Renowned climate change expert Guy McPherson will present two free public lectures in Fredonia and Dunkirk. On Sunday, April 1, McPherson will speak about "Convergence, Community, and the Gift Economy" at 2:30 p.m. at the Fredonia Grange. On Monday, April 2, McPherson will address the topic of "Convergence Impacts and Building Sustainable Communities" at 7 p.m. at the Technology Incubator Building in Dunkirk. Following the presentation at the Incubator, local vendors and conservation experts will address options for creating more energy efficient housing.
McPherson is professor emeritus of natural resources and the environment at the University of Arizona, where he taught and conducted research for 20 award-winning years. His scholarly work, which has focused on conservation of biological diversity, has produced 10 books and more than 100 articles. In addition to his impressive scholarly record, he has done environmental consulting work for the U.S. Department of Defense, The Nature Conservancy, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, the Association for Fire Ecology and many other leading organizations.
Since retiring from full-time teaching, McPherson, an energetic speaker and talented moderator, has embarked on an extensive international speaking tour, which has included a TEDx talk in Tempe, Ariz. He has appeared before countless audiences to speak about the two primary consequences of the nation's fossil-fuel addiction: global climate change and energy decline. Because these phenomena impact every aspect of life on Earth, his talks reach a wide variety of audiences such as universities, associations, nonprofits, and numerous educational and scientific symposia and conferences. Selected presentations are available at McPherson's YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/user/gmcphers0n), but each presentation is uniquely prepared for the specific audience.
McPherson doesn't just talk about consequences of climate change and energy decline; he is actively working toward everyday solutions. He lives in an off-grid, straw-bale house where he puts into practice his lifelong interest in sustainable living via organic gardening, raising small animals for eggs and milk, and working with members of his rural community. McPherson also shares property in a rural area developed specifically to provide abundant supplies of food and water as well as maintaining comfortable body temperature in the absence of fossil fuels. While in Chautauqua County, he will be consulting with homesteaders who wish to develop their own durable living arrangements.
The Fredonia Grange is located at 58 W. Main St. and the Technology Incubator Building is located at 214 Central Ave. in Dunkirk. Both events are free and open to the public, and are sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Northern Chautauqua, Vickey and Sam Kaiser, and SUNY Fredonia's FACE Center and Sustainability Committee. For more information about McPherson's speaking tour, visit his blog "Nature Bats Last" (guymcpherson.com/).
