STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

Bill Weir, the chief climate correspondent for CNN, will deliver the opening dinner keynote speech at next week’s Sun Valley Forum. And oceanographer Sylvia Earle will headline scientists offering solutions for mitigating climate change.

Wood River Valley residents can have access to opening day mainstage sessions for $50 until tickets sell out, and students can have free access until tickets sell out. The forum also will be livestreamed free of charge.

The ninth annual Sun Valley Forum, which will be held Monday through Thursday, July 15-18, is focused on “Restoring Harmony with Nature.” Most of the presentations will be held at the Argyros Performing Arts Center.

“As so many are experiencing the harmful impacts of our changing climate, the Sun Valley Forum showcases solutions to reduce the harm, learning from and collaborating with Indigenous leaders and global innovators to advance clean energy, regenerative agriculture and align investment, as well as empowering each of us to be part of restoring harmony with nature,” said Aimée Christensen, founder and curator of the Sun Valley Forum.

The Forum will kick off at Monday morning with opportunities to hike Adams Gulch or take a farm tour at a Bellevue farm that practices regenerative agriculture.

Forum sessions begin at 2 p.m. at The Argyros and will feature Sylvia Earle; Xiye Bastida, co-founder of Re-Earth Initiative; Jacquelyn Francis, director of the Global Warming Mitigation Project; Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund, and others.

The Global Warming Mitigation Project’s Keeling Curve Prize Awards will be awarded at 4:30 p.m., recognizing 10 climate winning initiatives. Each winner will be awarded a $50,000 prize for their ability to reduce, remove or replace greenhouse gas emissions.

A VIP Reception and dinner and keynote session will follow at 5:30 p.m. at Ketchum’s Limelight Hotel Plaza.

Tuesday, July 16, will kick off at 7:30 with a workshop focused on “Driving the Movable Middle Toward Climate Action at the Limelight Hotel. Sessions at the Argyros will start at 9 a.m. and run to 4 p.m. and will feature Chase Cain, national climate reporter and meteorologist for NBC; Dianna Cohen, co-founder of the Plastic Pollution Coalition; Nathaniel Stinnett, executive director of the Environmental Voter Project; Nina Berglund, with Earth Guardians; Peter Horton, a director, producer and actor in such shows as “New Amsterdam;” Stephen Markley, author of “The Deluge,” and others.

Wednesday, July 17, will kick off at 10 a.m. will feature such speakers as Brad Kadams, executive director of Climate Rights International; Henk Rogers, founder of the Blue Planet Alliance; Jim Hanna, director of Datacenter Sustainability for Microsoft; Kate Geagan, co-founder of Food + Planet; Michelle Moore, CEO of Groundswell; Rebecca Rusch, mountain bike champion and CEO of Rusch Ventures, and Shannon Wheeler, chairman of the Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee, which is working to save the salmon.

The day ends with a reception and dinner at the Warfield Distillery and Brewery.

Thursday, July 18, invites participants to enjoy nature and one another with hiking, rafting and a biking tour at Galena Lodge led by Rebecca Rusch.

In addition, multiplier effect sessions will look at such things as Catalytic Finance for Climate and Nature and Harnessing Digital Platforms and Finance for Social and Environmental Wellbeing.

To learn more about the Forum, go to https://www.sunvalleyforum.com/forum-2024. To receive the livestream links, go to https://form.jotform.com/241785061954160.