Clinton Global Initiative Opening Plenary (10-10:30am)

10:05 Clinton takes the stage and discusses the many world events that have happened since last year’s meeting.

10:11 Commitments to clean energy have impacted over 4M people and Clinton hopes that will be dramatically improved via commitments today…

10:13 CGI Asia to come later this year, with growing importance of the continent. This is great.  With increasing numbers of coal plants, energy needs on the exponential rise – hopefully an opportunity to engage Chinese leaders in particular about their energy

10:13 MyCommitment.org given a shout out (way to go 1Sky-er Michael Silberman and team at Echo Ditto!).  $4M donated through it in last year

10:14 240 Commitments have been completed in their entirety since 2005.

10:15 60 heads of state, 5 Nobel Laureates, hundreds of CEO’s present.

First Commitment:

10:18 Clinton links challenges of population growth, economic development etc to climate challenge. Biggest thing having an impact on all of the above is girls education.  Honors Nike Foundation, World Bank and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia for coordinated efforts in linking girls’ skills training to labor and other global issues.

Third Commitment:

10:22 Duke Energy.  Uh oh.  “This is a commitment to avoid 4M tons of CO2 by 2014.” Awesome. A commitment to carbon neutral solutions and green collar jobs. …but it’s in biomass.  Controversial. hmm…

Fourth:

10:24 Lance Armstrong and Mayor Bloomberg take the stage.  Maybe Lance can power CGI by riding a bike in the basement?  …actually it’s about making the Lance Armstrong Foundation an international foundation to advocate for cancer research.  Yes yes, it’s very important.  And though… wouldn’t it be cool if he could at least give a shout out for biking to work?

10:25 LiveStrong to take on global cancer.  I think he can beat it.

10:25 Lance and Jessy Tolkan should meet! …Jessy’s story would be great for Armstrong to hear.

10:30 Mayor Bloomberg discusses how to bring “new energy” to the fight against cancer with Lance and his foundation uniting to let people know what they should do and how they can be involved.

10:34 1 in 5 cancer deaths from cigarettes (and their smoke). How many from coal smog?

Energy Action needs a bracelet. Hmm…

… more to come.


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