Environmentalist Vimlendu Jha to speak in St. Petersburg Tuesday [Audio]

Click the arrow above to listen to the full conversation between environmentalist Vimlendu Jha and St. Pete Catalyst publisher Joe Hamilton.

Indian environmentalist Vimlendu Jha is set to speak at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg’s Kate Tiedemann College of Business Tuesday, where he will share his perspective on the climate crisis in a lecture titled There is No Planet B: Finding Local Solutions for Global Challenges.

Jha is founder and executive director of Swechha, one of the top youth-run and youth-focused environment groups in India. A renowned activist and social entrepreneur, Jha is known for his innovative approaches to both environmental and social issues. He will bring his perspective on dealing with the unique environmental and social challenges that the climate crisis has brought to India, as well as those shared by countries throughout the world. He took a moment to speak with St. Pete Catalyst publisher Joe Hamilton prior to his arrival in St. Petersburg, to explain what he’ll cover, how is is evolving, and what communities in the United States can learn from India.

In this long-form discussion, Jha shares how the language around climate change has evolved and why taking action is more necessary than ever before. Climate change is not what it was 20 years ago when he began his work, Jha explains, it is no longer centered around a romantic idea of caring for the environment, but rather a emergency that requires urgency and action. Jha argues that these challenges are fundamental to human survival, and that they must be addressed not just internationally but in local communities, bridging the gaps between generations and socioeconomic classes.

As a social entrepreneur, Jha meets climate crisis at the crossroads it shares with economic growth. He launched Green the Map, a fair trade initiative to produce innovative, sustainable, up-cycled products from waste materials to help businesses address climate at a larger scale. Jha speaks to his own experiences, about the way unbridled economic growth has ravaged India, leaving pollution, smog and public health crises in its wake.

Vimlendu Jha, OPEN Aresty Speaker

Kate Tiedemann College of Business (700 4th Street South)

5:45 pm – 6:30 pm Networking Reception in the Atrium

6:30 pm – 8:00 pm OPEN Aresty Speaker: Vimlendu Jha

The event is Free and Open to the Public; register to reserve your seat here.