Eban Goodstein
Encyclopedia
Eban S. Goodstein is an economist, author, and environmental educator known for his work in the clean energy movement, including educational campaigns which have engaged thousands of schools and universities, civic institutions, faith groups, and community collectives in solutions-driven dialogues about global warming
. He is the author of three books and numerous journal articles. He is married, and has two daughters. He and his wife, Chungin Chung, live in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York
, where Goodstein directs the Center for Environmental Policy at Bard College
.
, the son of Anita and Marvin Goodstein. His parents were known for their work in the American civil rights movement of the 1950s and early 1960s, and were affiliated with the Highlander Research and Education Center, a networking and skills-training institute that facilitates grassroots organizing for issues of social and environmental justice throughout Appalachia and the South. Both Anita and Marvin Goodstein were also instrumental in the process of desegregating the local Franklin County public school system in 1962, (one of 17 school districts in Tennessee still under court orders to unify their desegregated student bodies). Goodstein cites his parents’ commitment to social issues and activism as major influences on his own moral and philosophical development.
Goodstein received his B.A. from Williams College
, in Williamstown, Massachusetts
, and his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Michigan
in Ann Arbor.
in 1989, in 1995 moved to Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon
, and in 2009 became Director of the Bard Center for Environmental Policy at Bard College, in Annandale-on-Hudson NY. His research has focused primarily on the relationship between environmental protection, jobs and competiveness, and the economic impacts of climate change.
From 1999 to 2006, as the volunteer Executive Director of the organization, Goodstein raised funds to support a number of educational initiatives. He led a series of weekend training workshops in grassroots organization and outreach, based in part on the techniques and principles of the Highlander Center, training over 600 volunteer educators. Goodstein also set up a national speakers’ bureau of climate, energy policy, and environmental experts, preceding Vice-President Al Gore
’s Climate Project speaker-training initiative.
Between 2000 and 2004, Goodstein worked with Matthew Follett to produce the Race to Stop Global Warming, a 10K non-competitive footrace that involved thousands of runners and their families in eight cities across the United States. These efforts earned the Green House Network the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s “[Climate Saver’s Award].”
In the winter of 2006, Goodstein and Chung launched the first of the national teach-in initiatives, Focus the Nation. In January, 2008, over 1900 universities, schools, and civic groups nation-wide participated in one of the largest teach-ins in U.S. history, involving close to a million people in an event designed to educated and engage Americans in a discussion of global warming solutions.
In February 2009, Goodstein led a second teach-in involving more than 800 schools. Both teach-ins included national webcasts, and pioneered “campus-to-congress” web dialog, with members of congress and Senators engaging in face-to-face conversation with student audiences via web technology.
At the Bard Center for Environmental Policy, Goodstein now directs C2C Fellows, a national network for undergraduates and recent graduates aspiring to sustainability leadership in politics and business.
, The Economist
, the New York Times, Scientific American
, Time
, and USA Today
. He is the author of a textbook, Economics and the Environment, ] as well as The Trade-off Myth: Fact and Fiction about Jobs and the Environment. His most recent book is Fighting for Love in the Century of Extinction: How Passion and Politics Can Stop Global Warming, a more personal exploration of the issues of anthropogenic climate change and what Goodstein refers to as the “moral” imperative of stabilizing the global climate.
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
. He is the author of three books and numerous journal articles. He is married, and has two daughters. He and his wife, Chungin Chung, live in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York
Annandale-on-Hudson, New York
Annandale-on-Hudson is a hamlet in Dutchess County, New York, USA, in the Hudson Valley in the town of Red Hook, across the Hudson River from Kingston....
, where Goodstein directs the Center for Environmental Policy at Bard College
Bard College
Bard College, founded in 1860 as "St. Stephen's College", is a small four-year liberal arts college located in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York.-Location:...
.
Early life and education
Goodstein was born on March 5, 1960, in Sewanee, TennesseeSewanee, Tennessee
Sewanee is an unincorporated locality in Franklin County, Tennessee, United States, treated by the U.S. Census as a census-designated place . The population was 2,361 at the 2000 census...
, the son of Anita and Marvin Goodstein. His parents were known for their work in the American civil rights movement of the 1950s and early 1960s, and were affiliated with the Highlander Research and Education Center, a networking and skills-training institute that facilitates grassroots organizing for issues of social and environmental justice throughout Appalachia and the South. Both Anita and Marvin Goodstein were also instrumental in the process of desegregating the local Franklin County public school system in 1962, (one of 17 school districts in Tennessee still under court orders to unify their desegregated student bodies). Goodstein cites his parents’ commitment to social issues and activism as major influences on his own moral and philosophical development.
Goodstein received his B.A. from Williams College
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
, in Williamstown, Massachusetts
Williamstown, Massachusetts
Williamstown is a town in Berkshire County, in the northwest corner of Massachusetts. It shares a border with Vermont to the north and New York to the west. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,754 at the 2010 census...
, and his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in Ann Arbor.
Academic career
Goodstein became a professor of Economics at Skidmore CollegeSkidmore College
Skidmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,500 students. The college is located in the town of Saratoga Springs, New York State....
in 1989, in 1995 moved to Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, and in 2009 became Director of the Bard Center for Environmental Policy at Bard College, in Annandale-on-Hudson NY. His research has focused primarily on the relationship between environmental protection, jobs and competiveness, and the economic impacts of climate change.
Public Education
In 1999, Goodstein founded the Green House Network, an organization dedicated to supporting the clean energy movement through education and action.From 1999 to 2006, as the volunteer Executive Director of the organization, Goodstein raised funds to support a number of educational initiatives. He led a series of weekend training workshops in grassroots organization and outreach, based in part on the techniques and principles of the Highlander Center, training over 600 volunteer educators. Goodstein also set up a national speakers’ bureau of climate, energy policy, and environmental experts, preceding Vice-President Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
’s Climate Project speaker-training initiative.
Between 2000 and 2004, Goodstein worked with Matthew Follett to produce the Race to Stop Global Warming, a 10K non-competitive footrace that involved thousands of runners and their families in eight cities across the United States. These efforts earned the Green House Network the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s “[Climate Saver’s Award].”
In the winter of 2006, Goodstein and Chung launched the first of the national teach-in initiatives, Focus the Nation. In January, 2008, over 1900 universities, schools, and civic groups nation-wide participated in one of the largest teach-ins in U.S. history, involving close to a million people in an event designed to educated and engage Americans in a discussion of global warming solutions.
In February 2009, Goodstein led a second teach-in involving more than 800 schools. Both teach-ins included national webcasts, and pioneered “campus-to-congress” web dialog, with members of congress and Senators engaging in face-to-face conversation with student audiences via web technology.
At the Bard Center for Environmental Policy, Goodstein now directs C2C Fellows, a national network for undergraduates and recent graduates aspiring to sustainability leadership in politics and business.
Writing
Goodstein’s writing has appeared in a number of journals, and his work has been featured in The Chronicle of Higher EducationThe Chronicle of Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education is a newspaper and website that presents news, information, and jobs for college and university faculty, staff members and administrators....
, The Economist
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
, the New York Times, Scientific American
Scientific American
Scientific American is a popular science magazine. It is notable for its long history of presenting science monthly to an educated but not necessarily scientific public, through its careful attention to the clarity of its text as well as the quality of its specially commissioned color graphics...
, Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
, and USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
. He is the author of a textbook, Economics and the Environment, ] as well as The Trade-off Myth: Fact and Fiction about Jobs and the Environment. His most recent book is Fighting for Love in the Century of Extinction: How Passion and Politics Can Stop Global Warming, a more personal exploration of the issues of anthropogenic climate change and what Goodstein refers to as the “moral” imperative of stabilizing the global climate.