Benjamin Backer, founder and CEO of Nature is Nonpartisan, will be in conversation with Ryan McCoy, assistant professor of environmental studies at Washington and Lee University on Oct. 28 at 5:10 p.m. in Stackhouse Theater in Elrod Commons as part of W&L’s Mudd Center for Ethics’ series, “Taking Place: Land Use and Environmental Impact.”
The event, which is free and open to the public, is titled “Common Ground, Common Future: Bipartisan Environmentalism.” The first part of the event will be recorded and available afterward: https:// go.wlu.edu/livestream.
Backer will explore a timely ethical question: Is it possible to protect the environment in an age of deep political division in America? Drawing on his travels across the country, he will share what he’s learned about how culture wars and partisan extremes have taken over the climate conversation, and what it will take to reclaim environmental stewardship as a shared responsibility. Backer will also share insights from his recent book, “The Conservative Environmentalist: Common Sense Solutions for a Sustainable Future” (2024), to show why bridging divides isn’t just good politics — it’s the right thing to do for our communities and future generations.
Backer founded Nature is Nonpartisan in 2025 as a movement to redefine environmentalism as a nonpartisan issue once and for all. He is also the founder of the American Conservation Coalition, the country’s largest conservative environmental organization, which he established during his freshman year of college in 2017. Backer has been named a New York Times Changemaker and to the Fortune 40 Under 40, Forbes 30 Under 30, GreenBiz 30 Under 30 and Grist 50. He is a fellow at The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity and is one of the leading youth environmental voices in the country. He graduated from the University of Washington in 2020 and lives in Scottsdale, Ariz.
For more information and a complete schedule of events, visit the Mudd Center for Ethics’ series webpage: https://www.wlu.edu/ mudd-center/programs-and-events/20252026-taking-place-land-use-and- environmental- impact.
