Over the last two decades Dr. Brian Henning has struggled with this question: What can I—a philosopher, spouse, father, and citizen—do that would make any difference? He will share with us his path to answer this question for himself and ask us to consider deeper questions. Part of what he has come to conclude is that efforts to understand and respond to the challenge of global climate change will fall short unless and until human beings set about the difficult work of reconceiving who they are and how they are related to the natural world. 

He asks: What if climate change isn’t the problem, but is rather a symptom of a deeper problem concerning how we conceive of ourselves as a species and our relationship to the rest of nature? Human communities need to embrace sustainability, but what exactly is it that we are trying to sustain? What if we could tell ourselves a new story about climate change—and, in doing so, alter our relationship to our planet? Much hinges on whether our species can find meaningful answers to these questions. Join us to enter into this thought-provoking conversation.

Dr. Brian G. Henning is Professor of Philosophy and of Environmental Studies at Gonzaga University where he is the founder and Director of the Gonzaga Center for Climate, Society, and the Environment. An award-winning author of 10 books and more than 35 articles, Brian has delivered more than 150 presentations to general and academic audiences in North America, Europe, and Asia. (http://connect.gonzaga.edu/henning)