Matt Burgess

I am an assistant professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, where I research and teach about environmental economics. I am affiliated with the Environmental Studies and Economics departments, the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, and the Center for Social and Environmental Futures, which I direct. I am also passionate about reducing political polarization, especially as it relates to environmental issues and college campuses. I do research and outreach on this subject, as a Faculty Fellow for Higher Education and Democracy through CU Boulder’s Office of Outreach and Engagement, a Faculty Fellow of the Bruce D. Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization, as co-chair of CU Boulder’s Heterodox Academy Campus Community, and as host of the Benson Center’s Free Mind podcast. More information about me and my research group can be found here.

I regularly give public presentations and speak to national and international media on the topics of climate change polarization; climate change economics; long-run scenarios of climate change and economic growth; the relationship between economic growth and fiscal, social, and political unrest; and endangered species conservation. Media mentions, popular articles, and recordings of my previous talks can be found at my website, linked below.

Speaker's Title and Institutional/Organizational Affiliation: Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies, and Director of the Center for Social and Environmental Futures, University of Colorado Boulder
Event Type :
Lecture/Presentation
Fireside Chat
Book Talk
Constitution Day Event
Classroom Visit
Workshop
Podcast
Debate, Forum, or HxConversation
Speaking Topics - List up to 5 specific topics or titles, each separated by a semicolon: Depolarizing climate change in the United States; How much will the Earth warm this century, and what does it mean for the economy?; What slowing economic growth means for the climate and society; Guided civic revival: How good incentives and a strong civic center can save our democracy and our planet; Free minds on campus: how students and administrators can create a healthy campus conversation
Blackout Dates (Dates speaker is unavailable, Date/Month/Year): It varies by week and semester.
Distance Willing to Travel: Any/No Limits to Travel Radius
Scholarly Area: Social Sciences
Modality of Event : In Person and/or Virtual
Willingness to be recorded: Willing
Speaking Fee (Not including travel/lodging expenses): $0-$5,000 USD
Recent Appearance (1 of 5) -title, host institution, year: "Depolarizing climate change in the United States", Case Western Reserve University School of Law, 2023
Recent Appearance (2 of 5) -title, host institution, year: "Five considerations for 21st-century climate policy", Florida International University Environment Forum, 2023
Recent Appearance (3 of 5) -title, host institution, year: "Which future climate scenario deserves center stage?", American Geophysical Union Press Roundtable, 2022
Recent Appearance (4 of 5) -title, host institution, year: "A socratic approach to fostering curiosity, humility, and empathy in the classroom", Heterodox Academy Conference, 2022
Recent Appearance (5 of 5) -title, host institution, year: "Implications of slowing economic growth for climate change and society", Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy, University of Tennessee Knoxville, 2021
Link to Speaker's Professional Website (to include sample writings and more extensive bio): www.mattgburgess.ca