Andrew C. Revkin
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Andrew C. Revkin is an American science and environmental journalist, author and educator. He has written on a wide range of subjects including destruction of the
Amazon rain forest The Amazon rainforest, Amazon jungle or ; es, Selva amazónica, , or usually ; french: Forêt amazonienne; nl, Amazoneregenwoud. In English, the names are sometimes capitalized further, as Amazon Rainforest, Amazon Forest, or Amazon Jungle. ...
, the
2004 Asian tsunami An earthquake and a tsunami, known as the Boxing Day Tsunami and, by the scientific community, the Sumatra–Andaman earthquake, occurred at 07:58:53 local time (UTC+7) on 26 December 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of northern Suma ...
, sustainable development,
climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...
, and the changing environment around the
North Pole The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's rotation, Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to distingu ...
. He is the founding director of the Initiative on Communication and Sustainability at The Earth Institute of Columbia University. Previously he was strategic adviser for environmental and science journalism at
National Geographic Society The National Geographic Society (NGS), headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational organizations in the world. Founded in 1888, its interests include geography, archaeology, an ...
. Through 2017 he was senior reporter for climate change at the independent investigative newsroom
ProPublica ProPublica (), legally Pro Publica, Inc., is a nonprofit organization based in New York City. In 2010, it became the first online news source to win a Pulitzer Prize, for a piece written by one of its journalists''The Guardian'', April 13, 2010P ...
. He was a reporter for ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' from 1995 through 2009. In 2007, he created the '' Dot Earth'' environmental blog for ''The Times. ''The blog moved to the Opinion Pages in 2010 and ran through 2016. From 2010 to 2016 he was also the Senior Fellow for Environmental Understanding at
Pace University Pace University is a private university with its main campus in New York City and secondary campuses in Westchester County, New York. It was established in 1906 by the brothers Homer St. Clair Pace and Charles A. Pace as a business school. Pace ...
."Andrew C. Revkin", Pace University, 2009.
Accessed: December 3, 2012.
He is also a performing songwriter and was a frequent accompanist of
Pete Seeger Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American folk singer and social activist. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, Seeger also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of the Weavers, notably ...
.


Early life

Andrew Revkin was born and raised in Rhode Island. He graduated from Brown University in 1978 with a degree in Biology. He later received a Master's in Journalism from the
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism The Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism is located in Pulitzer Hall on the university's Morningside Heights campus in New York City. Founded in 1912 by Joseph Pulitzer, Columbia Journalism School is one of the oldest journalism s ...
.


Career

Early in his career he held senior editor and senior writer positions at ''
Discover Discover may refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''Discover'' (album), a Cactus Jack album * ''Discover'' (magazine), an American science magazine Businesses and brands * DISCover, the ''Digital Interactive Systems Corporation'' * D ...
'' magazine and ''
Science Digest ''Science Digest'' was a monthly American magazine published by the Hearst Corporation from 1937 through 1988. History ''Science Digest'' was first published in January 1937 in an 8 x 5 inch digest size format of about 100 pages. ...
'', respectively.Revkin's Biography
''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'', 23 April 2006
From 1995 through 2009, Revkin covered the environment for ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
''. In 2003, he became the first ''Times'' reporter to file stories from the North Pole area and in 2005-6 broke stories about the Bush administration's interference with scientific research, particularly at
NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil List of government space agencies, space program ...
.Cristine Russell
"Revkin Taking NYT Buyout: Veteran climate reporter to leave paper after Copenhagen summit
''
Columbia Journalism Review The ''Columbia Journalism Review'' (''CJR'') is a biannual magazine for professional journalists that has been published by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism since 1961. Its contents include news and media industry trends, an ...
'', December 14, 2009
In 2010, he joined Pace University's Academy for Applied Environmental Studies as Senior Fellow for Environmental Understanding. Revkin has also written books on humanity's weather and climate learning journey, the once and future
Arctic The Arctic ( or ) is a polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm (Greenland), Finland, Iceland, N ...
, the
Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technolog ...
, and global warming. He was interviewed by ''Seed'' magazine about his book ''The North Pole Was Here'', which was published in 2006. He stressed that "the hard thing to convey in print as journalists, and for society to absorb, is that this is truly a century-scale problem." Revkin is among those credited with developing the idea that humans, through growing impacts on Earth’s climate and other critical systems, are creating a distinct geological epoch, the
Anthropocene The Anthropocene ( ) is a proposed geological epoch dating from the commencement of significant human impact on Earth's geology and ecosystems, including, but not limited to, anthropogenic climate change. , neither the International Commissio ...
. He was a member of the "Anthropocene" Working Group from 2010 to 2016. The group is charged by a branch of the International Commission on Stratigraphy with gauging evidence that a formal change in the
Geologic Time Scale The geologic time scale, or geological time scale, (GTS) is a representation of time based on the rock record of Earth. It is a system of chronological dating that uses chronostratigraphy (the process of relating strata to time) and geochr ...
is justified.


Works

*''Weather: An Illustrated History, from Cloud Atlases to Climate Change''. New York: Sterling, 2018, *''The North Pole Was Here: Puzzles and Perils at the Top of the World''. Boston: Kingfisher, 2006, *''Global Warming: Understanding the Forecast''. New York: Abbeville Press, 1992,
''The Burning Season: The Murder of Chico Mendes and the Fight for the Amazon Rain Forest''
Washington, DC: Island Press, 2004 990 :-- translated and published also in Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, German, Portuguese, Japanese and Thai editionsWorldCat.
Accessed: July 31, 2012.


Films based on his work

Two films have been based on Revkin's writing: * '' The Burning Season'' (1994), a prize-winning HBO film starring
Raul Julia Raúl Rafael Carlos Juliá y Arcelay (March 9, 1940 – October 24, 1994) was a Puerto Rican actor. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, he took an interest in acting while still in school and pursued the career upon completion of his studies. After ...
and directed by
John Frankenheimer John Michael Frankenheimer (February 19, 1930 – July 6, 2002) was an American film and television director known for social dramas and action/suspense films. Among his credits were ''Birdman of Alcatraz'' (1962), '' The Manchurian Candidate'' ( ...
, was based on Revkin's eponymous biography of
Chico Mendes Francisco Alves Mendes Filho, better known as Chico Mendes (; 15 December 1944 – 22 December 1988), was a Brazilian rubber tapper, trade union leader and environmentalist. He fought to preserve the Amazon rainforest, and advocated for the h ...
, the slain defender of the Amazon rain forest. * '' Rock Star'' (2001), starring
Mark Wahlberg Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg (born June 5, 1971), former stage name Marky Mark, is an American actor, businessman, and former rapper. He has received multiple accolades, including a BAFTA Award, and nominations for two Academy Awards, three ...
and
Jennifer Aniston Jennifer Joanna Aniston (born February 11, 1969) is an American actress and film producer. She is the recipient of various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Since her career ...
, was based on "A Metal-Head Becomes a Metal-God. Heavy," a 1997 ''New York Times'' article by Revkin. The article described how a singer in a Judas Priest tribute band rose to replace his idol in the real band.


Songwriter and musician

Revkin is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter who leads a Hudson Valley roots ensemble calle
Breakneck Ridge Revue
He performed frequently with
Pete Seeger Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American folk singer and social activist. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, Seeger also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of the Weavers, notably ...
between 2003 and 2014 and was a member of Uncle Wade, a blues-
roots A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients. Root or roots may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusing ...
band. His first album,
A Very Fine Line
', featuring guest contributions by
Dar Williams Dorothy Snowden "Dar" Williams (born April 19, 1967) is an American pop folk singer-songwriter from Mount Kisco, New York. Hendrik Hertzberg of ''The New Yorker'' has described Williams as "one of America's very best singer-songwriters." She is ...
, Mike Marshall and
Bruce Molsky Bruce C. Molsky (born 1955, New York City) is an American fiddler, banjo player, guitarist, and singer. He primarily performs old-time music of the Appalachian region. Early years As a young man, Molsky first became interested in blues music, but ...
, was released in November, 2013.


Awards

* 2021
Sigma Xi Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society () is a highly prestigious, non-profit honor society for scientists and engineers. Sigma Xi was founded at Cornell University by a junior faculty member and a small group of graduate students in 1886 ...
Honorary Member * 2015
American Geophysical Union The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of Earth, atmospheric, ocean, hydrologic, space, and planetary scientists and enthusiasts that according to their website includes 130,000 people (not members). AGU's a ...
, Robert C. Cowen Award for Sustained Achievement in Science Journalism * 2011 National Academy of Sciences,
National Academy of Engineering The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. The National Academy of Engineering is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of ...
, and Institute of Medicine joint
National Academies Communication Award The National Academies Communication Award was an annual prize bestowed in recognition of creative works that help the public understand topics in science, engineering or medicine. The awards were established in 2003 and administered by the Keck Fut ...
"'Dot Earth' Blog Earns a Second National Communication Award..." Pace Law School, September 16, 2011.
Accessed: December 4, 2012.
* 2008 John Chancellor Award,
Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
* 2007-2008 Dr. Jean Mayer Global Citizenship Award,
Tufts University Tufts University is a private research university on the border of Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1852 as Tufts College by Christian universalists who sought to provide a nonsectarian institution of higher learning. ...
*2007 Honorary Sol Feinstone Environmental Award, SUNY-ESF, Syracuse, NY"New York Times Reporter Receives Honorary Feinstone Award", SUNY-ESF, September 13, 2007.
Accessed: June 24, 2012.
*2006 John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship * 2003 National Academy of Sciences,
National Academy of Engineering The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. The National Academy of Engineering is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of ...
, and Institute of Medicine joint
National Academies Communication Award The National Academies Communication Award was an annual prize bestowed in recognition of creative works that help the public understand topics in science, engineering or medicine. The awards were established in 2003 and administered by the Keck Fut ...
"National Academies Communication Awards."
Accessed: December 4, 2012.
* 2002 and 1986 American Association for the Advancement of Science (climate change, nuclear winter) * 1983 Investigative Reporters and Editors Award, for a magazine article "on the worldwide death toll from misuse of Paraquat" * Honorary doctorate, Pace University * His book, ''The North Pole Was Here'', was "A Junior Library Guild selection"WorldCat.
Accessed: July 31, 2012.


References


External links



- Biography at the NYTimes
Revkin Videos
- Revkin's YouTube channel * * *
Video of Revkin accepting the John Chancellor Award
*
"9 Billion People + 1 Planet = ?" Andrew Revkin's interview with Vaclav Smil
at the Quantum to Cosmos festival at
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics (PI, Perimeter, PITP) is an independent research centre in foundational theoretical physics located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 1999. The institute's founding and major benefactor i ...
.
New York Times review of "The Burning Season."National Public Radio interview with Revkin about the making of "Rock Star.""Q&A: Andrew Revkin"
''The Observatory'' December 16, 2008 Columbia Journalism Review *
Chris Hayes Christopher Loffredo Hayes (; born February 28, 1979) is an American political commentator, television news anchor, activist, and author. Hayes hosts '' All In with Chris Hayes'', a weekday news and opinion television show on MSNBC. Hayes also ...

Exploring the wicked problem of climate change with Andrew Revkin
(Aug. 14, 2018) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Revkin, Andrew Living people The New York Times columnists 1956 births American non-fiction environmental writers Brown University alumni Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism alumni Columbia University faculty Pace University faculty Environmental journalists Folk musicians from New York (state) Songwriters from New York (state) American bloggers Environmental bloggers Online journalists People from Garrison, New York Discover (magazine) people 21st-century American non-fiction writers