Building a More Sustainable Future on Earth Day & Beyond
Climate change impacts are unfolding across the globe, affecting every community, ecosystem and institution in countless ways. At Chautauqua, we understand the importance of engaging with these challenges head-on. Our commitment to environmental sustainability lies in our dedicated efforts to preserve Chautauqua Lake and a growing desire to facilitate discussions that spark a collective effort toward positive change, on Earth Day and every day.
In Weeks Four and Eight of our 2024 season, we recognize the urgent need to explore creative solutions to combat climate change, and -invite visitors to join us on the path to a more sustainable future at Chautauqua.
Week Four
Eight Billion and Counting: The Future of Humankind in a Crowded World
As our global population continues to swell, reaching a staggering 8 billion in 2022, our natural resources are under unprecedented strain. The need to protect and preserve our planet for each new generation is becoming increasingly evident. In Week Four: “Eight Billion and Counting: The Future of Humankind in a Crowded World,” we examine the reality of a growing population as we search for ways to survive and thrive together.
Jennifer D. Sciubba
Chautauqua Lecture Series
Week Four opens on Monday, July 15, with Jennifer D. Sciubba, a leading expert on demographic trends, discussing insights from her book 8 Billion and Counting: How Sex, Death, and Migration Shape Our World.
C.D. Glin
Chautauqua Lecture Series
On Thursday, July 18, President of the PepsiCo Foundation C.D. Glin, joins us to discuss the organization’s extensive efforts to provide equitable access to essentials like safe water and address the economic impacts of climate actions.
Sarah Gamble
Contemporary Issues Forum
A registered architect and assistant professor in the University of Florida School of Architecture, Sarah Gamble joins us on Saturday, July 20 of Week Four. Gamble will discuss how architects are engaging the climate crisis through their work and present a call to action for her profession and the broader public.
Rachel Chrostowski
Preserving Farmland in a Crowded World
Western NY Land Conservancy’s Rachel Chrostowski will talk about the importance of protecting farmland in a crowded world.
Week Four Featured Entertainment
Week Eight
Water: Crisis, Beauty and Necessity
A Week in Partnership with National Geographic
As our population grows, water across the globe is becoming increasingly scarce, and what remains is grappling with the effects of intense pollution and radical climate change. In Week Eight: “Water: Crisis, Beauty and Necessity,” Chautauqua is partnering with National Geographic to answer the question: How can we turn the tide before chances of addressing the global water crisis evaporate?
Erika Woolsey
Chautauqua Lecture Series
Erika Woolsey opens Week Eight, translating ocean science into public understanding. A National Geographic Explorer and marine biologist, she brings the ocean to the Amphitheater stage Monday, Aug. 12.
Mark Bierkins, Malin Fezhai, Arati Kumar-Rao
Chautauqua Lecture Series
On Aug. 13, three National Geographic Explorers come together in conversation, examining water issues across the world. Professor of hydrology at Utrecht University Marc Bierkens is joined by filmmaker and visual reporter Malin Fezehai and environmental photographer Arati Kumar-Rao on the Amphitheater stage in our 2024 Chautauqua Lecture Series.
Dr. Jeanette Schnars
Science Group Weekly Lecture
Jeanette Schnars, Ph.D. is the executive director of the Lake Erie Research Science Consortium, a nonprofit organization facilitating research, education and collaborations to protect water quality in the Great Lakes region. She joins us Tuesday, Aug. 13 at 9:15 a.m.
Crystal Cavalier
Rivers Have Rights
Crystal Cavalier-Keck, indigenous water activist and founder of Seven Directions of Service, joins us for a Wednesday, Aug. 14 lecture.
Sherri Mason
Plastics in our Waters: Threats and Solutions
Sherri Mason (aka ”Sam”), Ph.D. was among the first to study the prevalence and impact of plastic pollution within freshwater ecosystems, work that formed the basis for H.R. 1321 the Microbead-Free Water Act, signed into law by President Obama in December 2015.
Week Eight Featured Entertainment
As we celebrate Earth Day in 2024, now more than ever, it serves as a stark reminder that our planet needs us today and every day. With our natural resources under unprecedented strain and the effects of climate change spanning the globe, this isn’t just one day on the calendar — it’s a call to action that can be answered all year long. Though the challenges planet faces are numerous, so too are the opportunities for change.