‘Why Greenland Matters to All of Us (hint: it’s the ice)’
Conversations about Greenland have recently gained international attention, highlighting
its strategic importance and vast natural resources. At the same time, Greenland and
the Arctic are at the forefront of climate change, as record global temperatures rapidly
transform the regions' ice, snow, and sea-ice.
This year’s Lester W. Strock Lecture in Geosciences, titled “Why Greenland Matters to All of Us (hint: it’s the ice),” will feature Paul
Bierman, a prolific author and professor of environmental science at the University
of Vermont. His new book, “When the Ice is Gone: What a Greenland Ice Core Reveals
About Earth’s Tumultuous History and Perilous Future,” was named a New Yorker Best
Book of 2024.
Slated for 5 p.m. Monday, April 7, in Davis Auditorium, the lecture will take the audience back in time to examine Greenland through the lens of natural and human history. Using vintage photographs, film and video, and short readings from his book, Bierman will conjure the past and make predictions about the future, “When the Ice is Gone.”
The event is free and open to the public. A reception and book signing with copies available for purchase will follow.
Skidmore’s annual Lester W. Strock Lecture is now in its 43rd year, endowed in 1982 by renowned geochemist Lester Strock, a well-known authority on Saratoga’s mineral springs.
About Paul Bierman
Paul Bierman is a professor of environmental science at the University of Vermont, where he has been teaching about the interaction of people and Earth’s dynamic surface since 1993. Bierman holds a bachelor’s degree in geology from Williams College and master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Washington.
During his studies, he became one of the first geologists to develop dating methods used to determine Earth’s climate history and the effect of climate on erosion.
Bierman’s research has taken him around the world. In Greenland, he and his graduate students are documenting changes to the Greenland ice sheet that have occurred over the last million years. Bierman has been a recipient of the Donath medal from the Geological Society of America, a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation, and the NSF Distinguished Teaching Scholar award, among numerous other accolades.
Bierman has dedicated his career to educating the public on climate science. He is director of the , an online photo archive that chronicles the changing landscape of Vermont, and he teaches summer science programs for high school students. In addition to “When the Ice is Gone,” he has coauthored multiple textbooks and hundreds of research articles.
