WHEN: June 9, 2009, 12:15 PM to 2PM (Speaking will begin promptly at 12:30 PM)
WHERE: Environmental Law Institute
  Main Conference Room
  2000 L St. NW, Ste 620
  Washington, DC 20036

RSVP: Attendance for this event is limited to members of the press. A complimentary lunch will be provided. To reserve, email bkitchen@eli.org, or call 202-939-3833.
"Sustainability" is quickly becoming a household word in the United States. Public alarm over climate change has helped to make sustainable development a major public policy issue and a topic of growing importance in the daily lives of Americans. Agenda for a Sustainable America was released by ELI Press in 2009 to critical acclaim and is now a bestseller in the field of environmental policy. It is a comprehensive assessment of U.S. progress toward sustainable development and a roadmap of necessary next steps toward achieving a sustainable America. Edited by John C. Dernbach, Distinguished Professor of Law at Widener University in Pennsylvania, Agenda is packed with facts, figures, and the well-informed opinions of 41 experts, providing an illuminating “snapshot” of sustainability in the United States today. Each of the contributors suggests where we need to go next, recommending three to five specific actions that we should take during the next five to ten years.

This luncheon will focus on recommendations for the Obama administration on three topics: 1) toxic chemicals and pesticides; 2) the public’s right to know, and 3) national governance.
These and other recommendations point the way toward greater economic and social well-being, increased security, and environmental protection and restoration for current and future generations of Americans. Together they build a convincing case for how sustainable development can improve our opportunities and our lives. For more information on the book, please visit http://www.agendaforasustainableamerica.com   Advance copies of the book are available on request.
The following contributing authors will address the luncheon:

•        Gary D. Bass, founder and executive director of OMB Watch, an NGO that addresses government accountability and citizen participation;

•        Dr. Lynn Goldman, pediatrician and professor of environmental health sciences at John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where she specializes in environmental risks to children; and

•        Professor John C. Dernbach, who also contributed the chapter on national governance.
 
Commenting on the book will be Dr. Terry F. Yosie, President & CEO of the World Environment Center, a non-profit, non-advocacy organization whose mission is to advance sustainable development through the business operations of WEC member companies and in partnership with government agencies, non-governmental organizations, universities and other stakeholders.