North Campus Sustainability Hour
Event Type: Service Hours
TBP co-sponsored the North Campus Sustainability Initiative during the winter semester. The group hosts weekly "North Campus Sustainability Hour" seminars with invited guest speakers. This year there were 7 seminars during TBP's sponsorship.
The abstract of a talk given by Professor Andy Hoffman, Holcim (US) Professor of Sustainable Enterprise, The University of Michigan, for one of the luncheons is attached.
Topic: How Culture Shapes the Climate Change Debate
Though the scientific community largely agrees that climate change is underway, debates about this issue remain fiercely polarized. These conversations have become a rhetorical contest, one where opposing sides try to achieve victory through playing on fear, distrust, and intolerance. At its heart, this split no longer concerns carbon dioxide, greenhouse gases, or climate modeling; rather, it is the product of contrasting, deeply entrenched worldviews. This presentation examines what causes people to reject or accept the scientific consensus on climate change. Synthesizing evidence from sociology, psychology, and political science, Andrew J. Hoffman lays bare the opposing cultural lenses through which science is interpreted. He then extracts lessons from major cultural shifts in the past to engender a better understanding of the problem and motivate the public to take action. How Culture Shapes the Climate Change Debate makes a powerful case for a more scientifically literate public, a more socially engaged scientific community, and a more thoughtful mode of public discourse.
Project Leaders: Ilkka Kovanen (ilkka), His Royal Majesty Michael Lee Benson (mlbenson), and John Fan (jxfan)
When: Mon. Dec. 12, 2016 noon–1 p.m.
Where: Johnson Room (Lurie Building) (on campus)
You must login to sign-up
Attendees:
2 (no limit)