We are all experiencing the impacts of climate change more each day, in our own communities and around the world.
Recent data from the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication shows that 72% of Americans understand that climate change is real, human-caused, and happening now. Yet, only 36% discuss it even occasionally with family or friends, leading to a lack of public discourse and civic engagement to address one of the most critical issues of our time. Increased public discourse is a critical precursor for action.
By Arc Solutions
One of the oldest amphibian crossings in the United States has been helping yellow spotted salamanders cross the road for more than 35 years. In Amherst, Massachusetts, two small tunnels help these hefty salamanders—up to ten inches in length—and other local amphibians such as wood frogs and spring peeper frogs cross under Henry Street. This two-lane road cuts between the salamander’s upland habitat, where they spend most of their lives, and vernal pools where they congregate every spring to breed and lay their eggs.
By The Fabulous 413
The Fabulous 413 head over to Amherst to get a tour of the Hitchcock Center for the Environment to learn about the ecosystem of a living building. We talk to the folx maintaining the center about all the exciting summer happenings and how we can all live sustainably.
By Chris Larabee
In an effort to raise further awareness of climate change and the power of collective action, the new Climate Club at Four Rivers Charter Public School held a day of action this week with a speaker panel and trash pickup around the city. The nascent club, which formed in March, brought together panelists to speak to students about their environmental work, climate activism and how students can use their voice to make change. Following the panel, students were split up into groups assigned to different areas around Greenfield to pick up trash on local lands and waterways, as well as on campus.
By Tom Litwin
As I concentrated on the computer screen, the news played in the background. A story about the environment got my attention, causing me to sit back and listen more carefully. I played the piece again to be sure I heard it correctly. In summer 2023, the earth experienced the hottest temperatures in recorded history. There had been months of reporting — record heat, drought, mega-fires, floods, extreme storms — so this wasn’t breaking news. What was unsettling was United Nations Secretary-General António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres’ alarming tone: “Our planet isn’t just warming, it’s boiling. We’re in the midst of a climate collapse … Climate breakdown has begun.” Career diplomats are typically staid, measured and understated. His comments were not that; he meant to be alarming.
Season 1: Coming Together in the Face of Climate Change: Laying the Groundwork by Building Hope, Practicing Action, and Improving Communication Please join us as we launch a new program […]
Hitchcock Climate Action Series Community Forum: Improving Communication: Deliberative Dialogue Thursday, December 8, 5:30pm Arrival & Snacks 6pm – 8pm Forum – Net Zero: How Do We Get There? Join in a […]
Hitchcock Climate Action Series: Workshop Season 1: Coming Together in the Face of Climate Change: Laying the Groundwork by Building Hope, Practicing Action, and Improving Communication Please join us as […]
By Michael Dover
The failure of some food systems has been cited for the decline and fall of some major civilizations. Today, we face a different kind of challenge to our food systems: the globalization of our food supply (and its breakdowns) and the effects of industrial-scale farming on a vast scale across the globe. “Pastoral Song: A Farmer’s Journey,” by James Rebanks is a personal story about the changes on an English hill farm over the last half-century. It’s a microcosm of what has happened in agriculture since the end of World War II.
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Hitchcock Center for the Environment
at Hampshire College
845 West Street | Amherst MA 01002 | 413.256.6006 | 413.253.2809 fax