Kovel and Gronowicz to Speak on Politics and Nature

Joel Kovel and Tony Gronowicz will be the speakers for a plenary session on politics and nature, Saturday, August 8, 7:00 pm — 9:00 pm in Nevins Theater, Powell Campus Center, Alfred University, Alfred, NY. Joel Kovel will speak about revitalizing the relationship between humanity and nature and Tony Gronowicz will speak about the history of political efforts to protect and give rights to nature in the US. Crow Weaver's musical performance will open the program and a musical performance of the Tom Persichilli and Meg Krywe will close the program.

Joel Kovel is the editor of the quarterly journal, Capitalism Nature Socialism. From 1988 to 2009, he was Professor of Social Studies at Bard College. Joel has published nine books and over a hundred articles and reviews. His books include White Racism, which was nominated for a National Book Award in 1972; Against the State of Nuclear Terror; In Nicaragua; The Radical Spirit; History and Spirit (1991); Red Hunting in the Promised Land (1994), a study of anticommunist repression in America; The Enemy of Nature: The End of Capitalism or The End of the World (Zed, 2002); and Overcoming Zionism (2007). As an activist, Joel has been engaged in struggles for peace and justice since the Vietnam War era. He has worked within the antiwar and antinuclear movements, the solidarity movements in Central America and the Caribbean, the movements for democratic media, and, increasingly, for ecological transformation. Joel joined the Green Party since 1990. In 1998, he was the Green Party candidate for US Senator from New York, and in 2000 sought the party's Presidential nomination.

Tony Gronowicz teaches U.S. history, global civilization, political science and human geography at the City University of New York. He edited Oswald Garrison Villard: The Dilemmas of the Absolute Pacifist in Two World Wars (1983); and authored Race and Class Politics in New York City Before the Civil War (1998) and Last Western Empire: A History of the United States from Spring to its Fall (2006). Tony was the 2005 Green Party candidate for Mayor of New York City and a 1996 Green Party candidate for State Assembly. He serves on the International Committee of the Green Party of the United States.

Crow Weaver is the founder of the Native Earthling Band in Ithaca. He was born in Virginia and grew up listening to blues, deep southern rock, and rockin' gospel. He started playing guitar when he was 13 and later picked up silver and Native American flutes. He has explored his Native American and Celtic ancestry to create a blend of spiritually-minded, earthy and edgy rock-and-roll. He calls his music Tribal Rock, as it transcends all race and creed to bring people together as one.

Tom Persichilli and Meg Krywe are members of the Lucky Pluckers, a band that performs folk/rock/old-timey music on mostly acoustic instruments built by Tom. Meg will speak at Green Fest about her work in the fight against a nuclear waste dump in Allegany County.