Bill Mckibben
Office
Franklin Env Ctr-Hillcrest 205
Tel
(802) 443-3489
Email
wmckibbe@middlebury.edu

Bill McKibben has been at Middlebury for a quarter century, now as Schumann Distinguished Scholar Environmental Studies.

He is a contributing writer to The New Yorker, and a founder of Third Act, which organizes people over the age of 60 to work on climate and racial justice. Alongside seven Middlebury students, he founded the first global grassroots climate campaign, 350.org.

In 2014 he was awarded the Right Livelihood Prize, sometimes called the ‘alternative Nobel,’ in the Swedish Parliament. He’s also won the Gandhi Peace Award, and honorary degrees from 20 colleges and universities.

He has published twenty books, including his first, The End of Nature, published in 1989, and his latest book is The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon: A Graying American Looks Back at his Suburban Boyhood and Wonders What the Hell Happened.

Courses Taught

Course Description

Early Liberations, Early Reactions
In this course we will examine America in the 1950s to 1970s. It was a place of remarkable ferment—the world your grandparents may have inhabited was shifting in profound ways that both energized and unsettled its politics and culture. Consider this: before Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring in 1962, ‘environmentalism’ was an obscure term; by the 1970’s there was Earth Day - 10% of the population was in the street protesting; by 1971 the Clean Air Act had passed Congress; by 1972 the reaction from business interests had begun, one of which came to fruition last year when the Supreme Court gutted that same law. The same dynamic played out across other spheres, from civil rights and women’s rights to economic policy. We will examine—mostly through the use of books and films of the period—this extraordinary moment in history and its lessons for the present.

Terms Taught

Fall 2023

Requirements

AMR

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Course Description

Independent Study
In this course, students (non-seniors) carry out an independent research or creative project on a topic pertinent to the relationship between humans and the environment. The project, carried out under the supervision of a faculty member with related expertise who is appointed in or affiliated with the Environmental Studies Program, must involve a significant amount of independent research and analysis. The expectations and any associated final products will be defined in consultation with the faculty advisor. Students may enroll in ENVS 0500 no more than twice for a given project. (Approval only)

Terms Taught

Fall 2020, Winter 2021, Spring 2021, Winter 2022, Spring 2022, Winter 2023, Spring 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2024, Winter 2025, Spring 2025

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Course Description

Senior Independent Study
In this course, seniors complete an independent research or creative project on a topic pertinent to the relationship between humans and the environment. During the term prior to enrolling in ENVS 0700, a student must discuss and agree upon a project topic with a faculty advisor who is appointed in or affiliated with the Environmental Studies Program and submit a brief project proposal to the Director of Environmental Studies for Approval. The expectations and any associated final products will be defined in consultation with the faculty advisor. Students may enroll in ENVS 0700 as a one-term independent study OR up to twice as part of a multi-term project, including as a lead-up to ENVS 0701 (ES Senior Thesis) or ENVS 0703 (ES Senior Integrated Thesis). (Senior standing; Approval only)

Terms Taught

Winter 2021, Spring 2021, Winter 2022, Spring 2022, Winter 2023, Spring 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2024, Winter 2025, Spring 2025

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Course Description

Climate Action for All: Foundations, Paths, Skills
Vermont and China flooded, smoke from Canadian fires, record-breaking heat waves. Climate change is here with deeply unequal impacts. Yet there’s so much to do to reverse the tide while fostering adaptive, resilient communities. Everyone has a part to play. In this course, students from all backgrounds and interests will develop a baseline understanding of climate science, impacts, and approaches. Students will assess how the needs of the climate crisis match up with their own skills and passions. Hearing directly from stakeholders and leaders through lectures, discussions, and workshops, students will explore the many paths to just climate action. They will leave with an improved understanding of what kind of action is needed, where action is happening, and what their roles might be, all coupled with an enhanced skills toolkit. Pass/Fail

Terms Taught

Winter 2021

Requirements

WTR

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