SUNY Adirondack hosts 'Bridging Differences' climate change talk

QUEENSBURY, New York (Sept. 29, 2021) — Their approaches are different, but Katharine Hayhoe and Bill McKibben share a commitment to raising awareness of climate change. The two renowned environmentalists join forces for “Bridging Differences on the Razor’s Edge,” a climate change discussion offered by SUNY Adirondack and SUNY Plattsburgh at Queensbury.

Hayhoe, an atmospheric scientist, and McKibben, an environmental activist, will speak at 3 p.m. Oct. 21 in Adirondack Hall’s Northwest Bay Conference Center on SUNY Adirondack’s Queensbury campus. The event, which is open to the public, will also be available via Zoom.

“These two speakers represent the tension that arises from a large-scale, complex global issue that requires urgent action and the need to slow down, and listen to others in a way that can build a consensus,” said Scott Royael, SUNY Adirondack’s sustainability coordinator.

Canadian-born Hayhoe teaches at Texas Tech University and is chief scientist for The Nature Conservancy. She is principal investigator for the Department of Interior’s South-Central Climate Adaptation Science Center and the National Science Foundation’s Global Infrastructure Climate Network.

Her research focuses on establishing a scientific basis for assessing impacts of climate change on human systems and the natural environment. As an evangelical Christian, Hayhoe frequently speaks with faith-based and politically diverse audiences about climate change.

"Katharine Hayhoe's approach tells us that the dichotomy between science and faith is not mutually exclusive, that these can co-exist and serve to inform more diverse groups of people," said Michelle Howland, assistant to the dean at SUNY Plattsburgh at Queensbury.

McKibben teaches at Middlebury College, won the Gandhi Peace Prize as well as honorary degrees from 19 colleges and universities, and the Right Livelihood Award, sometimes called the alternative Nobel. Foreign Policy named him to its inaugural list of the world’s 100 most important global thinkers.

McKibben has written 17 books about climate change and founded 350.org, the first global grassroots climate campaign. He is considered one of the nation’s leading authorities on climate change. 

At “Bridging Differences,” the two will discuss how to realize successful climate solutions in a polarized political environment. The event is part of North Country Climate Reality’s annual conference. The group supports individual and community climate solutions, with a goal of making the North Country region a model for effective local climate action. 

Attendance is free for students; $25 suggested donation for all others, with a pay-what-you-want option on the event registration page, https://fs30.formsite.com/CASplattsburgh/dtx5om11wz/index.html?094110692.