Fall 2023

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Beyond Denial

September 12

On September 12, Dylan Bugden of Washington State University delivered a talk regarding the partisan climate gap.  

He spoke about the fluctuation of beliefs within the parties surrounding climate change and emphasized that the Democratic party had displayed more significant change in their views regarding the importance of climate policy. In addition to this, he noted that the Republican party remained stagnant. Bugden emphasized that despite the typical narrative regarding the relationship between Republicans and science, conservatives often trust and utilize science in regard to their own policies. The difference between the parties lies in when they choose to utilize science and how they use it to advance their policies.  

Bugden noted that it is unreasonable to expect the public to conduct their own research on every point of political interest. For this reason, they rely heavily on party leaders to inform their opinions. Bugden concludes his talk by opening the floor to questions from spectating students and community members. 

“Panic or Action”

August 31

On August 31, Jason Vogel, University of Washington, presented about climate change and how we as individuals can act to combat its effects.  

Vogel began by highlighting the detrimental effects of climate change that we have seen thus far in the Pacific Northwest. Wildfires, melting glaciers, rising sea levels, and increased temperatures are all direct results of our failure to address this dire issue. Vogel was intentional about emphasizing that the planet is not yet beyond saving. Change begins with you speaking out and sparking dialogue to spread awareness among people who are ignorant to the cause. Vogel then went over ways that we can negate our individual impacts on the climate crisis. He included a variety of measures that went beyond simply recycling, such as limiting air travel, changing eating habits, and finding other ways to reduce overall carbon footprint.  

Vogel concludes his talk by reminding us again that there is still time to act. It is up to us to preserve the future of humanity, by keeping our planet hospitable and abundant for the next generation.