Backer to discuss conservative environmentalism Feb. 26

Benji Backer, founder and current executive chairman of the American Conservation Coalition (ACC), will discuss his new book “The Conservative Environmentalist: Common Sense Solutions for a Sustainable Future” Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 6 p.m. at Knuth Brewing Company (upstairs) 230 Watson St., Ripon.

The book talk is sponsored by Ripon College’s Center for Politics and the People (CPP) and the Ripon College Republicans.

Preston Reese-Grimm, a junior political science major and co-president of Ripon College Republicans, and Henrik Schatzinger, professor of political science and CPP director, will engage Backer in a fireside chat type of conversation about his recent book. This will be followed by an audience Q&A.

The ACC is the country’s largest right-of-center conservative youth environmental organization operating under the belief that achieving economic and environmental success is interconnected, and that everyone should feel encouraged to participate in conversations about conservation, clean energy, sportsmen’s rights, agriculture and climate.

Backer’s newest venture is being founder and CEO of Nature is Nonpartisan, a nonprofit aimed at normalizing the environmental conversation in a way that transcends political boundaries.

He has been named to the Fortune 40 Under 40, Forbes 30 Under 30, GreenBiz 30 Under 30 and Grist 50 and as a NYTimes Changemaker. ABC News listed him as one of the top “5 youth climate activists you need to know.”

Backer has authored articles for various national media outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Times and Newsweek, and has appeared on The View, Fox News and NBC News.

In 2019, he testified alongside Greta Thunberg before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, Energy and the Environment and the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis.

Additionally, Backer is the Visiting Fellow on Energy at The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity (FREOPP) and a board member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences’ Climate Change Commission, the Wisconsin Conservative Energy Forum and BridgeUSA.

Backer is a native of Appleton, Wisconsin, and has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business.

He became politically active at 10 years old after watching a presidential debate between Senator John McCain and then-Senator Barack Obama and has continued to be a prominent conservative voice on environmental issues. He currently resides in Scottsdale, Arizona.