From sea level rise to heat waves to the threat of stronger hurricanes, Tampa Bay and the state of Florida will face significant impacts from climate change. USF St. Petersburg’s Initiative on Coastal Adaptation and Resilience (iCAR) aims to help the local community prepare and become more resilient to future environmental changes.
Now in its fifth year, iCAR’s annual workshop will bring together scientists, policymakers and community stakeholders on campus to discuss these climate-related issues and chart a path forward. Taking place October 29-30 in the University Student Center Ballroom, iCAR 2019, Pathways to Change: Policy and Action for Resilience, will focus on ways science gets translated into policy and how policy gets translated into action.
“We’re at this moment where we need to see change happen now,” said Dr. Rebecca Johns, iCAR’s Director of Community Outreach and Education. “We can’t wait any longer. We’ve started to feel the effects of climate change right here in our area.”
The urgency of this year’s theme was inspired by the recent global climate protests, as well as discussions following last year’s workshop, which saw a cohort of Florida mayors, first responders and others share their personal experiences following Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Beginning with a leadership panel discussion between the Mayors of St. Petersburg, St. Augustine, Sarasota and Naples, last year’s event gave a detailed look into how cities and people can better prepare for climate disasters, regardless of their social or economic background.
The organizers believed the workshop was a huge success. However, in post-workshop conversations, attendees shared their discontent with the snail’s pace at which progress on climate change seems to move.
“We have a lot of science and good information about climate change, but we seem to be struggling to see the effects of our resiliency work on the ground,” said Johns, an Associate Professor of Geography. “Lots of dedicated people are working on this but there is a growing sense of urgency to move more quickly in putting solutions in place.”
This year’s workshop will feature keynotes, panel discussions, Q&As and breakout sessions geared towards motivating action.
The event will kick-off with welcome addresses by Dr. Barnali Dixon, Executive Director of iCAR, and St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman. Keynote addresses will be given by experts on activism and change. On October 29, Robert Meyer, a Professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton College and author of “The Ostrich Paradox: Why We Underprepare for Disasters,” will discuss the many obstacles we face in motivating change on critical climate issues. On October 30, Heather Booth, activist and political strategist from the Midwest Academy, will present solutions for overcoming those obstacles.
Other guests will include Ife Kilimanjaro from the US Climate Action Network, Michael Mendez from the University of California, Irvine and Mayor Kriseman in conversation with Ann Livingston, the city’s new climate adviser via the Bloomberg Philanthropies American Cities Climate Challenge.
“As we work to combat our changing climate and prepare our city and region for the future, I am extremely pleased that this conference and the thoughtful, civil discourse it fosters will again help to inform and inspire our citizenry,” said Mayor Kriseman.
Faculty from USF St. Petersburg and USF Tampa will join and moderate discussions. Assistant Professor of Anthropology Heather O’Leary will moderate a panel discussion on building consensus through inclusive communities. “Living in Florida, we sometimes forget that the whole world is looking to us as a site of incredible importance,” she said. “As our everyday lives thrum with climate change’s direct and indirect consequences, we have the opportunity to become the vanguard of resilience.”
Through research and education, iCAR informs and engages community members about the realities of climate change, giving them the knowledge to make critical decisions regarding our changing and vulnerable coast. By shedding light on these impacts and highlighting potential pathways towards change, Johns hopes that this year’s workshop will instill confidence in attendees and empower them to take action.
“The goal is to light a fire and give people the tools to get stuff done in the coming year,” she said.
In addition to the annual iCAR Conference, USF Tampa is hosting Science, Strategies, and Solutions: Addressing Climate Change in Tampa Bay next week. Taking place on November 1, the event is a full-day, STEM workshop featuring local and regional scientists, public health experts, city planners and policymakers to discuss extreme events, transportation, the built environment, public health and social justice as it relates to climate change in the Tampa Bay region.