Overcoming Dogma and Prophecies of Doom to Save Nature

April 22, 2013

Peter Kareiva, the Nature Conservancy’s chief scientist, commented on the history of Earth Day during his 2013 Jill and Ken Iscol Distinguished Environmental Lecture. Kareiva observed that on the inaugural Earth Day 43 years ago, 12,000 events were held around the country. Two-thirds of Congress spoke at an Earth Day ceremony, and several environmental acts were born. Today, politicians are directing dollars away from conservation efforts, environmentalists are seen as “preachy,” and the environment and economic development are frequently in conflict.