2025 Life Logs, Day 161: A Woodwell Conversation with John Holdren
Date: Wednesday, June 11, 2025
Weather: Sunny and Warm; High Temp 81, Low 61 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue with My Shadow, Falmouth, MA
It was another busy day. I had an all morning Encore Board meeting, my last as co-president, and then met Lynne at Devour near Main Street for lunch. I had eaten there once before and was impressed with their salads. Somehow this second time the salads didn’t seem quite as impressive, but I had one with tostados which was quite good.
Lynne worked with me in the yard and garden during the afternoon. Then, after a quick stop at Lawrence Middle School, to see Ollie’s art on display at the annual art show, Lynne and I went to Woodwell Climate Research Center. This spring, they started a new series of monthly conversations on various climate related topics. They focus on navigating science, politics, and resilience. The events are called ‘Conversations’ and today’s conversation was with Max Holmes, President and CEO of Woodwell, and Dr. John Holdren, former Chief Science and Technology Advisor to President Obama.
Prior to going to Washington, John Holdren was the President and CEO of Woodwell, while also having a position at Harvard. After Washington, he returned to Harvard and still does some work with Woodwell. The conversation this evening was focused on how a climate research center can adapt and survive amidst the current political turbulence. Lynee had seen John Holdren speak a few years ago when she was here, but as we walked back to the car this evening, she said she was overwhelmed by John’s breadth of knowledge and experience. The conversation was truly impactful, albeit a bit stressful to hear a summary of just how much damage has already been done to science and education. However, he did end with some steps we can take. Now, we just need to get to work!
