Climate change has become one of the most deeply polarizing issues of our age. Proponents issue prophecies of catastrophe where all is lost within a matter of years or months unless their proposals for the radical reshuffling of economic and civic life are embraced without question.
Meanwhile, those who adopt the scientific method of questioning hypotheses and searching for evidence are decried as climate deniers, or worse. For better or worse, the question of climate is a complex and multi-faceted one that requires careful attention to detail and the willingness to embrace evidence that contradicts pre-existing viewpoints. Unfortunately, colleges do not provide this balanced or nuanced view to students. While in other areas colleges tout the ideal of "critical thinking," when it comes to climate the message is, "don't ask too many questions."
The NAS is all about asking questions, though. And so we are delighted to present this discussion of what colleges get wrong about climate change, what students are missing, and how we might change that.
This event features Steve Einhorn, General Partner at the Capital Midwest Fund and author of Climate Change: What They Rarely Teach in College; and Roger Pielke, Jr., professor of environmental sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder and champion of climate change policy.
Photo by luchschenF on Adobe Stock
