POST BY ROBERT VIENS:
“The time has come,” the Walrus said,
“to talk of many things:
Of windmills–politics–and toxic waste
Of radishes–and salmon known as kings–
And why the sea is getting hot–
And what the future brings.”
BC Earth Week is coming up April 22-26 and planning is underway. I’ll keep this short, but we always like to send out a request in January for suggestions and volunteers.
The tentative theme for the 14th annual Earth Week Celebration is “Living in a Changing Climate”. Yes– we have never used this theme before, so we thought it was time to talk about climate.**
We’d like to emphasize issues around climate change ranging from science of climate to the social justice impacts and economic ramifications. In addition, it is always important for us to tie into as many disciplines as possible – so we encourage ideas relating to the arts, activism, philosophy, journalism, religion, business, health care, etc. …there is really no limit to the possibilities.
Please let me know if you:
(1) would like to participate by giving a lecture (BC faculty and staff are always the heart of our program);
(2) have an idea for a speaker or event you’d be interested in (it’s great if you have a potential connection, but general ideas are good, too);
(3) would like to have your students, club, program, department, student organization, etc. participate;
(4) would like to bring a class to a lecture (let me know the class name and time if you know yet);
(5) would like to be more involved in the general planning for the event;
(6) want to be a all-around friend to Earth Week…membership includes a healthy an equitable future.
I hope that we can establish some connections with classes and clubs that may not have been involved in Earth Week in the past. If you have students working on projects (in-class or service learning) related to sustainability (I know there are lot of you who do) please feel free to think of ways they may be involved (displaying final projects, serving on a panel, etc.) Just let me know.
The sky is the limit – no idea is to big or to small! As always we’d like to incorporate many different parts of the campus in the week’s events, so we are open to discussing any possibilities.
Thanks!
Rob
PS – For a peek at what has happened over the past 13 years, see the Earth Week History Page at <http://scidiv.bellevuecollege.edu/rv/earthweek/history.php>.
PSS – The ASG will be holding their annual BBQ on Thursday of Earth Week. So we will not schedule much that Thursday (25th). They are planning to incorporate sustainability into the event.
-**FYI – BC Meteorology Instructor Kent Short writes up an annual, short “global warming update”. Here is what he sent to the Science Division last week regarding 2012:
Global Warming Update
January 2013
According to NOAA, the global average air temperature for 2012 ranked as the 10th warmest year since records have been kept. Including 2012, all 12 years to date in the 21st century rank among the 14 warmest years on record. Only one year during the 20th century – 1998 – was warmer than 2012. For the contiguous United States, 2012 was the warmest year in the 1895-2012 period of record, averaging 3.5ºF warmer than the 20th century average, and breaking the previous record year (1998) by 1.0ºF. The State of Washington was the only state in the lower 48 that did not have at least one station record its warmest year ever. There were eleven $1 billion+ weather disasters in the U.S. in 2012, making it second only to 2011, which had 14. Finally, Arctic sea ice coverage in September (end of the summer melt season) set another new record for least areal coverage (a new record is set almost every year for this now).
Last Updated November 19, 2013