In this transformative talk, Eban Goodstein proposes three fundamental ways in which we can change the future of our communities collectively. Watch Eban Goodstein as he analyzes the three pillars of his idea and introduces a new way to steer the course of tomorrow towards a more sustainable future. Eban Goodstein is vice president for environmental and social leadership at Bard College, where he directs the Graduate Programs in Sustainability (GPS). Degree options at GPS include the MBA in sustainability based in NYC, ranked the number one green MBA and among the top 10 MBAs in the US for nonprofit management for 2021–23 by the Princeton Review; MS degrees in environmental policy and in climate science and policy; and an MEd in environmental education.

Goodstein works to help young people build careers as change agents in these three key fields: changing minds (education); changing the rules (policy); and changing the game (sustainable business). Goodstein writes and speaks frequently about just solutions to climate change, arguing that regardless of our pathway, we all need to become “climate repair people”—some of us full-time, everyone part-time.

Professor Goodstein holds a PhD in economics from the University of Michigan, and a BA in geology from Williams College. He is the author of numerous articles and three books: Economics and the Environment, now in its ninth edition; Fighting for Love in the Century of Extinction: How Passion and Politics Can Stop Global Warming, and The Trade-off Myth: Fact and Fiction about Jobs and the Environment. He serves on the editorial board of Sustainability: The Journal of Record, and was a member of the board of directors of the Follett Corporation.

Goodstein has also coordinated global educational events and trainings around climate change, engaging thousands of colleges, universities, and K–12 schools in solutions-based dialogue. The most recent case: the WorldWide Climate and Justice Education Week set for April 2024. At Bard he also directs C2C Fellows, a network of young people who aspire to sustainability leadership in business, NGOs, and government. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx