/ en /news/2023-07/water-crisis-our-future-transformed <span>Water Crisis</span> <span><span lang="" about="/user/1481" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" xml:lang="">Jeannine Harvey</span></span> <span>Thu, 07/27/2023 - 14:29</span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--70-30"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="7d035447-f244-4377-ac20-8fbb01952352" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><h2>Is Water the New Oil? | Episode 2 </h2> <p>In this episode of "<a href="/our-future-transformed">Our Future, Transformed</a>," Mason President Gregory Washington speaks with <a href="/profiles/deancos">Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm</a>, Dean of the <a href="https://science.gmu.edu/">College of Science</a>, about water, why there's too much in some places, too little in others, and what we can do, in a warming world, to avoid water catastrophes.</p> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="aa11e09d-a819-4c57-bcb7-69ab1c9f84dc" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><div style="background-image:url(https://content.sitemasonry.gmu.edu/sites/g/files/yyqcgq336/files/2022-10/img-quote-BGgraphic.png); background-size:60%; background-repeat:no-repeat; padding: 3% 3% 3% 6%;"> ^{<span class="intro-text">    ... if you look at human history, people have been battling for water since the ages. If you think about your first history lesson, water was in it, you know, the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Mesopotamia. It’s been happening for a long time and it’s happening now and it will continue happening in the future.</span>}</div> <p class="text-align-right"> _{^{<span class="intro-text">Dr. Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm</span>}}</p> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="0691e0aa-2913-4c0a-9f5b-c5eaede567b7" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="align-center" style="min-width: 50%;"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-video-embed-field field--type-video-embed-field field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="video-embed-field-provider-youtube video-embed-field-responsive-video"><iframe width="854" height="480" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/d_e7e1AW4Lo?autoplay=0&start=0&rel=0"></iframe> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:feature_image" data-inline-block-uuid="41bbd7f8-310e-4271-91af-e80f6e12d89d" class="block block-feature-image block-layout-builder block-inline-blockfeature-image caption-below"> <div class="feature-image"> <div class="narrow-overlaid-image"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/feature_image_medium/public/2023-07/1.png?itok=i7iiKAdz" srcset="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/feature_image_small/public/2023-07/1.png?itok=gPwpqoNE 768w, /sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/feature_image_medium/public/2023-07/1.png?itok=i7iiKAdz 1024w, /sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/feature_image_large/public/2023-07/1.png?itok=jNMZzKgm 1280w, " sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 80vw,100vw" alt="" "" /></div> </div> </div><div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:mason_accordion" data-inline-block-uuid="63727624-0e69-4776-b199-301e2ebd0193" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blockmason-accordion"> <div class="field field--name-field-accordion-rows field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field field--name-field-accordion-rows field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__item"> <section class="accordion"><header class="accordion__label"><span class="ui-accordion-header-icon ui-icon ui-icon-triangle-1-e"></span> <p>Read the Transcript</p> <div class="accordion__states"> <span class="accordion__state accordion__state--more"><i class="fas fa-plus-circle"></i></span> <span class="accordion__state accordion__state--less"><i class="fas fa-minus-circle"></i></span> </div> </header><div class="accordion__content"> <h3><em>Transcript</em> EP. 2: Our Future, Transformed: Is Water the new oil?</h3> <p><strong>Dr. Gregory Washington:</strong> </p> <p>I’m Mason President Gregory Washington welcoming you to the second episode of “Our Future, Transformed,” a series of conversations with Mason’s leading experts about the grand challenges of today — and tomorrow. My guest today is Dr. Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm, dean of Mason’s College of Science, to talk about the water crisis and how we solve it. When we think about water as a grand challenge, the first question that actually comes to my mind is, is water the next oil?</p> <p><strong>Dr. Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm:</strong></p> <p>I think it is and it probably has been for a long time. And if you look at human history, people have been battling for water since the ages. If you think about your first history lesson, water was in it, you know, the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Mesopotamia. It’s been happening for a long time and it’s happening now and it will continue happening in the future.</p> <p><strong>Dr. Gregory Washington:</strong></p> <p>So in the D.C. region where we are here today, there have been some notable examples of urban flooding. What is the driver? What’s going on?</p> <p><strong>Dr. Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm:</strong></p> <p>Well, I think, you know, the, you know, one thing about water that’s very easy to understand but very difficult to predict is that water moves. You know, you have water in the atmosphere, you have water in the oceans, you have water in rivers. It’s moving all the time. It’s moving at different rates. So what ends up happening in places that we’ve seen, and certainly in the National Capital region where urban flooding is becoming a bigger, bigger issue. We had huge floods in Southwest Virginia just a, you know, a few months ago, around the major Washington, D.C. area, there’s urban flooding all the time is, is the fact that water has become concentrated in places where we have just built too much infrastructure. When we build cities, when we build roads, what we’re doing is that we’re replacing natural systems that can regulate water flow, they can absorb it, they can prevent flooding from happening to, to pavements and buildings that tend to concentrate water. And that’s where we’re having the problem.</p> <p><strong>Dr. Gregory Washington:</strong></p> <p>Around the globe there have been examples of devastating wildfires, and then we see these massive examples of flooding in Pakistan not too long ago globally, and then also in many of, a number of our western states as well. What are the challenges to addressing these issues and how might we overcome them?</p> <p><strong>Dr. Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm:</strong></p> <p>Well, you know, the wildfires typically originate when the soil gets too dry, and then vegetation becomes natural fuel for fires to propagate. That is what was happening in the Amazon, that’s what was happening In Australia just a few years back, and certainly in California that continues to be the case, right? A drought will very likely result in wildfires spreading, spreading quicker. The solution to that is to really build systems that can store water and regulate, essentially, the, the moisture content of the soils. Soil is the biggest regulator of water around the world. You know, you think about big rivers, big lakes containing vast amounts of water. But the largest amount of water worldwide is contained in soils. And soils are the big regulator, and natural systems are the big regulators of water. So trying to allow natural systems to store water in a way that they prevent these things from happening is going to be a big part of how we solve these issues.</p> <p><strong>Dr. Gregory Washington:</strong></p> <p>Given that a sizeable amount of the globe’s population lives in, in either climates that have very little water, or no water at all, do we have any great examples of water management, any great examples that we can point to and ask the question, how are some of these other countries responding to either flooding or lack of water? How are they responding to it in ways that actually can help us here in the U.S.?</p> <p><strong>Dr. Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm:</strong></p> <p>Yes, I always point to the example of the, of countries in the Middle East as the most water scarce but also as countries that have learned to live with little water in a moderately successful way. And so, water conservation, building infrastructure that stores water, using natural systems, the term these days is nature-based solutions, is using nature to store water. Those are the ways you can actually mitigate the big peaks towards floods or mitigate the big valleys towards, towards floods, towards droughts.</p> <p><strong>Dr .Gregory Washington:</strong></p> <p>Is it fair to compare those entities to, to the U.S. and what we can do in the U.S.? Is it, in some sense, we’re very, very different, right? So talk a little about that.</p> <p><strong>Dr. Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm:</strong></p> <p>Yeah, so that’s a great question, and let me tell you where it is that we’re most different. The biggest difference between the U.S. and other countries is, is how we manage water. So, and let’s take the example of the western states cause, you know, in, in the U.S. we speak a lot about water rights. There’s a, there’s a big, there’s big water legislation that apportions water in a way that does not take into consideration the physical variables. So there are commitments for water to be delivered in places where you just don’t have enough water. It’s like I’ve committed to pay you a salary of water where I’m running out funds, and no matter what you’re going to expect that salary even thought I have no money.</p> <p><strong>Dr. Gregory Washington:</strong></p> <p>You have no water to give them.</p> <p><strong>Dr. Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm:</strong></p> <p>Exactly, exactly, yes.</p> <p><strong>Dr. Gregory Washington:</strong></p> <p>And so what happens then?</p> <p><strong>Dr. Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm:</strong></p> <p>So I think we have to, in the U.S. I think we have to tune our legislation and our water legislation, in particularly in the western states, towards the fact that, you know, the climate is changing, population has changed in the distribution, the economies have changed. And, um, and, you know, speaking of California again, we cannot be subsidizing farmers to grow almonds that are exported to other parts of the world and think that the natural aquifers and water systems in California are going to pick up the bill. And that has to change. And that is happening in many parts of the country, but it is particularly severe in the western states.</p> <p><strong>Dr. Gregory Washington:</strong></p> <p>So I would like to now open it up to our student audience for questions on this topic.</p> <p><strong>Student:</strong></p> <p>Thank you so much for taking the time to speak to us. My question really talks about or is pertaining to coastal flooding and how much of that has to do with climate change and deforestation. I know there’s a little bit of talk about certain cities such as Norfolk, Va., going underwater in a couple of years or a few years in time. But I was just wondering, how much of that is due to climate change or other factors such as deforestation?</p> <p><strong>Dr. Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm:</strong></p> <p>Globally, around, you know, and that’s certainly the same thing in the United States, about 60 percent of the population, globally and in the United States, live within 60 miles of a coastline. That’s where we have built a majority of our infrastructure, that is where everybody lives. And what we’ve seen historically over, for the past over 100 years, is that sea level rise have been rising and rising and rising. I grew up in Miami, and Miami they have something that’s called sunny day flooding. That means, it floods when there is no rain. It’s just the water coming up and flooding, and flooding significant property. This is starting to happen all over the world. We know it is a combination of temperature increase because of global warming. So, you know, you know, a little bit of physics – you know, the temperature increases, water expands, so seawater expands, and because seawater is a lot of water, it’ll really, really start rising up and flooding. The other piece that contributes to this is that, you mentioned is deforestation. So when we take out trees and we clear out land, the water moves through the land much, much quicker. So rivers that naturally drain into coastal areas do so much faster. So you have more freshwater coming in, sea level going up. The result is that you, you know, we have a significant increase in, in coastal flooding around the world, certainly here in this country.</p> <p><strong>Dr. Gregory Washington:</strong></p> <p>Thank you, Dr. Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm for your participation today. And I want to thank all of you for your participation in this episode of “Our Future, Transformed.”</p> </div> </section></div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:feature_image" data-inline-block-uuid="f68c9f6a-b9a9-4648-a244-cce5a2731bd9" class="block block-feature-image block-layout-builder block-inline-blockfeature-image caption-below"> <div class="feature-image"> <div class="narrow-overlaid-image"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/feature_image_medium/public/2023-07/1.png?itok=i7iiKAdz" srcset="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/feature_image_small/public/2023-07/1.png?itok=gPwpqoNE 768w, /sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/feature_image_medium/public/2023-07/1.png?itok=i7iiKAdz 1024w, /sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/feature_image_large/public/2023-07/1.png?itok=jNMZzKgm 1280w, " sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 80vw,100vw" alt="" "" /></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="c74ac23f-3c7e-48d1-955d-d9df8c071a6f" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="3a9fc446-f580-437a-a032-d7c6cf1252fe" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:mason_accordion" data-inline-block-uuid="c96f556c-e548-42dc-ab35-101c93704c0b" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blockmason-accordion"> <h2>Learn more</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-accordion-rows field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field field--name-field-accordion-rows field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__item"> <section class="accordion"><header class="accordion__label"><span class="ui-accordion-header-icon ui-icon ui-icon-triangle-1-e"></span> <p>About the Series</p> <div class="accordion__states"> <span class="accordion__state accordion__state--more"><i class="fas fa-plus-circle"></i></span> <span class="accordion__state accordion__state--less"><i class="fas fa-minus-circle"></i></span> </div> </header><div class="accordion__content"> <p>Mason President Gregory Washington hosts a new YouTube series titled “<a href="/our-future-transformed">Our Future, Transformed: Mason Spotlights the World’s Grand Challenges</a>.” The series features faculty experts speaking about some of the most debated and significant topics of our day with an audience of <a href="https://honorscollege.gmu.edu/" target="_blank" title="https://honorscollege.gmu.edu/">Honors College</a> students. Experts in the first season discuss the key solutions to key issues, including water policies in the West, police reform, problems at our Southern border, clean energy, and getting more women into STEM fields.</p> </div> </section></div> <div class="field field--name-field-accordion-rows field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__item"> <section class="accordion"><header class="accordion__label"><span class="ui-accordion-header-icon ui-icon ui-icon-triangle-1-e"></span> <p>Guest Bio</p> <div class="accordion__states"> <span class="accordion__state accordion__state--more"><i class="fas fa-plus-circle"></i></span> <span class="accordion__state accordion__state--less"><i class="fas fa-minus-circle"></i></span> </div> </header><div class="accordion__content"> <p>Dr. Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm is the Dean of the <a href="https://science.gmu.edu/" target="_blank">College of Science</a> at ����AV. He is a hydrologist and water resources engineer with research interests in modeling of surface and groundwater systems, climate-hydrology-vegetation interactions, remote sensing applied to hydrologic cycle processes and water quality, and modeling of the water-energy-food nexus. <a href="/profiles/deancos" target="_blank">Read more</a>.</p> </div> </section></div> <div class="field field--name-field-accordion-rows field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__item"> <section class="accordion"><header class="accordion__label"><span class="ui-accordion-header-icon ui-icon ui-icon-triangle-1-e"></span> <p>Explore Honors College</p> <div class="accordion__states"> <span class="accordion__state accordion__state--more"><i class="fas fa-plus-circle"></i></span> <span class="accordion__state accordion__state--less"><i class="fas fa-minus-circle"></i></span> </div> </header><div class="accordion__content"> <p>The ����AV Honors College is a place where students are highly motivated, perpetually learning, and inquisitive. Here, we ask questions that allow us to engage with our world in meaningful ways. <a href="https://honorscollege.gmu.edu/" target="_blank">Learn more</a>.</p> </div> </section></div> <div class="field field--name-field-accordion-rows field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__item"> <section class="accordion"><header class="accordion__label"><span class="ui-accordion-header-icon ui-icon ui-icon-triangle-1-e"></span> <p>Learn about College of Science</p> <div class="accordion__states"> <span class="accordion__state accordion__state--more"><i class="fas fa-plus-circle"></i></span> <span class="accordion__state accordion__state--less"><i class="fas fa-minus-circle"></i></span> </div> </header><div class="accordion__content"> <p><strong>Understand. Innovate. Succeed.</strong></p> <p>The College of Science at ����AV blends traditional science education with sought-after programs in molecular medicine, climate dynamics, planetary science, forensic science, environmental studies, and geoinformation science to prepare students for exciting careers at the cutting edge of interdisciplinary scientific domains. <a href="https://science.gmu.edu/">Read more</a>.</p> </div> </section></div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="f59c0f36-9d95-4490-91f7-4082b1e11277" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="3abd41ea-2cda-4157-b1db-0b88e5564274" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:feature_image" data-inline-block-uuid="b1628e53-bf4a-4b31-be6a-8aab4efb14eb" class="block block-feature-image block-layout-builder block-inline-blockfeature-image caption-below"> <div class="feature-image"> <div class="narrow-overlaid-image"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/feature_image_medium/public/2023-07/1.png?itok=i7iiKAdz" srcset="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/feature_image_small/public/2023-07/1.png?itok=gPwpqoNE 768w, /sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/feature_image_medium/public/2023-07/1.png?itok=i7iiKAdz 1024w, /sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/feature_image_large/public/2023-07/1.png?itok=jNMZzKgm 1280w, " sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 80vw,100vw" alt="" "" /></div> </div> </div><div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="8ea11d52-27f9-4323-b8bd-ba93a1a40051" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="dcd288b2-27f8-4f1e-8627-44cdba8bd235" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:news_list" 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data-inline-block-uuid="69854211-f8c6-48cf-9ae5-d5dc6d4898a7" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_associated_people" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-associated-people"> <h2>In This Episode</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-associated-people field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">People Mentioned in This Story</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/president" hreflang="und">Gregory Washington</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/deancos" hreflang="en">Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="234bfeaa-4777-48ad-be80-2d5db53feb3e" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div> </div> <div> </div> </div> Thu, 27 Jul 2023 18:29:57 +0000 Jeannine Harvey 106791 at /news/2023-05/assessing-climate-change-costs-careers-and-coastal-communities <span>Assessing climate change costs on careers and coastal communities</span> <span><span lang="" about="/user/1536" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" xml:lang="">Nathan Kahl</span></span> <span>Tue, 05/30/2023 - 12:30</span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_associated_people" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-associated-people"> <h2>In This Story</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-associated-people field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">People Mentioned in This Story</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/cferrei3" hreflang="und">Celso Ferreira</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="48476558-e8fb-427a-88df-a2920875ac92"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoIhA9YKqgM"> <h4 class="cta__title">Watch the video <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </h4> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p><span class="intro-text">Coastal communities worldwide are seeing stronger storm surges, more powerful waves, and potential devastation for homes, infrastructure, jobs, and a way of life. Celso Ferreira, an associate professor in the Sid and Reva Dewberry Department of Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering at the ����AV College of Engineering and Computing, studies the impacts of these threats and suggests ways to manage them.</span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>In May 2023 he co-authored a <a href="https://www.rff.org/publications/working-papers/jobs-at-risk-sea-level-rise-coastal-flooding-and-local-economies/?_gl=1*1rz70pt*_ga*MTk0MzkwMTQ0LjE2ODUwMjUyMzQ.*_ga_HNHQWYFDLZ*MTY4NTAzOTIyMC40LjEuMTY4NTAzOTMxMS4wLjAuMA..">paper</a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span>, </span></span><strong><em><span>Jobs at Risk: Sea Level Rise, Coastal Flooding, and Local Economies. </span></em></strong>“This study is the first to evaluate potential future impacts of flooding from sea level rise and climate change to people’s jobs and incomes. This new methodology provides a more equitable analysis of the impacts of climate change and a vision into its potential implications for the region,” said Ferreira.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>According to the study, approximately 263,500 jobs and $11.1 billion in wage income will be threatened by 100-year flooding in the Chesapeake Bay region by 2050. The nonprofit Resources for the Future, with whom Ferreira co-authored the paper states, “These (jobs) figures represent 3.3 and 5 percent of all jobs in the Chesapeake region now and in 2050, respectively. The study also identified several flooding ‘hot spots’ around the region—counties and cities in Maryland and Virginia where 25 percent or more of jobs are flood-exposed.”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <figure class="quote"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>“Working with MDDNR and TNC allows our research to directly impact decision-making at the state and local level. It has been a tremendous experience to see our research translated for stakeholders so they can benefit from the science that Mason is producing.”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></figure><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>In addition to quantifying the economic impact, the paper recommends ways to prepare for it. The recommendations include aiming government spending at developing areas outside current and future flood zones; giving coastal communities financial aid but with the condition that businesses are in areas with limited exposure to flooding; providing aid to enterprise zones that incorporates requirements for resilience, such as infrastructure changes to reduce potential flood damage; using FEMA dollars to relocate businesses to different areas within their existing community but out of flood zones; and encouraging communities to change zoning rules to account for climate change. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"><div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2023-05/Celso%20Ferreria%20outdoors.png?itok=9BihCbHE" width="350" height="230" alt="Celso Ferreira standing in wetlands near the Chesapeake Bay" loading="lazy" typeof="foaf:Image" /></div> </div> <figcaption>Ferreira visits the Chesapeake Bay to study the impacts of climate change  </figcaption></figure><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>In a related project with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MDDNR), Ferreira and colleagues are assessing the ability of tidal wetlands, marshes, and sea grass beds to absorb storm surges and waves, protecting developed areas. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Ferreira says, “We place sensors that measure wave energy across the coastal habitats during extreme coastal storms, capturing unique data documenting its flood protection capacity. We then use computer models to predict future scenarios through 2100, with different projections of sea level rise focusing on coastal flood protection. We are looking at how will these ecosystems provide coastal protection into the future.”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>These coastal barriers are essential to absorbing destructive storm surges. The first few feet of tidal marsh can reduce wave energy by 90 percent, according to TNC. In addition, marshes can trap tidal water sediment, allowing them to grow naturally with sea level rise. “Living” shorelines improve water quality while creating a habitat for fish and increasing biodiversity.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Nicole Carlozo of MDDNR says, “The data collected will help us make better decisions about where to restore and protect coastal habitats and make decisions about coastal restoration strategies. For example, how wide does a marsh need to be, to provide protection benefits.” </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Researchers believe that their findings will provide input for statewide models to understand how habitats will transition as sea levels rise, allowing Maryland to make strategic decisions about anticipating and responding to such changes.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/551" hreflang="en">Climate Change</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/18096" hreflang="en">coastal habitats</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/18091" hreflang="en">Chesapeake Bay</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/3926" hreflang="en">civil and infrastructure engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/9146" hreflang="en">environmental engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/271" hreflang="en">Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/18716" hreflang="en">CEIE Success Stories</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/19146" hreflang="en">CEC faculty research</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Tue, 30 May 2023 16:30:26 +0000 Nathan Kahl 105806 at /news/2023-03/mason-ponds-first-weather-station-canary-coal-mine <span>Mason Pond’s first weather station is the canary in the coal mine</span> <span><span lang="" about="/user/971" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" xml:lang="">Rena Malai</span></span> <span>Fri, 03/31/2023 - 13:46</span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_associated_people" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-associated-people"> <h2>In This Story</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-associated-people field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">People Mentioned in This Story</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/dkepplin" hreflang="und">David Kepplinger</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p class="contentpasted0"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Just like miners used to bring canaries with them deep underground to detect danger early on, cherry trees – like the ones at ����AV’s Fairfax campus – offer a similar advanced warning when it comes to the atmosphere.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="contentpasted0"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Bloom date records of cherry trees go back over a thousand years, with the earliest recordings linked to ancient cherry blossom festivals in Japan. More recently, bloom dates have taken on another purpose. Because of their temperature sensitivity, cherry trees’ flowering times have been noted as good indicators of a changing climate.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"><div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2023-03/Jamie%20C.%20Roth.jpg?itok=di-z4dKg" width="233" height="350" alt="Jamie Roth" loading="lazy" typeof="foaf:Image" /></div> </div> <figcaption>Biostatistics graduate student Jamie C. Roth.<br /> Photo courtesy of Roth.</figcaption></figure><p class="contentpasted0"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Biostatistics graduate student Jamie C. Roth wanted to apply this rich knowledge to the cherry trees that surround Mason Pond. She spearheaded a project to have the first weather station installed near the pond, which will monitor the atmosphere around the cherry trees and produce helpful data.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="contentpasted0"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>“The cherry blossoms show climate change better than any other plant,” said Roth. “I wanted to look at our own cherry trees and raise awareness of climate change.”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="contentpasted0"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>The weather station will be a permanent fixture and will measure components like sunlight, temperature, rainfall, humidity, and wind speed and direction. The data is then transmitted to a tablet that is currently housed in the Statistics department. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="contentpasted0"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Although the team is working out the initial quirks of getting the system up and running, in time, Roth sees the weather station as a useful climate reporting tool for students to use in years to come. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="contentpasted0">“I’m excited for the future and to see how students get involved in climate change on campus,” said Roth.  </p> <p class="contentpasted0"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Department of Statistics Assistant Professors David Kepplinger and Jonathan Auerbach supervised the project, along with College of Science Assistant Professor Daniel Hanley, in biology. Sarah D'Alexander from University Sustainability and Nick Valadez from the <span>facilities department</span> <span>were </span>instrumental in getting the weather station installed and running.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/7301" hreflang="en">Biostatistics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/4891" hreflang="en">Statistics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/551" hreflang="en">Climate Change</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/17721" hreflang="en">cherry blossoms</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Fri, 31 Mar 2023 17:46:50 +0000 Rena Malai 104866 at /news/2022-08/new-academic-program-lets-students-design-their-own-energy-and-climate-change-policy <span>New Academic Program Lets Students Design Their Own Energy and Climate Change Policy Area of Emphasis</span> <span><span lang="" about="/user/586" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" xml:lang="">Andrew J Schappert</span></span> <span>Thu, 08/25/2022 - 10:54</span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_associated_people" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-associated-people"> <h2>In This Story</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-associated-people field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">People Mentioned in This Story</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/rkauzlar" hreflang="und">Richard Kauzlarich</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/jhicks19" hreflang="en">Joel Hicks</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><figure role="group" class="align-right"><div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2022-08/Joel-Hicks-web.jpg?itok=2XGWbQ2A" width="291" height="291" alt="A man with silver hair wearing a blue jacket and a blue checked shirt gazes at the camera." loading="lazy" typeof="foaf:Image" /></div> </div> <figcaption>Joel Hicks: ‘These courses will be taught by senior-level practitioners in relevant industries and agencies.’ Photo by Buzz McClain/Schar School of Policy and Government</figcaption></figure><p><span><span><span><span><span><span>A new interdisciplinary </span></span><a href="http://schar.gmu.edu/"><span>Schar School of Policy and Government </span></a><span><span>curriculum offering will allow students to design their own course of study that addresses global and local challenges involving energy and climate change. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>A timely and innovative program, Energy and Climate Policy, is open to graduate students and undergraduates and will launch in Spring 2023.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>As part of Schar School’s </span></span><a href="https://cesp.gmu.edu/" target="_blank"><span>Center for Energy Science and Policy</span></a><span><span> (CESP), and funded by a recent Provost Curriculum Impact Grant, this new curriculum offers undergraduates and graduates an opportunity to focus on local or international energy and climate policy. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <ul><li><span><span><span><span><span><span>In the local track, students can learn and engage with low-income and marginalized Virginia communities to model greenhouse gases, develop climate mitigation plans, improve community resiliency and sustainability, and work to ensure energy equity and environmental justice. </span></span></span></span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span><span><span><span>In the international track, students can learn and engage on issues with senior-level policymakers on geopolitics of energy security, climate change and national security, and clean energy policies for developing countries.</span></span></span></span></span></span></li> </ul><p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Each track requires four courses, including two “core” courses—a total of 12 credit hours—to complete, with multiple electives available depending on the track the student chooses.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-right"><div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/2022-08/Paul-Bubbosh-web.jpg" width="291" height="291" alt="A man with silver temples smiles at the camera." loading="lazy" typeof="foaf:Image" /></div> </div> <figcaption>Paul Bubbosh: ‘The mainstay for both programs is the opportunity to work and engage with some of the leading organizations and policymakers in the energy and climate policy area.’</figcaption></figure><p><span><span><span><span><span><span>“The mainstay for both programs is the opportunity to work and engage with some of the leading organizations and policymakers in the energy and climate policy area,” said </span></span><a href="https://science.gmu.edu/directory/paul-bubbosh" target="_blank"><span>Paul Bubbosh</span></a><span><span>, an instructor in the College of Science and co-director of the </span></span><a href="https://cesp.gmu.edu/local-climate-action-planning/" target="_blank"><span>Local Climate Action Planning Initiative</span></a><span><span> in the CESP. “Those include environmental advocacy groups, academic think tanks and consultancies, federal, state, and local governments, private sector, and multinational organizations.” </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The program is entirely student developed, he added, meaning students have the flexibility to design a program that fits their needs as part of a graduate or undergraduate program. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>“We surveyed employers in the field of energy and climate policy about what they most desired in new hires, and based on these findings, we crafted a program that identified two core courses—one on energy policy and the other on energy and climate law, as well as the local and international tracks,” said </span></span><a href="/profiles/jhicks19" target="_blank"><span>Joel Hicks</span></a><span><span>, an instructor at the Schar School and a CESP research fellow who helped develop the program. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>“These courses will be taught by senior-level practitioners in relevant industries and agencies,” he said. “They will bring real-world experience and expertise to the Mason classrooms.”</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-right"><div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/2022-08/Richard-Kauzlarich-web.jpg" width="291" height="291" alt="A man in a dark jacket and tie with eyeglasses smiles at the camera." loading="lazy" typeof="foaf:Image" /></div> </div> <figcaption>CESP co-director Richard Kauzlarich</figcaption></figure><p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The program is well-timed, to say the least.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>“The new Inflation Reduction Act will jumpstart a massive wave of innovation and energy transition planning, requiring skills from across the academic spectrum,” Hicks said. He also pointed out that employment growth in these fields widely outpace other sectors of the U.S. workforce. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>“Jobs related to net-zero emissions made up about 40 percent of total energy jobs in the U.S.,” he said. “Energy job growth outpaced other sectors of the workforce by 30 percent.” </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>This program appears poised to place Mason students in a more advantageous position with the influx of new spending and job hires, Bubbosh said. “As a former federal government hiring official, I can tell you with confidence that the courses we have developed in the Energy and Climate Policy program will prepare students for these competitive positions.”  </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Addressing climate change is one of the main reasons </span></span><a href="https://schar.gmu.edu/programs/masters-programs/mpp-public-policy"><span>Master’s in Public Policy</span></a><span><span> student Tony Striner chose the field of study. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>“In my eyes,” he said, “the issue of climate change has two fundamental components: sustainable energy generation and environmental protection. CESP's curriculum addresses both of these areas in a meaningful way. This sort of in-depth analysis from expert practitioners is exactly what I was looking for."</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>CESP co-director </span></span><a href="https://schar.gmu.edu/profiles/rkauzlar"><span>Richard Kauzlarich</span></a><span><span> said the Energy and Climate Change emphasis area will be attractive to students from several of Mason’s colleges, including the Volgenau School of Engineering, the College of Science, the School of Business, School of Integrative Studies, and Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, as well as government and policy majors at the Schar School.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/16281" hreflang="en">Schar School News August 2022</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/551" hreflang="en">Climate Change</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/11556" hreflang="en">Energy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/6231" hreflang="en">policy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/13471" hreflang="en">Center for Energy Science and Policy</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Thu, 25 Aug 2022 14:54:02 +0000 Andrew J Schappert 85351 at /news/2022-03/masons-virginia-climate-center-will-help-local-communities-meet-challenges-climate <span>Mason’s Virginia Climate Center will help local communities meet the challenges of climate change</span> <span><span lang="" about="/user/231" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" xml:lang="">Colleen Rich</span></span> <span>Wed, 03/30/2022 - 15:05</span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><figure role="group"><div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/2022-03/GettyImages-859765108.jpg" width="1200" height="851" alt="illustration about climate change" loading="lazy" typeof="foaf:Image" /></div> </div> <figcaption>Illustration by Getty Images</figcaption></figure><p><span><span><span><span><span><span>����AV will bring its array of resources and expertise to bear in the state’s </span></span></span><span><span><span>efforts to </span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span>increase resilience to the impacts of climate change</span></span></span></span></span> <span><span><span>with the creation of the Virginia Climate Center.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Local municipal leaders will have access to an unprecedented range of observational data, environmental models, and experts in climate science, sustainability and engineering solution through the center, said </span></span></span><a href="https://science.gmu.edu/directory/james-kinter"><span><span><span>Jim Kinter</span></span></span></a><span><span><span>, the director of the Center for </span></span></span><a href="http://cola.gmu.edu/"><span><span><span>Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Studies</span></span></span></a><span><span><span> (COLA) within Mason’s </span></span></span><a href="https://science.gmu.edu/"><span><span><span>College of Science</span></span></span></a><span><span><span>. They can then better make data-driven decisions that will help them save tax dollars and help Virginians increase resilience to severe weather, degraded air quality, drought and flooding, with an emphasis on serving the underprivileged communities within the commonwealth that are more susceptible to adverse effects of climate change.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>“It’s Virginia’s communities that are going to be most severely affected by climate change,” Kinter said. “We can help them understand the challenges and potential solutions, so the intent is to partner with each of the municipalities to learn what keeps them up at night.”</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><a><span><span><span>The center will receive just under $2 million in federal funding to provide products and services to Virginia companies and municipalities to help them adopt climate risk prevention and mitigation strategies for sustainable entrepreneurship, enhanced profitability, and wise resource management. The center will offer </span></span></span></a></span>advice on risk prevention and mitigation strategies, actionable information on current and projected future climate, and assessments of the likely climate change impacts on human health, buildings, infrastructure, transportation, agriculture and natural resources. <span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The Virginia Climate Center, which will serve as a climate extension service for communities in the commonwealth to increase their resilience to the impacts of climate change, came to fruition as part of a nearly $12 million federal funding package for Fiscal Year 2022 for nine projects in Virginia’s 11th District, which includes Fairfax. The center was established in partnership with the City of Fairfax, Fairfax County and the Northern Virginia Regional Commission.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>“This funding will be put toward critical efforts to bolster Northern Virginia’s response to climate change, expand affordable housing initiatives, invest in workforce development and training, and more,” said U.S. Congressman Gerry Connolly, the Democrat representing the district. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Northern Virginia is particularly susceptible to several impacts of climate change, most notably flash flooding. Additional impacts will be felt statewide in the form of coastal flooding and erosion due to sea-level rise, more frequent heat waves, and human health problems stemming from the increasing propagation of mosquitoes and ticks.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>In forging partnerships with local communities, the Virginia Climate Center will engage subject matter experts in areas that include physical climate systems, air quality, climate change communication, ecosystems and biodiversity, engineering, public policy, resilience, sustainability, and other areas.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The project includes seed grants to local municipalities to provide resources they can use to address climate change impacts.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>“We hope to scale it up statewide,” Kinter said. “The goal is that, ultimately, the center is something that municipalities around the state can call on as a resource.”</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/116" hreflang="en">Campus News</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/561" hreflang="en">Institute for a Sustainable Earth (ISE)</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/551" hreflang="en">Climate Change</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/541" hreflang="en">Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Studies (COLA)</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Wed, 30 Mar 2022 19:05:19 +0000 Colleen Rich 67876 at /news/2022-02/climate-change-poses-real-danger-us-national-security-and-virginia-economy-particular <span>Climate change poses a real danger to U.S. national security, and the Virginia economy in particular, Mason scientist says</span> <span><span lang="" about="/user/251" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" xml:lang="">John Hollis</span></span> <span>Wed, 02/23/2022 - 14:05</span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><figure role="group" class="align-right"><div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/2022-02/Kinter_photo_small.jpg" width="200" height="288" alt="Rising sea levels threaten both the Virginia economy and U.S. national security" loading="lazy" typeof="foaf:Image" /></div> </div> <figcaption>Jim Kinter</figcaption></figure><p lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US">����AV’s <a href="https://science.gmu.edu/directory/james-kinter" target="_blank">Jim Kinter</a> says an additional foot of rising sea levels by 2050 will adversely affect U.S. national security while simultaneously inflicting potentially “devastating” consequences to a Virginia economy dependent on a robust military presence. </p> <p>“The rising relative sea level has several implications for infrastructure at the coast, including more frequent high-tide flooding, greater depth and area of inundation in case of severe weather, and Chesapeake Bay storm surge that can damage or destroy dry-dock, water treatment and other facilities at the water’s edge,” said Kinter, the director of Mason’s <a href="http://cola.gmu.edu/" target="_blank">Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Studies</a> (COLA) within Mason’s <a href="https://science.gmu.edu/" target="_blank">College of Science</a>. “Nuisance flooding and catastrophic inundation also affect the residences of military personnel and the communities in which they live.” </p> <p>Kinter's assessment follows the release of the latest climate change <a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/hazards/sealevelrise/sealevelrise-tech-report.html" target="_blank">report</a> from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. </p> <p>Thanks in large part to the burning of fossil fuels, human-caused climate change has accelerated global sea-level rise to the fastest rate in more than 3,000 years, and exacerbated the effects on relative sea levels in eastern North America in particular. By 2050, ocean levels along the U.S. coasts will increase by as much as they had over the previous century, according to the report. </p> <p>And that directly affects Virginia's 27 military installations, more than half of which are in the Tidewater area, including the world’s largest navy base in Norfolk. </p> <p>“The presence of so many military installations and personnel in Virginia obviously makes the U.S. military a substantial contributor to Virginia’s economy,” he said. “In the worst-case scenario, if the military finds it too costly or difficult to maintain bases in Virginia and it decides to relocate those bases, the cost to the Virginia economy would be devastating, as other areas experiencing base closures have discovered.” </p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Kinter said moving, elevating or protecting </span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span>dry docks, roadways, and other infrastructure could cost hundreds of millions of dollars. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p>The Pentagon has repeatedly called global climate change a national security issue as infrastructure degradation due to climate change could potentially stop or hinder deployment of U.S. military forces in times of crisis. </p> <p>Kinter suggested a multipronged approach that could potentially mitigate future damages to the commonwealth. One key is for Virginia and the U.S. to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 in the hopes of keeping the level of global warming from reaching 2 degrees centigrade. Another important step would be to curtail groundwater extraction in southern Virginia and identify alternative sources of water. Increasing the resilience of facilities and communities at risk to the inevitable impacts of climate change is also critically important, he said.</p> <p><span><span><span><strong><span><span><span>Jim Kinter</span></span></span></strong><span><span><span> can be reached at </span></span></span><a href="mailto:ikinter@gmu.edu"><span><span>ikinter@gmu.edu</span></span></a><span><span><span>.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>For more information, contact <strong>John Hollis</strong> at </span></span></span><a href="mailto:jhollis2@gmu.edu"><span><span>jhollis2@gmu.edu</span></span></a><span><span><span>.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><strong><span><span><span>About Mason</span></span></span></strong></span></span></span></p> <p class="xxx"><span><span><span><span><span><span>����AV is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls 39,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity and commitment to accessibility. In 2022, Mason celebrates 50 years as an independent institution. Learn more at </span></span></span><span><span><span><a href="http://www.gmu.edu/" target="_blank"><span>www.gmu.edu</span></a></span></span></span><span><span><span>. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/291" hreflang="en">College of Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/541" hreflang="en">Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Studies (COLA)</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/551" hreflang="en">Climate Change</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/7576" hreflang="en">climate change; global warming</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/271" hreflang="en">Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/361" hreflang="en">Tip Sheet</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Wed, 23 Feb 2022 19:05:58 +0000 John Hollis 65916 at /news/2022-02/teaching-climate-change-national-security-threat <span>Teaching Climate Change as a National Security Threat</span> <span><span lang="" about="/user/586" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" xml:lang="">Andrew J Schappert</span></span> <span>Thu, 02/17/2022 - 09:47</span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_associated_people" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-associated-people"> <h2>In This Story</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-associated-people field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">People Mentioned in This Story</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/elaipson" hreflang="und">Ellen Laipson</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/lshelley" hreflang="und">Louise I. Shelley</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><figure role="group" class="align-right"><div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/2022-02/Erin-Sikorsky-220x220.jpg" width="220" height="220" alt="Erin Sikorsky" loading="lazy" typeof="foaf:Image" /></div> </div> <figcaption></figcaption></figure><p><span><span><em><span>(This story is adapted from the Fall/Winter Schar School </span></em><a href="https://schar.gmu.edu/news-and-events/schar-school-magazine"><span>Pulse Magazine</span></a><em><span> in advance of the Risk of Climate Change to International Security talk in conjunction with an open house for prospective students. The event is Wednesday, February 23 at 5:30 p.m. ET.</span></em></span></span></p> <p><span><span><strong><span><span>I</span></span></strong><span>t was something that no foreign adversary has been able to do: Not one but two domestic U.S. military bases were evacuated after coming under heavy fire. </span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>The fire was all too literal: The summer 2021 California wildfires posed threats to Camp Pendleton and Beale Air Force Base, causing hundreds of service personnel and their families to abandon their posts and flee for their lives. </span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>What is left unsaid is the vulnerability—temporary as it may have been—in the U.S. national security strategy. </span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>The wildfires are thought to be the result of the culmination of climate and environmental challenges. In other words, climate change and its unavoidable outcomes is not just a quality-of-life problem, but a national security question.</span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>Last October, the <em>New York Times</em> published a major story describing how Washington, the White House, and the U.S. military are confronting climate change as a global conflict. Little of this is news to the professors and policy experts at the </span><a href="http://schar.gmu.edu/"><span>Schar School</span></a><span>. In the last few years, climate change has been addressed as an increasingly grave national security issue on multiple fronts, in the classroom and through informed exploration at several research centers.</span></span></span></p> <div class="align-right"> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/2022-02/Ellen-Laipson-220x220.jpg" width="220" height="220" alt="Photo of Ellen Laipson" loading="lazy" typeof="foaf:Image" /></div> </div> <p><span><span><strong><span>‘A Gradual Process’</span></strong></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>“Within the academic community that focuses on international security, it's been a gradual process of adaptation to embrace the notion that climate needs to be integrated into the field of security studies,” said</span><a href="https://schar.gmu.edu/profiles/elaipson"><span> Ellen Laipson</span></a><span>, director of the Schar School’s</span><a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwihrfeQ8PX1AhURhXIEHZmyCkcQtwJ6BAgWEAM&url=https%3A%2F%2Fschar.gmu.edu%2Fprograms%2Fmasters-programs%2Fmasters-international-security&usg=AOvVaw1xN4iyVMd-_qHQmng9J-5f"><span> Master’s in International Security</span></a> <span>program. </span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>She observes that questions of war and peace, where nuclear weapons were long considered the only truly existential threat to states and societies, “are slowly ceding some space to this profound global challenge that does not fit neatly into geopolitical categories. ‘Climate and National Security’ is now an elective course, but we are likely to see more attention and more resources devoted to it in the near future.”</span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>Adjunct professor </span><a href="https://climateandsecurity.org/erin-sikorsky/" target="_blank"><span>Erin Sikorsky</span></a> <span>has been studying the relationship between climate and national security for years. As deputy director of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Climate and Security, Sikorsky has mapped climate’s attack on the military.</span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>“The climate hazards we're facing, as they become more frequent and more intense, will put our military infrastructure under risk, but also our civilian infrastructure,” Sikorsky said. “Our electric grid, our distribution of water systems, all of these things were not designed for the climate changes that we're seeing—and will see in the future. </span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>“So, they're going to be increasingly stressed, and potentially fail. And that poses real risks for the U.S.”</span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><strong><span>Climate as a Transnational Crime</span></strong></span></span></p> <div class="align-right"> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/2022-02/Louise-Shelley-220x220.jpg" width="220" height="220" alt="Photo of Louise Shelley" loading="lazy" typeof="foaf:Image" /></div> </div> <p><span><span><span>Climate change and its impact on national security starts at what causes the damage to the environment. </span><a href="https://schar.gmu.edu/profiles/lshelley"><span><span><span>Louise Shelley</span></span></span></a><span>, director of the </span><a href="https://traccc.gmu.edu/" target="_blank"><span>Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center</span></a><span> (TraCCC) </span><span>at the Schar School, identifies transnational crime on a massive scale as a significant culprit.</span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>“The most important form of illicit trade contributing to climate change i</span></span></span><span><span><span>s illegal logging,” she said. “It’s estimated to be a $50 billion to over $150 billion business annually.” </span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>Transnational criminal syndicates compromise climate security while also disrupting local and national economies, encouraging political and corporate corruption, and damaging entire cultures.</span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>“Presently, 60 percent to 80 percent of the trees in the Amazon are being cut illegally, contributing to the destruction of a rainforest that is needed to absorb carbon from the air,” Shelley said. “The fate of the Amazon is repeated throughout the world as trees in rainforests and hardwood forests are cut illegally at a rapid rate to supply timber for consumer markets and provide land for food production.”</span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>Climate hazards intersect with other strains on national security, said Sikorsky. “When you layer climate shocks on top of that, how does that pose risks in terms of creating further instability and insecurity within communities and creating pressures on government to deliver more to local communities, particularly when they’re already strained quite a bit?”</span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>Those are the questions Sikorsky poses to her students as she prepares the next generation to address these challenges.</span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>“The class itself is designed to bring a climate lens to international relations and national security issues,” she said. “A key way in which the students will be prepared to enter the workforce and understand these issues is if they can bring what I called ‘climate competence’ to whatever career they pursue. Because climate change is an issue that's going to crop up no matter what your career path is. </span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>“Even if climate is not your main focus for your job, it will be something you need to understand and be able to bring to bear in your work. And if you can do that, I think you'll have a leg up in in this job market, frankly, because it is so important.”</span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><em><span>Additional reporting by Buzz McClain.</span></em></span></span></p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/551" hreflang="en">Climate Change</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/11351" hreflang="en">National Security</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/14896" hreflang="en">Schar School News February 2022</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Thu, 17 Feb 2022 14:47:22 +0000 Andrew J Schappert 65526 at /news/2022-02/climate-change-might-be-fueling-ethnic-violence-phd-candidate-emily-sample-explores <span>Climate change might be fueling ethnic violence. PhD candidate Emily Sample explores why</span> <span><span lang="" about="/user/276" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" xml:lang="">Mariam Aburdeineh</span></span> <span>Fri, 02/04/2022 - 14:49</span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_associated_people" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-associated-people"> <h2>In This Story</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-associated-people field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">People Mentioned in This Story</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/dirviner" hreflang="und">Douglas Irvin-Erickson</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><figure role="group" class="align-right"><div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/2022-02/Emily%20Sample%20Headshot.jpg" width="325" height="458" alt="PhD Candidate Emily Sample stands with her arms crossed and smiles at the camera. She is wearing a black collared shirt and a golden necklace with three interconnected circles." loading="lazy" typeof="foaf:Image" /></div> </div> <figcaption>Emily Sample. Photo by Shelby Burgess/Strategic Communications/����AV</figcaption></figure><p><span class="intro-text">As a junior and senior at Annandale High School in Virginia, Emily Sample spent her summers as a docent at the <a href="https://www.ushmm.org/">Holocaust Memorial Museum</a> in Washington, D.C. She was a teenager who had just lost a friend to police violence, she said, and joining the museum’s Young Ambassadors Program resonated with her. </span></p> <p><span><span>“I was fascinated and continue to be fascinated by this highly illogical idea of genocide,” said Sample, a PhD candidate at ����AV’s <a href="https://carterschool.gmu.edu/">Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution</a>. </span></span></p> <p><span><span>Since then, Sample has built her career around atrocity prevention. In addition to earning a master’s in human rights and genocide studies from Kingston University London, she has worked as a genocide scholar and educator for <a href="https://hmh.org/">Holocaust Museum Houston in Texas</a>. She currently works for the <a href="https://fundforpeace.org/">Fund for Peace</a>, where she said she supports their portfolio on human rights and international peacebuilding.</span></span></p> <figure class="quote"><span><span>“The best way to prevent genocide is to help make violence not an option,” Sample said, explaining that an “us-versus-them” mentality can develop when people believe there is scarcity of resources, and are manipulated into thinking ethnic violence is an answer.</span></span></figure><p><span><span>She’s further studying this at Mason, with a case study in West Nile, Uganda, where she lived and conducted research while enrolled at Kingston. Her dissertation examines structural mass atrocity prevention through the lens of climate change adaptation and gender.</span></span></p> <figure role="group"><div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/2022-02/Emily%20Sample%20in%20Uganda.JPG" width="725" height="544" alt="Emily Sample stands shoulder-to-shoulder with her researcher partner Lina Zedriga in Uganda in 2013." loading="lazy" typeof="foaf:Image" /></div> </div> <figcaption>Emily Sample (right) and her research partner Lina Zedriga in Uganda in 2013. Photo provided.</figcaption></figure><p><span><span>“If we make the climate better, if we empower women and have better access to clean water, then [Ugandans] will not be forced into making decisions about whether or not their family lives and the next family dies,” said Sample, who is interviewing Ugandans over Zoom. </span></span></p> <h3><span><span>Sample is also looking at the effects of environmental racism, where negative environmental impacts disproportionately affect people of color. </span></span></h3> <p><span><span>“The day-to-day life of someone in Uganda may be much more impacted [by climate change than a Westerner’s] because they’re having to adjust their farming season, and the type of seeds and livestock they’re buying,” she said. </span></span></p> <p><span><span>These impacts have gendered implications, Sample said, as women often tend the gardens, cook, and walk to retrieve water.</span></span></p> <p><span><span>Increasing education and environmental justice, such as reparations for environmental racism, while reducing scarcity fears, could alleviate many atrocity issues, she said.</span></span></p> <p><span><span>Sample said she came to Mason because she wanted to dive deeper into the genocide prevention field.</span></span></p> <p><span><span>“My hometown university has one of the best [conflict resolution] programs in the country,” said Sample, who also works with Mason’s <a href="https://carterschool.gmu.edu/research-and-impact/programs-and-projects/raphael-lemkin-genocide-prevention-program#:~:text=Located%20at%20the%20Center%20for,and%20other%20Mass%20Atrocity%20Crimes.">Raphaël Lemkin Genocide Prevention Program</a><strong><span>.</span></strong></span></span></p> <p><span><span>“The Carter School is extremely unique in how many scholar-practitioners we have,” she said. “They integrate students into their work in unique and really pivotal ways that allow students to become practitioners.”</span></span></p> <h3><span><span>Though the PhD journey is demanding, Sample said her studies have been worthwhile.</span></span></h3> <p><span><span>“Every single professor is approachable, interesting and has contributed to me seeing the world in a variety of different ways,” she said. </span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>“Emily is a rising star in genocide studies and conflict resolution, and the nexus of these fields with the practice of peacebuilding,” said </span><a href="https://carterschool.gmu.edu/profiles/dirviner">Douglas Irvin-Erickson</a><span>, director of Mason’s Genocide Prevention Program.</span> <span>“She’s a brilliant social analyst with many years of ethnographically informed research experience, and her deeply rooted sense of justice endears her to those with whom she works the closest.”</span></span></span></p> <figure role="group"><div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/2022-02/Ugandan%20Men%20Chat%20with%20Emily%20Sample%20Over%20Zoom.jpg" width="725" height="543" alt="Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Emily Sample conducts her research over Zoom. Two Ugandan men are shown sitting at a table and talking to Sample via Zoom on an iPhone. " loading="lazy" typeof="foaf:Image" /></div> </div> <figcaption>Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Sample conducts interviews for her dissertation virtually. Here, two Ugandan men communicate with her from Africa via Zoom using a smartphone (bottom right). Photo provided.</figcaption></figure></div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2971" hreflang="en">Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/14351" hreflang="en">PhD</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/336" hreflang="en">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/3096" hreflang="en">Peacebuilding</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/10981" hreflang="en">Genocide</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/4721" hreflang="en">mass violence</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/5126" hreflang="en">Violence</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/551" hreflang="en">Climate Change</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/3711" hreflang="en">global climate change</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/7576" hreflang="en">climate change; global warming</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/7316" hreflang="en">pandemic</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1241" hreflang="en">Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/8511" hreflang="en">Africa</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/8786" hreflang="en">Virtual</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2001" hreflang="en">Racism</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/5121" hreflang="en">Gender</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2316" hreflang="en">Women and Gender Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/14916" hreflang="en">Raphael Lemkin Genocide Prevention Program</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/271" hreflang="en">Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/7096" hreflang="en">Mason Momentum</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Fri, 04 Feb 2022 19:49:37 +0000 Mariam Aburdeineh 64931 at /news/2022-02/classroom-real-world-schar-school-students-engage-global-climate-conference <span>From Classroom to Real World: Schar School Students Engage at Global Climate Conference</span> <span><span lang="" about="/user/586" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" xml:lang="">Andrew J Schappert</span></span> <span>Fri, 02/04/2022 - 10:46</span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><div class="align-center"> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/2022-02/Schar-School-students-ventured-to-COP26-in-Scotland-for-first-hand-experience_0.jpg" width="640" height="329" alt="Photo of Schar School students in front of a COP26 sign in Scotland" loading="lazy" typeof="foaf:Image" /></div> </div> <p><span><span><span><span>For four days in November 2021, eight students from the </span><a href="https://schar.gmu.edu/">Schar School of Policy and Government</a><span> attended COP26, the world’s largest global climate conference, in Glasgow, Scotland.*</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span>The trip, part of the Schar School summer course, <em>Climate Policy: A Global Transdisciplinary Approach for the Future</em>, allowed students the opportunity to meet with delegates, negotiators, youth activists, and indigenous groups at the conference. While there, Schar students received a crash course in the complexities of climate change policy and negotiations.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span>“It was a really great experience getting to see the general process of COP, but also various types of stakeholders that come to the table and how they interact,” said Mason senior Conner Cuevo. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span>The quick jaunt packed a lot of punch, inspiring in Cuevo a passion for how government and international institutions like the U.N. work and how they can solve global issues.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span>“It has given me a wealth of experiences to draw from and an endless source of materials that I continue to reference and apply to my classes, and even outside of class,” he said.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span>His network also expanded: “When you’re in a small group like that, you make a lot of friends.”</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span>Schar School and other ����AV students enrolled in the 3-credit virtual study abroad “Climate Policy” course figuratively “travel” the planet, studying global challenges with experiential learning opportunities and collaboration on a group project with students from the University of Rwanda. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span>The class features TED-style talks from 20 guest speakers from 18 different countries, including Ma Jun, the top Chinese environmental activist and is one of <em>TIME</em> magazine’s most influential 100 people, and Erik Solheim, a former head of the UN Environmental Program. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span>“The level, the number, and backgrounds of all speakers that came to class really gave a well-rounded viewpoint,” said Schar School senior Jake Mazzoccoli, who took the class and the trip to Scotland. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span>For Mazzaccoli, the most interesting event at COP26 was a private session hosted by the Norwegian Africa Business Association (NABA) that featured top negotiators and policy makers from Africa, as well as experts from KPMG. Through a collaboration with NABA, the students helped craft a white paper that resulted from the session, which was moderated by Carol Pineau, a journalist and senior fellow at the Schar School. </span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span>Attending COP26 really opened his eyes, Mazzoccoli said, and showed him why things don’t move as quickly as he and others hoped. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span>“COP is the center of the issue, but it’s frustrating because it’s often just words on paper. It really lit a fire under me,” he said. “I didn’t really understand the complexity and sensitive nature. The problems aren’t simple. You can’t just go over there and fix it.” </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span>But the class offered him a way forward, as he heard about issues directly from their sources and made contacts with high-level officials.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span>“Climate Policy: A Global Transdisciplinary Approach for the Future”</span><span><span> will be taught again in fall 2022, with an in-person visit planned to COP, held this year in Egypt. </span></span><span>For more information on the Schar School’s study abroad classes, visit abroad.gmu.edu.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><em><span>*Students followed numerous COVID-19 protocols, including vaccinations, boosters, and testing before and after travel.</span></em></span></span></span></p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/14896" hreflang="en">Schar School News February 2022</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/14906" hreflang="en">University of Rwanda</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1676" hreflang="en">study abroad</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/551" hreflang="en">Climate Change</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/586" hreflang="en">public policy</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Fri, 04 Feb 2022 15:46:29 +0000 Andrew J Schappert 64736 at /news/2022-01/podcast-ep35-foods-you-can-lose-climate-change <span>Podcast - EP35: Foods you can lose to climate change</span> <span><span lang="" about="/user/266" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" xml:lang="">Damian Cristodero</span></span> <span>Wed, 01/12/2022 - 12:03</span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_associated_people" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-associated-people"> <h2>In This Story</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-associated-people field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">People Mentioned in This Story</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/president" hreflang="und">Gregory Washington</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="background:white"><span style="font-family:Times"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span style="color:#333333">Ted Dumas, an associate professor of psychology, is an experienced researcher who is ringing alarm bells about the damage from climate change. His book, “If Food Could Talk: Stories From 13 Precious Foods,” explains how foods such as coffee, chocolate, bananas and avocados could soon disappear for good. Dumas tells Mason President Gregory Washington how the book came about, how these foods can be saved – a pooping bear in Japan might provide a way to save cherries – and how the book was almost entitled “The Last Chocolate Kiss.” </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><iframe allowtransparency="true" data-name="pb-iframe-player" height="150" scrolling="no" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?from=embed&i=z845a-117906b-pb&share=1&download=1&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=auto&rtl=0&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=7&size=150" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" title="Foods you can lose to climate change" width="100%"></iframe></p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/371" hreflang="en">����AV</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/391" hreflang="en">College of Humanities and Social Sciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1206" hreflang="en">Department of Psychology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/551" hreflang="en">Climate Change</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/7576" hreflang="en">climate change; global warming</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/3236" hreflang="en">climate change education</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/9726" hreflang="en">Food Composition</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/10606" hreflang="en">Food Bioactives</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/226" hreflang="en">podcast</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/326" hreflang="en">Podcast Episode</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/7311" hreflang="en">Access to Excellence podcast</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/221" hreflang="en">Office of the President</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Wed, 12 Jan 2022 17:03:20 +0000 Damian Cristodero 62976 at