Tzeporah Berman

A Mir Lecture Series event on May 1 will feature renowned environmental activist Tzeporah Berman who will reflect on 30 years of advocacy for old-growth forests and climate justice—and the surprising lessons she has learned about finding common ground with logging executives and with the oil industry. From behind the bullhorn at one of Canada’s largest acts of civil disobedience to working diligently behind the scenes with the leaders of the nation’s fossil fuel industry, environmental activist Tzeporah Berman has spent three decades as a crusader for urgent change. In 1993, Berman was one of the main voices of what became known as British Columbia’s “War in the Woods.” A protest to stop clearcut logging in ancient Vancouver Island temperate rainforests, the Clayoquot Sound camp that Berman helped establish saw more than 10,000 people show up during a tumultuous summer that ultimately helped change how government directs the forest industry.