Bioneers is going to be a tremendous event; starting this Friday, you’ll have a chance to hear the premier speakers on sustainability describe what the future will look like.

First, beaming into Cleveland via satellite, are presenters who figure prominently in moving society toward a more sustainable path. Folks like Van Jones—whose work in Oakland to forge a green "New Deal" coalition so that kids who are now prison fodder will help create a zero-pollution economy, harvest the sun and heal the land instead—share inspiring lessons for Cleveland. Other examples include sustainable business guru Jay Harman, an award-winning inventor and CEO of PAX Scientific, presenting “Designing the next Golden Age”, and Paul Anastas explaining how he “fathered” green chemistry.

Also, check out dozens of local workshops; hear or participate in efforts to enrich community, body, mind and spirit. Just a small sample of the local workshops:

• “Connecting the dots in our local food community” with Darwin Kelsey , Director, Countryside Conservancy, Beth Knorr, Amalie Lipstreau, Chris Norman, and Stephanie Webb.
• “Defining a holistic transportation system for Northeast Ohio” with John McGovern, Clean Fuels Program Coordinator, Earth Day Coalition, Mandy Metcalf, Ecovillage Coordinator, Kevin Cronin, ClevelandBikes and Ryan McKenzie, City Wheels
• Chefs in the know Doug Katz, chef/owner of Fire will offer the latest information about selecting seafood responsibly, and prepare a dish using local seasonal products.
• Plastics from plants, junk, and anything but oil and gas The present state of the art, the future potential, and pitfalls associated with replacing petrochemical feedstocks for plastics. David A. Schiraldi, associate professor and Stuart Rowan, both from the Dept. of Macromolecular Science & Engineering, Case Western Reserve University.

Feed your mind, then unwind with yoga sessions from Atma Center, Tia Chi, films, live music, tours of the Great Lakes Science Center’s wind turbine exhibit, Dike 14 Nature Preserve, the triple-bottom line experience in the Cuyahoga Valley and more. Click here for the full list of presenters and workshops, and to register.

Bioneers Cleveland 2007 is this Friday through Sunday at Cleveland State University's Levin College.