Join Dr. Chris Dunn, current ACES Resident at Toklat, on February 2nd for an immersive look at the shifting landscapes of the High North, where he will bridge philosophy and adventure to explore the future of wilderness and energy across Alaska, Iceland, and Greenland.
Co-hosted with 
About the Presentation
Join Dr. Chris Dunn for an evocative exploration of the rapidly shifting landscapes of the High North. This talk, co-hosted by the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies and Wild Rose Education, offers a unique perspective on the intersection of wilderness conservation, energy development, and climate change across Arctic Alaska, Iceland, and Greenland.
Drawing on years of experience living and working in the remote Gates of the Arctic National Park, a year-long Fulbright fellowship in Iceland, and a summer of expedition and project work in Greenland, Dr. Dunn will examine how these iconic regions are transforming. The presentation moves beyond data to explore the philosophical and social dimensions of these shifts—discussing the rapid changes shaping the future of the planet’s wildest places.
Key highlights of the presentation include:
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Case Studies from the Edge: Insights from Gates of the Arctic, the vast interior of Iceland, and the current geopolitical prominence of Greenland.
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Global Connections: Analysis of how Arctic changes resonate with other northern regions like Scandinavia and Arctic Canada.
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A Multi-Disciplinary View: Integrating philosophy, social theory, and photography to understand environmental and technology-driven shifts.
About the speaker
Dr. Chris Dunn is an interdisciplinary environmental humanities scholar whose research bridges philosophy, literary studies, and social theory to address urgent environmental issues. Chris’s interests include environmental philosophy, wildlands conservation, how nature is known and conceived, energy, climate solutions, Arctic and mountain geographies, philosophy of technology, environmental literature, and how visions of utopia and dystopia shape our world.
Since completing a PhD in Environmental Studies from the University of Colorado-Boulder in 2021, Chris lived in Iceland for a year from 2023-24 as a Fulbright Scholar, taught at the Colorado School of Mines and Rocky Mountain College, and will be teaching at the University of California San Diego. Prior to this PhD, Chris completed an MA in philosophy and taught as a contract humanities instructor for the U.S. Navy in Japan and for six months on the open ocean.
Chris has a conservation background, having worked seasonally for the National Park Service and other federal agencies, and is a world traveler, outdoor adventurer, writer, and photographer who brings visual storytelling to his research on climate solutions. Read more about him at https://www.chrisdunnonplanetearth.com/