Bill McKibben Presentation

In 1989, Bill McKibben wrote The End of Nature, which was the first book for the general public about the perils of global warming. Before that, climate change wasn’t on our radar, but now it is a specter that will negatively impact future generations.

McKibben last spoke at Mountainfilm 2009 about his essential work at the climate group 350.org and now he returns to Telluride to discuss his latest book, Eaarth. The book sketches what climate change will feel like when it is no longer that distant specter but rather an everyday horror. His thesis is that we can no longer push back against global warming but must now focus on adapting to a hotter, harsher world the best we can.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that McKibben has given up the fight to push CO2 levels in the atmosphere down to 350 parts per million (considered by scientists to be the magic number). He continues to travel tirelessly, working towards this goal and will discuss what we need to do–individually and collectively.

There are several opportunities to see McKibben speak: he will give closing remarks to the morning session at High Camp on Friday; he will do two breakfast talks; Q&A with Tim DeChristopher and Terry Tempest Williams; and a conversation about Eaarth at the Sheridan Opera House on Sunday.