Denis Hayes to be Keynote Speaker at Annual Air Quality Conference
National Coordinator of the first Earth Day
to speak about air quality and sustainability on Oct. 20
PHOENIX (Sept. 30, 2009) – The Maricopa County Air Quality Department announced today that Denis Hayes, National Coordinator of the first Earth Day, will be the Keynote speaker at the Annual Air Quality Conference on Tuesday October 20. Selected by Time magazine as one of its 100 "Heroes for the Planet," Denis Hayes will be speaking about the environmental challenges facing the Valley and the world, while offering insights to attendees that will help them ensure a sustainable future for Maricopa County.
“As a foundation president, lobbyist and grassroots organizer, Denis Hayes has been an essential part of the modern environmental movement,” stated Lawrence Odle, director of the Maricopa County Air Quality Department. “He has spent much of his life as an environmental advocate, fighting for a healthier, cleaner world. Denis Hayes truly embodies what we’re trying to invoke in each of the County’s residents, that they all have a responsibility to make Maricopa County a healthier place to live. We are honored to have him as the keynote speaker.”
With Maricopa County facing a federal mandate to clean up the air, specific steps need to be taken to educate citizens, businesses and government entities about individual responsibility to clean the air. Denis Hayes was chosen as keynote speaker for the Annual Air Quality Conference because of his long-term efforts to educate people around the world about the environmental effects pollution has on the Earth.
Hayes served as international chairman for Earth Day's anniversaries both in 1990 and 2000. Internationally, he is recognized for expanding the Earth Day Network to more than 180 nations and helped to ensure it as the world’s most widely observed secular holiday. Today, Hayes continues to chair the board of the international Earth Day Network while speaking out about environmental issues.
The Maricopa County Air Quality Department will host the Partnering for Cleaner Air Annual Air Quality Conference on Tuesday, October 20 at the Scottsdale Resort & Conference Center. For more information or to register, visit www.AnnualAirQualityConference.com.
About Maricopa County Air Quality Department
The Maricopa County Air Quality Department is a regulatory agency whose goal is to ensure federal clean air standards are achieved and maintained for the residents and visitors of Maricopa County. The department is governed by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and follows air quality standards set forth by the Federal Clean Air Act.
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