2 February 2007 — In one of his final speeches as seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan cautioned, "The question is not whether climate change is happening but whether, in the face of this emergency, we ourselves can change fast enough." This urgent need for widespread societal transformation, both practical and philosophical, is the focus of an upcoming series of online dialogues hosted by the EcoRes Forum (www.eco-res.org).

On the heels of the release of the long-awaited Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report reaffirming the human impact on global warming, EcoRes has today announced its first cohort of panelists for an April 2007 two-week dialogue on facilitating an ecocentric paradigm shift among global societies. Leading the discussion will be Donald A. Brown, W. Malcolm Byrnes, John Cairns, Jr., and John Lemons, internationally known and respected scientists and leaders in their fields.

Familiar names to many, Brown and Lemons have been raising this topic in academic and political venues around the globe. In August 2006, the two joined like-minded colleagues in Rio de Janeiro for a two-day conference on the ethical dimensions of climate change, a joint initiative undertaken with the International Virtual Institute on Climate Change, the Brazilian Forum on Climate Change and the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. The Brazilian proceedings culminated in the "White Paper on the Ethical Dimensions of Climate Change", a landmark document authored by Brown, Lemons and 23 leading scientists, which made headlines at the November 2006 COP-12 gathering in Nairobi.

Joining the panelists in the April forum will be scientific experts, distinguished guests, and participants from around the world, for what promises to be both a stimulating and rewarding opportunity for interaction across cultural, disciplinary and geopolitical borders. Titled "From Anthropocentrism to Ecocentrism: Making the Shift", the e-conference will bring together academics and activists, scientists and social critics, researchers, journalists, community leaders and citizens, all focused on looking for answers and actions to make this paradigm shift a reality.

By offering this series free of charge and removing the financial and logistical hurdles to participation often encountered by those whom climate change threatens the most, EcoRes hopes to encourage wide-ranging stakeholder participation. The dialogue has already sparked intense interest, with registrants from over 80 countries eager to join cooperative action in addressing these pressing concerns.

For more information or to register for the April event, visit the EcoRes Forum website at www.eco-res.org or write forum@eco-res.org.