Next Chapters - Addressing Climate Change

climate-change

 

 Following are past HR77 Zoom Gatherings that have been held by the Climate Change Team (from earliest to latest), along with links to view the recorded videos from each event.  We hope to see you at future Climate Change events!

 

Pre-reunion: Making a Difference on Climate Change, April 28, 2022, 8:00 PM

Click HERE to view recording 

Organized by ’77 Classmates Peter Dunn and David Gardiner, former Executive Director of the White House Climate Change Task Force in the Clinton Administration
 
Without major changes, human actions are forecast to cause global warming and catastrophic consequences.  Many of us are deeply concerned; some of us are already taking actions while others are wondering how to get involved.
 
During this session, brief presentations will be shared about the four climate-related topics identified as most important in our recent class interest survey--the roadmap to stabilize the climate, energy options, policy options, and ways we personally and collectively can make a difference. Then we will have the opportunity to hear what actions some of us are already taking, and to discuss how we can best engage at the reunion in June and beyond to address this most pressing issue.

 

Second Semi-Annual Working Session, Nov 30, 2023  

Click HERE to view recording

This program is organized by ’77 Classmates Peter Dunn and David Gardiner, former Executive Director of the White House Climate Change Task Force in the Clinton Administration. Facilitation volunteers include Michael Banks, Bill Chapman, Carol Fisler, Nathaniel Foote, John Fox, Deborah Gans, Caroline (Callie) Hancock, Ruth Hayes, Pam Hogan, Peter Patton, Michael Payne, Philip Sheldon, Joan Soble, Mark Taylor, and Peter Tovar.
 
During this session, brief presentations share about the four climate-related topics identified as most important in our recent class interest survey—
  • the roadmap to stabilize the climate,
  • energy options,
  • the impact of policy changes,
  • and ways we personally and collectively can make a difference.
Then we  to hear what actions some of us are already taking, and discuss how we can best engage at the reunion in June and beyond to address this most pressing issue. 

  

Third Semi-Annual Working Session, May 20, 2024 

Click HERE to view recording

At the third of our semi-annual Climate Change Zoom Gatherings, we share important and inspiring contributions HR77 classmates have made to address this crisis. We hope you are inspired by our second group of HR77 presenters:
  • Deborah Gans is the founder of the architecture and community planning office Gans & Company, and a Professor at Pratt Institute
  • James F. Lavin is currently CEO and Founder of EDAC Labs, his 4th hardtech startup, a climate venture funded attempt to pursue gigaton scale carbon sequestration via low energy acid/base synthesis
  • Felicia Marcus is the William C. Landreth Visiting Fellow at Stanford University’s Water in the West Program, an attorney, consultant, and member of the Water Policy Group.
Each classmate shares their experiences and lessons learned that can inform and inspire others. The session includes their presentations, breakout groups to talk with classmates, and a Q&A session with our panelists. We also begin the conversation about creating a “class project” to enable our classmates to come together to make a lasting impact on climate change.
 

Fourth Semi-Annual Working Session, December 12, 2024

Click HERE to view recording

This fourth semi-annual Climate Action Zoom Gathering explores the implications of the 2024 election and the actions that we can each take based on the election results. It operates in three main parts: David Gardiner, the former Executive Director of the White House Task Force on Climate Change will introduce the session and provide some initial insights. Classmates will have the opportunity to process the implications of the elections on climate change together in small groups and identify questions. A panel of experts from within our class will address questions submitted from the class. 
  
Classmate panelists will address the following topic areas:
•  National Policy: David Gardiner
•  State and other Regulatory Policy: Felicia Marcus
•  Advocacy: Carol Fisler
•  Legal and Environmental Defense: Philip Warburg
•  Personal and Corporate Action: Peter Dunn

  

Fifth Semi-Annual Working Session, April 15, 2025

Click HERE to view recording

At this fifth Climate Action Zoom Gathering session, we focus on growing “climate movements" to teach people about the World's changing energy landscape, and efforts to restore pre-industrial CO2 levels by 2050. Speakers include:
  • John Fox (’77) is an Adjunct Professor of Applied Physics at Stanford University, honored twice with the Stanford Dean's Award for Distinguished Teaching. He shares an insightful view of our energy production and usage that highlight areas of opportunity to improve our energy consumption.
  • Carole Douglis (’77) is an award-winning science journalist and communications strategist and shares potential tools to reduce the CO2 impact through biomimicry of natural oceanographic processes.
We also kick-off a HR77 “Personal Action Tracker” so classmates can report on their efforts to reduce personal energy consumption and support climate mitigation through community actions. Use the link to participate, https://bit.ly/HR77ClimateActions

  

Sixth Semi-Annual Working Session, January 1, 2026

Click HERE to view recording

The sixth semi-annual Climate Action Zoom Gathering focuses on personal actions taken by our classmates to lower their carbon footprint and lessons learned along the way. Four classmates share their personal actions to lower their carbon footprints, so that we can all learn and be inspired to act:
  • William Salmon: Custom “net zero” home
  • David Wood: Solar and EV
  • Callie Hancock: Home energy audit, insulation, induction cooking
  • Michael Banks: Solar and EV
After their presentations, we have breakout sessions to discuss our own efforts to be more energy-efficient and the barriers that might be getting in the way of action. We then reconvene so that our classmate panelists can address questions and how we can support each other going forward.

 

Optional Background Reading and Slack Website Resources

   

We have created a Slack web site with multiple channels enabling access to common resources, the ability to share ideas and feedback about the April and June events and more.  Here is the link.

https://join.slack.com/t/harvardclasso-rho9953/shared_invite/zt-17cn9eahf-Lhfhq8IwU3elXuQXoa369Q

    

For optional background reading on recommended books and chapters on Climate Change, click:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1sOYOa62YFhusGU6hHSGp1IgoKIWF0q40WUp7MFoSYkc/edit?usp=sharing

Our hope is that we can use this meeting and the June meeting to find a way for classmates to work together going forward to optimize our impact on climate change and enjoy each other’s company along the way.

    

Please check out this link to the Harvard Alumni for Climate and the Environment. This is a community that embraces all Harvard Alumni, and supports ongoing information sharing, connections and the exchange of ideas.

https://www.harvardclimate.com/

    

Finally, please also explore the following website and application that helps us understand and improve our carbon footprint and support broader change.  This app has been tailored to enable the class of ’77 to share collective learning and progress on our climate change actions and community engagement.

https://brightaction.app/climateactionharvard77

Within a week or two this link may be simplified to:  https://climateactionharvard77

 

Thanks for your time and support on this topic that will affect the world for generations.