To read more please visit…http://www8.gsb.columbia.edu/ideas-at-work/publication/1763

Katy Maher – October 22, 2015 2:30 to 3:45 Room: VC14-285

Title: Weathering the Next Storm: How are Businesses Responding to Climate Risks?

Overview: Extreme weather and other climate-related impacts are becoming more frequent, and are imposing real costs on communities and companies. Companies have always navigated a changing business environment; but now they face a changing physical environment, as climate change affects their facilities and operations, supply and distribution chains, electricity and water, and employees and customers. While businesses are increasingly taking steps to assess risks and prepare for
future climate changes, many companies face internal and external challenges that hinder efforts to move toward greater climate resilience. This talk will examine how companies are preparing for climate risks, what is keeping them from doing more, and what strategies could help companies in strengthening climate resilience.

Bio: Katy Maher is a Science Fellow and Resilience Coordinator at the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES). She contributes to C2ES’s efforts to assess and communicate the current state of knowledge regarding climate change and its impacts, and to promote actions that strengthen climate resilience. Ms. Maher has more than eight years of experience supporting climate change impacts and adaptation projects. Prior to joining C2ES, she worked for ICF International assisting a range of clients – including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Agency for International Development, and state and local governments – in assessing climate change risks and developing adaptation solutions. Ms. Maher also served as Chapter Science Assistant for the Social, Economic and Ethical Concepts and Methods chapter of Working Group III’s contribution to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Ms. Maher holds a Master of Environmental Science & Management from the Bren School at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the College of Wooster.

Dr. Rachel McDonald – October 29, 2015 2:30 to 3:45 – Room VC14-285

Title: The Goldilocks Principle of support for climate change action: Framing climate change at a distance that’s just right 

Overview: Prof. McDonald will discuss the efficacy of communication strategies that seek to manipulate the perceived psychological distance of climate change. She will also discuss her research which suggests that to encourage action on climate change, impacts should be framed at a distance that’s just right: psychologically near enough to be considered personally relevant, but no so near that they are seen as threatening or insurmountable, nor so far that they seem irrelevant. She will share with us the optimal frame for climate change information to encourage concern and action.

Bio: Rachel McDonald is an Assistant Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Kansas. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Queensland, Australia in 2013. Before joining KU she worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher in the School of Psychology at the University of New South Wales, in collaboration with the Australian Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency and the UNSW Centre for Excellence in Climate System Science. Her research is broadly concerned with how social factors influence decisions with environmental consequences. She examines the factors that predict willingness to engage in individual pro-environmental behaviors, pay for pro-environmental products, take political action in support of environmental issues, and support sustainable policies. Her research explores diverse topics such as social influence and the effects of influence from multiple groups, moral-framing, in group responsibility for collective environmental dilemmas, and how to optimally frame the psychological distance of climate change to encourage concern and action.

Andrew C. Revkin – November 12 – 2:30 (sharp) – 3:30 – Room VC14-285

Title: Is the New Communication Climate Good for the Earth’s Climate?

Overview: Prize-winning science journalist, online communicator, and author Andrew Revkin explores issues and opportunities arising as both the environment and the media experience an era of unprecedented and unpredictable change. In his thirtieth year writing on the human relationship to the climate system, Revkin sees great opportunities for making information matter, both within traditional journalism and using an expanding array of communication pathways. But success depends on abandoning old norms, including norms for how people learn both how to share and assess news and information.

Bio: Andrew Revkin, the Pace University Senior Fellow for Environmental Understanding, has reported on science and the environment for more than three decades, from the Amazon to the White House, the Hudson Valley to the North Pole, mainly for The New York Times. He has written on global warming science and solutions and energy issues since the 1980s and is among those credited with first proposing that we have entered a “geological age of our own making,” known increasingly as the Anthropocene. Since joining the faculty at Pace in 2010, he has developed or co-developed innovative courses in blogging, environmental communication and documentary film. He has also helped organize and run campus and online events on urban resilience, the mix of technology and tradition in agriculture, renewable energy opportunities and more. Revkin has won the top awards in science journalism multiple times, along with a Guggenheim Fellowship. He is widely recognized for fairness and a pursuit of reality in a polarized media environment. This doesn’t come without perils. The conservative radio commentator Rush Limbaugh once suggested Revkin kill himself if he thought population growth was such an important issue, while a liberal climate blogger once compared him to Charlie Sheen. Revkin has written acclaimed books on global warming, the changing Arctic and the violent assault on the Amazon rain forest, as well as three  book chapters on science communication. Drawing on his experience with his Times blog, Dot Earth, which Time Magazine named one of the top 25 blogs in 2013, Revkin has spoken to audiences around the world, including at the United Nations and Vatican, about the role of communication innovation in forging progress on a turbulent planet. In spare moments, Revkin is a performing songwriter and was a frequent accompanist for Pete Seeger. His 2013 CD of original songs was described as a “tasty mix of roots goulash” on Jambands, an influential music website.Two films have been based on his work: “Rock Star” (Warner Brothers, 2001) and “The Burning Season” (HBO, 1994), which starred Raul Julia and won two Emmy Awards and three Golden Globes.

Twitter: @revkin @dotearth

Blog and bio: http://www.nytimes.com/dotearth

Music: http://j.mp/revkinmusic

Photo:https://www.dropbox.com/s/49m7nrv7ygn5qbl/RevkinPortraitDR.jpg

The Newman Vertical Campus hosted Baruch College’s third Climate Change Seminar: Attitudes, Research, Impact, featuring Professors Mindy Engle-Friedman, Kannan Mohan and Christopher Hallowell on April 16. The event analyzed the perceptions of climate change, its causes and impacts on society, with the goal of increasing climate-change awareness.

BCCS – April 22, 2015 – Agenda

1. Review of last week’s seminar
   1. Overlapping interests?
   2. Presence
      1. Within Baruch
      2. Within CUNY
   3. Attendance
   4. Receipts and materials to Samantha
2. Next seminar – Elke Weber, Columbia Univ. or George Luber, CDC- May 14 (at 12:45) or September?
3. New student facilitators
   1. Meena Ramamoorthy – website; social media
   2. Prabhkiran Kaur – website; social media
   3. Karin Kjarahzadeh – workstudy
   4. Their roles and what we need now
4. Website
   1. Inclusion of important and relevant papers
   2. Inclusion of good overview materials
5. Funding possibilities
   1. April 28, 2015 – Noon meeting with Mary Tufts to locate foundation/donor support- want to join us?
      1. Sent to Advancement: The Baruch College Faculty Seminar on Climate Change is comprised of seven Baruch faculty from across the College and includes professors from Weissman, Zicklin and SPA.  Our hope is to invite speakers to the College to inform our community (students, faculty, staff and guests) about climate change and to develop new initiatives to broaden our educational reach.  This might include a new interdisciplinary course on climate change, hands-on research or internship experiences on topics related to climate change, or perhaps a master’s program in climate change and sustainability.
      2. Master’s program in climate change and resiliency?
         1. Could we get funding to pay master’s level students to:
            1. become prepared to work in the field, teach others
            2. understand and work with
               1. population data (Deborah)
               2. habitats/aquatic field work (Chester)

• writing about the environment (Christopher)

1. information technology (Kannan)
2. human surveys and experiments (Mindy)
3. environmental activists/grass roots groups (Samantha)

1. help locate internships and jobs in the area (Cindy)

1. Past Deadline (March 6, 2015) – EPA- Office of Environmental Education, Environmental Education Local Grants Program — Solicitation Notice for 2014 RFP NUMBER: EPA-EE-14-02
   1. Purpose: to support locally-focused environmental education projects that:
      1. Increase public awareness and knowledge about environmental issues
      2. provide the skills to make informed environmental decisions and take responsible actions toward the environment.
      3. design, demonstrate, and/or disseminate environmental education practices, methods, or techniques that promote environmental stewardship and help develop informed, knowledgeable and responsible citizens in the community(ies) in which the project is located.
   2. 30 grants nationwide – three grants from each of the EPA’s 10 Regions. Maximum $91,000. Cost Sharing Requirement: Applicants must demonstrate how they will provide non-federal matching funds of at least 25% of the total cost of the project.
2. REU – NSF (For undergraduates)
   1. Applications due August 26, 2015
   2. NSF funds a large number of research opportunities for undergraduate students through its REU Sites program. An REU Site consists of a group of ten or so undergraduates who work in the research programs of the host institution. Each student is associated with a specific research project, where he/she works closely with the faculty and other researchers. Students are granted stipends and, in many cases, assistance with housing and travel. Undergraduate students supported with NSF funds must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or its possessions. An REU Site may be at either a US or foreign location.
3. What would we like to accomplish over the summer?
   1. Meeting in the summer?

Earth Week Celebration at Bronx Community College

Tuesday, April 21 – Urban Cycling 101 on the  Central Mall walkway, between Roscoe Brown Student Center [BC]and Gould Memorial Library [GM]. Come learn from Campus Public Safety about bike safety and the rules of the road, as well as how to fix and maintain your bicycle.

Wednesday, April 22 – Solar Powered USB Charger in Snow Hall [SN], 135 Hall of Fame Terrace. Learn about solar energy and actually build your own solar powered phone charger. Supplies are limited so please send an email to [email protected] to reserve a space.

Thursday, April 23 – Campus Planting in the Garden Hoop, behind Carl Polowczyk Hall [CP], in front of the Children’s Center [CC]. Join the BCC Garden Club in planting wildflowers and sunflowers around campus.

Friday, April 24 – Biodiesel Brew in Meister Hall [ME], Room 720. Bring up to 1 liter of cooking oil (new or   used) and turn it into biodiesel.

Date: April 21, 2015 – April 24, 2015

Time: 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM

College: Bronx Community College

Address: 2155 University Avenue, The Bronx

Building: Multiple Campus Locations

Phone: 718.933.1605

Website: http://www.bcc.cuny.edu

Admission: Free

Baruch Faculty Climate Change Research

featuring:

Professors Engle-Friedman, Mohan & Hallowell

Thursday, April 16th from 2:30 to 4p.m., NVC 14-285

Topics and Presenters

Baruch Student: Their Attitudes About Climate Change and Their Environmentally Sustainable Behaviors

Presented by Mindy Engle-Friedman – Department of Psychology

Prof. Engle-Friedman will discuss how Baruch students view issues of climate change and natural resources as well as the actions they are taking to protect our planet.

The Relationship Between Information Technology and Climate Change: Teaching and Research

Presented by Kannan Mohan – Department of Statistics and Computer Information Systems

Prof. Mohan will discuss questions that connect IT to climate change. How does IT contribute to climate change? What solutions used in practice mitigate the negative impact of IT on climate change? How does IT reduce the negative impact of other business processes on climate change?

Journalistic Responsibility: A Look at the Lesser Known Sides of Climate Change

Presented by Christopher Hallowell – Department of Journalism

Prof. Hallowell will discuss the subtler societal impacts of climate change often ignored by the press.

FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC WITH RSVP

Light refreshments will be served.

Location: Newman Vertical Campus 55 Lexington Ave. @ 25th St., Room 14-285

RSVP: [email protected] or 646-312-3231

Baruch Climate Change Seminar

Baruch Faculty Share Their Climate Change Research

Draft – April 16, 2015 – 2:30 – 4:00

VC ?

Mindy Engle-Friedman – Baruch College, Department of Psychology

“Baruch Students: Their Attitudes about Climate Change and Their Environmentally Sustainable Behaviors”

How Baruch students view issues of climate change and natural resources as well as the actions they are taking to protect our planet.

Kannan Mohan – Baruch College, Zicklin School of Business

“Using Computer Information Systems and Information Technology to Limit Climate Change”

Cynthia Thompson – Baruch College, Zicklin School of Business

“Jobs, Jobs, Jobs: Locating Jobs that Will Protect the Planet and Your Future”

Christopher Hallowell – Baruch College, Department of Journalism

“Climate Change and the Northeastern Shores of the US”

BCCS – April 2, 2015 – Agenda

1. Review of last week’s seminar
   1. Attendance
   2. Talks
   3. Overlapping interests?
2. Next seminar – April 16, 2015
   1. Announcement
   2. Locate this on CUNY Calendar
   3. Food
   4. Room
3. New student facilitators
   1. Meena Ramamoorthy – website; social media
   2. Prabhkiran Kaur – website; social media
   3. Karin Kjarahzadeh – workstudy
   4. Their roles and what we need now
4. Outside speakers to invite
   1. Who?
   2. Group communication – response?
5. Grant possibilities
   1. From SPAR
      1. Rockefeller Brothers Fund
         1. Large scale support
            1. Climate change march
            2. Bronx sustainable development
         2. World Science – Fellows – junior faculty
            1. http://www.worldsocialscience.org/2014/03/transformations-sustainability/
            2. http://pivot.cos.com/funding_opps/140994?swid=70384877&cid=FA_sharedopps&_srTicket=04c05e0957cfa6f2be59a858c72256e1&_srExpires=1429142400

• NSF
  1. Engineering, atmosphere, geology focused – not appropriate

1. From Office of College Advancement
   646. Jessica Leitner and Mary Tufts (646.660.6074)
   647. Will attempt to locate foundation/donor support

• This was sent to Advancement:
  1. The Baruch College Faculty Seminar on Climate Change is comprised of eight Baruch faculty from across the College and includes professors from Weissman, Zicklin and SPA.  Our hope is to bring speakers to the College to inform our community (students, faculty, staff and guests) about climate change and to develop new initiatives to broaden our educational reach.  This might include a new interdisciplinary course on climate change, hands-on research or internship experiences on topics related to climate change, or perhaps a master’s program in climate change and sustainability.  We need funding to support these new efforts and we’re wondering where we should start in terms of locating funding sources.
  2. Jessica requested a written focus from us – to share with potential donors.