Climate Conversations

As the sun set on April 9, a small gathering was formed consisting of an assortment of faculty and students. Aislynn Patrick’26 organized this event as part of a senior thesis on the topic of climate change and how to have effective conversations about the topic. 

Professors Gregory Koutnik and Tamara Ketabgian were both present and provided points on the topic from the perspective of their respective areas of expertise. Polarization was a major point touched upon, with Koutnik focusing on the changing nature of the relationship between politics and environmental concerns, specifically in the United States. Ketabagian discussed the poetry of John Clare, a 19th century literary figure of the romantic movement. She used the poem “The Lament Of Swordy Well” as an example of how the environment has been perceived in the past. 

Students also participated in the discussion, focusing on the grassroots nature of environmental movements. Points were raised over how environmental issues could be cast as bipartisan, with the political nature of terms such as climate change being an area of polarization. 

_{Featured image: Oliver Idizowski’28}