91社区福利 will launch the new Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions with an environmental summit Sept. 20-22.

The summit will bring together hundreds of scientists and leaders from government, corporations, environmental organizations and universities. They will address challenges facing society today in six areas of critical concern: energy, climate change, environmental health, water quality, the health of oceans and the health of forests and wildlife habitats.

The summit is open to the media. To request interviews with specific speakers, call Tim Lucas, (919) 613-8084, by 3 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20. 

Highlights of the summit will include:

  • The presentation of results from a new national poll, commissioned by the Nicholas Institute, examining how voters鈥 views on the environment affect, or don鈥檛 affect, their decisions at the ballot box. Poll results will be presented at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21, in Geneen Auditorium at the Fuqua School of Business.
  • Keynote addresses by Pulitzer Prize winner Jared Diamond, author of 鈥淕uns, Germs and Steel: The Fate of Human Societies,鈥 at 12:45 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21, at Fuqua鈥檚 Fox Student Center; by Russell Train, chairman emeritus of the World Wildlife Fund and former head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, at 9 a.m. Wednesday in Geneen Auditorium; and by Richard Osborne, group vice president for public and regulatory policy at Duke Energy, at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20, in Love Auditorium at the Levine Science Research Center.
  • A panel discussion on 鈥淭he Corporate Role in Environmental Stewardship,鈥 at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21, in Geneen Auditorium.

Speakers and panelists at the summit represent some of the nation鈥檚 best minds on environmental science and policy, from all sides of the issues, said Tim Profeta, director of the Nicholas Institute.

鈥淔or too long, we have seen environmental problems increase while our political ability to address those challenges has faded,鈥 Profeta said. 鈥淭he Nicholas Institute has been created to fill that gap by serving as an impartial source of information and ideas that are trusted equally by all parties.鈥

The Nicholas Institute was made possible through a $70 million gift to the Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences by Peter and Ginny Nicholas of Boston.

Results of the national poll also will be presented at a press briefing at noon Tuesday, Sept. 20, in the U.S. Senate Environment Committee Hearing Room, 406 Dirksen Senate Office Building, in Washington, D.C. Media with representatives in the D.C. area are invited to attend.