Cara Pike

Founder and Director, Social Capital Project

Cara Pike is the founder and Director of the Social Capital Project at the University of Oregon’s Climate Leadership Initiative. The Social Capital Project is a climate communications and behavior change initiative aimed at engaging the public in support of personal carbon reduction activities as well as the adoption of global warming policies. The Social Capital Project develops public engagement and behavior change tools, training programs and pilot projects, and provides technical assistance to climate leaders in government, nonprofits, and the business community.

The Social Capital Project has produced two of the leading studies on American attitudes towards the environment and global warming. RE:Green is one of the largest segmentation studies of the public based on environmental worldviews and the social values that underlie them. Climate Crossroads is a comprehensive guide to framing the global warming conversation and is based on extensive cognitive research and input from dozens of climate practitioners.

In addition to her work with the Social Capital Project, Cara runs Pike Productions, an environmental communications consulting firm, with clients such as Groundwire, Idaho Conservation League, Greener World Media and the Pembina Institute.

Cara speaks broadly on green marketing and social change, and recently contributed to Strategies for the Green Economy released by McGraw Hill in October 2008. She is a member of the Social Venture Network and David Suzuki’s Stonehouse Summit.

With a Masters of Science in Environmental Communications from California State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Communications and Environmental Science from McGill University, Ms. Pike has a deep understanding of environmental science and how green issues intersect with cultural trends and concerns. As an avid outdoors woman and skier, Cara brings an experience of the wild to her work as well.