Nearly 30 speakers—including experts on oceans, energy, ecology, technology, the environment, and activism—have gathered in Washington, D.C.and in live-viewing “meetups” around the world for a TEDxOilSpill event. Prompted by the catastrophic leak at the site of BP’s failed Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling platform, the day-long program includes first-hand observations of the spill and its consequences in and around the Gulf of Mexico, plus reflections on oil science, conservation, and the future of energy.
The event kicks off this morning with presentations by participants in the just-concluded week-long TEDxOilSpill expedition to the Gulf. Colleague David Braun has shared updates and photos from the expedition on the NatGeo News Watch blog.
The TEDxOilSpill program will stream live through the conclusion of the final talk this evening at 7 p.m. EDT.
For more than 40 years, the non-profit TED (an acronym for Technology, Entertainment, Design) has convened experts, creative artists, business leaders, inventors, academics, and others to speak on a range of important topics. The TEDxOilSpill conference is an independently-organized TED event.
Photos by Ford Cochran (top), Kris “kk” Krüg