EarthX will celebrate Half Earth Day at the Frontiers of Flight Museum on Tuesday, October 22 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., marking the year’s halfway point to the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day.
“This Half Earth Day is special because we’re starting the countdown to the 50th anniversary of Earth Day next April,” said Tony Keane, chief executive officer of EarthX. “The first Earth Day in 1970 launched an environmental movement that has continued growing for nearly half a century. One of our goals is to extend our traditionally once-annual observance into year-round mindfulness and action towards a more sustainable future, which we hope will keep Earth Day thriving for another 50 years to come.”
The free celebration will feature space ambassador Anousheh Ansari, CEO of XPRIZE Foundation, which leads incentive competitions to solve humanity’s grand challenges. As the first female private space explorer, Ansari spent 11 days on the International Space Station, and will deliver a compelling presentation about her transformative experience. This month also marks the 15th anniversary of the Ansari XPRIZE, a $10 million dollar prize awarded for Paul Allen’s SpaceShipOne reusable rocket, which inspired commercial spaceflight. A life-size replica of SpaceShipOne will be unveiled along with Ansari’s spacesuit at Half Earth Day for an ongoing exhibit at the Frontiers of Flight Museum.
Ken McQueen, the new Region 6 EPA Administrator and former New Mexico Secretary for Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources, will speak; and Leilani Münter of the Discovery Channel’s “Planet Green” will serve as emcee. Münter is known as a vegan hippie chick with a racecar, a Sports Illustrated Top 10 Female Driver, and the #1 Eco Athlete in the world.
At 7:30 p.m., Half Earth Day will feature a screening of the film SEA OF SHADOWS, a riveting new documentary with the intensity of a Hollywood thriller from National Geographic Documentary Films that won the Sundance Audience Award. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with investigative journalist and television host Carlos Loret de Mola, who is featured in and helped inspire the film. SEA OF SHADOWS follows a team of dedicated scientists, high-tech conservationists, investigative journalists, and undercover agents, as well as the Mexican Navy, as they put their lives on the line to save the last remaining vaquita porpoises. Mexican drug cartels and Chinese traffickers have joined forces to poach rare totoaba fish in the Sea of Cortez using methods that threaten to destroy marine life in the region, including the elusive and endangered vaquita.
Half Earth Day will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 22 at the Frontiers of Flight Museum located at 6911 Lemmon Avenue in Dallas. To reserve your free spot for EarthX’s Half Earth Day celebration, visit Half Earth Day.
ABOUT EarthX
EarthX strives to be the leading global connector to positively impact our world for a sustainable future. EarthX is a member of IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature. Formerly Earth Day Texas, EarthX hosts the largest environmental expo, conference and film festival in the world in Dallas. Founded in 2011 by environmentalist and businessman Trammell S. Crow, the Texas-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization promotes environmental awareness by curating an atmosphere for conscious business, nonpartisan collaboration and community-driven sustainable solutions. In 2019, the event drew over 177,000 attendees, 2,000 environmental leaders, exhibitors and 400 speakers. Earthx2020 will be held April 22 – 26, 2020 in Dallas. Visit www.EarthX.org.
