Together in Beloit: Taking Action on Climate Change lecture series

A well-informed community is a community that can take effective action on climate change issues. We’re excited to partner with the Beloit Public Library and the Beloit League of Women Voters to offer three virtual lectures by Wisconsin experts to be held on Thursday evenings at 6:30pm, starting February 25. Each event will include a 30-40 minute talk followed by audience Q&A.

The first talk, on February 25 at 6:30pm, will be by senior scientist Steve Vavrus, from the Nelson Institute Center for Climatic Research at UW-Madison. His talk, entitled “Together in Beloit: Dealing with Climate Change Globally to Locally,” will begin by reviewing the history of human-induced climate change, then offering examples of its manifestations and impacts, before suggesting responses at personal and policy levels.

The second talk, on March 11 at 6:30pm, features Pablo Toral, a professor of Environmental Studies and International Relations at Beloit College. In his talk, “Focus on Success: Climate Change Actions that Make a Difference,” he will acknowledge the role individual actions play in reinforcing the importance of actively engaging with climate change. However, collective action is key to combating climate change, as will be illustrated with examples of community-level actions.

Finally, on March 18 at 6:30pm, Dominique Brossard, Professor and Chair of the Life Sciences Communication Department at UW-Madison, will speak on “Public Attitudes and Climate Change,” emphasizing the need for clear, easy-to-understand communication about climate change issues, in order to successfully engage different audiences and promote well-informed action. Her talk is made possible by the Badger Talks Program of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

All talks will be presented virtually via the Beloit Public Library’s facebook page (Join the event by clicking this link at the designated time and watch the live stream). Viewers can ask questions in the event chat, and a conversation will be moderated after the lecture. Each event will also be recorded, with a link made available to viewers to watch the event at their convenience. The talks are free and open to the public; no reservations are required to watch the live-streams.

These will be thoughtful conversations available to anyone who wants to learn more about the topics. Each talk will be highly informative and, taken all together, they provide a broad range of information to consider. I hope you have time to watch at least one!