The Third Annual Ellsberg Lecture: 'Back to the Wall, Face to the Sun' with Bill McKibben

As part of the Ellsberg Initiative’s Existential Threat Project, “Back to the Wall, Face to the Sun: Where We Stand in the Climate Fight" will feature acclaimed author, educator and environmentalist Bill McKibben.

McKibben has written extensively on the impacts of climate change and founded the first global grassroots climate campaign, 350.org. He currently serves as the Schumann Distinguished Scholar at Middlebury College in Vermont. Mckibben was a recipient of the 2013 Gandhi Peace Award, the Right Livelihood prize in 2014, and multiple honorary degrees. His work has been praised by journalists in both Time and The Boston Globe. Mckibben himself is a former staff writer for The New Yorker and the author of many books, including The End of Nature and Falter.

In this lecture, McKibben will offer an overview of the current state of the climate crisis and provide insights on where the climate movement must go from here to avert the worst consequences of climate change. In light of a second Trump presidency, this event is especially timely in helping students, activists, and scholars navigate this new political context and confront the urgency for climate action.

The Ellsberg Initiative for Peace and Democracy is inspired by the life and legacy of Daniel Ellsberg (1931-2023), the legendary whistleblower who released the Pentagon Papers to the press and public in 1971. In 2019, UMass Amherst acquired Ellsberg’s voluminous papers. They are archived at the Robert S. Cox Special Collections and University Archives Research Center, widely known for its world-renowned holdings chronicling activism for peace, democracy, and social justice.

The Ellsberg Initiative for Peace and Democracy is directed by University of Massachusetts Amherst History professor Christian Appy, author of three books about the Vietnam War and recipient of the Chancellor’s Medal, the Distinguished Teaching Award, and the Distinguished Graduate Mentor Award.

The 3rd Annual Ellsberg Lecture is free and open to the public and we invite you to join us for this important discussion.

The Lecture is co-sponsored by the departments of History, Anthropology, English, Political Science, Sociology, School of Public Policy, STPEC, School of Earth and Sustainability, PERI, and others. View the History department's co-sponsorship statement.