Environmental Voter Project founder and CEO Nathaniel Stinnett J.D. 鈥�05 will deliver the keynote remarks at the University鈥檚 third annual Advancing Research and Scholarship Day on Monday, December 5.
The program 鈥� which is a showcase for faculty and student research 鈥� centers on the theme 鈥淓nvironment and Society: Research for a Changing World,鈥� and takes place from noon to 5 p.m. in the Heights Room, Corcoran Commons.
鈥淏C has faculty and students engaged in research and scholarship about the environment in nearly all of our schools, with expertise ranging from policy, social impact, health, ethics, law and of course, the natural sciences,鈥� said Vice Provost for Research Tom Chiles, whose office organized the event. 鈥淲e also have numerous student groups on campus who are actively involved in various aspects of sustainability. So it was clear to the planning committee that the 3rd annual Advancing Research and Scholarship Day should highlight this body of research.鈥�
A lawyer, environmental advocate, and veteran political strategist, Stinnett has been named one of the nation鈥檚 50 鈥渆nvironmental visionaries.鈥� The Environmental Voter Project has used data analytics to identify 15.78 million non-voting environmentalists and applies behavioral science tools to convert them into consistent voters.
Stinnett, who Grist magazine recently dubbed 鈥淭he Voting Guru,鈥� will give a talk titled 鈥淢odern Environmental Politics: Big Data, Behavioral Science, and Getting Environmentalists to Vote.鈥�
In a recent interview, Stinnett called voting 鈥渢he highest form of environmental citizenship鈥� and the reason the non-partisan EVP works to turn non-voting 鈥渟uper-environmentalists鈥� into an actively voting political force.
鈥淭he reason so few voters care about climate change or other environmental issues is not because too few Americans care about environmental issues,鈥� Stinnett said in an interview with the聽聽podcast. 鈥淭he reason is that environmentalists are awful voters.
鈥淏ecause campaigns can only afford to talk to good voters, it made me realize we need an organization that actually doesn鈥檛 care about who is going to win the next election, but addresses this turnout problem and goes after environmentalists who don鈥檛 vote and tries to turn them into better voters.鈥�
Chiles said Stinnett鈥檚 work not only fits with the theme of this year鈥檚 event and the presidential election cycle, but ties into the focus on 鈥渂ig data鈥� at the 2015 event.
鈥淭his follows nicely with last year鈥檚 theme,鈥� said Chiles. 鈥淢oreover, Nathaniel is an environmental visionary, whose research spans multiple disciplines that are of interest to both BC faculty and students as well as the general public.鈥�
In addition to Stinnett鈥檚 speech at noon, the program includes presentations and a panel discussion with BC faculty whose research interests include environmental issues. Assistant Professor of Earth & Environmental Sciences Jeremy Shakun, Assistant Professor of Economics Richard Sweeney, Professor of History Conevery Bolton Valencius, and School of Social Work Dean Gautam N. Yadama will make 15-minute presentations.
School of Social Work Professor of Macro Practice Tiziana Dearing will moderate a 2 p.m. panel on environmental justice, featuring Professor of Political Science David Deese, Professor of Sociology Juliet Schor, Assistant Professor of the Practice of Philosophy Holly Vandewall, Carroll Professor of Nursing Judith Vessey, and Assistant Professor of Earth & Environmental Sciences Corinne Wong.
Undergraduate student researchers will showcase research projects that examined the environmental impact of killer marine plankton, carbon emissions, factory work, technology transfer practices, and climate policy.聽There will also be a session for聽undergraduate and graduate student presentations.
Ed Hayward / University Communications