plan relocation talks -- nrf speaking and advisory terms and conditions

The Natural Resilience Foundation – 2900 S. 1st St., #332, Austin, TX 78704-6370 917-750-2215. www.natresilience.org. [email protected]. @natresilience

Plan Relocation Talks

a.k.a. Noah’s Ark Talks or Plan R

For the past four years, we have been studying climate resilience and how to protect the built

environment against weather events.

The mission of The Natural Resilience Foundation (NRF) (a public charity organized as a 501c3 not-

for-profit corporation) is to build awareness about climate resilience, an emerging industry that is

already triple the size of worldwide digital advertising due to the large scale and public nature of the

projects that generally involve massive investments in infrastructure.

By embracing the so-called “Green Economy” we can create jobs and reverse the effects of years of

fossil fuel emissions. Lester R. Brown, founder of Worldwatch Institute/Earth Policy Institute, calls

this Plan B and at the NRF we are firmly committed to Plan B. We harken back to the days during the

Great Depression of the 1930’s when the Works Progress Administration (WPA) helped build a

significant amount of the infrastructure we enjoy today.

With the Paris COP 21 accord of December 2015 in place to have 196 countries agreeing to reduce

their carbon emissions sufficient to limit global warming to no more than 2 degrees Celsius and make a

serious attempt at 1.5 degrees Celsius, it remains to be seen if our species has the public and political

will to actively reduce CO2 emissions in an amount to reverse, or at least stem, the impact of fossil fuel

emissions on our built environment.

Our stance, at this point, is to be guardedly optimistic about COP 21 and hope that by 2020 (when

countries have to solidify their carbon reduction plans), the Green Economy efforts underway yield

positive results. However, we also feel strongly that there has to be some sort of contingency plan

in the event that Plan B does not materialize sufficiently to stem CO2 emissions.

Our Plan Relocation strategy is to begin the planning of select locations that have characteristics

like sufficient elevation, water capacity and protection from coastal flooding to relocate literally

multi- millions of people to higher ground.

The idea is to create sustainable and resilient rural communities, mega-cities of high rise or other scale

urban developments that consider the lessons learned over the past fifty years relating to sustainable

development. These cities are a step towards adaptation not unlike the migrations we are seeing

from the animal communities that are now adapting to changing weather patterns.

http://www.natresilience.org/

mailto:[email protected]


The human population is projected to reach 9 billion people by 2050; that is 34 years from the date of

this writing. Changing weather events are happening all over the planet in real time and that impact

is very difficult to gauge from our perspective as human beings living in a particular locale and

experiencing our unique situation as it relates to climate change.

Remember we are not planet savers – the planet will be fine as it will either freeze over as in the last ice

age or heat up and create volcanic activity that will result in changing land formations; or even more

drastic consequences that we cannot image. We are species savers and that species saving includes our

own human race.

An all-encompassing book called How to Save Millions of Lives -- A Call to Action, dealing with these

global issues in more detail, is available January 2017.

The cost is $29.95 and is tax-deductible to U.S. residents and businesses.

Make checks payable to: The Natural Resilience Fund, Inc.

Credit Card Processing is also available.




Speaking Terms for NRF/Eric Kaufman January 2017

TO: Potential Sponsors

FROM: Eric Kaufman

RE: Speaking Terms

Many thanks for considering me or another board member of the NRF as a speaker. What

follows is an overview about our fees and preferred topics, formats, terms, and procedures.

FEES

Generally – My basic fee is $2,500 per speaking day, plus expenses. For my travel days,

I charge $500. Expenses for 1-3 day trips usually total $500-1,000. Joaquin Matias and

James Sellinger will speak for $1,250 per speaking day, plus expenses.

Travel Days – Being away from home – one of my jobs is to take care of my mother

part time – is costly, so I also charge for travel days. Because a East or West Coast talk

probably requires a minimum of two days, I usually need to charge $3,000 for a one day

event, $3,500 for a two-day event, etc. A talk in the Midwest or South would probably

be $2,500. If I can fly/drive to and from the event in the same day, I’ll charge $2,500.

Multiple Day Tours – Some sponsors, particularly those outside the United States,

understandably like to take advantage of my long trip and put together multiple events in

proximate communities. I like this too, and therefore am prepared to offer a financial

incentive for such “packages.” So…if you buy one speaking day of my time for $2,500, I’ll

add speaking days for $1,250 per day. Note that only applies to the “Work Load”

requirements outlined below. For my all-day workshops on sustainability and resilience

development for municipalities, special pricing applies (typically $2,500 per workshop).

Travel Expenses – I invoice for all reasonable expenses, including: transportation to the

local airport (taxi rides or airport parking fees); baggage and travel agent fees; car rental

once I arrive (including $25 insurance per rental); and hotel for each night.

I will keep all meals and incidentals to less than $75 per day, including travel days (if you feed

me, of course, I will not charge you). For international travel, I will charge for any special

expenses required for visas, vaccinations, etc. For travel to a local event, mileage will be charged

at the standard IRS rate in effect.

Virtual Events – I’m also prepared to keep my carbon footprint lower and avoid travel




altogether through a virtual event. I’m happy to give a talk via Skype, Google, or another

platform. Since every talk requires several hours of preparation, I typically charge

$1,000 for this. If more preparation is required, I’ll need to charge slightly more.

Discounts – All municipalities and not-for-profit organizations receive a 5% discount on

my speaking day ($2,375 instead of $2,500), and 5% discount on all other linked speaking

and travel days ($475 instead of $500).

Gratis Speeches –Two or three times each year, I’m willing to speak for a lower fee or no

fee at all, though even in these circumstances expenses must be covered. Please only ask

for this if you expect an audience of more than 1,000.

Payment –You should expect an invoice from me within 30 days after the talk, and

payment is expected within 15 days after receipt of the invoice. Most sponsors are very

responsible about this, but…if we do not receive payment within 30 days, I will charge a

one percent per month late fee.

Tax Issues – I’ve discovered that a few states (like North Carolina and New Mexico) and

some countries (like Canada) impose crazy local and state taxes on nonresident

independent contractors. If your state or country is one of these, the gross pay should be

increased so that the net equals the terms laid out above. In other words, your check to me

must equal the honorarium level we agreed to. Foreign payments should be in U.S.

dollars.

TRAVEL LOGISTICS

Air Travel – You should book my air tickets per your needs, and send me the e-ticket

data. Any airline is fine. It’s easiest if I can fly in and out of Austin Bergstrom Airport

(AUS). The only exception is if I’ve got multiple stops, in which case I’ll book the ticket

and invoice you for half of a two-stop ticket, a third of a three-stop ticket, etc.

On-Site Transportation –Aging Knees have placed significant limits on my ability to

rely on mass transit although I will do so to reduce my carbon footprint.

Therefore, I prefer to rent a car once I arrive at a site, unless the speaking venue is a

short cab ride away. As noted, I pay $25 per rental for insurance and prepay for a tank

of gas.

Hotels – I prefer a middle-range hotel room (assume $100-125 per night) that is

reasonably comfortable, quiet, private, and internet friendly. Please, no home stays,

B&Bs, bare-bones tourist hotels, or roommates—no exceptions. The whole purpose of a

good place to stay is so I can give you and your audience the best performance possible,

and that means I need undistracted down time.




EVENT PREPARATION

Work Load – I’m happy to add to my work day radio and television interviews, site visits,

discussions, whatever you’d like. Basically, you’re the boss of my time with you, with

following qualifications: I will do one prepared talk, and one 60-90 minute workshop

(usually as a follow-on to the talk). I strongly discourage multiple public events in a day,

since they tend to cannibalize one another’s audiences. Second, try not to work me for

more than eight hours during the day. Third, allow time for me to eat every now and then.

Event Formats – I’m happy to speak on almost any topic you’d like, in almost any format.

Audiences seem to respond best to my speaking solo for 55-75 minutes, and then to take

questions for another 30 minutes. But I’m happy to speak for a shorter period and with a

panel of people. I also enjoy debate formats.

Technology – I almost always give PowerPoint presentations, so you should have an LCV

projector and a screen. I can provide the computer (or memory stick) and a remote mouse.

Because I almost always make changes and additions until the moment of presentation, I

cannot provide an advance version of the presentation. I will, however, provide you with a

PDF of the presentation for distribution after the event.

Name Gathering – Please figure out a way of gathering names and e-mails of those attending

the event and send a copy to me. Most groups do this anyway at the door. I ultimately will

encourage them to subscribe to my blog. natresilience.blogspot.com

Pre-Event Communication – I’m happy to have one in-depth telephone conversation

for planning, up to one hour, with you and your colleagues about the content, title,

format, etc. Most of what sponsors need, including photos, descriptions, biographical

material, quotations for press releases, etc., are available on my linkedin profile:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-kaufman-a608986.

My Preparation – I’m always grateful if you and your colleagues can send me articles,

reports, studies, whatever that provides me with background on your community. Best to

email this to me or send to my personal address (75 N Broadway, Nyack, New York 10960.

Op-Eds – Many groups want me to write an op-ed for the local paper before the event,

and this almost always pays off in attendance. But a good op-ed – researching, writing,

communicating with the paper, revising – takes half a day of my time, so this would cost

an additional $2,500. You are welcome to lightly edit and submit one of my existing

blog pieces without charge. http://natresilience.blogspot.com.



http://www.locatopia.net/

http://natresilience.blogspot.com/

http://natresilience.blogspot.com/


NEXT STEPS: BOOKING

Booking Procedures – To move ahead, please let me know that these terms are

acceptable and let me know the dates, topics, talk lengths, audience sizes, and any other

relevant details. E-mail communication is usually fastest

([email protected]). I’ll then send you a contract for signature (often just

an exchange of e-mails suffices).

UNLIKELY SCENARIOS

Please rest assured that the scenarios below are exceedingly rare (each occurs maybe

once in a hundred events). But just in case they happen, here’s how we should handle

them:

Cancellation – Stuff happens: illness, a sick relative, a death in the family, tornadoes….

Either of us can cancel within 45 days without penalty. If one of us cancels after 45

days, we agree to make best efforts to rearrange ASAP. If rearrangement is impossible,

the canceller agrees to pay the cancel-lee another $2,000 to cover for the hassle of

finding a substitute speaker or speaking event. Additionally, if cancellation occurs

within 45 days of the event and a nonrefundable plane ticket is purchased, the canceller

is responsible for paying that as well.

Getting Stuck Before – If my plane is canceled (perhaps because of mechanical

difficulties, a weather event, or whatever) and I wind up arriving late, you’ll make best

efforts to move speakers around so that we can still fulfill this contract. I pledge to

schedule flights to arrive well in advance of the event, so that most Plan B’s will still

work. (If I plan to arrive too far in advance, though, it may mean unnecessary expenses

for hotel and travel days, so there’s a reasonable balance here.) And I also pledge to call

you immediately, if I know a problem has arisen.

Getting Stuck After – If my plane is canceled and I wind up needing to stay another

day, we agree to split, 50/50, additional expenses incurred (e.g., another night of hotel,

another meal).




Eric Kaufman founded The Natural Resilience Fund, Inc. (dba The Natural Resilience

Foundation) in August 2013. He is currently the NRF Principal, President and CEO.

This 50 l(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation is organized as a public charity advocating for and

developing financing strategies to safeguard human life, real estate, critical infrastructure and

natural systems from the effects of climate change. The NRF’s main mission is to build awareness

about the emerging industry known as climate resilience.

Prior to this on-going effort, Eric an d his business partners secured approval from NYC in late

2013 to construct a 630-foot Observation Wheel as the centerpiece of and destination site for the

Staten Island Ferry Terminal Special District in St. George, Staten Island. This $610 million

public-private partnership is being completely funded by private investment. Construction

commenced the 2nd Quarter of 2015 with an anticipated opening date of April 2018.

Eric has bought, sold, financed, developed, managed and acted as contractor for well over $1B in

transactions since he began h i s real estate career in 1982. Through the l 990's he was the #2 at The

Carlton Group, a well-known real estate investment banking firm. There he helped start the firm 's

real estate financing division. Eric has advised the Collegiate Church (Dutch Reformed Church),

the oldest corporation in America, on their real estate h o l d i n g s since 1996 and converted 1100

apartments to co-operatives or condominiums in the 1980s. He has an A.B. from Vassar College and an

M.B.A. from the Wharton School .

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