In my view, there is an urgent need to communicate with the public and help to explain where there is consensus, and where are there doubts about the issues of sustainable development.

Countries like Malawi need, require and deserve the increased help of the international community, not only in the form of food aid but in the form of help to grow more food.

It has been a challenge, but we are hitting that [Sept. 1] date. We are on track.

The essence of Africa's crisis is fundamentally its extreme poverty.

The public has very little access to reliable information if they're not reading the scientific journals. All of the panelists thought it was important to convey with precision the major challenges in the areas of food, water, energy, and health, and I think they did a beautiful job.

This is an opportunity to look in-depth at the specific issues of long-term climate change, and the lessons that our paleontologists have shown about the risks of abrupt climate change and the issues of new energy systems to mitigate or avert some of the great risks that lie ahead.