous rights and environmental issues in the Peruvian Amazon for 9 years and is co-founder and advisor to the non-profit indigenous rights group Shinai. He spent 7 years living in Peru working with indigenous communities to defend their territory from incursions by illegal loggers and petroleum companies. He has worked with some of the most remote communities in the Amazon, including people who have only recently entered into contact with the outside world, helping them cope with and be in control of the changes in their society. Gregor currently works for US-based indigenous rights campaign organisation Amazon Watch as Peru Programme Coordinator. Gregor has received the Sting and Trudie Styler Award for human rights and the environment.