Leading conservation scientist 2022 Rachel Carson Distinguished Lecturer
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EmailA world-renowned conservation scientist who focuses on the need for people to be in partnership with nature to change, will deliver the 2022 Rachel Carson Distinguished Lecture
Andrew Balmford, a world-renowned conservation scientist who focuses on the need for people to be in partnership with nature to change, will deliver the 2022 Rachel Carson Distinguished Lecture via Zoom at 10:30 am on Wednesday, April 27.
Balmford is professor of conservation science at the University of Cambridge and Fellow of the Royal Society. His research focuses on how to reconcile biodiversity conservation with meeting human food needs and other land-demanding activities; the costs and benefits of retaining intact ecosystems; and identifying what works in conservation. He collaborates closely with conservation practitioners and with colleagues in other disciplines, including economics and psychology.
The lecture, "Feeding the World Without Costing the Earth," will explore how choices dealing with rising human food demand will to a large degree determine the state of biodiversity and the wider environment in the 21st century.
"Dr. Balmford is one of the world's leading scholars on conservation," said Jianguo "Jack" Liu, MSU University Distinguished Professor, who holds the Rachel Carson Chair in Sustainability and director of the MSU Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability (CSIS). "At a time when food security and biodiversity conservation are increasingly challenging, we are pleased that he has agreed to share his global perspectives and cutting-edge insights. “
In his book Wild Hope Balmford argues that cautious, evidence-based optimism is vital in tackling environmental challenges. Balmford helped establish the Student Conference on Conservation Science, the Cambridge Conservation Forum, the Cambridge Conservation Initiative, Earth Optimism and the Cambridge Centre for Carbon Credits.
The Rachel Carson Distinguished Lecture will be presented by CSIS and the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and supported by the National Science Foundation.
The Rachel Carson Distinguished Lecture Series is a platform for prominent scientists and scholars to share their ideas about global challenges and opportunities with MSU students, faculty, staff and the general public.
Previous speakers have included Marcia McNutt (president of the National Academy of Sciences) and Elinor Ostrom (the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in economic sciences).
