AI and the Planet
AI can help protect the planet by improving how we monitor ecosystems, predict climate patterns, and manage natural resources. AI harms the planet when its data centers consume massive amounts of electricity, much of which still comes from fossil fuels. The production of AI hardware—especially chips—requires intensive mining, water use, and manufacturing processes that strain ecosystems. As AI models grow larger, their carbon footprint increases, making sustainable design and energy-efficient systems essential for reducing environmental damage. When guided by environmental values, AI becomes a tool that strengthens planetary stewardship rather than straining it.
John C. Havens
John C. Havens was the Founding Executive Director of The IEEE Global Initiative on Ethics of Autonomous and Intelligent Systems which was responsible for creating Ethically Aligned Design: A Vision for Prioritizing Human Well-being with Autonomous and Intelligent Systems. John helped create the IEEE 7000 Standards Series, the largest suite of international standards focused on Artificial Intelligence and ethical / societal issues to date.
John is also the Global Staff Director for The IEEE Planet Positive 2030 Program that produced the Compendium document, Strong Sustainability by Design: Prioritizing Ecosystem and Human Flourishing with Technology-Based Solutions that inspired the creation of the IEEE 7800 Standards Series focused on sustainability and is the author of, Heartificial Intelligence: Embracing Our Humanity To Maximize Machines, Hacking Happiness: Why Your Personal Data Counts and How Tracking it Can Change the World, and Tactical Transparency: How Leaders Can Leverage Social Media to Maximize Value and Build their Brand.
Dr. Arthur Lyon Dahl
Dr. Arthur Lyon Dahl of Geneva, Switzerland, is President of the International Environment
Forum, a Bahá'í-inspired professional organisation, and a retired Deputy Assistant Executive
Director of UNEP, where he was Deputy Director of Oceans and Coastal Areas in Nairobi, and
Coordinator of the UN System-wide Earthwatch in Geneva. An environmental scientist
specialising on coral reefs, he was Regional Ecological Adviser to all the Pacific Islands and
organised the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). He served
in the secretariat of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit drafting the Oceans chapter of Agenda 21. He
represented the Bahá'í International Community at the UN Conference on the Human
Environment in Stockholm in 1972, participated in the World Summit on Sustainable
Development (Johannesburg, 2002), the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20
in 2012), the Stockholm+50 International Meeting in 2022, and UN Climate Change
Conferences COP15 (Copenhagen 2009) and COP21 (Paris 2015). He co-authored "Global
Governance and the Emergence of Global Institutions for the 21st Century" (Cambridge 2020),
and with Sylvia Karlsson-Vinkhuyzen “Towards a Global Environment Agency: Effective
Governance for Shared Ecological Risks”. He is on the Steering Committee of the Climate
Governance Commission, and is active in global governance reform and planetary
sustainability. He chairs the Religion and Environment Working Group of the G20 Interfaith
Forum.
David C. Korten
David C. Korten is an American writer, lecturer, engaged citizen, student of psychology and behavioral systems, a prominent critic of corporate globalization, and an advocate of Ecological Civilization. He founded and serves as president of the Living Economies Forum and co-founded and served as board chair of YES! Magazine (now YES! Media, a project of the Truthout Center for Grassroots Journalism). He is currently an active member of the Club of Rome, a member of the International Advisory Council of the International Academy for Multicultural Cooperation, an advisory partner and member of the Ecocivilzation Coalition, and an Ambassador of the Wellbeing Economy Alliance.
He is the author of numerous influential books, including the international best-selling books When Corporations Rule the World; The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community; Change the Story, Change the Future: A Living Economy for a Living Earth; and Agenda for a New Economy. Most recently, he completed a trilogy of papers focused on the transition to an Ecological Civilization – Ecological Civilization: From Emergency to Emergence; Eco-nomics for an Ecological Civilization; and The Living Universe Story: A Participatory Integral Spirit Cosmology for an Ecological Civilization.
Audrey E. Kitagawa
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Audrey E. Kitagawa, JD, is the President/Founder of the International Academy for Multicultural Cooperation, President of the Light of Awareness International Spiritual Family, and the former Advisor to the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict at the United Nations.
She is a United Nations Representative for the United Religions Initiative, and is Chair Emerita of the NGO Committee of Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns, NY.
She has been enstooled into the royal family as the Nekoso Hemaa, (i.e. Queen Mother of Development), of Ajiyamanti in Ghana, West Africa, and has a school which she helped to build named after her in her African name, the Nana Ode Anyankobea Junior Secondary School.
She wrote the chapter, Crossing World Views, The Power of Perspective in the Hawaii Japanese American Experience, which was published in a book about multiculturalism, communication and Asian women entitled, Learning In The Light. Her chapter, Globalization As The Fuel For Religious And Ethnic Conflict has been published in the book, Globalization And Identity, Cultural Diversity, Religion and Citizenship. Her article, The Role Of Identity In The Rise And Decline of Buddhism In Hawaii, The 50th State Of The United States Of America, has been published in Sambhodi, a Buddhist Journal. She published articles in World Affairs The Journal Of International Issues, entitled, The Power of Om: Transformation of Consciousness, and Practical Spirituality. She wrote the chapter, The US In Foreign Affairs: Source of Global Security, Or Source of Global Fear? in the book, America & The World The Double Bind.
She has been listed in Who’s Who Of American Law, Who’s Who Of American
Women, Who’s Who In America, Who’s Who In The World, and Prominent People of Hawaii.
She is the recipient of the Medal “Pride of Eurasia” and a Diploma from the Republic of Kazakhstan Ministry of Education and Science L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University for her outstanding contribution to the development of spiritual culture and education in Eurasia.
She is the recipient of the Spirit of the UN Award which is given to outstanding individuals who have demonstrated the vision and spirit of the United Nations as expressed through the UN Charter, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
She is the recipient of a Citation from the Office of the President for the Borough of Brooklyn, City of New York, for her commitment to community well being by providing outstanding services and support to local residents, youth and those in need.
She was conferred an Honorary Interfaith Minister degree by the New Seminary.
