Philip Allen Loring (born April 29, 1977) is a human ecologist and author. Loring is currently the Global Director of Human Dimensions Science at The Nature Conservancy.[1] He is known for his work on Arctic food security, natural resource conflict, and regenerative food systems.[2][3][4] Loring authored Finding Our Niche: Toward a Restorative Human Ecology (2020), and is the host of multiple academic podcasts.

Philip Loring
Born
Philip Allen Loring

(1977-04-29) April 29, 1977 (age 47)
TitleGlobal Director, Human Dimensions Science
Academic background
EducationPhD, University of Alaska Fairbanks
ThesisWays To Help And Ways To Hinder: Climate, Health, And Food Security In Alaska (2010)
Academic work
DisciplineHuman ecologist
Sub-disciplineSpecialist in regenerative ecology, food security and food systems, and environmental justice
InstitutionsArrell Food Institute, University of Guelph
Notable worksFinding Our Niche: Toward a Restorative Human Ecology (2020)
Websitewww.conservationofchange.org

Education edit

Loring was born in Salem, Massachusetts and grew up in coastal Maine.[5] He received a master's degree in anthropology and a PhD in Indigenous studies from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He started his professional career in information technology before changing careers and receiving a master's degree in anthropology and a PhD in Indigenous studies from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Both of his theses focused on the implications of climate change and natural resource policy on food security for Indigenous peoples in Alaska.[6]

Research career edit

After receiving his PhD, Loring was a research scientist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks for three years. In 2017, he took a position at the University of Saskatchewan’s School of Environment and Sustainability where he served as the President of the Arctic Division of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.[7] From 2018-2023 he held the Arrell Chair in Food, Policy and Society, a research chair funded by the Arrell Family Foundation at University of Guelph.

In his current role as a member of The Nature Conservancy's Global Science Team, he "ensures that TNC’s science and practice incorporates attention to social and cultural dimensions of environmental problems and elevates local voices in the development and implementation of solutions."[1]

Loring's research in the Arctic explored Indigenous food security, fisheries, and the impacts of climate change. Loring has also done research on conflict over natural resources in settings such as Alaska[8][9] and the Canadian prairies.[10] As a part of this research, he co-produced and co-directed of the short documentary Wetland / Wasteland, which won an honorable mention at the 2020 Let’s Talk About Water film festival.[11]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Loring pivoted his research to explore how COVID-19 affected fisheries and farmers in the United States, Canada and Africa.[12][13][14][15]

In 2020, he published Finding Our Niche: Toward a Restorative Human Ecology. The book explores regenerative, sustainable and socially just food systems through various case studies, including cattle ranching in The Burren, Ireland, and Indigenous clam gardening in British Columbia.[16] It received a Silver medal in the Ecology & Environment category of the Nautilus Book Awards[17] and a Gold Medal in the Regional Non-fiction category of the Independent Publisher Book Awards.[18]

Podcasting edit

In May 2020, he launched the Social FISHtancing podcast with Hannah Harrison and Emily De Sousa,[19] which was nominated for a Canadian Podcast Award and a science communication award from the Social Science and Humanities Research Council.[20] Loring and Harrison also coined the term "pubcast" to refer to audio recordings of published research articles.[21]

Personal life edit

Loring lives in Guelph, Ontario, with his wife and daughter.

Selected works edit

Books edit

  • Finding Our Niche: Toward a Restorative Human Ecology. Fernwood Publishing. 2020.
  • "Community-Led Initiatives as Innovative Responses" in Food Security in the High North. Routledge. 2022.
  • "Indigenous food sovereignty and tourism: the Chakra Route in the Amazon region of Ecuador" in Justice and Tourism Principles and Approaches for Local-Global Sustainability and Well-Being. Routledge. 2021.
  • "Fish as food: policies affecting food sovereignty for rural Indigenous communities in North America" The Routledge Handbook of Comparative Rural Policy. Routledge. 2019.

Articles edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Philip A. Loring | The Nature Conservancy". nature.org. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
  2. ^ Balaraman, Kavya. "Alaska communities grow despite threat of future relocation". subscriber.politicopro.com. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  3. ^ "Philip Loring". ARCUS. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  4. ^ "Regenerative Agriculture Is a System of Relationships, Says U of G Human Ecologist". U of G News. 2022-06-20. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  5. ^ "About Phil Loring". The Conservation of Change. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  6. ^ "Phil Loring | Too Big To Ignore". Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  7. ^ "SENS hosts the 2018 Arctic Science Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)". School of Environment and Sustainability. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  8. ^ Caldwell, Suzanna (September 28, 2013). "Researcher says fisheries management should consider human element when it comes to closing 'opening day'". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  9. ^ "Billions of snow crabs near Alaska have disappeared. What's going on?". The Weather Network. 2022-10-20. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  10. ^ Loring, Philip A.; Minnes, Sarah; Gaspard, Valencia. "Stoking conflict between farming and conservation hurts everyone". The Conversation. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  11. ^ "Keyword Tag Index | Let's Talk About Water". letstalkaboutwater.com. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  12. ^ "Know your fisher: Local seafood networks thriving during COVID-19". nationalpost. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  13. ^ greg (2020-08-04). "How are Canada's top conservation farmers faring through COVID-19?". Country Guide. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  14. ^ Loring, Philip A.; Nyiawung, Richard A. "COVID hurt West and Central Africa's small-scale fishers. They need more support". The Conversation. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  15. ^ Loring, Philip A. "Long-standing systems for sustainable farming could feed people and the planet — if industry is willing to step back". The Conversation. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  16. ^ "Review of Finding Our Niche". www.forewordreviews.com. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  17. ^ "2020 Silver Winners – Nautilus Book Awards". Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  18. ^ "2021 Independent Publisher Book Awards Results". Independent Publisher - feature. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  19. ^ "University of Guelph Launches 'Social FISHtancing' Podcast to Cover COVID-19 Impact on Seafood". SeafoodNews. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  20. ^ "U of G podcast makes a splash with its fish tales". GuelphToday.com. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  21. ^ "PubCasts: Audiobook-style readings of peer-reviewed articles increase reach and visibility". Canadian Science Publishing. Retrieved 2023-02-21.

External links edit