David J. Skorton image

Smithsonian Secretary David J. Skorton, M.D., asks: Given the impact on the planet that the rise of the human species has already had over the past millennia – the dawn of agriculture, land and water use, emerging diseases, climate change, species extinction and other challenges – is there reason to be optimistic about the future of Earth, and our place in it? Will our species have the ideas, means, and the will to successfully adapt to this upcoming era of global change?

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Panelists

Denise Fairchild image
Denise Fairchild

president of the Emerald Cities Collaborative

Anson "Tuck" Hines image
Anson "Tuck" Hines

director, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

Steve Monfort image
Steve Monfort

John and Adrienne Mars Director, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute

Jedediah Purdy image
Jedediah Purdy

professor of law Duke University and the author of After Nature: A Politics for the Anthropocene

Catrina Rorke image
Catrina Rorke

senior fellow for energy policy, R Street Institute

Mary Evelyn Tucker image
Mary Evelyn Tucker

co-founder and co-director of the Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale University

Themes

Sharing the Planet Future Generations Justice Hope How We Take Action Innovation

Deep Dives

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Michael Bloomberg Wants to Solve Climate Change From the "Bottom Up"
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Five Big Questions About How to Forge Humanity’s Future
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This Group Believes in Making Artwork as a Response to Climate Change

Short Takes

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Market Solutions
Embracing the Monetary Value of Nature
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Image Bank
These Nine Artists Will Help You Understand the Future of the Planet
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Reading Room
Seven Books Worth Reading to Change the Conversation About Climate Change
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Reel People
We Asked: Are You Optimistic About the Earth’s Future?
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By the Numbers
Not All Trash Is Created Equal
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Education
Teaching Resources From the Smithsonian
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Vox Populi
How to Host a Second Opinion Discussion in Your Community