April 17, 2013 - 5:25am
Vancouver Island University students are passionate about educating others about climate change.
The students, all members of a nationally funded university public outreach initiative called Awareness of Climate Change through Education and Research (ACER), invite the public to the fourth annual climate change symposium at VIU’s Nanaimo campus on Saturday, April 27.
The symposium called “Climate Change: Science, Politics and Society” is free and open to anyone who wants a greater understanding of emerging topics in
climate change.
Expert presentations include a keynote address by Dr. Tom Pedersen, Director of the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions, on the linkage between climate policy and food production and a presentation by Kerri Klein from BC Healthy Communities on negotiating social influences on climate action.
A series of engaging afternoon workshops range from computer visualizations of climate science to marine acidification and evidence-based decision-making.
ACER operates out of VIU under the direction of chemistry professor Dr. Erik Krogh and geography professor Dr. Jeff Lewis.
“ACER’s key objective is to promote a greater understanding of the science and social implications of climate change to students and the general public,” says Krogh.
“This inter-disciplinary project is rooted in the belief that making informed decisions on the issue of climate change requires greater public engagement and a deeper understanding of this complex topic. Our goals are to improve scientific literacy, mobilize knowledge and promote social change.”
The symposium and workshops are designed for students of all ages as well as members of the general public. Participants will learn about the causes and implications of climate change, policy initiatives and sustainable solutions.
To date, ACER student volunteers have given interactive Science of Climate Change presentations to more than 10,000 high school students, teachers and members of the public throughout BC since the club was formed in 2008.
Andrew Mostad, 24, an ACER participant for the past two years, says one of the biggest rewards is passing knowledge to younger students.
“I love seeing the light bulb go on in all the kids,” he says. I remember one (high school) presentation when I had my back to the audience. When I flipped to the next slide I heard this gasp. I knew then that those kids understood, in that moment, what we as a generation are facing.”
While the implications of climate change are serious, ACER’s presentation is not all doom and gloom. A key part of the presentation focuses on possible solutions.
ACER participant Dana Short first saw the ACER presentation as a high school student and joined the group two years ago when she began studying at VIU. She feels that a big part of ACER’s effectiveness lies in the fact that the information is presented by older students—or mentors—who are genuinely excited about the subject.
“Seeing that is really motivating,” says Short. “When I saw the presentation in high school it really made me psyched.”
The original idea for ACER started on a chalkboard in the summer of 2008 when a small group of VIU science students and Dr. Krogh decided to undertake the task of educating the general public about climate change.
ACER currently offers over half a dozen different presentations that expand on the original Science of Climate Change discussion, as well as the annual spring symposium.
Whether or not the ACER presentation does make a difference in the opinions and actions of audience members is something that is difficult to assess, says Lewis. But one place where change is definitely apparent is in ACER members themselves.
“You can see how they progress,” says Lewis. “They gain confidence and the ability to engage their audience. I’d say the most successful part of ACER is the growth within its members.”
The work done by the ACER group to educate the public is a big step toward mitigating the effects of climate change, adds Lewis, who has presented to policy makers in the BC Government Environmental Protection Division at their annual conference.
“The challenge isn’t that we need more science to know what to do. We have that. We want to initiate change, and to do that we have to communicate effectively.”
This year’s ACER symposium, “Climate Change: Science, Politics and Society” will be held at VIU’s Nanaimo campus, 900 Fifth Street, Nanaimo on Saturday, April 27 in the Arts and Science building 355. Everyone is welcome.
Contact ACER@viu.ca for more information and to pre-register for free. A full schedule for the symposium is available at http://www.viu.ca/acer/
ACER receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
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ABOUT VIU: Vancouver Island University is Canada’s west coast university. Known as a centre of excellence for teaching, learning and applied research, VIU offers a diverse range of certificate, diploma and undergraduate and master degree programs to more than 18,000 students on campuses in Nanaimo, Powell River and Cowichan, and at the Parksville-Qualicum Centre. For more information visit www.viu.ca
MEDIA CONTACT
Janina Stajic, Manager, Vancouver Island University
P: 250.740.6288 E: Communications@viu.ca Twitter: @VIUNews
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