USF students studying sustainability now have another resource to help understand the global impact of climate change and steps that can be taken to reduce the effects.
The
Patel College of Global Sustainability at the University of South Florida recently awarded Rajendra Pachauri, Ph.D. the Eminent Global Scholar in Sustainability Award. The newly created award was designed to recognize professionals who are doing significant work to advance the well-being of the wider global community.
"It reflects the interdisciplinary nature of the work we do at the Patel College," says Patel College Dean Kala Vairavamoorthy.
The College also hopes the award recipients will be an ambassador and adviser for them and support their research and education programs, which include a focus on sustainable communities and environments.
Pachauri is a 2007 Nobel Peace Prize recipient and Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). He visited USF recently and spoke with students about the Climate Change report recently released by the United Nations. His lecture, titled "Energy Scenarios and Climate Impacts," focused on the impact humans are having on the environment and the results of this impact such as shrinking polar caps, rising sea waters and higher concentrations of greenhouses gases. He also discussed projected risks of these changes such as slowed economic growth, new poverty traps in urban areas, food utilization issues and increase in disease.
His lecture wasn’t all doom and gloom though. He discussed the opportunities for change, which was inspiring for the students. Possible solutions include more rapid improvements in energy efficiency and more utilization of low-carbon energy supplies from renewable sources. The Patel College is working on some of these very issues.
"Having someone of his stature who is at all the meetings where [climate change] is discussed and debated, sharing where the planet is in terms of external pressures and impact of resource management -- for our students, it’s a really big deal," says Vairavamoorthy.
Pachauri also communicates the political dimensions and interests from other countries, helping students learn how different governments respond to this information and the nuances involved in trying to negotiate and operate as a global community in light of these uncertainties.
USF is looking to continue Pachauri’s involvement with a more formal partnership, leading to more visits and engagement with students.
Writer:
Megan Hendricks
Source: Kala Vairavamoorthy., Patel College of Global Sustainability at USF
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