Gordon Brown: Wiring a Web for Global Good

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown was a surprise speaker in the first session of the TEDGlobal Conference in Oxford. In his news-making talk (see below), he argued that we've reached a unique moment in human history: we can use today's interconnectedness to develop our shared global ethic -- and work together to confront the challenges of poverty, security, climate change and the economy.

About Gordon Brown (from TED.com):

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown is one of the world's most experienced political leaders. He has been a key architect of the G8's agreements on poverty and climate change, and has provided a passionate voice to encourage the developed world to aid struggling African countries.

Mr. Brown has promoted technology as a tool for economic (and environmental) recovery. With his charge to "count the carbon and the pennies," research on electric cars and residential energy efficiency are slated to become a major part of the UK's recovery plan. He has pushed for universal broadband and a general increase in spending on science. He has also sought to use new communication tools like Twitter and YouTube as a means to communicate government policy.