The Fourth National Climate Assessment

The most recent National Climate Assessment was scary. Bwogger Ezra Lerner talked to professors about efforts to make Columbia more eco-friendly and the research Columbia faculty does on climate science. The Columbia and Barnard administrations also sent Bwog statements on Columbia’s efforts regarding climate change. 

In the wake of increasing concerns about the effect of climate change on the United States, 13 federal agencies released a report last Friday that only heightened concerns. The Fourth National Climate Assessment explained that climate change will cause hundreds of billions of dollars in damage to the U.S. economy and increase the frequency and intensity of natural disasters. When asked about the report, Columbia Faculty echoed this concern.

Professor Ruth DeFries, Faculty Chair of the Columbia Earth Institute, explained that “the National Climate Assessment report highlights the serious impacts of climate change on many facets of life in this country.” DeFries also stressed the work that Columbia is doing to become increasingly eco-friendly. “Efforts begin in our own backyard,” said DeFries, “and Earth Institute faculty are committed to working towards campus sustainability in partnership with university leadership.”

Jason Smerdon, a professor at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, and co-director of the Undergraduate Program in Sustainable Development explained some of the specific measures that both the observatory and the University are taking to reduce environmental impact. “Some of this has been as basic as defining what our carbon footprint is,” explained Smerdon. Columbia worked with an outside assessment group, Climate Registry, to determine the totality of the University’s carbon emissions.

Smerdon highlighted the intra-facility electric shuttles and a purchasing agreement by the Earth Observatory to have 75% of their emissions come through solar energy as concrete steps that have been taken bearing that assessment in mind. He also stressed that as an academic institution, Lamont-Doherty has developed “a lot of educational and research activities” designed to deal with the increasing effects of climate change. This includes not only developing research cited in the National Climate Assessment but also contributing directly to the report itself. “I am very proud of what the University is doing,” he explained.

These initiatives aim to reduce Columbia’s carbon emissions by 35% by 2020. A reduction of this size would put emissions at below 2006 levels, a target Smerdon is “confident Columbia will reach.” At that point, a long-term plan will be developed. “Initial suggestions,” Smerdon explained, “have been an 80% percent reduction by 2050.” While he cites this as a “laudable goal,” Smerdon believes that “we will have to reduce emissions faster than that given the urgency” of the report. “The impacts that we are already experiencing is a consequence of climate change,” he explained.

In a statement from the Columbia administration, a University spokesperson said that “Columbia has long been a global leader in climate science and policy. Much of this research is centered at the Earth Institute’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, where the term ‘global warming’ was first coined in 1975.” The spokesperson also referred Bwog to Columbia’s Sustainability Plan and current Annual Progress Report.

A statement from the Barnard administration read:

Barnard College is acutely aware of the urgency of the climate crisis. We are working to equip and support our students, faculty and staff in finding creative and sustainable solutions to climate change, while also taking concrete actions on our own campus. The reports issued this fall by the IPCC as well as the recent report by 13 U.S. government agencies highlight an issue that has been a priority for the College for several years.

At Barnard, we are pursuing a three-pronged approach to climate action focusing on academics and curriculum, campus and culture, and investments and governance. First, we are working to motivate a new generation of leaders who we hope will dedicate their careers to the search for creative and sustainable solutions to climate change. Our world needs citizens who will exhibit an abiding dedication to wise and sustainable choices in their professional spheres, as well as in their homes and local communities. Barnard’s world-class faculty and its strong history of research and teaching on climate change, the environment, and sustainability make us an ideal place to deal with the challenges we face. Second, we are working with our students, faculty and staff in being savvy stewards of the environment. In our own backyard, this involves making our operations more sustainable by introducing compost collection, and purchasing 50 percent of our electricity from wind energy. Finally, we are aligning our endowment with our mission by focusing investments on those companies that support climate science and understand the risks posed by climate change.

While we are proud of our achievements to date, we are well aware that more work is needed. The College is developing a comprehensive Climate Action Vision to support and expand these efforts and is looking forward to engaging with the Barnard community on how to progress our efforts both thoughtfully and urgently.

Photo Via Flickr