The WWF made the inspired decision to host the 3rd Annual TEDxWWF in Abu Dhabi in May, by gathering local and international speakers for a one day ‘brain spa.
Speakers from Andy Ridley, the founder of Earth Hour, to Luc Marin, and his wonderful sand art, all used their own personal area of expertise, to highlight the theme of One Planet Living. The overriding message of the event was that are currently consuming one and a half planet’s worth of resources per year, faster than the planet can replace them.
Ridley talked about the successes (and failures) of Earth Hour, while Elham Al Qasimi, the first Arab woman to reach the North Pole, spoke about forging your own path and finding your inner voice about reaching outside of your comfort zones. She also spoke about the need for skills gained outside traditional education methods, and the need to share knowledge, instead of only seeking it.
The conference also focused on front edge green technologies and the need to solve the energy crisis that is rapidly looming. One of the most memorable talks, however, was in the form of a video from the main TED Global conference where Saul Griffith talked about the potential of kite-sourced wind power.
The beauty of the TED format is that it brings together people from different industries, different countries and different walks of life, to discuss topics that are important no matter where you come from, or what profession you work in.
I walked away from the conference with renewed hope for the planet, and humanity, and also more confidence in the work that is being done to help protect it. But this doesn’t mean that the work is over, far from it. TEDxWWF served as a reminder of how much each of us still has to do, and also about how much innovating needs to happen.
TEDxWWF talks are on online at www.tedxwwf.com
By Emma Kirkman
