Bill McKibben (Nov. 16th, 2011)

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The Terry Global Speakers Series Presents
Bill McKibben: Notes on the Climate Fight

In partnership with the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions, The Alma Mater Society, The Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences, the UBC Sustainability Initiative, and the UBC Bookstore.

Who?

Bill McKibben is an environmentalist, author, and activist. Hailed “the world’s best green journalist” by Time magazine, McKibben has re-framed the climate change debate. He is the author of a dozen books about the environment, including his seminal The End of Nature (1989), widely regarded as the first book on climate change for a general audience.

In addition to his writings, he has worked tirelessly to foster global grassroots activism in the struggle for climate justice. As head of 350.org, he organized a demonstration that spanned 181 countries, labeled “the largest ever global coordinated rally of any kind” by Foreign Policy magazine. Since 2009, he has organized over 15,000 rallies to pressure government and industry for real climate action. An activist and intellectual that exemplifies the Terry philosophy, Bill McKibben is an interdisciplinary thinker who is moved by the force of conscience to fight a global inequity of the highest order—one where the behavior of a fortunate few devastates the vulnerable many.

When?

Wednesday, November 16th at 12:30PM.

Where?

Bill McKibben will be speaking at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at the University of British Columbia. Tickets are free and available to the general public but must be picked up at the Chan Centre Box Office (see hours). There is a 2 ticket per person maximum. Note that each ticket represents a physical seat: please do not get one if you do not plan on using it. This is why we’ve made it so that you have to physically get them from the Chan Box Office as past experience has shown that if we allowed online registration, many of the tickets were not used. This, in turn, translated to others not being able to see the talk. If you are a UBC group, class, organization, etc and would like a block of tickets, please contact Dave Ng at db@interchange.ubc.ca for inquiries.

Why?

Though many have come to accept the scientific consensus around climate change, political realities still stifle the hope of real climate action. To help address this political impasse, Bill McKibben will share his invaluable experience mobilizing global grassroots activism. He will share stories from the front lines of the climate fight – from every corner of planet, including our own backyard. Of particular interest to Canadian university students, he will address the Keystone XL pipeline and Albert Tar Sands development. Some stories are hopeful, some are not, but one thing is certain: we finally have a movement, and Bill would like you to be a part of it.