From a certain world-renowned primatologist, to climate activists, to outdoor enthusiasts, several panels at this year’s Crosscut Festival will honor our shared home, as well as discuss some of the biggest issues facing our planet. These changemakers will weigh in on climate migration, government policies, our animal neighbors and the future of our planet. Let’s get to know some of the trailblazers coming to the Crosscut Festival and learn more about what they'll be discussing on their environmental panels next month.
A Reason for Hope
In July 1960, at the age of 26, Jane Goodall traveled to what is now Tanzania and ventured into the little-known world of wild chimpanzees. Her work transformed our understanding of chimpanzees and redefined the relationship between humans and animals in ways that continue to resonate around the world. Now, with climate change threatening ways of life around the globe, she remains determined and even hopeful. She will be joined in conversation with Bill Nye (the Science Guy), one of the world’s foremost advocates for a deeper understanding about our relationship to science and the natural world.
Don’t miss this conversation between Jane Goodall and Bill Nye on Saturday, May 8.
The Great Climate Migration
Wildfires in the West. Hurricanes in the East. Droughts and floods throughout the nation. Life has become increasingly untenable for tens of millions of Americans. Other nations face a similar existential threat. From rural Guatemalans to subsistence farmers in Kenya, drought and scorching heat are destroying their way of life. Without money to address the problem, migration is often simply a question of survival. But where will everyone go?
Join science journalist and author Sonia Shah and senior environmental reporter at ProPublica Abrahm Lustgarten for this conversation on Tuesday, May 4, moderated by Crosscut science and environment editor Ted Alvarez.
A Matter of Degrees: Tracking the Biden Administration on Climate Change (live podcast taping)
The new administration has promised to take bold action to combat climate change and shift to a greener economy. This will require pulling many levers to sway the public, as well as pushing the private sector. By appointing former U.S. Sen. and Secretary of State John Kerry to a new cabinet post as presidential envoy for climate, and making history appointing Deb Haaland as secretary of the interior, President Biden has signaled an apparent seriousness with which his administration will approach this issue. After the first 100 days, we’ll evaluate how far they’ve come and where they appear to be going.
Join journalist Julian Brave NoiseCat in conversation with A Matter of Degrees podcast hosts Leah Stokes and Dr. Katharine Wilkinson on Friday, May 7.
Animals & Us
Our relationship to animals — whether it’s the inefficiency of meat-eating for a population of billions or conservation efforts for at-risk species — has arguably never been so vital as we consider how to adjust to, and mitigate, climate change. And then there are the questions of morality.
Peter Singer, best known for his book Animal Liberation, is joined by Michelle Nijhuis, author of a new book on the history of the conservation movement, Beloved Beasts, for a conversation about sustainability and empathy for animals on Friday, May 7. Moderated by Crosscut reporter Hannah Weinberger.
Don’t miss these conversations and more at the Crosscut Festival, May 3-8, 2021. Get tickets now.
