Christopher Flavin facts for kids

Christopher Flavin in 2010.

Christopher Flavin is an important expert who used to lead the Worldwatch Institute. This group does research on how we can protect our planet's natural resources and solve environmental problems. It's based in Washington, DC. He also helped start the Business Council for Sustainable Energy and is part of the National Academy of Sciences group that looks at energy and environmental systems. His main work and writing are about energy and climate policies around the world. He once said something very important about making our world sustainable: "Building a world where we meet our own needs without denying future generations a healthy society is not impossible... The question is where societies choose to put their creative efforts." This means we can live well today without making it harder for people in the future to live well too.

Helping the Planet

Christopher Flavin has been part of many big international meetings. These include the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, which was about protecting the environment, and the Climate Change Conference in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997, which focused on global warming. He has also spoken to lawmakers in different countries and states. He often meets with government leaders and international officials to share his ideas.

Flavin grew up in Monterey, California. He went to Williams College and studied economics, biology, and environmental studies. He did very well in his studies.

His Important Writings

Christopher Flavin has written many books and reports about energy and the environment. These writings help people understand how to create a better future for our planet.

• Power Surge: Guide to the Coming Energy Revolution, W.W. Norton, 1994. (This book talks about new ways to get energy.)
• Rising Sun, Gathering Winds: Policies to Stabilize the Climate and Strengthen Economies, Worldwatch Paper 138, November 1997. (This report looks at how to stop climate change and make economies stronger.)
• He also writes regularly for State of the World, Vital Signs, and World Watch. These are popular publications from the Worldwatch Institute.
• Low-Carbon Energy: A Roadmap, 2008. (This report gives a plan for using energy that creates less pollution.)

Learn More

If you want to learn more about topics related to Christopher Flavin's work, check out these links:

• State of the World 2008
• Lester Brown
• Amory Lovins
• Nourishing the Planet project
• State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the Planet