The 2015 Climate Change Conference, COP 21, kicked off this week as 196 parties from across the globe convene in Paris. From Nov. 30 through Dec. 11, leaders will work to adopt the world’s first legally binding agreement to stop warming short of 2 degrees Celsius. The United Nations Climate Change Conferences are a yearly event where prominent figures look at challenges and progress related to climate change.
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Unlike some natural disasters that we can depend on arriving at our doorstep every year—hurricanes, tornados, fires—earthquakes can be out of sight and out of mind because of their relative infrequency. But when the Big One strikes, it could be a real catastrophe for the Pacific Northwest coast, deeply disrupting the lives and economies throughout the region. John Vidale, professor of Earth and Space Sciences and chief seismologist for the State of Washington, wants people to be aware of the threats.
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Jake Wood was submitting applications for MBA programs when a magnitude 7.0 struck Haiti in 2010. Having just returned from tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, he was surprised by the similarities between the news footage from Port-au-Prince and what he had seen on the ground, during times of war as a marine. Unable to plug-in with traditional disaster relief organizations, who preferred monetary donations over extra hands, Wood and three friends charted their own path to Haiti and beyond.
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Undergrads from across the country reflected on nature, conservation, social justice, and their own backgrounds at a recent Doris Duke Conservation Scholars event, bringing together a range of experiences with a singular focus: the need for inclusive conversations around the future of our planet.
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More than ever before, people—emergency responders, media, and the public—are turning to social media to communicate important information during times of crises, both natural and manmade. Whether to articulate their own whereabouts to friends and family after a disaster has occurred or to offer up help to others in need, connected crowds are wading through noise and rumors that persist online to assist in the aftermath of tragedy.
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