Montana State University students and faculty are hosting their second annual Climate Week from Oct. 30 through Nov. 3 with events promoting learning, empowerment and engagement related to climate change impacts and solutions.
Events will be held on the MSU campus and will include panel discussions, seminars, films and musical performances. All Climate Week events are free and open to the public.
Climate Week is organized by the Climate Solutions Group at MSU, whose members include faculty, staff, students and citizens who learn about and engage in research on climate solutions. The group encourages university policies and strategies to decarbonize campus activities and operations.
“As the risks of the climate crisis become increasingly clear, our campus community is responding with an opportunity for learning in an inclusive and open way,” said Paul Lachapelle, one of the faculty organizers and a professor in the Department of Political Science. “We want to have conversations about the local and regional dangers of climate disruption and then explore solutions we can put in place. We want to use our campus as a living lab.” - Lachapelle
Climate Week Schedule
Monday, Oct. 30
1.5 Minute Climate Talks (12-1pm Malone Mall, Rain location Norm Asbjornson Hall, Room 153)
Open microphone style 1.5-minute climate talks or speeches open to anyone. We encourage anyone to speak for 90 seconds and share their thoughts on any climate-theme topics. All opinions welcome from students, staff, faculty, and members of the public (Snacks provided).
Right your Future: Letter Writing Activity (12-1pm Malone Mall, Rain location Norm Asbjornson Hall, Room 153)
Come draft letters to local leaders and government officials on your opinions of the climate crisis and necessary actions!
Local Recycling Panel (3-4pm, Wilson 1-132 and live-streamed)
Learn about the local ins and outs of recycled waste details (where it goes, what it costs, and how it impacts the climate) with, EJ Hook (Director, MSU Facility Services), Patty Howard (Recycling/Outreach Director, Gallatin Solid Waste Management District), and Ryan Green (Owner, Happy Trash Can).
Pumpkin Carving Party (5:30pm outside Norm Asbjornson Hall-NE Corner)
Come together with friends for a free pumpkin to carve to celebrate Halloween! Pumpkins will be lit and placed outside NAH 165 for the lecture!
Empowering Youth, Enforcing Rights: Held v. State of Montana (4:30pm Master Class-apply here; 6:30pm Public Lecture, Norm Asbjornson Hall Room 165 and live-streamed)
Join Jim Nelson (former Montana Supreme Court Assoc. Justice), Melissa Hornbein (Senior Attorney, Western Environmental Law Center) and Taleah Hernandez (Held v. Montana Plaintiff) and learn about the recent landmark climate victory in the Held v. Montana court case and hear the next steps; Lecture will be followed by Q&A.
Tuesday, Oct. 31 “Hallow-Green”
Right your Future: Letter Writing Activity (12-1pm MSU Library 1st Floor)
Come draft letters to local leaders and government officials on your opinions of the climate crisis and necessary actions!
Facing our Fears and Befriending our Inner Ghouls: Supporting Ourselves and Each Other as we Face the Climate Crisis (1:40-2:55pm Roberts 312 and live-streamed)
Bozeman Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor Kate Weiss will lead a discussion on the effects that climate change can have on individuals' mental and emotional well-being and offer positive strategies to cope with and manage stress.
Wednesday, Nov. 1
Right your Future: Letter Writing Activity (12-1pm MSU Library 1st Floor)
Come draft letters to local leaders and government officials on your opinions of the climate crisis and necessary actions!
Voices of the Eco-Right (12-1pm Reid 103 and live-streamed)
We will hear the stories of conservatives who care about climate and want to share their vision for solutions. Panelists include Hattie Hobart (Regional Director, American Conservation Coalition), Max Scheder-Bischen (entrepreneur and tech start-up founder and Citizens' Climate Lobby volunteer), and Lindsay Garcia (Director of Communications, Young Evangelicals For Climate Action).
Climate Change & Demography - What does the data tell us? (3:30-4:30pm Romney 415 and live-streamed)
Dr. Cascade Tuholske (Asst. Professor, Dept. of Earth Sciences) will discuss the relationship between climate change and demographic change, both in Montana and around the world and offer insights into what responsibility we have as individuals to enact change.
Montana State University Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data Roundtable (5:15-6:15pm Norm Asbjornson Hall Room 329 and live-streamed)
Join members of the MSU Climate Solutions Group and invited members of the MSU Campus Sustainability Advisory Committee in a conversation about MSU’s existing GHG emissions data and strategies to reach short and long-term targets including reductions consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Careers in Climate: Insights from Passionate Conservationists (6:30-7:30pm Norm Asbjornson Hall Room 165 and live-streamed)
Join us for a panel discussion exploring the diverse opportunities in the climate field. Dedicated conservationists will discuss their careers and delve into their passion for combatting climate change. Learn from our experts about field work, environmental law, journalism, and more! Panelists: John Meyer (Executive Director Cottonwood Law and Bozeman Mayoral Candidate), KT Miller (Dir. Field Programs, Polar Bears International), Karin Kirk (Environmental Journalist; Geologist).
Thursday, Nov. 2
Right your Future: Letter Writing Activity (12-1pm MSU Library 1st Floor)
Come draft letters to local leaders and government officials on your opinions of the climate crisis and necessary actions!
Fossil Free Research and Beyond: Exposing and Dismantling ties between Higher Education, the Fossil Fuel Industry, and Climate Disinformation Groups (12-1pm Norm Asbjornson Hall Room 337 and live-streamed)
Students from Brown University will join us via video conference and provide an overview of their research about the influence of fossil fuel funding at various universities across the US and offer a review of the over $6 million in fossil fuel money at MSU. Speakers include William Kattrup (Researcher, Brown University Climate and Development Lab), Isaac Slevin (Researcher, Brown University Climate and Development Lab), and Timmons Roberts (Ittleson Professor of Environmental Studies and Sociology at Brown University and the Executive Director of the Climate Social Science Network).
Films: Time is now to Save the Pow! / Common Ground (6pm Byker Auditorium)
View the premier screening of two films directly related to climate change. Time is Now to Save the Pow! is a film by MSU student and freeride skier Kaelyn Kroeger. Common Ground unveils a dark web of money, power, and politics behind our broken food system and reveals how unjust practices forged our current farm system in which farmers of all colors are literally dying to feed us. Films will be followed by a facilitated discussion.
Friday, Nov. 3
Right your Future: Letter Writing Activity (12-1pm MSU Library 1st Floor)
Come draft letters to local leaders and government officials on your opinions of the climate crisis and necessary actions!
Climate-themed Music Concert (4pm Reynolds Recital Hall)
MSU Climate Week wraps up with a climate-themed musical concert; come celebrate an exciting week of learning and action with this moving and emotive set of environmentally-focused musical pieces interspersed with poetry to provide hope and courage.Performers include MSU faculty and students.
For more information, contact paul.lachapelle@montana.edu