Please join The Commonwealth Club of California and UC Berkeley’s Townsend Center for the Humanities for the second in a series of dialogues on catastrophe, storytelling and the present

Please join The Commonwealth Club of California and UC Berkeley’s Townsend Center for the Humanities for the second in a series of dialogues on catastrophe, storytelling and the present moment. In “Climate Change and Sacred Groves,” Townsend Center scholar Sugata Ray will meet with visual artist Ranu Mukherjee to investigate the relationship between the natural world and the sacred realm, especially as it has developed in India over the last several centuries of civilization and the rise of the Anthropocene era.

In his most recent book, Climate Change and the Art of Devotion, Sugata shows how a site-specific and ecologically grounded theology emerged in northern India in the wake of the Little Ice Age (ca. 1550–1850), an epoch marked by climatic catastrophes across the globe. His interests dovetail in unexpected and compelling ways with Ranu’s visionary and captivating recent work, which positions the banyan tree as a meeting point between ecology and culture. Their conversation will be an opportunity for viewers to contemplate and rethink the role of art as it relates to contemporary concerns around climate, disease, human flourishing and the sacred.

Sugata Ray is associate professor of South and Southeast Asian art in the History of Art Department at the University of California, Berkeley. His research and writing focus on climate change and the visual arts from the 1500s onward. Ray is the author of Climate Change and the Art of Devotion: Geoaesthetics in the Land of Krishna, 1550–1850 (2019); Water Histories of South Asia: The Materiality of Liquescence (2019; coedited); and Ecologies, Aesthetics, and Histories of Art (forthcoming; coedited).

Ranu Mukherjee is a visual artist who makes paintings, animations and large-scale installations. Her current work focuses on shifting senses of ecology, non-human agency, diaspora, migration and transnational feminist experience. Her most recent installation was presented at the ecologically focused 2019 Karachi Biennale; she has exhibited solo at the San Jose Museum of Art, the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, the Asian Art Museum, and the de Young Museum. She is an associate professor in graduate fine art at the California College of the Arts. Mukherjee is represented by Gallery Wendi Norris.

NOTES
Artwork from The Met (in public domain): "Krishna and Balarama by a River: Page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana (Ancient Stories of Lord Vishnu)"

Part one in this series, “The Book of Exodus,” can be viewed here


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Beaver restoration offers ancient, nature-based solutions to climate disruption, addressing challenges like droughts, floods, soil erosion, and biodiversity loss. These vital rodents heal

Beaver restoration offers ancient, nature-based solutions to climate disruption, addressing challenges like droughts, floods, soil erosion, and biodiversity loss. These vital rodents heal ecosystems by working with nature.

In this episode, "Beaver Believers" Kate Lundquist and Brock Dolman of the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center (OAEC) share their journey. As co-directors of OAEC’s WATER Institute, they lead a global movement to reintroduce beavers, promoting healthy watersheds and climate resilience.

Learn more through resources like the Beaver Believer article and the WATER Institute’s Beaver in California reader. This episode is from the Bioneers: Revolution from the Heart of Nature series.

While forests have often been viewed as inert resources, Suzanne Simard’s revolutionary research is transforming forest ecology. A Professor of Forestry at the University of British Columbia,

While forests have often been viewed as inert resources, Suzanne Simard’s revolutionary research is transforming forest ecology. A Professor of Forestry at the University of British Columbia, Simard’s groundbreaking work reveals the complex, interconnected nature of forests, particularly the below-ground fungal networks that facilitate interplant communication. Her findings echo the wisdom of First Peoples, offering a new paradigm for sustainable living on Earth.

Learn more about Suzanne Simard’s research on her website. Further insights, including her Bioneers keynote and panel discussions on forest intelligence, are available through related resources. This content is part of the Bioneers: Revolution from the Heart of Nature series.

Today's corporate economy is radically unequal and unsustainable, prompting a search for alternatives. This episode explores community wealth building, a strategy to reorganize local and national

Today's corporate economy is radically unequal and unsustainable, prompting a search for alternatives. This episode explores community wealth building, a strategy to reorganize local and national economies for better outcomes for people, communities, and the planet. Guest host Laura Flanders features Democracy Collaborative's Marjorie Kelly, Preston City Council Member Matthew Brown, and Scottish Government adviser Neil McInroy.

This is part two of a four-part series on how communities transform local economies by harnessing assets and anchoring capital locally. Explore the full series here. Additional resources include the Democracy Collaborative and Marjorie Kelly's book, Wealth Supremacy.

Pronghorn, often called "speed goats" or "antelope," are North America's fastest land animals, reaching over 55mph. This unique species, neither goat nor antelope, relies on speed and eyesight to

Pronghorn, often called "speed goats" or "antelope," are North America's fastest land animals, reaching over 55mph. This unique species, neither goat nor antelope, relies on speed and eyesight to survive on the plains. Despite their iconic status, pronghorn populations are declining in many areas, including the Verde Valley.

Join Forest Service biologists Janie Agyagos and Francisco Anaya for a Speaker Series talk. Discover pronghorn biology, from life history to threats like rangeland fences. Learn about current management tools, including tracking movement and ensuring fences are wildlife-friendly. Janie has 30 years of experience as a wildlife biologist with the US Forest Service, while Francisco manages wildlife for Prescott National Forest.

In this Bioneers episode, guest host Laura Flanders explores "Community Wealth Building," a model democratizing the economy, fostering cooperative businesses, and creating broad community wealth.

In this Bioneers episode, guest host Laura Flanders explores "Community Wealth Building," a model democratizing the economy, fostering cooperative businesses, and creating broad community wealth. It features Gar Alperovitz of the Democracy Collaborative, India Pierce Lee discussing Cleveland initiatives, and John McMicken from Cleveland's Evergreen Cooperative Corporation.

This episode is part one of a four-part series on transforming local economies by anchoring capital and resources. Laura Flanders also hosts "Laura Flanders & Friends" (lauraflanders.org). Explore the full series here. Additional resources include the Democracy Collaborative (democracycollaborative.org) and Evergreen Cooperatives (evgoh.com).

In "Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law," Mary Roach explores human-animal conflict, questioning human responsibility in animal conflicts. Her global research finds hope for symbiotic coexistence

In "Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law," Mary Roach explores human-animal conflict, questioning human responsibility in animal conflicts. Her global research finds hope for symbiotic coexistence with our critter counterparts.

Roach will share wild stories, like rat-bait taste testing, at an INFORUM event on September 21, 2021. She will guide a conversation on safe human-animal integration, moderated by Wired's science editor, Kara Platoni. The event is hosted by The Commonwealth Club of California, the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum.

Find more details at [Upcoming Events](https://www.commonwealthclub.org/events) or [Watch & Listen](https://www.commonwealthclub.org/watch-listen). [Subscribe for videos](https://www.youtube.com/user/commonwealthclub).