Summary: The AIA 2007 National Convention and Design Exposition, to be held May 3–5 at the San Antonio Convention Center, offers you the chance to engage with four intriguing keynote speakers about this year’s all-important theme of “Growing Beyond Green.”

On Thursday, May 3, award-winning scientist, environmentalist, and broadcaster David Suzuki will expound on how changes in science and technology affect our lives and our world. Chair of the David Suzuki Foundation, this world leader in sustainable ecology is the recipient of UNESCO’s Kalinga Prize for Science, the United Nations Environment Program Medal, and the Global 500. He is a fellow of the American Association of the Advancement of Science. An award-winning scientist, environmentalist, and broadcaster, Suzuki is renowned for his radio and television programs that explain the complexities of the natural sciences in a compelling, easily understood way. With a bachelor’s degree in biology and PhD in zoology, Dr. Suzuki is currently professor emeritus of the University of British Columbia’s Sustainable Development Research Institute.

On Friday, May 4, William G. Reed, AIA, and Chrisna du Plessis, will discuss “Opportunities for the Near Future.” Reed is president of the Integrative Design Collaborative, a consulting organization working to surpass common green building practices to fully integrate design with living systems. He has served as cochair of the LEED Technical Committee and was one of the first trainers of the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system and a LEED advanced faculty member, founding board member of the U.S. Green Building Council, and national executive committee member for the AIA Committee on the Environment. Du Plessis, a South African architect and principal researcher at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, is an international expert in sustainable design in developing countries. She currently is developing a research program on urban sustainability science in support of the South African government’s policies on sustainable human settlements and integrated development planning. She has served on an expert advisory group to the United Nations Environment Programme and was the co-coordinator of a task group on urban sustainability for the International Council for Research and Innovation for Building and Construction. As a bonus, Raymond Cole, professor and director of the School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture at the University of British Columbia, will moderate the Reed and du Plessis discussion.

On Saturday, May 5, the AIA is honored to present The Honorable Al Gore, whose global warming message has been much heralded as a key to environmental sustainability issues. Former Vice President Al Gore has once again emerged front and center on the national and international stages with the response to his best-selling book and major motion picture based on it, An Inconvenient Truth. Recently holding the number one slot on the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Denver Post, and Washington Post bestsellers lists, and receiving rave reviews from film critics, An Inconvenient Truth ultimately brings home Al Gore’s persuasive argument that we can no longer afford to view global warming as a political issue. It is the biggest moral challenge facing our global civilization. Since the 2000 election, Al Gore has re-channeled his energy to focus on an all-out effort to help save the planet from irrevocable change. In demand by the media, he has been a featured guest on television’s most-watched programs: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Saturday Night Live, and Anderson Cooper 360°.