Climate Change

Tag: Climate Change

Elizabeth Bridgwater named Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholar

Strong interests in atmospheric science helped Lawrence University junior Elizabeth Bridgwater be named an Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholar.

Elizaberth Bridgwater
Elizabeth Bridgwater

A chemistry and environmental studies major from Fort Collins, Colo., Bridgwater was one of 150 undergraduates nationally selected for the scholarship. Named in honor of long-time former U.S. Senator Ernest “Fritz” Hollings, who was well known for supporting ocean policy and conservation, the award includes a two-year academic scholarship and a summer internship opportunity.

“I’m really excited about this opportunity,” said Bridgwater, who recently met with scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Washington, D.C. to discuss internship possibilities for next summer. “I’m particularly interested in it for its environmental applications.

“It was amazing to learn about all of the work that goes into predicting and understanding our weather and climate, protecting our oceans and coasts and sharing this information with policymakers in Washington and communities,” she added. “As someone who has developed a passion for understanding how our behaviors influence both air quality and climate change, I feel really grateful for the opportunity to engage with the incredible work being done at NOAA.”

As a Hollings Scholar, Bridgwater will receive a $9,500 academic award for each of the next two years and a 10-week, full-time, paid summer internship, including travel expenses, at any NOAA facility nationwide in the summer of 2019. She also will receive funding to present the results of her NOAA research project at up to two national scientific conferences. Later this year, she will choose from a variety of internships and connect with the mentor associated with that project.

“As I learn more as a scientist, something I work to keep in perspective is that certain communities, particularly communities of color and low-income communities, face disproportionate levels of pollution and public health concerns.”
— Elizabeth Bridgewater

Bridgwater’s interests in becoming a scientist are motivated in part by her desire to improve the health and quality of local communities through a better understanding of the world around us.

“NOAA is a really cool organization in that the scientific work done there is ultimately geared toward serving the United States and protecting the resources and ecosystems that are vital to our daily lives,” said Bridgwater. “I feel lucky and honored for this chance to be a part of that science and to continue developing as a scientist so I can help people in the future.”

Her long-term goals have Bridgwater pursuing graduate studies with an eventual eye on working on public policy.

“I’m interested in going to grad school for atmospheric science and to develop expertise in that field. But at some point, I would like to engage with the policy side of things and to take on a leadership role that will allow me to influence the decisions we make about air quality and climate change.

“As I learn more as a scientist, something I work to keep in perspective is that certain communities, particularly communities of color and low-income communities, face disproportionate levels of pollution and public health concerns,” she added. “It is really important for scientists and policymakers alike to incorporate an understanding of environmental justice issues into their work so that as we better understand and alleviate the challenges of environmental degradation that these communities receive the attention and resources they deserve.”

The Hollings Scholarship was established in 2005. Bridgwater was selected from among more than 600 eligible applications nationwide.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.”  Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

U.S. leadership and diplomacy examined in Povolny lecture series address

Glen Johnson
Glen Johnson ’85

Glen Johnson, former U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for strategic communications, shares some of his experiences traveling the world with former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in a Lawrence University Povolny Lecture Series in International Studies address.

Based on his forthcoming book of the same title, Johnson presents “Window Seat on the World: A View of U.S. Leadership and Diplomacy” Monday, April 23 at 7:30 p.m. in the Wriston Art Center auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.

A 1985 Lawrence graduate, spent four years (2013-2017) working in the U.S. Department of State, accompanying Kerry to 91 countries and all seven continents while racking up 1.3 million miles of travel. He was at Kerry’s side for negotiations over Syria’s chemical weapons program, Afghanistan’s power-sharing agreement, Iran’s nuclear program, the Middle East peace process and the Paris climate change accord.

Prior to entering public service, Johnson enjoyed a lengthy journalism career that included positions with the City News Bureau of Chicago, The Salem (Mass.) Evening News, The Sun of Lowell, Mass., The Associated Press and The Boston Globe. During that span, he covered five presidential campaigns and eight national nominating conventions. As a columnist for the Boston Globe, he wrote an open letter to then Republican presidential Mitt Romney prior to a Feb. 2012 campaign stop at Lawrence to give the former governor a brief history lesson on Lawrence and Appleton.

While a student at Lawrence, Johnson wrote for The Lawrentian and was a tight end on the 1981 football team that reached the national semifinals of the NCAA D-III football playoffs and was subsequently inducted into the Lawrence Athletic Hall of Fame.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.”  Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

 

Climate Change Challenge Examined May 20 in Honors Convocation

Vermont State Senator Robert Hartwell closes Lawrence University’s 2009-10 convocation series Thursday, May 20 with the address “America at the Crossroads: Accepting the Climate Change Challenge.”

The presentation, at 11:10 a.m. in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel, will be followed by a question-and-answer session at 2 p.m. in the Warch Campus Center cinema. Both events are free and open to the public.

A 1969 graduate of Lawrence, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in government, Hartwell enjoyed a successful career as a labor attorney before turning his attention to interests in community service and real estate.

His pursued his passion for environmental protection and land stewardship through trustee positions with the Vermont Land Trust and the Vermont River Conservancy. He also is a former director of the organization Vermonters for a Clean Environment.

In 2006, he sought public office, running for and earning a seat in the Vermont state senate. As a legislator, Hartwell has served on the senate’s committee on natural resources and energy and was instrumental in the passage of the state’s most comprehensive energy legislation in 2008.

Hartwell also co-sponsored a bill that placed Vermont’s groundwater in the public trust and regulated large-scale water withdrawals, such as those by water bottling companies.

He has been an advocate for a national “Green” New Deal that focuses on a new energy ethic modeled after President Roosevelt’s New Deal policies of the 1930s. Hartwell’s Green New Deal would place greater reliance on renewable resources, favor tax incentives to create a national car fleet 50 percent more fuel efficient than at present and support a national passenger rail system based on successful models in Europe.

GWU Law Dean Offers Legal Perspective on Environmental Challenges in Povolny Lecture Series Presentation

Lee Paddock, associate dean for environmental law studies at The George Washington University Law School, examines the major domestic and international environmental challenges of the 21st century and the mechanisms that can drive environmental behavior in the final address of Lawrence University’s 2010 Povolny Lecture Series in International Studies “The Climate for Climate Change.”

Paddock presents “Environmental Change: A Legal Perspective,” Monday, May 10 at 7 p.m. in the Wriston Art Center auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.

Lee-Paddock_web
Lee Paddock

Focusing on how environmental governance needs to evolve to support long-term environmental sustainability, Paddock will discuss the roles regulation, economics and societal values play in influencing environmental behavior, arguing an integrated approach is necessary to move toward sustainable outcomes.

Paddocks’s work at The George Washington University Law School focuses on environmental compliance and enforcement, environmental governance and environmental management in the context of emerging nanotechnologies.

A senior consultant to the National Academy of Public Administration on environmental issues, Paddock also serves on The George Washington University sustainability implementation team.

Prior to joining The George Washington University, Paddock directed the environmental law programs at Pace University School of Law and spent 20 years in the Minnesota attorney general’s office, including 13 years as the state’s director of environmental policy.

“The Climate for Climate Change” lecture series is sponsored by the Mojmir Povolny Lectureship in International Studies. Named in honor of long-time Lawrence government professor Mojmir Povolny, the lectureship promotes interest and discussion on issues of moral significance and ethical dimensions.

Economics of Climate Change Focus of LU International Lecture Series Address

Mixing levity with serious economic solutions to climate change, University of Washington environmental economist Yoram Bauman delivers the second address in Lawrence University’s 2010 Povolny Lecture Series in International Studies “The Climate for Climate Change.”

Yoram-Bauman_web
Yoram Bauman

Bauman, who bills himself as “the world’s only stand-up economist,” presents “Comedy, Economics and Climate Change,” Monday, April 26, 7 p.m. in the Wriston Art Center auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.

While poking good-natured fun at the field of economics, Bauman also will provide a serious examination of the ways economics can help address the problem of climate change. His address will focus on environmental tax reform — revenue-neutral carbon pricing — and explain why he favors lowering taxes on things we want more of, including employment, savings, and investments and raising taxes on things we want less of, specifically carbon emissions.

Based on 2005 emissions information, Bauman argues a tax of $30 per short ton of carbon dioxide emissions — approximately 30 cents per gallon of gasoline or three cents per kWh of coal-fired power — would generate enough revenue in Wisconsin to eliminate the state business tax and reduce the state sales tax rate by 50 percent.

A specialist on the economics of climate change, Bauman earned a bachelor’s degree from Reed College and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Washington. He joined the UW faculty in 2006 and teaches in the environmental studies program.

He also performs stand-up regularly at Seattle’s Comedy Underground and at colleges, comedy clubs and corporate events around the country. Among his publications is the book “The Cartoon Introduction to Economics.”

“The Climate for Climate Change” lecture series is sponsored by the Mojmir Povolny Lectureship in International Studies. Named in honor of long-time Lawrence government professor Mojmir Povolny, the lectureship promotes interest and discussion on issues of moral significance and ethical dimensions.

EPA Official Opens Lawrence University International Lecture Series on Climate Change

Governmental policy-making processes — national and global — will be examined in Lawrence University’s 2010 Povolny Lecture Series in International Studies “The Climate for Climate Change.”

George Wyeth, director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Policy and Program Change Division, opens the three-part series Tuesday, April 20 at 7 p.m. in Thomas Steitz Science Hall 102 with the address “Change Isn’t Easy: An Inside Perspective.”

The presentation, part of Green Roots’ celebration of Earth Week, is free and open to the public.

George-Wyeth_web
George Wyeth

A 1973 Lawrence graduate, Wyeth is spending Term III as Lawrence’s Stephen Edward Scarff Memorial Visiting Professor in the government department, where he is team-teaching the class “Environmental Politics” with professor emeritus Chong-do Hah.

The Scarff Memorial Visiting Professorship was established in 1989 by Edward and Nancy Scarff in memory of their son, Stephen, a member of the Lawrence class of 1975, who died in an automobile accident in 1984. It brings civic leaders and scholars to Lawrence to provide broad perspectives on the central issues of the day.

Swept into office on the promise of change, President Obama has found that promise difficult to fulfill, even with the advantage of Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress. Wyeth offers first-hand perspective from inside the EPA on how change efforts have progressed under President Obama, where change has or hasn’t occurred and what barriers have stifled change.

He also will discuss the gradual decay of the process for orderly transition from one administration to the next and its consequences for effective government.

At the EPA, Wyeth tests and promotes innovative approaches to environmental protection within the EPA, states and business as the county transitions to a “green economy.” He has played a lead role in overseeing the use of Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma strategies to achieve environmental improvement, streamlined EPA’s administrative processes and developed agency strategies to promote the use of sustainable products.

After graduating from Lawrence with a bachelor’s degree in government, Wyeth earned a master’s degree in public policy from the University of California, Berkeley and a law degree from Yale Law School.

Prior to joining the EPA in 1989, Wyeth spent three years as a staff member in the Wisconsin State legislature working with the Joint Finance Committee and practiced law from 1982-89 with a Minneapolis law firm.

Joining Wyeth on this year’s series are:

• Yoram Bauman, professor of economics at the University of Washington and a touring “stand-up” economist, “Comedy, Economics and Climate Change,” Monday, April 26, 7 p.m.

• Lee Paddock, associate dean for environmental studies and professorial lecturer in law at George Washington University Law School, “Environmental Change: A Legal Perspective” Monday, May 10, 7 p.m.

“The Climate for Climate Change” lecture series is sponsored by the Mojmir Povolny Lectureship in International Studies. Named in honor of long-time Lawrence government professor Mojmir Povolny, the lectureship promotes interest and discussion on issues of moral significance and ethical dimensions.