The last time you heard from us through the CES mailing list was during the height of summer. I apologize for the delay, but so much has transpired since July that I decided it was best to wait until some official milestones had been reached before sharing two exciting announcements with you.

First, I’m thrilled to announce that the Society for Earth Law (SOEL) has officially spread its wings and is taking flight as its own, independent non-profit! After a year of incubation within CES’s non-profit structure, the nine CES board directors voted unanimously to support this move, which we all feel is appropriate for both SOEL and CES at this stage of their development as organizations.

CES and SOEL look forward to working independently yet cooperatively and in service to our complementary missions, and we wish Linda Wendling and the whole SOEL team and community every success as they continue their galvanizing work in the field of Earth law. You’ll find the official joint announcement from SOEL and CES and further details at the end of this email.

Second, I’m happy to share news of role changes in CES’s leadership. After 13 months as president and executive director of CES, I will be stepping down from these positions and moving into a role where I can focus on CES’s online publishing as director of online publications. Herman Greene will be returning to his former role as president of CES. This feels like a natural fit given all that’s transpired since our existing positions and organizational structure took effect in September 2025: CES is now reverting to its previous organizational structure before its expansion with SOEL; I’m feeling increasingly drawn to CES’s online publishing activities; and Herman has realized that he has a whole lot more he wants to achieve with CES in the coming year. I believe I speak for both of us when I say that we feel good about these changes and feel they are in line with CES’s best interests moving forward.

It’s been a privilege to be a central part of CES’s leadership over this past year, during which we expanded our operations and partnered with SOEL in its first year of existence, launched new online mission-driven projects, and hosted a fantastic Human Prospect Study Group led by Herman. I’ve greatly appreciated this opportunity to immerse myself in CES’s mission and to work with the CES community.

One of my primary goals in joining CES was to develop its online presence so that the treasure trove of Ecozoic inquiry and scholarship that is housed by CES can reach a broader audience. While we’ve made a promising start, there’s much more to do, and I’ve come to realize that I can be of best service to CES and the Ecozoic by focusing on online publishing. If you’re already a subscriber to The House of Life — CES’s Substack publication — you’ll be receiving a new article in the coming week as we resume our Ecozoic Way series, which will run until the end of 2026. I’m excited to share our plan for The House of Life to expand into video presentations in 2027, drawing on the rich archive of CES study groups. Before anything is published, I’ll be individually reaching out to past presenters of selected sessions to ask if they are comfortable with an edited version of their presentation appearing in The House of Life. And if you haven’t already, we invite you to subscribe by following this link, entering your email address, and clicking “subscribe”!

Thank you for your warm welcome and for your engagement with CES and the Ecozoic vision. There’s a lot in store for CES in the coming year, including new journals that Herman is currently editing and Herman’s new Reimagine, Renew, and Refound America Project. I look forward to staying in conversation as CES’s journey continues!

Yours in Ecozoic service,

Simon Spire

Special Announcement Regarding the Relationship of CES and SOEL

“Earth law” seeks to reconcile human law with Earth’s laws. On August 24, 2025, CES formed an operational division called the “Society for Earth Law” (SOEL) dedicated to the development of Earth law. SOEL was formally launched during New York City Climate Week on September 24, 2025.

Officers of SOEL at launch in NYC

The objectives of SOEL were to create student Earth law groups, advance Earth law scholarship, and foster and promote Earth law practice.

After a year of incubation in CES, SOEL was ready to fly on its own. A new North Carolina nonprofit corporation named “Society for Earth Law” was formed, and at the CES Board meeting held on October 7, the directors proudly set SOEL free to operate through this new corporation.

Henceforth SOEL and CES will operate independently. CES will continue its Ecozoic scholarship and dialogue, and SOEL will continue to work on Earth law with an emphasis on working with students. To this end, SOEL will participate in the forming of the first SOEL student chapter in Africa on October 12, 2026. Please see the announcement below for details.

Linda Wendling, Executive Director of SOEL

Herman Greene, President of the Center for Ecozoic Studies