The country we live in — and the world outside our borders, as well — is very divided. Certain issues on which we all have quite strong feelings seem — and indeed in fact may be — unbridgeable. And that is where the arts can play such a powerful role.

The beauty, precision, and craftsmanship of works of art — whether visual arts, like painting and sculptures, or performing arts, such as music and dance — offer audiences entertainment that soars, and that touches the heart, triggering a range of human emotions.

Tune in to watch five exceptional thinkers, whose connection to the arts is purpose driven, and who will help articulate to the audience watching how arts can give us insights into our society — and even help unlock the mysteries about ourselves that we struggle to understand.

World Oceans Day is one of the bigger social awareness days on the social-good calendar. In this month's panel, we will explore our oceans health, tapping into the expertise of our panelists, who will give us a perspective from scientific, academic, and cultural lenses.

Matthias Egger is an executive at The Ocean Cleanup, a nonprofit organization that is trying to clean up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and rid the oceans of plastics.

Kim McCoy, an international oceanographer known for his environmental design and geopolitical expertise in over 40 science projects, including nine Polar expeditions, co-authored the new Patagonia edition of the surfer bible "Waves and Beaches."

Emilie McGlone is the director of Peace Boat US, a nonprofit and nongovernmental organization that leads scientific expeditions all around the planet.

Diana Nyad is a world-renowned athlete who is the first — and only — person to swim from Havana, Cuba, to Key West, Florida, a journey captured in last year's Oscar-nominated film "Nyad."

Captain Paul Watson is an environmentalist who founded the Sea Shepherd, an anti-poaching and direct action group, and now runs the Captain Paul Watson Foundation for marine conservation.

From our esteemed panel we'll learn about global oceanic systems and what we can do to mitigate further damage.

While many countries and companies regularly host State of the Union and State of the Corporation meetings to update their constituents and stakeholders on their progress, there's a notable absence of a State of the Earth event focusing on the planet's overall health, strengths, and weaknesses.

In our State of the Earth, we brought together a panel of experts representing the “four P's”: People, Planet, Policy, and Purpose.

Kristy Drutman is the founder of Browngirl Green. Kristy turns climate doom into humor, healing chats, and educational tools for action. She is also the co-founder of the Green Jobs Board, a community of 100,000+ members committed to building careers in climate work.

Patricia Sims co-founded World Elephant Day in 2012. World Elephant Day is a rallying call to stop illegal poaching and the trade of ivory. Patricia has built a global awareness movement that's resulted in partnerships with 100 conservation organizations worldwide and reached countless individuals across the globe.

John Holm is the Senior Vice President of Partnership Development at Pyxera Global. John and his team work to strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystems by fostering enabling environments and removing barriers to inclusion while preserving and protecting cultural heritage and knowledge.

Mayte Gonzalez is the Head of Human Rights in Conservation for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Mayte has been involved in the creation and implementation of environmental legislation including Panama's the National Wildlife Law, the National Law for Aquaculture and the Law for the Coiba National Park.

Our guests' inspiring work will certainly leave you feeling that our planet is in good hands.

What’s the status of the nuclear waste currently stored on site at San Onofre (SONGS)? What does it mean for a nuclear plant to be decommissioned? Is radiation still a concern for the surrounding community? Is San Onofre safe?

As advocates for a safe and sustainable future for Southern California, SLF is thrilled to invite you to our upcoming First Fridays webinar, "The San Onofre Briefing: The Latest on SoCal's Shut Down Nuclear Power Plant." This event will take place tomorrow, February 2, at 11:30 am PST.

Join us for a comprehensive exploration of the recent developments surrounding the decommissioning of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS). Our expert panel – including a retired Admiral of the U.S. Navy and the Former Chair of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission – will delve into the current status, environmental impact, and public health implications of the shut down nuclear site.

This is a conversation you won't want to miss!

This live, open discussion provides a unique opportunity to hear directly from participants at the forefront of the UN’s annual climate conference, COP28, hosted by the United Arab Emirates in Dubai.

The Live from Dubai webinar features distinguished guests actively working on impactful solutions: Deirdre White, CEO of the international development nonprofit Pyxera Global; Kneyone Murray, young entrepreneur and CEO of Kneyzeus Energy in Trinidad and Tobago; Noa Gafni, Professor at Columbia University’s Climate School; Francois Rogers, Executive Director of the nonprofit Blue Planet Alliance, partner of the Samuel Lawrence Foundation.

38,000 attendees will have the opportunity to hear insights from these experts and discover the promise of hope they bring to the climate challenges we face.

The recent dumping of 250,000 gallons of radioactive wastewater from Fukushima has garnered global outcry about the effects of adding radioactivity to our ecosystem.

Learn about the consequences of radioactive exposures, studied by University of South Carolina Professor of Biological Sciences, Timothy Mousseau, PhD, and discover more about the effects of exposures to radionuclides such as tritium and many others.  

“There’s a very clear link between the health of our oceans and the health of people,” says University of Hawaii Marine Biology Professor, Robert Richmond, PhD. “Human health and environmental health are tied together.”

Join our First Friday Webinar hour at 11:30 a.m. PST (2:30 p.m. EST) on July 12th (July 4 delayed a week) for an in-depth primer on the critical issues surrounding radioactive waste as we gear up for the July 24th symposium at UC San Diego "Radioactive Waste: Growing Dangers, Emerging Solutions," hosted by the Samuel Lawrence Foundation in cooperation with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. 

This stunning webinar serves as a crucial introduction to our upcoming (7/24) symposium, where attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of real dangers and challenges posed by 3.6 million pounds of radioactive waste on the beach at San Onofre, CA.  We will explore actionable solutions for a safer future.

Speakers:

Kate Brown, Professor, History of Science, MIT

Stephanie Cooke, Journalist, Writer, New York Times, Associated Press, Nucleonics Week, NuclearFuel, Inside N.R.C., Business Week, Energy Intelligence, Nuclear Intelligence Weekly

Paul Dorfman, Chair of NuclearConsult, Visiting Fellow, Science Policy Research Unit, Sussex Energy Group, University of Sussex

Richard Gersberg, Professor / Head of the Division, Environmental Health in the School of Public Health, San Diego State University (SDSU)

Gary Headrick, Co-Founder, San Clemente Green

Susan Hito-Shapiro, Environmental Attorney

Robert H. Richmond, Research Professor and Director, Kewalo Marine Laboratory, University of Hawaii at Manoa

Leona Morgan, Co-Founder, Haul No! and Indigenous Organizer Fighting Nuclear Colonialism 

Experts warn of irreversible environmental damage if we don't shift away from fossil fuels immediately. Nuclear energy is often hailed as a solution to our reliance on fossil fuels, but its radioactive waste is a danger to human and environmental health, a toxic byproduct that lasts for thousands of years.

So what is the solution to our climate-crippling reliance on fossil fuels?

Enter Blue Planet Alliance, founded by Henk Rogers, the man who brought Tetris to the world. Blue Planet Alliance is a driving force behind Hawaii's commitment to transition to 100% renewable energy by 2045. Their goal is to guide at least 50 islands toward a sustainable future and form a coalition to advocate for renewable energy solutions and environmental responsibility globally.


Tune in to this episode of "First Fridays" to hear from Henk Rogers, Racquel Moses, Jeff Mikulina, and Ramon Cruz as they lead the charge toward renewable energy transitions.

We’re living in a precarious era, one defined in the last half decade by a polycrisis of three Cs: COVID, climate, and conflict. And much of the worst elements of these crises have been exacerbated by poor leadership.

As the global climate gets increasingly worse, it’s worth noting that international climate conferences are dominated by men, like the UN COP conferences, where the heads of state of almost 200 countries are signatories to consequential treaties — and the number of them that are women are in the single digits.

And, as noted by Margot Wallström, Sweden’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs, 130 international peace agreements were signed between 1990 and 2014, and women were signatories to just 13.

Meanwhile, the most compelling leadership in the handling of all of these crises has come from women: New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern won much praise throughout the world for her handling of the COVID emergency in her country. And women leadership in the climate space has been led by Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley and former President of Ireland Mary Robinson.

In honor of Women's History Month and International Women's Day, this episode of the Samuel Lawrence Foundation’s “First Fridays” highlights a panel of women leaders who have answers on how to move forward in a new way, with an emphasis on empowering, sensible solutions.

Watch now to hear from panelists who have a focus on educating the next generation of women and finding sustainable solutions for our economy, society, environment, and planet.

This is a conversation you won't want to miss!

We’re in a new year, which means we’re one year closer to 2030. That’s the deadline suggested by scientists and other experts as the date by which we need to make substantive changes to our way of life, or face potentially irreversible negative consequences.

Experts have been clamoring for solutions for this massive challenge. In this “First Fridays” episode, we’ll hear from people at all three of these organizations, with their fingers on the pulse of exactly the kinds of ideas that will pull us out of the mess we’re in. We’ll also meet two other solutionists, including the founder of an anti-racist lifestyle brand called America’s Hot Sauce. That’s the kind of warming we can live with!

Failing to take action will render our planet uninhabitable. But HOW do we do it? Is there a model we can use to show others how it's done? Yes there is!

Hawaii started deliberating over whether and how to transition to 100% renewable energy in 2009, and in 2015, passed the first U.S law mandating that the state make a 100% renewable-energy transition.

It's time to take notes. Hear from Hawaii State Senator Chris Lee, how he worked together with key stakeholders to mandate that Hawaii transition to 100% renewable energy by 2045.

With “climate change” being a hot-button phrase that brings backlash and even death threats, how can reporters and meteorologists do their job — ensure that the public is engaged and informed?

Join us on September 1st where renowned meteorologist Chris Gloninger,  Lauren Casey, and John Morales come together to describe the challenges the media faces when reporting on climate change, and envision how the media can bridge the gap between scientists and the public to drive climate literacy and shape an informed climate future.