Tag: climate change (Page 3 of 5)

Why Climate Guilt Doesn’t Help

Book:  “What We Think About When We Try Not To Think About Global Warming”

Location:  Sophia Gordon Hall Multi-Purpose Room, Tufts University, Medford, MA

Date:  April 28th, 2015, 6:30-7:30pm

At this event, Swedish author, speaker, and eco-psychologist, Per Espen Stoknes will speak to the audience about the public psychology of global warming and issues discussed in his new book, What We Think About When We Try Not To Think About Global Warming. Audience members will have the opportunity to consider an interesting angle of the global warming and climate change discussion, ask questions of the author, and purchase the book and have it signed by the author. This event is open, and Tufts University warmly welcomes to its campus members of the audience from across the Boston metropolitan area.

If Global Warming Is So Urgent, Why Is There So Little Action? / Why Climate Guilt Doesn’t Help

An event with psychologist and economist Per Espen Stoknes, featuring his new book, What We Think About When We Try Not to Think About Global Warming.

Climate scientists has failed to convince the public by over-relying on catastrophe framings and a guilt inducing, overly rational information approach. Understanding human responses to climate change is clearly getting just as important as understanding climate change itself. The ‘psychological climate paradox’ refers to the fact as the climate science gets more certain, the public in wealthy nations become less concerned!

Rich in story and examples, Stoknes reviews recent psychological research and explores emerging strategies for how to overcome this paradox. A more compassionate climate communication can now rely on approaches that employ the power of social networks, reframing, nudging, storytelling and better climate response indicators. Also, the acknowledgement of grief, helplessness and despair, as well as reconnecting with an intimate and personal experience within the air, can be a deep source of motivation for a grounded hope. Stoknes seeks to answer the fundamental questions: Is humanity up to the task? Or are we humans inescapably locked into short-termism?

Intern, Environment America (Washington, DC)

February 5, 2015 / / 6 Comments

Climate change looms as the most pressing issue of our generation. Fracking has contaminated drinking water and made people sick across the country. Our rivers, lakes, and most treasured natural areas are vulnerable to mining, drilling and other harms.

There’s no lack of solutions to solve these challenges; there’s a lack of political will. That’s why Environment America is running grassroots campaigns to bring people together to convince our leaders to stop pandering to big polluters and climate deniers, and start getting behind the solutions. We are hiring interns for the 2015 semester to work.

To win positive change for the environment, you need a smart strategy and effective tactics. But most of all, you need grit and determination – because that’s what it takes to mobilize enough public support to win.

As an Environment America intern, you’ll be working with some of our with some of our most experienced advocates and organizers on campaigns to reduce global warming pollution, create more solar and wind power, spare our parks and forests from fracking, keep our beaches, rivers and streams clean, and protect our wildlife and wild places.

You’ll help craft and implement social media campaigns, generate traditional earned media through opinion writing, recruit community leaders to join our campaigns, collect petitions and other grassroots support, and research and write fact sheets and other materials for decision makers and opinion leaders.

 And if you’re graduating this year, you should apply to Environment America’s fellowship program, a two-year crash course in environmental organizing and advocacy. Find out more and apply at http://jobs.environmentamerica.org/

APPLY NOW

(ENVS Lunch & Learn) MIT’s Climate CoLab: using collective intelligence to address climate change

Wikipedia, Linux, reCAPTCHA, FoldIt, social media — these are just a few examples of how online platforms allow large numbers of people to connect and collaborate in ways that were never possible before, producing unprecedented results in global knowledge exchange, problem-solving and mobilization. Inspired by this, the researchers at the MIT Center for Collective Intelligence wanted to know: how could the internet be leveraged to allow people to problem-solve at a massive — even global — scale? Could we harness the world’s collective intelligence to solve our most complicated issues? To test this, they launched the Climate CoLab, an online platform where a growing community of 30,000 people work together to develop solutions to challenges related to arguably humanity’s most pressing and complex problem: climate change.

Laur Fisher supports MIT’s Climate CoLab project’s 20 contests, 12,000+ members, 170+ volunteers, partnership network, and annual conference. She is also an elected civil society representative (alternate) for the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) – North America, and run a project called The Civic Series (www.thecivicseries.com) where we arrange informal public presentations and conversation about major world and domestic issues. She has worked with public, private and non-government organizations in Sweden, New Zealand, Canada and the US and has experience in a wide range of fields, including carbon management and reporting, organizational recycling and waste management, renewable energy, green buildings and education. She also has training in group facilitation and has collaborated with The Natural Step and Sustainable Sweden eco-municipality tours. In Toronto, she managed and expanded regional professional education programs for the Canada Green Building Council. She holds a self-designed Bachelor’s degree from Tufts University which she titled, “Engaging Sustainability as an Innovative Process”.

 

Every week during the academic year, the ENVS Lunch & Learn lecture series features speakers from government, industry, academia and non-profit organizations to give presentations on environmental topics. This is a great opportunity to broaden your knowledge beyond the curriculum, meet other faculty and students and network with the speakers.

Students, faculty, staff, and visitors are welcome to attend.

Food is generously sponsored by the Tufts Institute of the Environment.

You can’t make it to the talk? No problem!

Climate Change Adaptation Internship (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)

December 11, 2014 / / 6 Comments

Deadline to apply is Friday, December 12th.
Background

UNDP Environment and Energy Group (EEG) is based in UNDP’s Bureau of Development Policy (BDP) and is responsible for providing leadership and technical support to delivery of the Environment and Sustainable Development pillar of UNDP’s Strategic Plan.  Its main focus is to help countries develop the capacity to fully incorporate environmental sustainability into development at national and local, but also global and regional, levels.  The principal areas of work are in environmental mainstreaming, environmental finance, adaptation to climate change, and local governance of resources, including energy.

Climate change is a priority area for the Environmental and Energy Group at UNDP.  Building on a history of climate change projects, tools, and resources, UNDP’s objective is to play a leading role in the UN’s climate change efforts and mobilize greater and more diverse resources for climate change initiatives. UNDP’s Strategic Plan identifies several outcomes which are relevant to climate change adaptation: (a) Growth and development are inclusive and sustainable, incorporating productive capacities that create employment and livelihoods for the poor and excluded (c) Countries have strengthened institutions to progressively deliver universal access to basic services (e) Countries are able to reduce the likelihood of conflict, and lower the risk of natural disasters, including from climate change.

The Green, Low Emissions Climate Resilient Development Team within UNDP/GEF manages UNDP’s activities with regard to policy and projects supported by United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Global Environment Facility (GEF), bilateral, and other sources of funds. The LECRDS Team works to strengthen and expand UNDP’s services more broadly to systematically support adaptation to climate change.  Increasing emphasis will be placed on strategic partnerships, co-ordination, substantive collaboration and knowledge management to support policy coherence, and the further development of the adaptation programme.

In the context of the above, the UNDP-GEF/GLECRDS Team is currently interested in hosting an intern to support the team’s planned activities in 2014. The internship will take place in Addis Ababa where the UNDP-GEF/GLECRDS team supporting countries in Africa is based.

 

Duties and Responsibilities

Objectives of the assignment:

The intern, under the supervision of a Regional Technical Advisor on Adaptation, will support UNDP-GEF’s work on (a) integrated climate change strategies; (b) climate resilient livelihoods and (c) climate information and early warning systems as per the Scope of Work below.

Scope of Work:

The intern will:

  • Undertake research in support of programmes/projects developed by the UNDP-GEF /GLECRDS team. This includes also editing, translation, formatting work and review of documents;
  • Support GLECRDS Regional Technical Advisors with annual project reviews including compiling critical information on project results and impacts;
  • Undertake monitoring visits to projects including supporting monitoring of project results and reporting;
  • Prepare case studies for UNDP-GEF publications including global newsletters, pamphlets, and communication material;
  • Maintain existing UNDP-ALM databases up to date with information from projects including results achieved, pictures, videos, news articles;
  • Supporting the organizing of regional meetings for projects on Early Warning and National Adaptation Plans (in coordination with global and regional UNDP-GEF teams).

Duration of the assignment, duty station and conditions governing the Internship:

The internship will be for a period of 6 months, starting in January 2015.

The internship will be not be remunerated. The intern is responsible to secure and providing proof to UNDP of full coverage of living expenses as well as obtaining any necessary visas and has to provide proof of the enrolment in a health and life insurance plan.

 

Competencies

Core Competencies:

  • Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
  • Advocates and promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UN;
  • Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
  • Treats all people fairly without favoritism.

Functional Competencies:

Knowledge Management and Learning:

  • Shares knowledge and experience and contributes to the UN practice areas;
  • Encourages office staff to share knowledge and contribute to UN practice areas;
  • Develops deep knowledge  in practice areas;
  • Demonstrates strong coaching/mentoring skills, regularly providing helpful feedback and advice to others in the office;
  • Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more practice areas, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills.

Development and Operational Effectiveness:

  • Ability to elaborate and implement communications and publications strategies;
  • Demonstrated effectiveness in developing advocacy campaigns, including well-written information about UNCT, its objectives and activities;
  • Ability to effectively manage media engagements;
  • Demonstrates sound political judgment;
  • Demonstrates excellent ability to write and communicate orally with accuracy and professionalism in English;
  • Communicates sensitively and effectively across different constituencies;
  • Demonstrates strong IT skills including website management.

Management and Leadership:

  • Focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
  • Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
  • Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills;
  • Builds strong relationships with clients and external actors;
  • Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
  • Strong team player.

 

Required Skills and Experience

Enrolment/Education:

  • Enrolled in a degree programme in a graduate school (second university degree or higher) at the time of application and during the internship (if a candidate is graduating before the internship period begins, they are no longer eligible) or;
  • Have completed at least four years of full-time studies at a university or equivalent institution towards the completion of a degree, if pursuing their studies in countries where higher education is not divided into undergraduate and graduate stages;
  • Not have graduated prior to the beginning of the internship.

Experience:

  • Computer literate in standard software applications and GIS and Stata programming experience would be an added advantage;
  • Demonstrated keen interest in the work of the UN, and of UNDP in particular, and have a personal commitment to UNDP’s Statement of Purpose  and to the ideals of the UN Charter; and
  • Demonstrated the ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, which include willingness to try and understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views.

Language:

  • Proficiency in English and normally at least one additional UNDP working language (i.e., French or Spanish);
  • Fluency in Arabic, Chinese, Portuguese or Russian is an asset.

Apply Online

National Climate Seminar – Bard CEP

February 1, 2013 /

Join the Bard Center for Environmental Policy the first and third Wednesday of each month at noon eastern to hear climate and clean energy specialists talk about the latest climate change issues.

Climate Seminar calls are held via conference call (Call-in number: 1-712-432-3100; Conference Code: 253385) and professors can assign the half-hour calls to their students for a chance to hear top scientists, analysts, and political leaders discuss climate and clean energy solutions. Have questions for the speakers? Email them beforehand or during the call to climate@bard.edu. All calls are available as podcasts, 24 hours after the event.

In case you haven’t seen it, a new World Bank study confirms that we are on track for 750 ppm by 2100– or sooner– and a 4° C hotter world. Next Wednesday, February 6, at noon eastern, NRDC’s Daniel Lashof will talk about how to address the issue, focusing in particular on “Using the Clean Air act to Sharply Reduce Carbon Pollution from Existing Power Plants”. One of Dan’s key messages is that this won’t happen without pressure from climate activists.

Other speakers this semester will include Mike Tidwell on Cutting Carbon at Power Plants, Brenda Ekwurzel on After Sandy, What Next?, Mark Reynolds on Lobbyists for Climate Action, Katharine Wilkinson on Between God and Green, Bill McKibben on Corruption, Democracy, Climate, and Manuel Pastor and James Boyce on Co-benefits and Climate Justice.

For more information, click here.

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