Yale Environmental Dialogue

In the past, ecologists contended that nature must be protected from humankind and its relentless drive to dominate and destroy it. That view, however, is giving way to a new vision of humankind and nature working together, each dependent on the other for its existence. In this episode, Oswald J. Schmitz, professor of population and community ecology at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, explores this new way of thinking about nature — of which humans are a part — and its promise for ensuring a more sustainable future. He is joined by Eleanor Sterling, the chief conservation scientist at the American Museum of Natural History’s Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, who describes some of the dangers of separating humans from nature — including a lost knowledge of how different systems work and interact — and how some cultures across the world have successfully maintained relationships with the natural world.

If society really wants to tackle environmental challenges it must confront a difficult reality: many of the people most affected by pollution and environmental degradation — including in communities of color across the U.S. — often aren’t included in the conversation. Building bridges that allow everyone a seat at the table will require us to rethink how we communicate about the environment, says Thomas Easley, assistant dean of community and inclusion at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. In this episode, Easley speaks with Michael Twitty, a student retention specialist at the New Haven Adult & Continuing Education Center. Together, they are trying to build such a bridge by bringing together students from each of their schools to examine the idea of environmental justice and develop strategies to achieve it in their community. In this conversation, they discuss the importance of communicating in ways that speak to all peoples’ values and experiences — and how their budding partnership can benefit everyone involved.

In this episode, Dan Esty, a professor of environmental law and policy at Yale, makes the case that we need to move away from the traditional, top-down regulations of the 20th century and toward a system of incentives that promote innovation and problem solving. In this conversation, he is joined by Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a professor of management at the Yale School of Management, who discusses how creativity and innovation can be unleashed — including in the business sector – and how businesses have become leaders in sustainability.