thought-provoking environmental activism

Climate change is the global issue that ‘For a New Earth’ aims to tackle, and it aims to do it through Newfoundland and Labrador as an agent of change.  Dr. Sean McGrath – Newfoundlander, philosopher, and professor at the Philosophy Department at Memorial – is the founder of ‘For a New Earth’.  the intent of the organization is for people to alter their ideas about how they interact with the environment because that offers the best solution to the challenges that climate change poses.

‘For a New Earth’ was established in 2015, after Dr. McGrath received an academic grant for environmental philosophy from MUN.  the result was a public outreach project focused on education and discussions surrounding ecological conversion. ‘For a New Earth’ takes a multidisciplinary approach to dealing with climate change through collaborations with other fields of study such as the humanities, theatre arts, fine arts and social sciences. various events promoting discussions about our interaction with the environment take place throughout the year and are targeted at everyone in the community.

One of their earliest events took place in September 2015. the ‘Future of Nature’ was a multidisciplinary conference in partnership with Memorial University and Gros Morne National Park where for 4 days, nature was discussed and celebrated. over 80 people including graduate students, academics and philosophers, attended the conference.  other successful events have followed.

Dr. McGrath, along with co-directors Dr. Barry Stephenson and Kyla Bruff intend that ‘For a New Earth’ plays a role in encouraging Newfoundland and Labrador to take ownership of the planet’s crisis and move towards a greater consciousness of the environment.

They hope to confront climate change on all levels - from lectures, workshops and visiting speakers to discussions about backyard composting and recycling.