Rare Conversations is a virtual salon series featuring live, engaging conversations between Rare staff experts and special guests who are innovators in the field of conservation and behavior change.

Rare Conversations with Heather White.

The role of individual action in the climate fight

It’s easy to feel powerless when thinking about climate change. With extreme heat, drought, wildfires, hurricanes, and other disasters dominating the headlines, can one’s personal actions really matter? More than you think. Join us for a Rare Conversation with Heather White, environmental policy expert and author of One Green Thing: Discover Your Hidden Power to Help Save the Planet for a conversation about how individual action fits into the climate solution puzzle, and how it can also help counter climate anxiety.

Digital event recording coming soon!

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Explore Past Rare Conversations

Ryland Engelhart
Seeding Change: Growing the movement toward regenerative agriculture

Agriculture and unsustainable land practices threaten the health of our planet and its ability to feed a growing population. Ten years ago, Ryland Engelhart helped found the nonprofit organization, Kiss the Ground, to bring farming into harmony with nature and protect soil health through regenerative agriculture. In this Rare Conversation, Ryland will join Monica Varela, VP of Rare’s Lands for Life program, to share how Kiss the Ground uses storytelling, education, and advocacy to build the regenerative farming movement.

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President Carlos Alvarado
Leading on Climate Change

During his four-year term in office, the former President of Costa Rica ushered in changes that positioned the small Central American nation as a global climate change leader and one of the first of 190 nations to sign onto the 30×30 pledge.

In this Rare Conversation we sit down with former Costa Rican President and newly elected Rare Trustee, Carlos Alvarado Quesada to discuss a wide range of topics including Costa Rica’s role as a climate leader.

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Alizé Carrère
Stories from the Frontline of Climate Change

Climate change is the “perfect human problem.” Its size, too big. Its impact, too distant. One effective approach? Storytelling. In this Rare Conversations we sit down with Alizé Carrère, creator of the PBS series ADAPTATION, to discuss the power of storytelling.

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Roberta Katz
Gen Z, Explained: The Art of Living in a Digital Age

October 14, 2021

In this edition of Rare Conversations, Madhuri Karak of Rare’s Center for Behavior & the Environment is joined by Roberta Katz, anthropologist and senior research scholar at Stanford University. Listen as they discuss the importance of empathy and intergenerational dialogue to create a better future along with other insights from Roberta’s upcoming book, Gen Z, Explained: The Art of Living in a Digital Age.

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Leidy Klotz
The Untapped Science of Less

July 15, 2021

Whether it’s building with LEGO® toys or building cities, we often think to solve problems by adding to the equation. But what happens if we subtract instead? Leidy Klotz, professor at the University of Virginia, explores this paradigm shift in his new book, Subtract: the Untapped Science of Less. Join Leidy in conversation with Dr. Madhuri Karak of Rare’s Center for Behavior & the Environment on how we might tap into this mindset to better solve ecological challenges.

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Julie Packard
The Ocean-Climate Connection

October 8, 2020 

Climate change is here. It’s the wildfires from Australia, the Amazon, and America’s west coast. It’s the hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico and heatwaves in Siberia. And it’s the warming of our ocean, so critical to lives and livelihoods around the world. So, what does climate change mean for life in the ocean? What does it mean for vulnerable coastal communities – in the U.S. and around the world? And what can we do to help?

Ocean advocate and philanthropist Julie Packard, Executive Director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, joins Rare Philippines VP Rocky Sanchez Tirona as they discuss the ocean-climate connection, and how a healthy ocean is a critical piece of the climate puzzle.

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Robert Frank
Can Peer Pressure Solve Climate Change?

August 13, 2020

Behavioral science tells us that we take action when we see our friends and neighbors take action. So how can we use the power of social forces to tackle one of the greatest threats of our time: climate change? Join us for an interactive conversation with New York Times best-selling author and behavioral economist Robert Frank to discuss some of the key findings from his recent book, Under the Influence: Putting Peer Pressure to Work.

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Sarah Stein Greenberg
Innovating for Sustainability in an Uncertain Time

June 25, 2020

Uncertainty abounds. A global pandemic. International protests for social justice. The looming threat of climate change. Whether you are a civic leader, a philanthropist, a concerned parent, or simply a human, this moment requires us to “navigate ambiguity.” So, how do we harness ambiguity and use this uncertainty in our favor? How can we use behavioral tools to bring us from uncertainty to innovation? Join us for a short, interactive conversation to hear from one of the world’s leading design thinkers.

Featuring Sarah Stein Greenberg, Executive Director of Stanford’s d.school and Dr. Madhuri Karak, Community Engagement Lead for Rare’s BE.Center.