Keynote speakers set for Seeley Conference

The 25th annual Seeley Conference will be held June 26-29, at Cornell Univ. in Ithaca, N.Y. The conference’s theme is “Floriculture's Environmental Footprint: An Inconvenient Truth or Consumer Opportunity?” The keynote speakers for this year’s conference include:
Ron Stavins, who is director of Harvard University’s Environmental Economics Program, will deliver the opening presentation. During his presentation “The Big (Environmental) Picture,” Stavins will provide an overview of the water and carbon-related issues facing the U.S. and the driving forces underlying these issues.
A second keynote on “Green Business Driving Forces” will be delivered by Joel Makower, executive editor of GreenBiz.com, which is produced by Greener World Media, of which he is co-founder and chairman. The Associated Press has called him “The guru of green business practices.”
The closing address will be given by Bob Dolibois, executive vice president of the American Nursery & Landscape Association. His presentation will highlight the responses made by green industry participants in addressing environmental issues, the importance of consumer and legislator perceptions about horticulture products and services, and what is being done in the industry to convey our industry’s value proposition of enhancing consumers’ lives through ecosystems services and other benefits (health, aesthetics, economic, etc).