The Ecosystem Restoration: Reimagine, Recreate, Restore - Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA)

The Ecosystem Restoration:
REIMAGINE, RECREATE, RESTORE

Sunday, June 5, 2022
12:00pm-1:30pm ET, 11:00am-12:30pm CT
9:00am-10:30am PT, 19:00-20:30 TR

Zoom Registration:
us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_u6fd2N19S3af9yjuF389_A

TENTATIVE PROGRAM

Keynote Speaker:

Robert Swan
Polar Pioneer, 1st Person to Ski to North & South Poles
“Impact of Climate Change on Polar Ice Caps”

Guest Speakers:

Suat Ünsal
Plant Manager, KİPAŞ Paper Manufacturing Plant, Turkey
“Corporate responsibility of environmental protection programs;
what is being done at Kipaş, Turkey”

Erden Eruç
Adventurer, 17 Guinness World Records, First solo
circumnavigation of the world by human power
“Plastics in Oceans, Pacific Ocean Observation”

İdil Can Yıldırım
Junior, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine,
Ankara University Turkey
“Raising awareness of carbon footprint”

Youth Experts Panel
“Environmental Challenges and Actions We Need to Take”

Moderator:

Ela Gökçigdem
Social Entrepreneur and Climate Activist
ATAA 2021 World Environment Day Science Competition Winner

Panelists:

Erden Eruc
Suat Unsal
Idil Can Yıldırım
Burak Ozsoy
Sophia Bi

ABOUT

Nature is definitely sending us warning signs. Fires, floods, droughts and superstorms are happening more frequently and posing danger to life and property around the globe. Melting ice caps and warming oceans are destroying coral ecosystems. Plastics in the oceans are impacting marine life and birds. We can only improve our ecosystem if all of us assume the responsibility and do our part. The purpose of this global webinar is to understand the challenges at hand, discuss possible solutions and encourage the audience to take action. The following points will be covered during the webinar:

Impact of climate change on polar ice caps
Plastics in oceans, Pacific Ocean observation
Corporate responsibility of environmental protection programs; what is being done at Kipaş, Turkey.
Raising awareness of carbon footprint
Environmental challenges and actions we need to take

BACKGROUND

For a long time we have been exploiting and destroying our planet’s ecosystems. Did you know?

Over 4.7 million hectares of forests – an area larger than Denmark – are lost every year.
Nearly 80 percent of the world’s wastewater is discharged to our oceans and rivers without treatment.
Wetlands are being drained for agriculture, with some 87 percent lost globally

Greenhouse gas emissions have grown to levels where the planet is one step closer to potentially catastrophic climate change.

With all these challenges at hand, “World Environment Day will focus on the ecosystem restoration and its theme is “Reimagine. Recreate. Restore.” This World Environment Day UN will kick off the “UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030)”, Ecosystems support all life on Earth. The healthier our ecosystems, the healthier the planet – and its people.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Robert Swan is the first person to have walked to both the North and South Poles. He is an explorer, a leader in energy innovation, and founder of the 2041 Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to preserve Antarctica as a natural reserve, land for science and peace.

On January 11, 1986, Robert and a team of three, ‘In the Footsteps of Scott’ arrived at the South Pole. Their 900 mile journey was the longest unassisted march in history.

Three years later, in 1989, Robert led, ‘Icewalk’, with a team of eight to the North Pole. By the age of 33, Robert had achieved his dream to walk to both the Poles.

During these two historic expeditions, Robert experienced firsthand the effects of climate change and environmental degradation. At the South Pole, his eyes changed color through damage due to the prolonged exposure of ultra-violet rays as he walked under the hole in the ozone layer. At the North Pole, his team nearly drowned because of the premature melting of the ocean ice. These two hard-hitting and unexpected incidents galvanized him to launch the mission, ‘2041’.

Robert received the Polar Medal and the title of the Officer of the British Empire (O.B.E) from Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. His contribution to education, energy innovation and environmental action have been recognized by the United Nations through his appointment as UNEP Goodwill Ambassador for Youth, Special Envoy to the Director General of UNESCO and as a recipient of the UN Humanitarian Innovation Award. He is the cos author of four books and was a keynote speaker at all of the UN World Summits for Sustainable Development, the World Economic Forum and the Corporate Eco Forum.

GUEST SPEAKERS

Suat Ünsal, MBA – Plant Manager, KİPAŞ Paper Manufacturing plant in Aydin, Turkey. Mr. Unsal received his BS degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Selcuk University in Konya, Turkey, and Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Isik University in Istanbul, Turkey. Mr. Ünsal has 28 years of experience in manufacturing and operations, project management, maintenance management, and energy management. He currently manages 330,000 m2 KİPAŞ Paper Manufacturing facility for KİPAŞ Holding. This plant produces 1,250,000 tons of paper annually from 100% recycled wastepaper, KİPAŞ Paper facility prevents the destruction of 6000 hectares of forest while they provide added value to the economy. Mr. Ünsal provides leadership to over 1000 people and leads the operation at this facility. Mr. Ünsal’s hands on experience and leadership skills help KİPAŞ to deliver its sustainable objectives of converting reusable raw materials.

Erden Eruç is an accomplished ocean rower, adventurer, USCG Master 50GRT and sailing instructor. He holds 15 Guinness World Records, is the recipient of the 2013 Citation of Merit from the prestigious Explorers Club and one of the 2013 Adventurers of the Year – “Nine individuals changing the face of global adventure” by the Outside Magazine. He is already listed in the2009, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2021 Guinness Books of World Records.

Erden is currently on a solo nonstop row across the North Pacific Ocean from Crescent City to Asia, launched June, 2021. This historic crossing will be the first step in his quest to reach the summit of Everest by human power. As an ambassador for Ocean Recovery Alliance, he will raise awareness about plastics in our oceans. He is also carrying a beacons on behalf of Ocean Voyages Institute to tag for later recovery any ghost nets that he may encounter. Erden is one of the leading ocean rowers in the world today. He holds engineering degrees and an MBA. He is the founder of the Seattle based 501(c)(3) nonprofit Around-n-Over with a mission to educate and inspire children. Human powered journeys are the source of their dispatches from the field. To date, Around-n-Over has raised and applied over $100k toward educational projects.

IN MEMORIAM – Six Summits Project

In memory of Göran Kropp whom he lost while rock climbing together, Erden decided to reach the highest summit on six different continents respectively except Antarctica. He would do so by human power as had Göran in his 1996 bicycle trip to climb Everest. In 2003, Erden summited Mt. McKinley after bicycling to Alaska towing his climbing gear like Göran and walking the length of the Kahiltna Glacier. During his circumnavigation by human power, he summited Kosciuszko in 2010 and Kilimanjaro in 2011. Everest, Elbrus and Aconcagua remain on Erden’s list of priorities over the coming years.

İdil Can Yıldırım is a Junior at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of English, Ankara University, Turkey. She works as a manager in Equestrian Sports Club and takes part in various NGOs both as a content producer and volunteer.

YOUTH PANEL MODERATOR

Ela Gökçigdem is student at the Babson College, 2021 ATAA world Environment Day Science Competition winner with her project based on flora and fauna of Avşa Island project in Marmara Sea in Turkey. Youth and experts will discussion environmental challenges at hand, and actions we need to take.

ASSEMBLY OF TURKISH AMERICAN ASSOCIATIONS

The Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA), representing over 50 local chapters and 500,000 Turkish Americans throughout the United States, serves locally and nationwide to develop an informed and empowered Turkish American community and to support strong U.S.-Turkish relations. The ATAA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization formed under the laws of the District of Columbia in 1979. ATAA associated with the United Nations Department of Global Communications in July 2020. The founding principle of ATAA was the need to create cohesion and cooperation among the large numbers of social/cultural Turkish American organizations around the US. The Assembly’s main goal is to be a link between all communities, large or small, and pursue their interests in Washington and beyond. The main objectives of ATAA are two-fold. One is to create an informed national Turkish American community that can help foster US-Turkey relations and take an active part in promoting a balanced and truthful picture of Turkey in the US. The other is to educate Americans in government, the media, and the public at large about Turkey and issues that concern us as Turkish Americans. (www.ataa.org)

THE TURKISH WOMEN’S INITIATIVE (TWI)

The Turkish Women’s Initiative (TWI) provides innovative, practical, and sustainable leadership programs for girls and women. When women develop leadership skills, believe in their own self-empowerment, and can demonstrate new expressions of courage and resilience, they serve as important role models for their families and communities. Through educational leadership opportunities that promote economic independence and civic engagement, we strengthen the potential of girls and women to become active, responsible and productive members of their societies. In so doing, they advance society’s growth and prosperity. Since its launch in 2009, TWI’s learning-by-doing learning programs have changed the lives not only of the Turkish university women it serves, but by extension thousands of other women, men, and children (and counting). With a solid model and successes now established, we are working to expand. Our intent is to make our programs available to more women in Turkey and beyond. (www.thetwi.org)

For further inquiries, please feel free to contact us at uncommittee@ataa.org or visit www.ataa.org/u-n.

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