September 21, 2015
Academics unite to increase awareness of climate change
More than 260 academics (updated 13 October) in 38 countries across six continents have joined a unique global initiative to increase people’s awareness and understanding of climate change and its impact.
Known as Global Climate Change Week (GCCW), the movement aims to mobilise academics across all disciplines and to encourage them to connect with their students and communities on climate change action and solutions.
GCCW will be held annually in the third full week of October in the build-up to the annual United Nations Conference of the Parties meeting. In 2015, GCCW will be held from 19 to 25 October, in the lead-up to the UN meeting in Paris in December.
During this week, academics will alter their programs to coordinate their teaching on some aspect of climate change. Participants will also host a range of activities aimed at capturing the attention of students, policy-makers, and the wider community, and demonstrating the need to take action against climate change. Such action is particularly urgent in relation to climate policy, which GCCW organisers say is inadequate compared to the scale and potentially catastrophic nature of the risks posed by climate change.
GCCW is a first of its kind of collaboration and is open to academics from all fields; each week more academics are joining the cause. As a senior editor at the monthly Nature Climate Change (NCC) journal, Bronwyn Wake said in a recent NCC article: “Momentum is building, and the variety of people and activities is well on the way to making this first GCCW a success”.
The movement is led by a group of Australian academics primarily based at the University of Wollongong.
Wollongong based climate scientist Dr Helen McGregor said: “It’s not just climate scientists that need to contribute to climate change solutions. I support Global Climate Change Week because it embraces all disciplines and sends a strong message that urgent action is needed.”
UOW philosophy lecturer Dr Keith Horton said: “Climate change is a major threat to humanity and the ecosystems that support it. Every aspect of society will be affected and we need to bring as many perspectives as possible to the table to deal with the challenges ahead.”
Dr George Takacs, a lecturer in physics at UOW, said: “Dealing successfully with the significant challenges of climate change will require a flexible policy approach that allows for adaptive management. This in turn will require an informed and engaged community, and this is where academics can and must play a role.”
Dr Samuel Wilson, Research Fellow at the Swinburne Institute said: “Addressing the super-wicked challenge of climate change requires leadership across all sectors of the community. As academics, we have a special responsibility to show leadership on climate change and we’re encouraged to see many academics getting behind GCCW.”
Wollongong Events
| Monday 19 October 6.00pm-7:30pm Bld 67.104 | GCCW Launch with Australian economist and former politician, John Hewson (ANU). Mr Hewson will be delivering a talk on Divestment - '‘Are we risking a climate induced GFC?’. More information and registration |
| Tuesday 20 October 8-9.30am | Breakfast event with Dan Daly (UOW) on the Sustainable Buildings Research Centre; Tom Hunt (UOW) on ‘What difference can I make, without it costing the earth?’; Helen Hasan (UOW) on ‘Greening of IT, Greening by IT’. |
| Tuesday 20 October 2.30pm-3.30pm Bld 20.3 | ‘Mapping Climate Change Adjudication’ |
| Tuesday 20 October 6:00pm-8.00pm Beaton Park Tennis Club | Q&A forum on Climate Change with: Sarah Wright (UOW); Andy Davis (UOW), who examines human impacts on natural systems; physics lecturer George Takacs (UOW); climate scientist Helen McGregor (UOW); Brian Andrew (UOW), a Professor of accounting who researches carbon pricing; and Chris Gibson (UOW). |
Wednesday 21 October | People Powering Change: How to get your commuting emissions down and much more Presented by the UOW Environmental & Sustainability Initiatives Unit |
| Wednesday 21 October 4.30pm – 6.00pm Building 20.3 | Panel on Climate Change and Food Security with: Adelaide Haynes (Oxfam); Tim DiMuzio (UOW), a lecturer in international relations and public policy; Sandra McCarthy (former Mayor Kiama) |
| Thursday 22 October from 1.30pm Bld 25.128 | Climate Change Adaptation with Mona Hymel from the University of Arizona (organised by UOW School of Law) |
Thursday 22 October | The Wollongong City Council will be hosting a panel on climate change for Global Climate Change Week. Pannlists include: Leslie Hughes from Macquarie University; coastal geomorphologist Colin Woodroffe (UOW); Kerrylee Rogers (UOW); and Helen McGregor, a climate scientist based at UOW |
Friday 23 October | Seminar: Women and Climate Change |
| Friday 23rd October from 6.00pm Bld 20.3 | Film screening: Merchants of doubt, a film about those who present themselves as scientific authorities as they speak about climate change. |
NB: UOW's Global Challenges program is a supporter of GCCW.