Stories of Hope Amid Ecological Crisis – Virtual Lecture Series
Tues., Aug. 15, Thurs., Aug. 17, Tues., Aug. 22, & Thurs., Aug.  24, at 6 p.m. central
and Sun., Aug. 20, 2 p.m. central, online

It’s easy to feel despondent with daily reports of ecological crisis in the news – from wildfires, to droughts, to floods & more. The dismal facts threaten to overwhelm us. But doom and gloom never did any good nor made any positive change. And, there is reason for real optimism — not wishful thinking — with a clear-eyed focus on solutions ready to hand and well within reach. Join our eminent speakers in this virtual lecture series to learn where they find hope — and why you should, too, — that empowers us all to respond to the ecological crisis. Our speakers include:  Phoebe Barnard, PhD, CEO of the Stable Planet Alliance & Professor of Biodiversity and Environmental Futures at the University of Washington, Jeff Crane, PhD, Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at Cal Poly Humboldt University, Prof. Dr. Christof Mauch, Director of the Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society at Ludwig Maximilian University Munich, Jaclyn Bringuez, Senior Director of Development & Mallory Henig, Senior Manager, Individual and Planned Giving, both at Conservation International, and Dawn M. Nothwehr, OSF, Ph.D., Professor of Catholic Theological Ethics & The Erica and Harry John Family Endowed Chair in Catholic Ethics at Catholic Theological Union. Details for each lecture are given below.  Attend all five lectures, or just one.  All lectures are recorded with recordings distributed to all registrants.
Register on www.eventbrite.com at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/stories-of-hope-amid-ecological-crisis-tickets-669424595987.
Contact Lisa Brenskelle at [email protected] for more information.

Phoebe Barnard, PhD
CEO, Stable Planet Alliance, Professor of Biodiversity and Environmental Futures, University of Washington

Climate Restoration: Paralysis, Promise, and Potential Pitfalls
Tues., Aug. 15, 6 p.m. central, online

What if the world didn’t have to be this way, or end this way?  Are there any alternatives to scary apocalyptic climate futures?  In addition to focusing on climate mitigation and climate adaptation, what if we could take our future into our hands and minimize climate turbulence and risk through climate restoration – restoring the climate to a pre-industrial state, mostly using nature-based ecosystem and climate restoration and regenerative farming methods?  The odds are indeed long, but the risks of not doing so are astronomical.  So let’s talk about how to make it happen.  Global change scientist, environmental futures professor and filmmaker, Dr Phoebe Barnard will tell us about the 2023 global documentary series she and John Bowey are making, Back to Our Future: Climate Restoration and Survival, and what they are learning about risks, research and reputations in this incredibly fast-moving field.

Jeff Crane, PhD
Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at Cal Poly Humboldt University

Cultivating Hope and Joy in the Anthropocene
Thurs., Aug. 17, 6 p.m. central, online

In “Cultivating Hope and Joy in the Anthropocene” Dr. Jeff Crane will closely examine the role of community farming as a strategy that builds community and ecosystem resilience while providing mitigation. The benefits of this strategy including food justice and sovereignty, carbon sequestration, habitat creation, and increased ecosystem services are relatively well known. Dr. Crane intends to delve deeper to analyze the ways in which community farming can contribute to a narrative of hope while also providing joy for individuals and the community.

Prof. Dr. Christof Mauch
Director of the Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society at Ludwig Maximilian University Munich

Slow Hope: Rethinking Ecologies in Times of Crisis
Sun., Aug. 20, 2 p.m. central, online

In this lecture, Christof Mauch, the director of the Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society at Ludwig Maximilian University Munich, sets out his concept of “slow hope.” He describes the gradual, almost invisible nature of environmental damage and highlights mostly untold stories of quiet but positive environmental change that are often hiding in plain sight. The search for environmental hope does not downplay the magnitude of the problems we are facing, nor is it synonymous with unadulterated optimism. Yet it is possible to look to hopeful narratives as alternatives to stories of decline—narratives which can help us to think creatively and act courageously in these times of converging ecological, social, and economic crises.

Jaclyn Bringuez, Senior Director of Development & Mallory Henig, Senior Manager, Individual and Planned Giving
Conservation International

Optimism from Action: Conservation Stories from the Field that Give Us Hope
Tues., Aug. 22, 6 p.m. central, online

Conservation International has been working around the world since 1987 to protect nature for people. Join Jaclyn Bringuez, Senior Director of Development, and Mallory Henig, Senior Manager, Individual and Planned Giving, to hear about on the ground conservation stories that give us hope for people and nature to thrive together for generations to come.

Dawn M. Nothwehr, OSF, Ph.D.
Professor of Catholic Theological Ethics & The Erica and Harry John Family Endowed Chair in Catholic Ethics at
Catholic Theological Union – Chicago

Hope Amid Ecological Sin and Climate Emergency: Franciscan Writings
Thurs., Aug. 24, 6 p.m. central, online

St. Francis of Assisi is commonly known as the Patron Saint of Ecologists. The Franciscan tradition provides a hope-filled vision of peace, justice, and sustainability for all of creation that is deeply compatible with the world’s spiritual traditions, and respectful of all life-giving ways. In 2015, drawing on the Franciscan spiritual and intellectual tradition, Pope Francis published Laudato Si’- On Care for Our Common Home. There he called the world to embrace a kind of “ecological conversion.”  In light of the Franciscan tradition, Dr. Dawn Nothwehr will address topics, such as “ecological sin” and impending environmental destruction, offering a positive path forward and practical tools necessary for conversion, planet-healing actions, and life-sustaining changes.