The Future is Green - A Conference and Expo on New and Emerging Clean Air Technologies and Innovations

California has always been at the forefront of environmental leadership, from its elected officials to its everyday residents. Since its creation in 1975, CAPCOA and its members-leaders of all 35 local and regional air districts in California-have focused on ensuring this trend continues unabated, with enthusiastic drive and dedication toward cleaning the air and ensuring the residents of California have a healthy environment in which to live and thrive.

Today, more than ever before, we have all come to recognize that this can only be achieved if we push the envelope to develop and use better, cleaner technologies that address air pollution, global warming, and petroleum dependency. Meeting the challenges ahead will depend on increased research into alternatives to oil and conventional fuels and challenge the way we have traditionally worked.

CAPCOA is proud to host The Future is Green Conference & Expo on New and Emerging Clean Air Technologies and Innovations on September 14-16, 2008, at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center in Long Beach, California. The Future is Green Conference & Expo is one more step toward achieving a cleaner, greener tomorrow and reducing our carbon footprint.

Monday's Opening Plenary Session features a short video by U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer and presentations by State Senator Alan Lowenthal; U.S. EPA Region IX Administrator Wayne Nastri; Mary D. Nichols, Chair of the California Air Resources Board; Fran Pavley, co-author of the landmark Assembly Bill 32, California's Global Warming Solutions Act; and Lynda Ziegler, Senior Vice President of Customer Service at Southern California Edison. Our Monday luncheon keynote is presented by T. Boone Pickens, Chairman & CEO of BP Capital, who will discuss his new energy plan to achieve energy independence to clean the air and to reduce global warming.

Today's new and emerging technologies will be discussed by our ten expert panels featuring more than 60 esteemed speakers over two days and further highlighted in our exhibit, which includes more than 70 exhibitors and 30 vehicle displays.

Won't you please join as at The Future is Green and bring us that much closer to developing and commercializing clean air and low-carbon energy technologies? If we work together, we can achieve a cleaner, greener tomorrow and ensure for ourselves and future generations that The Future is Green!

Barbara Lee, CAPCOA President