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Vision: Sustainability Newsletter

Yale Helps "Focus the Nation"

On January 31, the Yale community joined a nationwide effort to influence the public debate on climate change. Yale students, faculty, and staff participated in several events that were part of Focus the Nation, a national teach-in designed to raise awareness about global warming. The Yale Climate Campaign, a subproject of the Yale Student Environmental Coalition, organized a forum called “Working for a Sustainable Future,” moderated by Gus Speth, Dean of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. The event was designed to stimulate thought and discussion about how different professions can contribute to the fight against climate change. Professionals in diverse fields spoke about incidents in their lives that prompted them to become involved in environmental justice and how professionals in their field have the capacity to address the issue of climate change.

Dean Speth began by reminding the audience that while the issue of climate change has surged in prominence recently, it’s been known about for a long time. He read from a 1981 New York Times article warning of the dangers of human-induced climate change. While the public awakening around climate change has been slow, Dean Speth noted that the movement now has critical mass, thanks in part of the work of Al Gore, and that every profession and walk of life has something to offer.

Paul Anastas, Director of the Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering at Yale, and a pioneer of the green chemistry movement, told the audience how a childhood event, the destruction of wetlands near his home, catalyzed his commitment to fighting for the environment and helped him build a career making chemicals less harmful.

Lillian Ball, an artist and activist from New York, talked about the role artists can play in raising awareness around environmental issues, a movement she termed “eco-art”.

The Reverend Tom Carr, a pastor and a leader of the religious environmental movement, discussed how human justice and environmental issues are intricately linked and how faith communities are educating their followers about climate change.

Bill Finch, the new Mayor of Bridgeport, talked about what his city is doing to green itself and how, in the absence of strong federal leadership on the climate issue, local governments and corporations have stepped up to fill the void.

Tristan Korthal-Altes, an expert on green building and managing editor of Building Green, explained the links between sustainability and building technology, noting that while reducing a building’s carbon footprint is a good first step, the focus needs to be on making buildings part of a sustainable system.