Black Swans, and How to Tame Them
Environmental scholar David Orr spends two busy days on and around campus
With a dossier full of black swans and environmental insights, David Orr, Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics at Oberlin College, came to campus recently for two days of conversations, classroom visits, tours and lectures as part of the series Living in a World of Limits, which is cosponsored by the Clarke Forum and the Center for Sustainability Education.
Orr's first stop was the Dickinson College Farm, where he and his wife, Elaine, toured the grounds and facilities. He then toured campus and met with the Clarke Forum Faculty Study Group and the Baird Fellowship candidates.
A key item on Orr's agenda was the Oberlin Project, a sustainable-development partnership among the town of Oberlin (Ohio), Oberlin College and other parties. Orr discussed its applicability to Dickinson and Carlisle with founders of the Greater Carlisle Project, which is based on the Oberlin Project's core goals:
- Become climate positive
- Create new and support existing sustainable business ventures
- Conserve green space and develop a robust local-foods economy
- Integrate sustainability into education at all levels via educational alliances
- Serve as a model that can be replicated in other communities
Orr's visit to Carlisle also included a meeting with members of the Idea Fund, a classroom visit and his public lecture in the Anita Tuvin Schlechter Auditorium.
In his lecture, Orr framed the dangers of climate change in terms of black-swan events—large-scale disasters that no one sees coming, are devastating and, in retrospect, should have been obvious all along. Orr spoke for an hour and a half, detailing the dangers, the consequences and the dire need for action in combating what he sees as the greatest threat to both humankind and the planet.
Living in a World of Limits, a sustainability series featuring renowned environmental experts, advocates and thought-leaders, will continue with a visit from Bill McKibben. McKibben, whom Time magazine has called "the planet's best green journalist," will be on campus April 10-11.
Related Links:
Watch a video of Orr's lecture. http://clarke.dickinson.edu/david-orr/
Published March 29, 2013