Chris Turner

Topics

Presentations

Planet Simpson

Geography of Hope: A Tour of the World We Need

The Great Leap Sideways: How to Survive & Thrive in the Sustainable 21st Century Economy

Summary Profile

Rather than lending his voice to the chorus of recriminations heard in recent environmental tracts, acclaimed author and journalist Chris Turner traveled the globe in search of hope for a sustainable future and now points to the bright light at the end of the very dark tunnel.

Turner chronicles his findings in his best-selling book and popular speaking topic: The Geography Of Hope: A Tour of the World We Need, a result of year long travels with his family criss-crossing the globe in search of people living sustainably and lessons to be learned.

He asks: "Would this - this place, this machine, this social system or way of life - be capable of continuing on its present course for the foreseeable future without exhausting the planet's ability to sustain human life at something like the current population and quality of life?"

His result is a global survey of the state of the art in sustainable living and he shares his findings in his entertaining and eye-opening multimedia presentations.

Turner has also written a monthly feature series on sustainability for The Globe and Mail. He is the author of the international bestseller Planet Simpson: How A Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation (2004).

His magazine writing - mostly for the late, great Shift Magazine - has earned him four Canadian National Magazine Awards, including the 2001 President's Medal for General Excellence (the highest honour in Canadian magazine writing). His writing and reporting on culture, technology and the environment have also appeared in The Independent (UK),  Time Magazine, Maclean's, Canadian Geographic, The Walrus, Azure and Utne Reader. He lives in Calgary, Alberta, with his wife, the photographer Ashley Bristowe, and their daughter, Sloane.

Client Testimonials:

"Chris Turner's presentation was powerful and delivered with passion. It was exactly what we were looking to provide to our audience."

Better Buildings 2009 Conference

"Chris provided a thought-provoking and stimulating presentation on the need for a change in the way we live. His passion for the subject matter certainly came through in his detailed and energetic presentation. He left us with a renewed sense of the need for (and benefits of) sustainability as a core principle in transportation planning and city-building."

CITE Conference