Earth on Fire: Brewing Plagues and Climate Chaos in Our Backyards with Evaggelos Vallianatos

Evaggelos Vallianatos studied zoology and ancient and medieval Greek history at the University of Illinois. He earned a PhD in modern Greek and European history at the University of Wisconsin Madison. He did postdoctoral studies in the history of science at Harvard University. He is a historian and ecopolitical theorist, former analyst of the ecological and social effects of industrialized farming at Capitol Hill, Congressional Office of Technology Assessment and office of Congressman Clarence Long of Maryland, as well as analyst of the risks of pesticides and the benefits of organic farming and biological and cultural alternatives to pesticides for the US Environmental Protection Agency. Evaggelos has taught at the American University, George Washington University, Humboldt State University, Bard College, University of New Orleans, University of Maryland, Pitzer College, and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He authored hundreds of articles and several books, including Poison Spring (2014), The Antikythera Mechanism (2021) Freedom (2025), and most recently, Earth on Fire: Brewing Plagues and Climate Chaos in Our Backyards (2026). 

Jay McDaniel is a philosopher and theologian known for his work in process theology and open and relational thought. Influenced by Alfred North Whitehead, his writing explores the relational nature of reality, the role of creativity in the universe, and the spiritual significance of everyday life. He has long been associated with the Center for Process Studies and with Open Horizons, where he helps develop resources that connect philosophy, spirituality, ecology, and the arts. McDaniel writes for both academic and general audiences, often drawing on literature, music, theater, and nature to illuminate philosophical ideas. His work emphasizes compassion, imaginative freedom, and the possibility of cooperative and sustainable communities. A teacher, essayist, and musician, he is especially interested in how process philosophy can enrich religious life, interfaith dialogue, and public culture. Through essays, courses, and collaborative projects, he seeks to make complex philosophical ideas accessible and practically meaningful for contemporary life.

Marcus Ford was one of the first professors in the country to teach courses in sustainability and develop an environmental humanities program. Since early in his teaching career, Marcus has held that the most important thing we can learn is how to live sustainably and justly within the bounds of the natural world. He has taught sustainability studies at the undergraduate and graduate level and is an advocate for education that prepares people to actively participate in shaping their communities. He is the author of the groundbreaking book, Beyond the Modern University and many articles on higher education. Marcus is the Founder of Flagstaff College.