Environmental activist Robert Kennedy Jr. will speak about the changing environment's impact on society 8 p.m. Wednesday at John R. Emens Auditorium. The event is the first in the Bracken Environmental Speaker Series and is free to the community.
According to a press release, Kennedy's speech, "Our Environmental Destiny," will discuss how natural resources have shaped Americans' daily lives.
Jacquelyn Buckrop, assistant to the provost, said she expects a full house tonight. Emens' seats will be filled with audience members not only from Muncie but other parts of the state and Ohio, she said.
Kennedy is the son of late Sen. Robert Kennedy and nephew of former President John F. Kennedy.
Robert Kennedy Jr. is the senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council and is chair of the Waterkeeper Alliance, an organization advocating the importance of clean water. According to waterkeeper.org, the alliance has grown to more than 180 different water protection programs around the world, including locations in Australia, China, India and Russia.
He also negotiated the 1997 Watershed Agreement in New York City to protect the city's drinking water from contamination. TIME.com named Kennedy one of its "Heroes for the Planet" in 1999.
Robert Koester, Ball State University professor of architecture and director of the Center for Energy Research, Education and Service, said Kennedy's visit to Ball State reinforces the university's legacy in environmental issues.
"He is able to draw linkage between environmental stewardship and economic health," Koester said. "Our economy is based on nature, and the health of our society is based on how much balance we have with nature."
Koester said he hopes students take advantage of the opportunity to hear Kennedy directly and realize the importance of their college degrees. Because Kennedy used his expertise in law to protect areas in New York and around the nation from possibly harmful legislation, Koester said students have the same opportunities to defend their causes.
"Not only are you getting a degree in some area, but you can bring it to bear on the public good," he said.
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