(SAINT PAUL, MINN.) - Paul Hawken, New York Times bestselling author of Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Social Movement in History Is Restoring Grace, Justice, and Beauty to the World, will speak at the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society (MRES) 30th Anniversary gala dinner program, on Friday, February 19, 2010, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, in St. Paul. The events of the day will include an afternoon symposium on energy and climate change which is free and open to the public.

The keynote address, by Hawken, will be during the evening gala dinner starting at 6:00 p.m. in the Great River Ballroom at the Crowne Plaza in St. Paul. WCCO TV news anchor, Don Shelby, will be the Master of Ceremonies. Musical entertainment will be performed by acoustical artist Michael Monroe. Awards for Excellence in Renewable Energy will be given at the evening gala to individuals and organizations.

"We invite everyone to celebrate the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society's 30th Anniversary with us. This evening gala, featuring Paul Hawken, and afternoon symposium, will be a landmark event and not to be missed by anyone concerned about our energy security or our planet's health," said Loren Abraham, MRES 30th Anniversary Committee Chair. "The aim of MRES is to advance a sustainable society and a renewable energy economy through education, leadership, and example, and in keeping with these goals, we have created a line-up of big hitters to help us set the stage for our next 30 years. Our objective is collaboration and synergy to achieve change - we have more than 25 organizations collaborating with us for progress," said Abraham.

The free afternoon symposium, "The Way Forward: Cooperation and Collaboration in the Age of Climate Shift," will feature prominent architects of change including Eric Utne, founder of the Utne Reader, Michael Noble, Executive Director of Fresh Energy, John Carmody, Director of the Center for Sustainable Building Research at the University of Minnesota, Rep. Melissa Hortman, Duane Ninneman, founder of Sage Research and Consulting, and Siri Simons, Environmental Science, Policy, and Management student at the University of Minnesota. The panel will be moderated by Christopher Childs, actor, environmental activist and author.

About Paul Hawken

Paul Hawken is a renowned entrepreneur, visionary, environmental activist, speaker, and journalist dedicated to sustainability and changing the relationship between business and the environment, since age 20. He has appeared on the Today Show, Larry King, Talk of the Nation, Charlie Rose, and has been featured in hundreds of articles including the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Washington Post, Business Week, Esquire, and US News and World Report; written for Harvard Business Review, Christian Science Monitor, Mother Jones, Utne Reader and over a hundred other publications. His most recent books include The Ecology of Commerce (voted the No. 1 college text on business and the environment by professors in over sixty-seven top business schools), Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution co-authored with Amory Lovins (named one of the five most important books in the world today by Bill Clinton) and Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Social Movement in History Is Restoring Grace, Justice, and Beauty to the World. His books have been published in over 50 countries in 27 languages and have sold over 2 million copies. As a speaker, he has given over a hundred keynote and commencement addresses all around the world, to royalty, heads of state, major colleges and universities and countless organizations. He has earned extensive recognition and many awards including five honorary doctorate degrees. More information at: www.paulhawken.com.

About the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society and the Event

The Minnesota Renewable Energy Society (MRES) is a member-run, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in Minneapolis in 1978 and incorporated in Minnesota in 1979 to promote the use of, and to engage in advocacy for, renewable energies in Minnesota through education and through the demonstration of practical applications. MRES is involved in education, awareness, and advocacy efforts for all forms of renewable energy, with a particular emphasis on solar technologies. More information, symposium RSVP, awards, and gala are available from MRES at www.MRESgala.org or by calling Laura Cina at 612-963-4757.

Contact Info: Doug Shoemaker
(612) 308-4757
DougS@MNRenewables.org

Website : The Minnesota Renewable Energy Society