The Ellsberg Initiative for Peace and Democracy at UMass Amherst will host its 3rd annual Ellsberg Lecture on Monday, Dec. 2 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Old Chapel. 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. The event is free and open to the public.

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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 at Time and The Boston Globe. Mckibben is a former staff writer for The New Yorker and the author of many books, including “The End of Nature and Falter.”

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 UMass 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. 

For more information, please visit: www.eipad.org