Generations Uniting to Address Climate Change

The Generations Uniting to Address Climate Change Symposium aims to help prepare our community to lead or support this effort. Activities include two panel discussions: a panel of experts from scientific and political backgrounds discussing the climate crisis’ evolution and impacts; and a panel with a variety of individuals who are making a difference. A career and volunteer fair featuring local environmental organizations is being held in the lobby of the Goode Center throughout the symposium.

The symposium is free and open to anyone looking to be inspired by changemakers from across the generations. For more information, visit vwu.edu/climatesymposium.

Thursday, April 27 | 10:30 am–NooN BROCK COMMONS

Friday, April 21 | 11–11:50 am BLOCKER HALL AUDITORIUM

Is it possible to drive coast to coast without stopping at a single gas pump?

Journalist

Greg Melville, who’s in love with the idea of free fuel, sets out on an enlightening road trip with his friend, seeking to be the first people to drive cross-country in a car powered on vegetable oil collected from restaurant grease dumpsters along the way. Join us to hear about this unusual journey, as we think about sustainability in the United States, about where we’re going, and about what we can do.

Greg Melville has worked as an environmental and outdoor journalist, a crime reporter, and a former editor at Men’s Journal and Sports Afield magazines. He has written for Outside, National Geographic Traveler, Men’s Health, Slate, and the Boston Globe Magazine. Melville is a decorated veteran who served in Afghanistan and is in the Navy Reserve, where he is a public affairs officer with the rank of lieutenant commander. He is an award-winning instructor at the United States Naval Academy, where he teaches English and writing.

How should we meet the Challenges of a Warming Planet?

While Americans are divided about some aspects of the climate-change issue, there is growing agreement that action is needed. In this deliberation, facilitated by VWU students trained by the Nusbaum Center, participants discuss the pros and cons of three options for addressing climate change that are based on the views and concerns of people from across the country. The three options offer a framework for deliberations that tackle tough questions: What should we do? What are the risks and potential tradeoffs? What steps can we support and what might we be willing to give up? Where do we share concerns and priorities that point the way toward more effective action?

PROGRAMMING

NEXUS DIVERSITY DIALOGUE

Thursday, February 23 | 7–8:30 pm

BLOCKER HALL AUDITORIUM

Religion, Spirituality, and Social Good in a Conflicted United States