Environment

Michael Watts: The Local-Global Dialectic: A Geographer's Perspective

Michael Watts
2001

Geographer Michael Watts, the Director of the UC Berkeley's Institute of International Studies, talks about his personal and political evolution as a researcher and scholar of internationalism and modernity.

KEYWORDS: Geographers, Globalization.

Lars-Erik Liljelund: Climate Change and Public Policy

Lars-Erik Liljelund
2006

Host Harry Kreisler welcomes scientist Lars-Erik Liljelund, Director General of the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, for a discussion of Swedish policy for addressing climate change and global warming. He reflects on his own career which combines work in public policy and science. He also talks about the distinctive quality of the global warming problem and the obstacles for finding and implementing solutions.

KEYWORDS: Sweden.

Yossie Hollander: Freedom from Oil Dependence

Yossie Hollander
2012

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Yossie Hollander for a discussion of the problem of oil dependence. Hollander discusses what he learned as a pioneer of the Israel software industry including the factors that made possible Israel's thriving Silicon Valley. Focusing on the role of philanthropy in changing the way we see social problems, he describes the mission of the Fuel Freedom Foundation which includes defining the problem of oil dependence. Examining present and future costs in light of the changing structure of oil markets, he shows how monopoly behavior prevents...

William Cronon: The Life and Work of an Environmental Historian

William Cronon
2013

Host Harry Kreisler welcomes William Cronon, Research Professor of History, Geography, and Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin, for a discussion of the challenges of historical scholarship. Reflecting on his formative experiences, Cronon, a former President of the American Historical Association, discusses the influence of his parents, his education, and the culture and environment of Wisconsin. He analyzes the essential features of a liberal arts education, the importance of storytelling in history, the implications of the digital revolution for research and...

Sylvia A. Earle: Ocean Voyages

Sylvia A. Earle
2011

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Sylvia A. Earle, Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society, for a discussion of her work as a research scientist, oceanic explorer, entrepreneur, and public educator. Tracing her intellectual journey,Earle talks about the influence of her formative years, her education, the importance of the ocean for life on earth, and the challenges of being both a scientist and a citizen concerned about the fate of the oceans.

Key Words: Scientists, Environment, Women Trailblazers, Marine Life, Oceans

Sir David King: Science and Public Policy

Sir David King
2005

Host Harry Kreisler welcomes Sir David King, Science Advisor to the British Government, for a discussion of the role of science in policy making.

http://globetrotter.berkeley.edu/people5/King/king-con0.html

Key Words: Scientists, Environment, Science and Public Policy, Climate Change, Great Britain, Global Warming

S. David Freeman: Energy, Conservation, and the Public Interest

S. David Freeman
2003

Host Harry Kreisler welcomes attorney David Freeman who reflects on his distinguished career in public service and discusses the political and social forces that have shaped energy policy at the national and state level.

http://globetrotter.berkeley.edu/people3/Freeman/freeman-con0.html

Key Words: Energy, Environment, Public Service, Global Warming, Climate Change, RIP

Robert Gallucci: The Challenges of Philanthropic Leadership

Robert Gallucci
2012

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes the President of the MacArthur Foundation Robert Gallucci for a discussion of the work of the Foundation and his role as President. The conversations then turns to the foundation's recent initiative on nuclear threats exploring its emphasis on the twin challenges of proliferation and terrorism.

Key Words: Environment, Leadership, Nuclear Proliferation, Philanthropy

R. James Woolsey: Environmental Policy and National Security

R. James Woolsey
2010

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes former Director of Central Intelligence R. James Woolsey for a discussion of the linkages between oil dependence, climate change and national security. Woolsey discusses his involvement in the anti war and civil rights movements in the 1960's. He analyzes the end of the Cold War and the problem of shifting paradigms in national security. Focusing on energy and climate change, he recalls the origins of his focus on environmental issues and describes the opportunities and constraints in the portfolio of options that would transform energy dependency...

Oronto Douglas: The BP Disaster: Lessons from the Niger Delta

Oronto Douglas
2010

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Oronto Douglas for a discussion of the impact of the major oil companies on the ecology and politics of Nigeria. Drawing on his experience as a native of the Niger Delta and a leader of the environmental movement there, Oronto Douglas traces the struggle for environmental justice in his homeland. He analyzes the problems facing the new President of Nigeria and discusses his own role in the new administration. Oronto Douglas then analyzes the BP disaster in the American Gulf Coast and compares that tragedy to the experience of the Niger Delta. He...