We’re jumping up and down for joy that New Orleans made it through Gustav!  It was a great testament to how far the city of New Orleans, the state of Louisiana, and the government have come since Katrina.  There were a couple of hiccups but they evacuated over 2M people and saved thousands of lives.  We can comfortably say that we’re looking forward to moving down to New Orleans in the near future!

On another note, we’re excited to announce our newest speakers:  Dickson Despommier and Summer Rayne Oakes.

Dickson Despommier is a professor of environmental health sciences and microbiology at Columbia University.  He’s know for his work on vertical farming:  proposal to perform agriculture in urban high-rises.  Using greenhouse methods and recycled resources, these building would produce fruit, vegetables, fish, and livestock year-round in cities.  Not only is he the thought-leader in vertical farming, he will be a speaker at the 2009 TED CONFERENCE.  But, you’ll be able to see him first at The Feast! For more information about Dickson Despommier, check out a recent interview on the Big Think and New York Times article.

Our other speaker, Summer Rayne Oakes, is known as an “eco-model” for her work in sustainable and eco fashion. Her work spans multiple disciplines, all of which are deeply imbued in environmental issues.  She is also a spokesperson, resident expert, and youngest Board of Advisor for Planet Green, Discovery Network’s mew eco-lifestyle network.  In addition, Summer is a partner at the consulting firm, Group SJR.

To see these speakers, among many others, please visit The Feast Conference.  Early-bird tickets are on sale for $295 until September 12.