Journalist, MSU alum part of Fate of the Earth

By Amanda Proscia

Andrew Revkin

Andrew Revkin


A former environmental reporter for the New York Times is speaking at Michigan State University about environmental sustainability, a presentation based on a series of his tweets on Twitter.
Andrew Revkin, who still writes for the Times on his Dot Earth blog, is the keynote speaker at the university’s second annual Fate of the Earth symposium April 2 and 3.

The journalist will examine society’s “woe is me” and “shame on you” attitudes about this century’s environmental changes, he said. And he will discuss actions that can be taken to improve human progress for global change.
Revkin’s blog focuses on the relationship between global sustainability and Earth’s booming human population.
He is one of a series of speakers who will discuss the Earth’s uncertain future and its environmental change due to increased human population and the development of new technologies.
Sunshine Menezes

Sunshine Menezes


Also mong the speakers is MSU alumna Sunshine Menezes, the executive director of the Metcalf Institute for Marine & Environmental Reporting at the University of Rhode Island. She will speak on dilemmas and solutions in science communication.
Other first day talks include:

  • What actions to take to combat climate change.
  • Varying international commitments to mitigate damage to common resources like fisheries.
  • Improving infrastructure in developing countries to cope with increasing human populations.

The conference is at the MSU Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center. The first day is a public symposium. The second day focuses on specific environmental research.
Second-day speakers include an EPA policy adviser and several professors from nationally renowned universities such as MSU, Virginia Tech and the University of Oregon.
Climate change’s effect on the Amazon rainforest and the spread of antibiotic resistance are among the research topics to be discussed during the second day.
The conference is sponsored by Michigan State University’s Environmental Science and Policy Program as part of its annual symposium series.
For information and to register go here.