UB experts can discuss Earth Day, future of the environmental movement

BUFFALO, N.Y. — University at Buffalo researchers are available to discuss the history of Earth Day and the future of environmental activism.

Professor of Environment and Sustainability
UB College of Arts and Sciences 
adamrome@buffalo.edu

Rome is an environmental historian. His interests include the history and future of the environmental movement in the United States, as well as current and past efforts to green American businesses.

Rome is author of books including “The Genius of Earth Day: How a 1970 Teach-In Unexpectedly Made the First Green Generation.” The volume documents the history of the first Earth Day, describing how millions of people across the United States took part in over 12,000 events in spring of 1970 to mark the occasion. Almost all of the events — from teach-ins to marches to festivals — were planned at a local level. The occasion left a lasting impact on American society, fueling the country’s modern environmental movement and leading to major legislative victories devoted to protecting the nation’s air, water and wildlife.

Rome is also creator of an Audible Original audio course on the first Earth Day, released last year to mark the 50th anniversary of that occasion.

Assistant Professor of Environment and Sustainability
UB College of Arts and Sciences 
hbuck2@buffalo.edu

Buck is an expert on the social and political dimensions of environmental policies, and of strategies for preventing and adapting to climate change. She is interested in how the public and environmental activists engage with emerging technologies.

Buck has written extensively on geoengineering as well as carbon capture. Her 2019 book, “After Geoengineering: Climate Tragedy, Repair, and Restoration,” examines topics such as industrial seaweed farms, large-scale carbon sequestration, restoration of wetlands and reforestation. She also co-edited, “Has It Come to This? The Promises and Perils of Geoengineering on the Brink,” a collection of essays, articles and interviews on the social, ethical and political considerations tied to deliberate, large-scale interventions in the planet’s climate.

Buck is an appointed member of an ad-hoc committee of the National Academies that explores ocean-based approaches to carbon dioxide removal.