Bruce Lourie
Bruce is well known for his work in convening collaborative efforts among businesses, NGOs and government. Bruce played a pioneering role in connecting environmental issues to human health, most notably with his leadership in the effort to phase-out coal-fired power plants in Ontario, the single largest climate action in North America. He also helped shepherd the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement, one of the world’s largest conservation efforts, and the establishment of the Ontario Greenbelt, a globally significant urban land use framework.
Speaking topics
- ToxinToxout
Based on his book of the same name, Bruce gives practical and often surprising advice for removing toxic chemicals from our bodies and homes. There are over 80,000 synthetic chemicals in commerce today, including hormone-disrupting phthalates and parabens, cancer-causing pesticides, heavy metals and air pollutants. Bruce uses outrageous experiments to prove how easily our bodies absorb these chemicals from the foods we eat, the air we breathe, and the products we smear on our skin–day after day. Then they give us the good news about what is in our control and the steps we can take for reducing our toxic burden. They investigate the truth behind organic foods, which detox methods actually work, if indoor air quality is improving, and how we dispose of waste (where do those chemicals go?) The result is nothing short of a prescription for a healthier life.
- Slow Death by Rubber Duckie
Funny, thought-provoking, and incredibly disturbing, Slow Death by Rubber Duck reveals that just the living of daily life creates a chemical soup inside each of us. Pollution is no longer just about belching smokestacks and ugly sewer pipes – now, it’s personal. The most dangerous pollution has always come from commonplace items in our homes and workplaces. Bruce exposes the extent to which we are poisoned every day of our lives.
- Climate and Energy: Pathways Forward
- Philanthropic and Non-profit Leadership, Funding with Impact