ORLANDO — As the reality of climate change is made clearer by the fact that environmental conditions are becoming more confusing, VoLo Foundation’s fledgling annual “climate correction“ conference is coming into its own at just the right time.
A lot of things were different at this year's VoLo Climate Conference in Orlando, the two-day climax of Florida Climate Week for six years running.
It was easy to notice was the crowd size nearly doubled from recent years.
More nuanced was that fact that no longer did each presentation last nearly an hour. Or even 45 minutes. A half-hour was often too long.
There were more academics, climate researchers, city and state environmental managers, graduate students and reps from companies with the "next big thing" to help the planet, presenting more ideas on how to abate climate change than ever before.
Most presenters had about 20 minutes to get up on the stage, introduce their findings or explain their discovery, make their cases, discuss their solutions — then get off the risers because the next group was already up and anxious to claim the stage.
Presenters ranged from distinguished scholars with grey hair, younger women and men with what they thought were brilliant ideas — some were; others not so much -- and teenagers with the type of creative solutions that often only the young can envision.
What hasn’t changed is the power couple at the helm of it all.
‘Maybe nobody will show up’
David Vogel and Thais Lopez Vogel merged their last names to come up with “VoLo,” then created the VoLo Foundation to convince people worldwide that solutions to climate change must be based in sound scientific principles or it will fail.
The couple, who have a blended family of six children, are spreading their message that climate change is not only an environmental issue, it is a threat to health, agriculture, real estate, tourism, and the economy.
There is no future without environmental education. That's my motto. — Thais Lopez Vogel
David Vogel is an MIT graduate and founder of the Jupiter, Florida-based hedge fund Voloridge Investment Management. He is also chief scientist and a co-founder and trustee of VoLo Foundation.
“When we started the conference several years ago, we thought okay, there's not that much interest in Florida, maybe no one will show up,” David Vogel said as 2024’s conference was wrapping up. “To see so many people not only just showing up, but engaged, contributing solutions, people traveling from all different states to contribute their ideas here. Young people, in high school, in college, contributing their innovative ideas. That's amazing to see.”
Thais (pronounced TIE-ees) Lopez Vogel was born in Caracas, Venezuela, and is an attorney, co-founder and trustee of VoLo Foundation, and manages the day-to-day operations of the foundation.
Lopez Vogel has been named to the “One Hundred Most Influential Latinos Committed to Climate Action” by the environmental organization Sachamama — known for its work in climate and the environment communications and media campaigns within Latino communities. Others on the list include actress and businesswoman Jessica Alba, politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and actress and producer Eva Longoria.
Lopez Vogel and her husband originally focused on those in need of health care and education, but said they soon realized the climate crisis is the greatest threat to future generations.
“Some of the most important lessons are ones I’ve learned from my children,” she said. “Seeing them grow physically, socially, intellectually, and emotionally has added a new understanding to my journey in life.
“They will always be my inspiration and I owe it to them to do everything in my power to secure and protect their future.”
Multi-lingual, multi-national
Topics covered during the nearly two dozens presentations, announcements, and awards ranged from lighter issues such as job opportunities in renewable energy to meatier discussions about the effectiveness of carbon markets — buying and selling carbon “credits” to offset the impacts of a carbon-producing endeavor — to heavyweight issues such as the trauma and shock felt by people who lose everything to stronger hurricanes or floods and the mental health issues that need to be addressed right away.
In a demonstration of the impressive growth of international interest in the VoLo climate conference, the morning’s presentations were in Spanish. Those needing headphones to listen to a translator repeat everything in English had to raise their hands to get one, and a clear minority of the more than 200 people in attendance needed translation.
Also impressive was the gee-whiz factor behind the stage. No longer was it a static screen ready for a Power Point presentation beamed up from a projector on a podium. Instead, there was an array of dozens of high-definition televisions locked together and coordinated by a computer to appear as one huge screen.
Ocean waves, street scenes, fish swimming into an underwear camera and many other visual aspects of each presentation looked as real as it can get.
Environmental education key
After the conference, in a room filled with dozens of rolling black equipment cases with “VoLo Foundation” stenciled on them as if Lopez Vogel and Vogel are rock stars, the couple took a few minutes to discuss how the best-attended Climate Correction Conference so far was not the pinnacle, but the start of a long conversation that will expand as the conference continues to grow.
Young people, in high school, in college, contributing their innovative ideas. That's amazing to see.
— David Vogel
“It's not going to be one solution to solve climate change; it's going to take a combination of a number of solutions,” David Vogel said. “We plan to add more solutions, whether it be a scientific solution or investment solution, so more innovation in that area is where we plan to go.”
Lopez Vogel plans to bring more younger voices into the conversation.
“We’re the ones that did less for the problem that we're facing right now, so we want to cater more to them in the future years,” she said. “They're going to be the leaders of the future, and they're going to be the ones that solve this problem.
“Definitely keep educating them is our idea. There is no future without environmental education. That's my motto.”
Environmental reporting for WGCU is funded in part by VoLo Foundation, a non-profit with a mission to accelerate change and global impact by supporting science-based climate solutions, enhancing education, and improving health.
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