A global food crisis is upon us, with variable weather, poor harvests, and political turmoil sending food prices soaring to all-time highs. At the same time, the planet’s population has surpassed seven billion, and serious food shortages continue to affect many vulnerable regions. Join leading innovators as they design the next generation of solutions to ensure that no one goes hungry. Speakers: Helene D. Gayle, Beth Sauerhaft, Lauren Bush

By 2030, two out of three people will live in an urban area. What are the best practices for managing transportation, health care, job creation, sanitation, and more? What can urban governments do to manage megacities?

Ours is an urban world. Cities and metro areas are the principal source of economic progress for the global economy. More than half the world’s population lives in cities and metro areas, a proportion that is projected to grow to roughly three-quarters. But until recently, we have lacked the kind of data and information required to understand the role, function, and disparities among the world’s cities. This talk provides a data-driven assessment of global cities in a world of seven billion,...

World population passed seven billion in 2011, and both the Aspen Institute and National Geographic magazine explored the meaning of this historic moment in a year-long series of forums and articles. This kick off discussion for the “Our Planet: Seven Billion and Counting” track will take you on a vivid slide show tour of our expanding presence that examines the implication, challenges, and opportunities for humanity as we grow. Speakers: Helene D. Gayle, Joel Achenbach

What role can the private sector play and how can we partner with NGOs and government to address the challenges society is facing? Speakers: Douglas McMillon, James Fallows

A Performance by Kenji Williams Speakers: Kenji Williams

As we emerge from the recession, a generation is searching for practical ways to succeed financially while also making positive changes in the world. From energy to food to education, Making Good outlines how to do this. These opportunities are not just for entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies: Making Good outlines step by step how anyone can achieve financial autonomy, capitalize on global changes to infrastructure, and learn from everyday success stories—providing the skills and insight...

The Himalaya are home to the world’s most magnificent peaks and thousands of high-altitude glaciers. These important glaciers supply crucial seasonal flows to rivers across Asia, yet many are disappearing at an increasing rate. “Rivers of Ice” presents recent photographs by mountaineer and photographer David Breashears of the world’s least studied glaciers alongside archival photographs taken over the past century by the world’s greatest alpine photographers. The comparison starkly reveals...

While there’s little doubt the world needs all possible energy sources to meet growing future demand, controversy surrounds the role that natural gas should play. Concerns, misinformation and confusion—especially around shale gas and the practice of hydraulic fracturing—have led to oftenpolarizing debate that threatens to hinder development of this critical, abundant natural resource. How can we work together to stay in the rational middle, where fact-based discussions lead to realistic...

Marissa Mayer and The Economist's Vijay Vaitheeswaran

Even as the world’s population surpasses seven billion, conversations about sex, population, and reproductive health have become a charged third rail. Contraception is hotly debated from town halls to insurance company boardrooms to the floor of the United Nations. What do families want? With more than 215 million women in the world wanting access to reproductive health services, yet unable to get them, how can population politics meet reality? Speakers: Christopher Elias, Ezekiel Emanuel,...

Will a combination of high-tech transportation (bullet trains and light rail) and low-cost transportation (biking and walking) define the city of the future in order to reduce congestion and air pollution? Will automobiles be left behind, and, if not, what form will they take in the city of the future? What other factors will influence the face of transportation? How do we ensure access for all? Speakers: Ray LaHood, Peter Trick, Richard Florida

In 2011, IDEO, the world-renowned design and innovation company, launched IDEO.org, a nonprofit committed to the eradication of poverty by applying design-based methods to challenges in areas such as health, sanitation, education, and agriculture. IDEO.org’s mission is to foster and spread design in the social sector by making all projects open and sharable. Join IDEO CEO Tim Brown and IDEO.org Executive Director Jocelyn Wyatt to discuss learnings and insights about how design-thinking is...

By the year 2050, Earth will be home to more than nine billion people—an increase of more than two billion over today’s current population. Concerns are escalating about the planet’s finite resources and the increasing pressures they will be placed under by a growing, aging, and more affluent population in the coming decades. When we examine what needs to be done to address the gap between available resources and the growing demand for energy, it becomes clear that the drivers of the world’s...