CLIMATE, WATER, ENVIRONMENT

Dr. Katharine Hayhoe

Sept. 17

The season opens Sept. 17 with a virtual, livestreamed event featuring Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, an atmospheric scientist at Texas Tech University, who will discuss “Climate Change: A Threat Multiplier.”

At Texas Tech, Hayhoe is an endowed professor in public policy and public law in the Department of Political Science and co-directs the Climate Center. She received a Bachelor of Science in physics from the University of Toronto, master’s and doctoral degrees in atmospheric science from the University of Illinois, and honorary doctorates from Colgate University and Victoria College at the University of Toronto. She was recognized as one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People, Fortune’s 50 World’s Greatest Leaders and the United Nations’ Champion of the Earth in Science and Innovation.

“Dr. Hayhoe is a compelling scientist who knows how to engage nonexperts about why people react so differently to climate change and why realizing the bases of those reactions matters,” Johnson said.

Mr. Robert Bilott

Feb. 4

On Feb. 4, 2021, ECU will welcome environmental attorney Mr. Robert Bilott, whose successful lawsuit against DuPont — for its toxic pollution of West Virginia streams — is the basis for the recent film, “Dark Waters,” starring Academy Award-winning actor Mark Ruffalo. Bilott will discuss “Dark Waters: The Story Behind the Environmental Legal Battle Exposing Corporate Coverup.”

Drawing from his book, “Exposure: Poisoned Water, Corporate Greed, and One Lawyer’s Twenty-Year Battle Against DuPont,” Bilott is expected to take the audience through the unforgettable legal drama about malice, manipulation and perseverance against the failings of environmental regulation.

“The story of Mr. Bilott’s years-long court battles in protecting everyday people from toxic pollution is truly compelling,” Johnson said.

To date, Bilott, a partner at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, has helped secure more than $1 billion in benefits for his clients exposed to contaminated drinking water. Among his many honors, Bilott was selected as one of the best lawyers in America for several years running, and in 2017, received the Right Livelihood Award, commonly known as the “Alternative Nobel Prize.”

Dr. Marshall Shepherd

March 25

On March 25, the series will conclude with American meteorologist, professor and director of the atmospheric sciences program at the University of Georgia, Dr. Marshall Shepherd. Shepherd, a leading international expert in weather and climate, and former president of the American Meteorological Society, will engage the audience through “Zombies, Sports, and Cola: Implications for Communicating Weather and Climate Science.”

“The title of Dr. Shepherd’s talk reflects this accomplished man, someone with a sense of humor and wider perspective, who enables us to better understand the serious threats to our environment,” Johnson said.

“We want the friends and patrons of Voyages to know — given our focus this year — that we are imposing on ourselves a ‘carbon tax’ in order to offset our speakers’ travel by donating to organizations that put carbon back into the ground,” Johnson said.

The Voyages series will continue its special-access speaker receptions prior to Bilott’s and Shepherd’s evening presentations. Receptions will have limited attendance.