This week we will celebrate Nobel Conference 55 on campus and around the world via live-stream. This year’s conference, entitled “Climate Changed: Facing Our Future,” focuses on a timely and urgently important topic. I look forward to hearing from our expert guest speakers who will address climate change from a variety of perspectives. I expect that they will challenge us to grapple with the causes and consequences of climate change. Perhaps even more importantly, they will help us better understand what we as individuals and as a community can do to combat and adapt to the climate changes that are happening in our world. Please tune in to as much of the conference as possible, or plan to watch the archived lectures if you are not able to join in Lund Arena or via livestream.
For over 50 years, the Nobel Conference has pursued its mission to bring students, educators and members of the general public together with leading thinkers of our time to explore revolutionary, transformative and pressing scientific questions and the ethical issues that arise with them. Many thanks to the 2019 conference organizers and to all those who will help host thousands of visitors on our campus this week.
Last Friday, students, faculty, and staff at Gustavus took part in a global climate strike, along with millions of youth and adults around the world. Inspired by Greta Thunberg, the 16-year old climate activist from Sweden who has helped ignite a global movement, the strike was intended to bring attention to the urgency of climate change and apply political pressure to influence government decisions. We are called to be people of action by the Gustavus Acts Strategic Plan, and our vision statement compels us to act on the great challenges of our time. I can think of no more important challenge than climate change for our community to actively develop and implement changes that will positively impact this place in which we live.
This week, as we learn about and discuss the important issue of climate change, let’s be especially conscious of our environment and our responsibility to be good stewards of the land, water, and air that is so easy to take for granted. Let’s move forward together to make the world a better place for our children and all future generations.
