EarthX Celebrates Half-Earth Day with Speaker Series and Gala

DALLAS, October 20, 2020 /3BL Media/ - EarthX will celebrate Half-Earth Day on October 22, marking both the half-way point to the 51st Earth Day and a day to recognize our responsibility to conserve the Earth’s land and sea and thus protect future generations. Renowned environmental crusader Erin Brockovich will deliver the keynote speech. Other speakers include esteemed biologist and naturalist E.O. Wilson, who popularized the term Half-Earth; actress and environmental activist Rachelle Carson Begley; and global leader in large landscape conservation Harvey Locke.

EarthxTV will stream a full day of programming, ending with the non-profit’s signature annual event — the EarthxGlobal Gala, recognizing individuals, celebrity icons, expert leaders, organizations, and corporations forging the way to a more sustainable future. The day’s activities will begin with an exclusive streaming of the CleanEquity Monaco conference, where sustainable and resource efficient companies springboard to self-sufficiency. EarthxTV will then rebroadcast the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation’s Half Earth Day celebration at 2:15pm CDT, featuring Wilson himself, award-winning actress and environmental advocate Glenn Close, legendary recording artist Paul Simon, and more.

EarthX’s own Half-Earth Day Celebration will follow, with preeminent thought leaders sharing conservation solutions. The night will culminate with the EarthxGlobal Gala, honoring environmental progress, hope, and innovation. A screening of The Great Green Wall will cap the night. 

CleanEquity Monaco Conference | 9am to 1pm CDT

The morning of Half-Earth Day will bring the exclusive streaming of CleanEquity Monaco 2020, featuring 30 of the world best in class sustainability-minded next generation technology companies. Each business will present its vision and have the opportunity to network with investors, industry representatives, government officials, end users, and international trade media to further its commercial and strategic goals.

Half-Earth Day Speaker Series | 5 to 6:25pm CDT

Erin Brockovich, globally revered consumer advocate and environmental activist, will deliver a keynote address for EarthX’s Half-Earth Day Celebration. The talk will dive into her new book, Superman’s Not Coming, where Brockovich lays out the most imminent threats to fresh water and outlines the actions we can all take in our own cities, towns, and villages to neutralize those threats. 

Alongside Brockovich, other speakers include Wilson, who will speak on our planet’s shortage of freshwater and decline of biodiversity, Begley on becoming an environmentalist, and Locke on why nature needs half.

EarthxGlobal Gala - An Evening of Elegance | 6:30 to 8pm CDT

The EarthxGlobal Gala, while honoring the foremost eco-heroes in the nation, will also include a live auction featuring the last available large-format framed and signed print of “Gold” lion by internationally acclaimed photographer David Yarrow, as well as a VIP dinner delivered to guests by Wendy Krispin catering. Performing will be singing-dancing sensation Compton Kidz Club, Grammy winner Skip Martin of Kool & The Gang, with Bastards of Soul closing out the night. Proceeds support EarthX’s youth initiatives, including free STEAM-based K-12 curriculum and year-round programs that educate and raise awareness about environmental issues in and out of schools.

Some of the individuals to be honored are David Holl (Community Leader), Xiye Bastida (Emerging Leader), and Dr. Enric Sala (Explorer of the Year). Executive Producer of My Octopus Teacher, Ellen Windemuth, will receive the Environmental Film of the Year Award, and Conservation International is Environmental Organization of the Year. Finally, Julie Packard — Executive Director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium — will be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award for her persistent efforts toward conserving marine life and tireless commitment to policy reform in support of global ocean health.

Dr. Evan Antin, Host of Animal Planet’s Evan Goes Wild and Master of Ceremonies, will be joined by a star-studded cast presenting awards, including Robert and Sibylle Redford, Michael Cain, and Lord of the Rings actor Lee Pace.

Tickets for the gala are on sale now at: earthx.org/earthxglobalgala

EarthxFilm Festival - The Great Green Wall | 8:30 to 10pm CDT

Half-Earth Day will conclude with an EarthxFilm Festival showing of The Great Green Wall, from Executive Producer Fernando Meirelles (City of God, The Constant Gardener), director Jared P. Scott, and Malian musician Inna Modja. The film will take viewers on an epic journey along Africa’s Great Green Wall, where inspired individuals envision a wall of trees stretching across the continent and counteracting drought, desertification, and climate change.

Learn more about EarthX’s Half-Earth Day celebration at: earthx.org/half-earth-day-halfway-to-the-51st-earth-day-celebration

ABOUT EarthX
EarthX convenes the world’s largest environmental expo, conference and film festival, and is a member of IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature. EarthxTV, which launched in Fall 2020, is a web-based platform for balanced, inclusive environmental conversations, programs, emerging media & films. Founded in 2011 by environmentalist and businessman Trammell S. Crow, the Texas-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization promotes environmental awareness and impact through conscious business, nonpartisan collaboration and community-driven sustainable solutions.  Earthx2020 was held virtually in April and drew over 550,000 visitors worldwide. Visit www.EarthX.org or follow us @earthxorg on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.