writing and speaking Change MINDS.
Below are links to some of my recent essays and speeches.
“Direct Testimony of Dr. Mark Little, Ph.D. on Behalf of the Sierra Club”
As offshore wind (OSW) turbines proliferate, there will be a tremendous transfer of wealth to companies involved in the construction. In this direct testimony to the State Corporation Commission of Virginia, I provide a critique of Dominion Energy’s economic development plan for building the nation’s largest OSW project.
“Gold and Mountains. Struggle and Community”
I delivered the opening plenary address at the 10th GEOSCIENCIAS Earth Science Convention in Habana, Cuba. The speech explored explored how having different perspectives on the natural world will guide how we treat and respect the earth and each other. You can also read the speech in spanish.
There are no easy solutions to the many challenges that rural Americans face, but it’s clear that rural communities themselves must drive change and transformation. In this essay for the Aspen Institute, I discuss the importance of measuring increases in power—financial, political, and otherwise—to better define rural development success.
”Reflections on the Black Communities Conference”
I believe in a vibrant, diverse and connected community across the entire African Diaspora. In support of this vision, I founded and co-chaired Black Communities: A Conference for Collaboration. Over four years of conferences, our team brought together more than 2,000 community leaders, academics, business owners, artists and activists from the Americas, Europe, and Africa. This reflection captured the inspiring zeitgeist of the first convening.
“The Past, Power, and Our Future with the Earth”
I gave the keynote address at the Geological Society of America annual meeting during my term as president. Themes include power, wonder, sustainability, Black communities, Indigeneity, conservation, futurism, and the natural sciences.
“Democratizing Infrastructure”
This policy brief, originally written for the Unum Fund, offers a set of principles to inform how elected officials evaluate infrastructure investments. I argue that the placement, design, construction and operation of infrastructure should not impair social, ecological and economic progress for some communities while systematically benefiting others.