Lessons Learned from the Mountains and Jungles of the World

Keynote Speaker

John's experiences let him tell a striking story of preparation, teamwork, and perseverance. He has been called a 'badass for science' by NPR and was given the 'Balls of Steel' award by internet viewers for his Himlung Crevasse Fall videos.

He has spoken to groups up to 6500 people and his years in the classroom and as an outdoor instructor mean that he is comfortable speaking to any group. He has an amazing collection of images from his expeditions that illustrate his lessons learned...

Selected Previous Keynotes

National Academy of Sciences, Irvine, California. Distinctive Voices Lecture Series. October 2, 2019. Talk Title: Integrated Mountain Research Systems – People, Plants, and Glaciers on Mt. Everest and in the Peruvian Andes. Audience: 150 people  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntZOGkqRkVE

CONGRESO INTERNACIONAL DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTÍFICAS EN AREAS NATURALES PROTEGIDAS  (International Congress on Scientific Advances in Protected Natural Areas). Lima, Peru. September 26, 2018. Keynote Address. Talk Title: Integrated Environmental Modeling for Resource Management in Alpine Protected Areas. Audience: 250 people.

Northern California Explorers Club, San Francisco, CA. January 25, 2018. Talk Title: Climate Change and Civil War on the Mt. Everest Massif. Audience: 85 people

 Cosmos Club, Explorers Club, and Circumnavigators Club Joint Banquet. Washington, DC. November 18, 2017. Talk Title: Climate Change and Civil War on the Mt. Everest Massif. Audience: 95 people

oro Internacional de Glaciares y Ecosistemas de Montana (International Glacier and Mountain Ecosystems Forum) Opening Convocation.  Huaraz, Peru.  August 11, 2016. Talk Title: Creating International Collaborations for Environmental Monitoring in the Andes. Audience: 600 people.

Mt. Baker Ski Patrol Annual Banquet. Glacier, WA. April 16, 2016. Talk Title: Everest: The Science and the Climb. Audience: 250 people. 

Ethics and Social Justice Keynote Series.  Bellarmine University.  Louisville, KY.  March 30, 2015.  Talk Title: Caring for the Earth – Risk and Reward. Audience: 350 people.

IdeaFestival – Creativity and Innovation Conference.  Bowling Green, KY.  March 20, 2015.  Talk Title: When Preparation Meets Need – Lessons from the Himalaya on Achieving Success.  Audience: 750 people.

Kentucky Association of Institutional Research Annual Convention.  Bowling Green, KY.  November 6, 2014.  Talk Title: How do you get there from here?  Preparation and Achieving Goals.  Audience: 400 people.

The National Society of Collegiate Scholars, WKU Chapter.  Bowling Green, KY.  October 7, 2014.  Talk Title: Perseverance and Determination – the path to success.  Audience: 350 people

MTNCLIM 2014, Midway, Utah.  September 18, 2014.  Recent Environmental Changes and Effective Mountain Community Responses.  Audience: 100 people

Western Kentucky University Freshman Convocation.  Bowling Green, KY.  August 17, 2014.  Talk Title: Perseverance, survival, and persistence – overcoming obstacles and graduating in four years.  Audience: 6500 people

Sagarmatha World Heritage Site: Climate Change Implications for Biodiversity, Environment, and Livelihoods Special Workshop. Katmandu, Nepal.  April 9, 2014. Talk Title: Climate Changes and Human Impacts Affecting the Sagarmatha National Park Region. Audience: 150 people (Note: Received a special award for this work and a large trophy from the British Ambassador and the Nepal Botanical Society.)

Scientific Speaker

Dr. All is interested in how water law can help reduce climate change impacts on the biosphere in remote locations, and identifying ways in which water resource management can inform societal climate change adaptation more broadly.  He also uses his law degree to examine local policy responses and inform local water resource management decision-making.  His work combines legal and policy analysis with remote sensing change detection techniques and local stakeholder interviews to examine adaptation strategies in areas undergoing environmental change. 

Selected Invited Addresses

Science in the Death Zone. Global Exploration Summit, Terciera, Azores, Portugal. June 15, 2023

Climate Change and the Sherpa on Mt. Everest. Explorers Club, F’jallraven, Seattle, WA. Oct. 17, 2019

Sherpas, Climate Change, and Civil War on Mt. Everest. Explorers Club, F’jallraven, Portland, OR. Feb. 21, 2019

Climbing and Climate Change - from Mt. Everest to the mountains of the world. Charitable Fundraising Event. Boulder, Colorado. September 21, 2018

Climate change data collection in extreme environments. Salt Spring Symposium, Fulford, BC. September 7, 2018.

The Impact of the Decade-Long Nepal Civil War on Sherpa Culture and the Mt. Everest Environment.  Mt. Everest Cultural and Environmental Protection Forum, Western Washington University. Bellingham, WA. March 1, 2018.

Studying Climate Change on Mt. Everest - Integrated Mountain Environment Research Systems in Peru and Nepal. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Berkeley, CA. January 29, 2018.

Development and Validation of a Conceptual Model for Strategies to Control Degradation of High Andean Pasturelands. Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina.  Lima, Peru.  October 18-20, 2017. Workshop Co-Leader

Climate and Vegetation-based Ecosystem Modeling in Alpine Environments. Instituto Nacional de Investigacion en Glacieres y Ecosistemas de Montanas (National Institute for the Study of Glacier and Mountain Ecosystems). Huaraz, Peru. July 20, 2017

Deriving Erosional Components for Alpine Soil Degradation Modeling. Instituto Nacional de Investigacion en Glacieres y Ecosistemas de Montanas (National Institute for the Study of Glacier and Mountain Ecosystems). Huaraz, Peru. July 11, 2017

 Developing a Biophysical Model of Vegetation Change and Andean Soil Erosion Fluxes. Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina.  Lima, Peru.  September 23, 2016

Monitoring Glacial Dust Deposition and Resulting Water Quality Impacts in the Andes. International Seminar on Clean Energy and Black Carbon on Tropical Glaciers, Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco.  Cusco, Peru.  August 31, 2016

Geospatial Modeling of Rangeland Degradation in the Andes – A Conceptual Framework. Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina.  Lima, Peru.  July 10, 2016

Mountain Conservation in the Peruvian Andes.  Stone Summit, American Alpine Club.  Atlanta, GA.  March 21, 2016.

Mountain Ecosystem Dynamics in a Changing World. Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina.  Lima, Peru.  August 12, 2015

Pathways to Sustainability Workshop. Panelist and Speaker.  Western Kentucky University.  Bowling Green, KY.  April 17-18, 2015.

Interfaith Workshop on Earth Care. Panelist and Speaker.  Western Kentucky University.  Bowling Green, KY.  April 10-11, 2015.

Environmental Change in the Mountains of the World and the American Climber Science Program.  California Institute of Technology.  Pasadena, California.  April 10, 2013

An Integrated Assessment of Recent Environmental Changes in the Cordillera Blanca of Peru. The Mountaineers.  Bellingham, Washington, March 12, 2013

The American Alpine Club and Conservation in the Cordillera Blanca of Peru.  American Alpine Club Section Meeting, Seattle, Washington, March 9, 2013

An Integrated Assessment of Recent Environmental Changes in the Cordillera Blanca of Peru.  January 18, 2013.  University of Colorado, Boulder.  INSTAAR Seminar Series.

Environmental Change in the Mountains of the World and the American Climber Science Program.  January 16, 2013.  Colorado State University, Fort Collins.  NREL Seminar Series.

The American Alpine Club and Conservation in the Cordillera Blanca of Peru.  December 13, 2012.  American Alpine Club Southeastern Section Annual Dinner. Atlanta, GA.

The American Climber Science Program and Integrated Research Methodologies.  December 7, 2012.  University of Nevada, Reno.  Physics Department Seminar Series.

Creating an Integrated Mountain Research Monitoring Network – a Case Study in the Cordillera Blanca of Peru.  December 2, 2012.  Mountain Research Initiative Invited Speaker, University of California, Berkeley.

Environmental Change in the Mountains of the World and the American Climber Science Program.  November 9, 2012.  Western Kentucky University, Geography and Geology Seminar Series.

An Integrated Assessment of Recent Environmental Changes in the Cordillera Blanca of Peru.  Feb. 17, 2012.  Western Washington University, Huxley Speaker Series.

Research Methodology Training: GIS and Remote Sensing Applications for Natural Resource Management.  February 22 – March 4, 2010.  Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal.  (Note: I was given a large statue by the class in thanks.)

Focus the Nation - Global Warming Teach-In.  January 31, 2008.  Bowling Green, KY. 21st Century Resource Management Challenges: Maintaining Ecological Resilience in the Face of a Changing Climate.  John All.

Focus the Nation - Global Warming Teach-In.  January 31, 2008.  Bowling Green, KY.  Just the Facts: The Science of Climate Change.  John All.

Kentucky Source Water Protection Seminar.  January 26, 2005.  Barren River Area Development District, KY.  Introduction to Source Water Protection.  John All.

Kentucky Source Water Protection Seminar.  January 26, 2005.  Barren River Area Development District, KY.  Introduction to Stakeholder Networks.  John All. 

Kentucky Rural Water Association Training Session.  Barren River Lake State Resort Park.  February 26, 2003.  Principles of Source Water Protection.  John All.