Dr Gregory M. Thaler wins prestigious International Science Prize

Gregory M. Thaler, Associate Professor and renowned environmental social scientist, who recently joined OSGA, has been awarded the prestigious International Science Prize by The Hans Günter Brauch Foundation for Peace and Ecology in the Anthropocene (HGBS).

The 2024 award theme, "Ecocide: Impacts of Wars and Climate Change on Food Security," recognized Thaler's remarkable work in the areas of environmental conservation, political ecology, and global studies.

“In a time of global ecocide, I hope this book can help chart a path away from false solutions and towards more liveable futures.” Dr Gregory M. Thaler

Thaler's award-winning book, Saving a Rainforest and Losing the World: Conservation and Displacement in the Global Tropics, published by Yale University Press in 2024, explores the paradoxes of global conservation efforts. In particular, it critiques how initiatives to protect tropical rainforests—through agricultural development programmes—often displace deforestation to new regions, exacerbating global environmental crises and harming local communities. His work draws on six years of field research in tropical forest landscapes, providing a critical perspective on the tensions between environmental governance, economic development, and social justice.

In accepting the award, Thaler expressed gratitude and hope, stating: “In a time of global ecocide, I hope this book can help chart a path away from false solutions and towards more liveable futures.”

Thaler holds a PhD in Government from Cornell University and has spent his career researching the global impacts of environmental and development policies, with a particular focus on the Global South. His insights highlight the unintended consequences of conservation efforts, such as environmental degradation and the displacement of local populations.

Thaler shares the 2024 HGBS Prize with Dr. Victor Tsilonis, an international environmental lawyer from Greece. The award ceremony took place on October 10, 2024, in Mosbach, Germany.

For more on Thaler’s insights, listeners can tune in to the Landscapes podcast, where he discusses themes from his book.