UW-Madison Nelson Institute 9th Annual Earth Day Conference

We face environmental challenges that will require careful decisions at all levels, from global to local, from public to private. How can we build consensus around climate change, energy, transportation, water quality, food security and other critical issues? What is the proper role of science and information in these efforts?

Hard Science, Tough Choices will examine these questions at a time when the need for informed decision-making has never been greater for governments, businesses, communities and families.

Join us for a day of learning and discussion as we explore the latest science, perspectives and possibilities presented by our rapidly changing planet – featuring a keynote address by renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson.

Tyson serves as director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History in New York and is host of the television series Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, a 21st century reboot of Carl Sagan’s landmark television series. He is an accomplished communicator of science to general audiences and is an outspoken advocate for science education and research.

In addition to dozens of professional publications, Tyson has written ten books, including his memoir “The Sky is Not the Limit: Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist.”

For five seasons, Tyson hosted PBS’s NOVA ScienceNOW, an accessible look at the frontier of all the science that shapes the understanding of our place in the universe. His weekly podcast, StarTalk Radio, combines science, pop culture and comedy to reach “all those people who never thought they would, or could, like science.” And on Twitter, he converses with nearly 2 million followers.

The Earth Day Conference will take place on Monday, April 20, 2015, at the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center in Madison. Additional speakers, panels and other features will be announced in coming months.