DuPont Chief Innovation Officer Tom Connelly Serves as On-Air Judge

WILMINGTON, Del., April 7, 2011 - An exciting new, interactive idea in television programming is slated to air on local PBS stations Friday night in prime time.

"Planet Forward gives engaged citizens, entrepreneurs, scientists and students the opportunity to share their energy solutions, and connect those innovative ideas with leaders in the energy field," said Frank Sesno, Planet Forward's host and creator. "These ideas have the power to change the nation's energy future." The best ideas are then featured online and on TV.
As part of PBS's Earth Day programming, Planet Forward has produced a one-hour special focusing on some of the most innovative and interesting ideas that they received over the past six months at planetforward.org. The focus is on energy efficiency through innovative technology and game changing business or policy ideas. The ideas were nominated online, vetted and fact-checked by an editorial staff and the top vote getters were featured as finalists on tomorrow's show. Planet Forward is a project of the Center for Innovative Media at The George Washington University.

In looking for informed opinions and first-hand experience, the team at Planet Forward assembled an impressive on-air panel of judges: DuPont Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer Thomas M. Connelly, New York Times reporter Andrew C. Revkin, and former Governor of Michigan Jennifer Granholm.
"I was impressed with the quality and range of projects submitted by students, established companies and start-ups," said Connelly. "While encouraging the inventor and celebrating the spirit of innovation - the program stays grounded in the reality of business today. An idea must grow to commercial scale to make a real difference for people and the planet."
Stories of inventors and scientists will be featured covering topics such as using algae to produce butanol biofuel, solar leasing programs, gasification of waste to high-performance fuels, and even a project chronicling how a company led the retrofit of all 6,514 windows in the Empire State Building. Check local listings for air dates and times.
DuPont - one of the first companies to publicly establish environmental goals 20 years ago - has broadened its sustainability commitments beyond internal footprint reduction to include market-driven targets for both revenue and research and development investment. The goals are tied directly to business growth, specifically to the development of safer and environmentally improved new products for key global markets.
DuPont (www.dupont.com) is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 90 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.