Environmental lawyer, author and activist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. will present a lecture on the future of the environment at 8 p.m. Sept. 21 at Hall Auditorium. The lecture, "Our Environmental Destiny" is part of the Miami University Lecture Series for 2009-10.
Kennedy has worked to defend the environment via a number of legal initiatives since the mid-'80s. He is credited with leading the fight to protect New York City's water supply; the final agreement in the case has been viewed as an international model in negotiations and sustainable development. Kennedy has also worked with indigenous tribes in Latin America and Canada in negotiating treaties to protect traditional homelands.
"We try to bring in a diverse group of lectures and bring in lectures different in topic from year to year," said Lana Kay Rosenberg, an associate professor of kinesiology and health and chair of the lecture series committee.
Aside from Kennedy, Rosenberg said this year's Lecture Series speakers include sports commentators Selena Roberts and Drew Rosenhaus, activist Cleve Jones and actor Edward James Olmos. However, Rosenberg said Kennedy will bring an environmental perspective to campus that recent lecturers have not provided.
"We have not brought in someone to address environmental issues in the past few years, and he's really someone at the top of the field," Rosenberg said.
Kennedy serves as senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council and as chief prosecuting attorney for the Hudson Riverkeeper, a non-profit organization committed to the preservation of the Hudson River and its tributaries. He is the founder and president of the Waterkeeper Alliance, a conglomeration of local water preservation groups, according to the group's Web site.
The lawyer and activist was named one of Time magazine's "Heroes for the Planet" for his success in helping Riverkeeper restore the Hudson River. His published books include the bestseller Crimes Against Nature, The Riverkeepers, St. Francis of Assisi: A Life of Joy and two other books for children, among others.
His articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, Atlantic Monthly, and many other publications. He also co-hosts the radio show "Ring of Fire" on Air America, according to publisher Harper Collins.
Patricia Gallagher Newberry, a lecturer in the journalism program, agreed Kennedy is an important figure in environmental issues, and that his prominence will up attendance at the lecture.
"I think there will be a good speech and a high interest," Newberry said. "The Kennedy name will probably be a draw; they're a big name in politics and Robert Kennedy is a big name in the environment. What Teddy Kennedy was to the health care reform movement, that kind of passion - his nephew Robert Kennedy, Jr. is that passionate about the environment."
The lecture is free. Tickets are available to Miami students and staff at the Shriver Center box office.
