A conversation with Corinne Peluchon, Ana Porzecanski, Cyrille Barnerias, and Kristina Douglass, moderated by Sarah Sax
In 2026, The Columbia Maison Française and the Alliance Program are partnering with Villa Albertine to launch a new conversation series on ecology. The series will address major topics such as the collapse of ecosystems, the transformation of human-to-nonhuman relationships, the societal and economic impacts of global warming, and urban resilience.
In New York, the inaugural event of this series is a panel discussion to be held on January 28 at the Columbia University Maison Française. It will bring together Corine Pelluchon, a French philosopher whose work examines the moral and political underpinnings of our relationship with the environment; Ana Porzecanski, Director of the Center for Biodiversity & Conservation at the American Museum of Natural History; Cyrille Barnerias, Director of International Relations at the French Office for Biodiversity; and Kristina Douglass, an archaeologist and professor at the Columbia Climate School. The conversation will be moderated by Sarah Sax, an award-winning investigative journalist specializing in environmental issues.
Together, they will reflect on the idea of a “New Enlightenment” for the Anthropocene era. As we confront the decline of biodiversity, the discussion will explore emerging forms of interdependence among human, animal, and plant life. We will ask: How might the ways earlier societies and ecosystems co-adapted to climate pressures inform us today? Can we imagine a new social contract that would bring forth a more equitable coexistence between human and non-human worlds? How might an expanded sense of “the other” and a heightened awareness of contemporary vulnerabilities be translated into public policy? How can public engagement be designed to turn these concepts from ideals to actions?
