Book Talks & Public Events.
In a series of public events, Jesse M. Keenan discusses his new book, North: The Future of Post-Climate America (Oxford University Press), which explores how climate change is shaping the physical and demographic future of the United States. North documents a new era marked by shifts in population that are transforming everything from the physical landscape of cities to electoral politics. At the dawning of this post-climate era, emergent geographies of risk and opportunity are coming into focus as a consequence of both physical climate impacts and the adaptations of market economies.
North offers a critical reframing of adaptation science and the role that people, markets, and public institutions play in shaping human mobility and the capacity of American communities to adapt. With fast-moving markets and slow-moving governments, everyday people are caught in the crosshairs. While some will seek to preserve the status quo, others will relocate from places that are increasingly uninhabitable, too risky, or too expensive for permanent settlement. As the era of Sun Belt migration comes to an end and climate impacts accelerate, everything from local relocations to transcontinental climate migrations are already well underway.
At the same time, new geographies of opportunity are receiving zones for those who are seeking a more sustainable and less precarious way of life. North is not just a collection of scientific observations and projections about America's future in the face of climate change. It is also a projection of optimism about America’s capacity for decarbonization, environmental stewardship, and population mobility.
To view recordings of public lectures and book talks, please visit the Book Talk page.
Upcoming Events
April 14, 2026
Town Green
Cape Ann, MA.
April 27, 2026
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA.
April 28, 2026
University of California, Irvine
Irvine, CA.
April 29, 2026
Phoenix Book Club
Scottsdale, AZ.
April 30, 2026
Tempe, AZ.
April 30, 2026
Tempe, AZ.
May 1, 2026
University of Arizona
Tuscon, AZ.
May 5, 2026
Union of Concerned Scientists
Cambridge, MA.
May 11, 2026
National Adaptation Forum: Resilient Together
Pittsburgh, PA.
May 22, 2026
Bayou Culture Collaborative
Baton Rouge, LA.
May 27, 2026
Portland State University
Portland, OR.
June 8, 2026
Brooklyn, NY.
June 15, 2026
Elkins Park Library
Elkins Park, PA.
Please stay tuned for more 2026 events.
Past Events
March 26, 2026
McGill University
Montréal, CN.
March 25, 2026
Librairie Le Port de tête
Montréal, CN.
March 24, 2026
School of Cities, University of Toronto
Toronto, CN.
March 20, 2026
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA.
March 19, 2026
March 18, 2026
Watson School of International and Public Affairs,
Providence, RI.
March 13, 2026
New Orleans, LA.
March 10, 2026
The Brookings Institution
Washington, D.C.
March 7, 2026
Climate Crossroads with
National Academies of Sciences
Norfolk, VA.
March 4, 2026
Extreme Weather: Your Home Value, Your Neighborhood
and Your Wallet, Hosted by The Conversation
Online
February 19, 2026
Perry World House, University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA.
February 17, 2026
Institute for Public Knowledge, New York University
New York, NY.
February 16, 2026
School of the Environment, Yale University
New Haven, CT.
February 9, 2026
School of Architecture, University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA.
February 6, 2026
Fox Center, Emory University
Atlanta, GA.
February 6, 2026
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, NC.
February 5, 2026
Gainesville, FL.
January 27, 2026
Aspen Ideas Climate (book only)
Detroit, MI.
January 20, 2026
Climate Resilience Institute and School of Law,
Coral Gables, FL.
January 19, 2026
Coral Gables, FL.
December 9, 2025
Human Mobility in Post-Climate America with
Washington, D.C.
November 21, 2025
Rough Seas Ahead at Gloucester City Hall with
Harvard University
Gloucester, MA.
October 14, 2025
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)
Vienna, AT.
October 13, 2025
Technische Universität Wien
Vienna, AT.
October 10, 2025
Urban Coastal Development Conference by Red & Blue
Rotterdam, NL.
October 9, 2025
Technische Universiteit Delft
Delft, NL.
August 7, 2025
Stillpoint
Martha’s Vineyard, MA.
July 17, 2025
National Academies of Sciences (book preview)
Washington, D.C.
June 18, 2025
Columbia University (book preview)
New York, NY.
April 15, 2025
Georgia Tech (book preview)
Atlanta, GA.
October 18, 2024
University of Michigan (book preview)
Ann Arbor, MI.
