NSB Logo Patrick Moore Patrick Moore

Patrick Moore

Speaker

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Environmental Movement Leader

Dr. Patrick Moore has been a leader in the environmental movement for more than 50 years. He is a co-founder of Greenpeace where he served as the Canadian President for nine years and as a Director of Greenpeace International for six years. Today, Dr. Moore is committed to finding solutions to our environmental issues by striking a balance between the needs of people, the need to protect the environment, and take a quest for the truth about our planet’s future. 

Keynote Speeches

Confessions of a Greenpeace Dropout

Based on his book Confessions of a Greenpeace Dropout, Moore gives an engaging firsthand account of his many years spent as the ultimate Greenpeace insider, a co-founder and leader in the organization’s top committee. Moore persuasively argues for us to rethink our conventional wisdom about environment and, in so doing, provides the audience with new ways in which to see the world.

 

Environmental Science | The Quest for Truth: 13 Fake Invisible Catastrophes & Threats of Doom

It struck Patrick that the majority of today’s alleged environmental catastrophes and threats are invisible or very remote, thus making it virtually impossible for the average person to validate them through direct observation. In this presentation, Patrick explores the fundamental tenets of science, what this means for public discourse, political dynamics & who benefits from unverified stories. He explores case studies from 13 different highly publicized environmental claims to show why you can’t always believe what you hear, read or see from activists and the media. The focus of these case studies can be customized based on the goals of your particular event. Sample case studies include polar bear extinction, fossil fuels causing an inevitable climate catastrophe, coral reef destruction, The Great Pacific Plastic Garbage Patch & more.

 

A Sustainable Energy Future

Today, 86 percent of global energy is provided by fossil fuels. Oil alone accounts for over one-third of all the world’s energy. Fossil fuels will remain dominant into the foreseeable future but there are a number of reasons to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and adopt alternative energy supplies. This presentation explains the limited role that intermittent technologies such as wind and solar can provide while demonstrating that there are viable alternatives for many services that fossil fuels provide now. Hydroelectric energy, nuclear energy, geothermal heat pumps, biomass and biofuels all have large potential. And while the mass use of electric vehicles will still be some time in coming, there is hope for this technology as well.

 

Resources | Trees are the Answer:  Forests & the Environment

Trees are the answer to many questions about our future on Earth. Questions ranging from “What is the most environmentally friendly material to build our homes” to “How can we make the Earth more beautiful and green”? Wood is by far the most important renewable material and energy resource, yet much of today’s environmental movement is basically opposed to cutting trees. Dr. Moore believes we should be growing more trees and using more wood. And the way landscapes look to our eyes often deceives us into making judgments based on emotion rather then reason. This presentation opens our eyes on a very important subject.

Agriculture, Human Health & the Environment

This presentation is geared to audiences concerned with the future of agriculture and the environmental issues associated with growing our food and fiber. From pesticides to fertilizer to genetic modification, Dr. Moore makes the case for using science and technology to improve the nutrition and productivity of our food production systems. While Greenpeace and their allies denounce advances in genetics that could end malnutrition around the world, over 250,000 children go blind each year from vitamin A deficiency. The solution to this problem, genetically modified Golden Rice, has been available for over a decade, yet the anti-GMO campaigns have prevented its introduction. This and many other aspects of agricultural production show us that we can feed 9 billion people if we take advantage of the knowledge we already possess.

Audience reviews:

  • Dr. Moore captivated our audience with his talk on forest sustainability. This particularly impressed me because our group was made up of staff with a variety of knowledge on the subject matter; from foresters and biologists with extensive knowledge to aircraft pilots and administrative staff with little exposure to some of the issues. Strategically, Dr. Moore's talk inspires me to re-think about how our forest management practices contribute to sustainability.

    - Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
  • Patrick was great. A lot of positive feedback from his talk. He is certainly passionate and knowledgeable- I think most in attendance would like to see him speak again.

    - Canadian Association of Petroleum Landmen
  • You were the hit of the conference and got us started off in an extremely positive way that carried throughout the conference. Our post conference survey showed your having the highest ratings of any session. - National Pork Industry Conference
  • Not only was Dr. Moore's presentation perfect and very timely, but it also showed our members that there are environmentalists in the world that have common sense... I'm recommending him as a speaker to all of my colleagues in the industry. We need for him to get his message to the public.

    - Wood Molding & Millwork Producers Association
  • Dr. Moore was maybe the best speaker that I have ever listened to. His message was straight forward and easily understood.

    - Pennsylvania Society of American Foresters
  • We greatly appreciate your support for our grassroots effort to bring common sense, science and sanity to these varied environmental problems…thank you for your time and expertise in helping to bring balance and science to our conference.

    - Alliance for America
  • Dr. Moore was a highlight for sure... Overall, really great. Tons of really positive feedback from the audience.

    - Communications Manager, Interior Lumber Manufacturers' Association

Speaker Biography

A leader of the international environmental movement for more than 50 years, Dr. Patrick Moore reveals the myths and misinformation that distort current environmental debates. He calls for issues to be discussed on the basis of accurate scientific data, a search for consensus and the creation of sustainable solutions. Moore was a founding member, former President and International Director of Greenpeace.

In 2021, he authored an Amazon top selling book, Fake Invisible Catastrophes and Threats of Doom, his effort ‘to expose the misinformation and outright lies used to scare us and our children about the future of the Earth.’

The informative book, Confessions of a Greenpeace Dropout: the Making of a Sensible Environmentalist is Dr. Patrick Moore’s engaging firsthand account of his many years spent as the ultimate Greenpeace insider.  Confessions details Moore’s vision for a more sustainable world. From energy independence to climate change, genetic engineering to aquaculture, Moore sheds new light on some of the most controversial subjects in the news today. In Confessions Moore persuasively argues for us to rethink our conventional wisdom about environment and, in so doing, provides the reader with new ways to see the world.

In recent years, Dr. Moore has been focused on the promotion of sustainability and consensus building among competing concerns. He was a member of British Columbia government-appointed Round Table on the Environment and Economy from 1990 – 1994.

In 1990, Dr. Moore founded and chaired the BC Carbon Project, a group that worked to develop a common understanding of climate change. He is currently working as an independent scientist and consultant, advising government and industry on a wide range of environmental and sustainability issues. He acts as a campaign spokesman for Allow Golden Rice Now, an initiative aiming to convince Greenpeace and its allies to stop opposing Golden Rice as a cure for vitamin A deficiency.

An informed, provocative speaker, Dr. Moore inspires new ways of thinking about our environmental challenges. Business, professional and educational groups find his views refreshing, informative and relevant. Dr. Moore has played a prominent role in raising environmentalism to the forefront of public concern in Canada and throughout the world. Still a strong environmentalist, he is personally committed to collaborating with others in finding solutions to environmental conflicts.