Activist Laurie David to introduce Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at UF

March 6, 2006

GAINESVILLE, Fla.— Laurie David, environmental activist and wife of “Seinfeld” creator Larry David, will introduce Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Florida.

Kennedy’s speech, titled “Our Environmental Destiny,” is co-sponsored by ACCENT Speakers Bureau and the Public Interest Environmental Conference. The speech is free and open to the public. Doors open at 7:15 p.m.

David is an environmental activist and the producer of two films being released this spring that focus on the issue of global warming — “HBO’s Too Hot Not to Handle” on April 22 and “An Inconvenient Truth,” with Vice President Al Gore in theaters May 26. She is the founder of the Stop Global Warming Virtual March, has been featured in numerous magazines and newspaper articles, as well as on “Oprah,” “Fox News” and “Good Morning America.” David is recognized for her creative and tireless work to bring global warming out of the science books and into mainstream popular culture.

Kennedy, who has been named one of Time magazine’s “Heroes for the Planet,” has worked on environmental issues across the Americas and has assisted several indigenous tribes in Latin America and Canada in successfully negotiating treaties protecting traditional homelands. Kennedy will autograph his newly released book, “Crimes Against Nature,” a New York Times bestseller, after the show.

The University of Florida Levin College of Law’s 12th Annual Public Interest Environmental Conference brings together experts, practitioners, students and others to discuss not only the broad range of environmental and land use law topics, but also an interesting spectrum of educational issues affecting future generations. This year’s conference is held in conjunction with the University of Florida Center for Children’s Literature and Culture and the National Association of Environmental Law Societies.

ACCENT Speakers Bureau, the largest student-run speakers bureau in the nation, has been bringing prominent speakers to the University of Florida since the 1960s. ACCENT strives to bring controversial and influential speakers to the university, with the intent of further educating the student body, outside of the classroom, on current hot topics and controversies. Past speakers include presidents, prime ministers, entertainment, media, business and sports legends.

For persons with disabilities requiring special accommodations, please contact (352) 392-1663 ext. 302 or (352) 392-2567 (TDD), e-mail accommodate@sg.ufl.edu, or contact the Florida Relay System at 1-800-955-8771 at least 72 hours prior to the event. Real Time Transcription will be provided. For more information, call ACCENT at (352) 392-1665 ext. 306 or the information line ext. 411, visit the Web site http://www.sg.ufl.edu/accent, or e-mail ACCENT at accent@sg.ufl.edu.