Global Guardian

Terry Chapin ’66, H’16, an ecologist and founder of the concept of Earth stewardship, was awarded the 2019 Volvo Environment Prize.

Chapin’s published work over the past 30 years has influenced the understanding of biological diversity that underpins human well-being. His focus has been on the global Arctic, where ecology meets climate change in the carbon-rich expanses of tundra, permafrost, and boreal forest. “I think the stewardship framework has some potential to move society from creating a planet in peril, to one in which people can live more sustainably with nature,” Chapin says. “So I’m glad to see that framework recognized.”