Youth Rock Kiwi Summit

Without a doubt, the greatest contribution to the success of the Digital Earth Summit in Auckland was the input and participation of one hundred members of the younger generation, whose sobriquet the Now Generation, changed the dynamics of an already connected audience. Ranging from 17 to 25 years old, these thoughtful and enthusiastic participants began by peppering the older generation with pragmatic questions ranging from where the planetary systems were heading to why New Zealand would decommission railroads to be overrun with carbon spewing automobiles. The Digital Earth community has been blessed with this infusion of talent and intellect that is betting their planet on collective ways to sustain life and protect the ecological goods and services. And they plan to accomplish this with a flair for also incorporating more humane aspect of civilization; jobs, community-cohesion, art, music, and dance. This group will have a profound impact on the maturation and implementation of ISDE5. Clever readers will begin checking out their nascent dialog on this topic (www.thelongsong.com).