On October 11th, SAGE Magazine, YPCCC, and Yale Environment360 welcomed Adam Welz to the Yale School of the Environment to talk about his new book, The End of Eden: Wild Nature in the Age of Climate Breakdown. Earning plaudits from Elizabeth Kolbert, Bill McKibben, and David Wallace Wells, Welz explores the cascading effects of climate change on a broad range of species and their ecosystems. The author spent the first half of the event explaining why he wrote “The End of Eden” as well as the implications of its conclusions. By telling intimate stories of non-human species, the book decenters humanity in the climate change narrative. Welz candidly warned that his book is not uplifting: its vignettes are sad, but real. His next book will offer practical steps forward to address the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. In the second half of the event, Welz answered questions about his writing process, staying positive as an environmental writer, and the function of hope in the climate movement. The event was part of the Yale Center for Environmental Communication’s fall speaker series.
Adam Welz is an enthusiastic naturalist and widely traveled environmental writer, photographer, and filmmaker. His work has appeared in Yale Environment 360, The Guardian, The Atlantic, Ensia, and many other outlets worldwide. He’s a recipient of a Middlebury Fellowship in Environmental Journalism and currently lives in Cape Town with his wife and triplet daughters. Find him on Instagram @adamwelz @adamwelz.wild.