Cultural & Intellectual Climate Committee | “Earthly Matters” Series

Fall 2007 Schedule

Bill McKibben
September 25 @ 7:30 p.m. Brown Auditorium, Old Main

Environmentalist and writer, McKibben has just published Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future, a critique of the “more is better, bigger is better” economy. His first book, The End of Nature, raised the alarm about global climate change. His work appears regularly in the New York Review of Books, The Atlantic Monthly, Harper’s and The New York Times. Check out his recent essay in the current Harper’s (June 2007).

Alfred Crosby
September 27 @ 7:30 p.m. 3rd Floor Mezzanine, Old Main
Distinguished historian and professor emeritus at the University of Texas, Austin, Crosby pioneered innovative approaches to European history by recognizing the importance of environmental and ecological factors in shaping the past. His most famous work is Ecological Imperialism: The Biological Expansion of Europe, 900-1900.

Chris Shaw
October 19 @ 7:30 p.m. Exhibition Lounge, Corey Union
Singer and songwriter Chris Shaw carries on the storytelling and troubadour traditions of his native Adirondack region. In more than a half dozen albums, Shaw tells the stories of Adirondack folks and evokes a sense of place through lyrics that speak to the power of that environment for all who experience it. He has performed all over the Northeast and has played at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Paul Roberts
November 8 @ 7:30 p.m. Brown Auditorium, Old Main
Journalist Paul Roberts has covered environmental issues for many years. His 2004 book The End of Oil: On the Edge of a Perilous New World offers an engaging and prescient analysis of the issue of ‘peak oil’ and the possibilities and problems in moving to a different energy economy. His work has appeared in Newsweek, Harper’s, and Rolling Stone magazine. He is also a frequent guest on national television and radio programs including CNN, NPR, and PBS.

Michael Klare
November 29 @ 7:30 p.m. Brown Auditorium, Old Main
Director of the Five College Program in Peace and World Security at Hampshire College, Michael Klare is a distinguished scholar and author of numerous books including Resource Wars and Blood and Oil: The Dangers and Consequences of America’s Growing Dependency on Imported Petroleum. He’ll be speaking on “Rising Power, Shrinking Planet: The Global Struggle over Dwindling Resources.”


Spring 2008

Angus Wright
February 12 @ 7:30 p.m. Brown Auditorium, Old Main
Professor Emeritus of Environmental Studies at California State University, Sacramento, Angus Wright has been a scholar and activist for issues related to environmental and social justice and globalization. His books include The Death of Ramon Gonzales: The Modern Agricultural Dilemma, a harrowing account of the environmental and health consequences of modern-day agricultural practices, especially on the most “at risk” populations among us.

Diana Muir
March 18 @ 7:30 p.m. 3rd Floor Mezzanine, Old Main
Diana Muir’s book Reflections in Bullough’s Pond: Economy and Ecosystem in New England illustrates beautifully the complex relationship between man and nature. Using Bullough’s Pond as a window into an extraordinary history of one environment, Muir explores the ripple effects over time of human interaction with the land—and the land’s power to shape us.

Sandra Steingraber
March 25 @ 7:30 p.m. Jacobus Lounge, Brockway Hall
Sandra Steingraber’s book Living Downstream: An Ecologist Looks at Cancer and the Environment propelled her to the front ranks of contemporary environmental activists and made her a much sought after commentator on the health risks of environmental degradation. Described by the Sierra Club as the “new Rachel Carson” Steingraber’s newest work, Having Faith, describes the environmental hazards affecting mothers during pregnancy and their infants.

William Reese
April 8 @ 7:30 p.m. Brown Auditorium, Old Main
A population ecologist at the University of British Columbia, William Reese explores the connection between economic development and ecological stability. He is the originator of ‘ecological footprint’ analysis. Communities across the country and around the world have used this methodology to assess the sustainability of their economic development.