December Science on Tap to focus on the good news from climate change, biodiversity
(Posted on Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021)
Earlier this month, at the United Nations global climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, 197 countries – including the United States – signed a climate pact that included pledges to reduce methane gas pollution, deforestation and coal financing.
That’s good news. Really good news.
Even so, when people discuss climate change, they often focus on the bad news. Climate scientists, politicians and climate activists, for example, argued that the Glasgow summit resulted in only incremental progress toward calming a changing climate.
Michelle Rogers – a principal investigator for Austin Peay State University’s Center of Excellence for Field Biology – wants to focus on the good news. And she will when she discusses climate change at the next Science on Tap at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 7, at Upstairs at Strawberry Alley Ale Works.
“I have spent a month making a very purposeful effort to pull together all the most positive things, the best stories – the things we can look forward to – and put it all together,” she said. “I’ve got things from the international level and national level to some very local stories about things that are good and are coming soon.”
The title of the discussion will be “Good News in Climate and Biodiversity,” and much of the presentation will focus on the good that’s happening here in Montgomery County.
“Clarksville-Montgomery County has really put their money where their mouth is by starting a sustainability board that meets every month to decide how we can be a more sustainable city,” Rogers said. “That’s huge and really wonderful.”
Rogers also has asked several local experts to attend the Science on Tap event to talk to people after the presentation. They include:
- Dwayne Estes, executive director of the Southeastern Grasslands Initiative.
- City Councilwoman Karen Reynolds, member of the Clarksville-Montgomery County Sustainability Board.
- Carlye Sommers, manager of the Clarksville-Montgomery County Green Certification Program.
- Olivia Herron, coordinator for Austin Peay’s sustainability.
- Brian Taylor, CDE Lightband general manager.
- JoAnn McIntosh, chair of the Sierra Club Clarksville-Montgomery County.
“There are some good things here too that people may not be aware of, like how many businesses we have – everything from industry to furniture sales – that go through a green certification project,” Rogers said.
In addition to talking about other local successes, she will discuss successes at the state level (the Tennessee Tree Program nearing its million tree goal, for example) and the international level, such as the recent climate pact.
Rogers also is hosting a casual climate conversation from 5-7 p.m. the next day, Dec. 8, for people who want a follow-up discussion or “just want to express their fears and anxieties.” That event also will be at Upstairs at Strawberry Alley Ale Works.
“Anybody who feels motivated can come back that following night,” she said.
Science on Tap meets at 5:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month, bringing together two great things: science and local brews. Science on Tap is hosted by Austin Peay’s College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
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