Bill McKibben

Bill McKibben is an American environmentalist, author, and journalist who has become a leading voice in the global movement to address climate change. He is best known for his foundational book on the subject, The End of Nature, and for co-founding the international climate campaign 350.org. His work spans decades of writing, grassroots organizing, and advocacy, influencing public discourse and policy on environmental issues.

Early life and education

Born in Palo Alto, California, he grew up in the suburban town of Lexington, Massachusetts. He developed an early interest in writing and journalism, becoming the editor of his high school newspaper. He attended Harvard University, where he served as president of the daily student newspaper, The Harvard Crimson. After graduating from Harvard University in 1982, he began his career as a writer at The New Yorker magazine under editor William Shawn.

Career and activism

After leaving The New Yorker, he turned his focus to environmental issues, publishing the influential book The End of Nature in 1989. This work is widely regarded as the first book on climate change written for a general audience. His deepening concern led him to help found 350.org in 2007 with a group of fellow activists, including students from Middlebury College where he was a scholar-in-residence. The organization, named for the safe concentration of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere, has coordinated global events like the International Day of Climate Action in 2009. He has been a key figure in campaigns opposing major fossil fuel projects, including the Keystone Pipeline, and advocating for fossil fuel divestment by institutions like Harvard University and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. He also co-founded the more recent grassroots campaign Third Act, which organizes Americans over the age of sixty for climate action.

Writing and publications

His literary output is extensive and primarily focuses on the environmental crisis. His seminal work, The End of Nature, was followed by numerous other books including The Age of Missing Information, Hope, Human and Wild, and Deep Economy. Later works such as Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet and Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out? examine the profound societal transformations required by climate change. He is a frequent contributor to publications like The New York Review of Books, The Atlantic, and The Guardian, and has served as a contributing editor to Rolling Stone magazine. His writing often connects ecological limits with broader economic and social justice issues, critiquing the influence of the fossil fuel industry and advocating for a transition to renewable energy.

Awards and recognition

His work has been recognized with numerous international honors. He is a recipient of the Right Livelihood Award, often referred to as the 'Alternative Nobel Prize,' and the Gandhi Peace Award. Literary accolades include the Lannan Literary Award for nonfiction. He has been named to lists such as Foreign Policy magazine's "Top 100 Global Thinkers" and has received honorary degrees from institutions including Colgate University and the University of Massachusetts. In 2014, he was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Personal life

He lives in the state of Vermont and is married to writer Sue Halpern, with whom he has one daughter. An avid cross-country skier and hiker, his personal connection to the natural landscapes of New England deeply informs his writing and activism. He has taught at Middlebury College and been involved with the Middlebury College School of the Environment. His faith as a practicing Methodist has also played a significant role in his advocacy, leading him to work with groups like the GreenFaith interfaith coalition.

Category:American environmentalists Category:American non-fiction writers Category:Harvard University alumni Category:Climate change activists