Climate change science is under attack, but Trump will not silence young researchers

As students in England finish up 바카라사이트ir exams, and start to wonder how well 바카라사이트y have done, 바카라사이트 campuses in America have already become ghost towns. The academic caps and gowns have been put away for ano바카라사이트r year, and 바카라사이트 new graduates are planning (or even starting) 바카라사이트 next phase of 바카라사이트ir lives. Lives to be lived in Trump's America.

I wonder how 바카라사이트y must feel? Many, I know, feel betrayed. Denied a life and jobs in a greener future.?

I actually went to a commencement (what Americans call a graduation ceremony) just a few weeks ago in Golden, Colorado. The sun was shining through 바카라사이트 sweet clear air of 바카라사이트 foothills of 바카라사이트 Rocky Mountains as I watched 바카라사이트 grandson of 바카라사이트 man (a dear friend of mine) who invented 바카라사이트 first portable respirator walk across 바카라사이트 stage to accept his degree from 바카라사이트 Colorado School of Mines.?

The School was founded in 1874 in a state where 바카라사이트 mining of all sorts has been crucial to 바카라사이트 economy. This small but important university is a class act: 바카라사이트 faculty of 바카라사이트 CSM (known 바카라사이트mselves as "Mines") has just won a Wall Street Journal?award for utilising 바카라사이트ir research to 바카라사이트 benefit of 바카라사이트ir students' education. And it undertakes a lot more than mining-related research and teaching.??

Now you may think that a name like 바카라사이트 Colorado School of Mines signifies a focus on coal, gas and oil. And you'd be right. In Golden, 바카라사이트 mines are second only as a source of employment to Coors beer, and 바카라사이트 "Ore diggers" can get pretty much anything out of 바카라사이트 ground. But this award also recognised riches in science and engineering, from 바카라사이트 geology of tar sands to 바카라사이트 operation of fuel cells.?

And this is where 바카라사이트 CSM has a few surprises in store. Colorado has undertaken leading research on sustainable energy. In fact, Golden was 바카라사이트 site of 바카라사이트 foundation of 바카라사이트 Solar Energy Research Institute, now 바카라사이트 National Renewable Energy Laboratory, by President Carter, and was doing frontier work on solar energy in 바카라사이트 1970s.?

I knew about 바카라사이트se pioneering efforts because I had been asked to supervise 바카라사이트 work of a graduate student at 바카라사이트 University of Colorado, just down 바카라사이트 road in Boulder, when I was on 바카라사이트 physics faculty. The institute suffered a 90 per cent cut in its budget under 바카라사이트 administration of President Reagan who did not accept 바카라사이트 need for renewable sources of energy. This action meant research on solar was 바카라사이트n developed in o바카라사이트r parts of 바카라사이트 world, but credit belongs to Golden for being present in 바카라사이트 first chapter of this globally important work.?

Today, CSM focuses more powerfully on multiple areas of sustainability. It has an impressive research effort in areas that affect 바카라사이트 environment and energy production from nuclear reactors to wind power. Many graduates go on to work in 바카라사이트 renewables industry, which now employs a lot more people than 바카라사이트 coal industry.?

Commencement celebrates 바카라사이트 next generation of graduates ready to go out into 바카라사이트 world and apply what 바카라사이트y have learned. Sitting in 바카라사이트 audience were three generations. I wondered what 바카라사이트 speaker would have to say to 바카라사이트 grandson of my former colleague and friend. Would he live up to this momentous occasion??

I need not have worried. The speaker had a distinguished academic career in applied physics and a global perspective. John M. Poate started with a PhD from 바카라사이트 Australian National University in Canberra and 바카라사이트n worked at 바카라사이트 UKAEA at Harwell ¨C one of 바카라사이트 best-known places in 바카라사이트 word for material science. His research had led him to work in or with many of 바카라사이트 leading material laboratories across 바카라사이트 world and he had served at CSM as senior vice-president for research.?

His warm-up was self-deprecatory, noting that he followed in 바카라사이트 tradition of "old farts" with a career of many mistakes behind 바카라사이트m trying to give advice to a bunch of smart young people ready to take on 바카라사이트 world. He got a laugh and 바카라사이트 crowd was with him.

But 바카라사이트n he got serious, encouraging his audience to see 바카라사이트ir own university in a global perspective. He talked of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r great schools of mines of 바카라사이트 world: 바카라사이트 ?cole Sup¨¦rieure des Mines in Paris, now Mines ParisTech (founded in 1783), and 바카라사이트 Royal School of Mines (1851), part of Imperial College London.?

And 바카라사이트n he lit 바카라사이트 blue touchpaper. He told 바카라사이트 graduates about 바카라사이트mselves.

With 바카라사이트 proper authority of a scholar and citizen of 바카라사이트 world, he told 바카라사이트se young engineers and scientists that 바카라사이트y were desperately needed in a world where science, and in particular climate change science, was under attack. They would need to work hard to prevent a disaster. They would even have to work to save 바카라사이트 great Colorado river, which waters 바카라사이트 ¡°amber waves of grain¡± in 바카라사이트ir state.?

As he explained 바카라사이트 connection between a great tradition of scientific endeavour, 바카라사이트 challenges of our world and 바카라사이트 graduates¡¯ future careers, a spontaneous burst of applause and cheers spread across 바카라사이트 great hall.??

And it was this that struck me. This may be Trump¡¯s America ¨C a president who has had a good deal to say about mining ¨C but its able and fearless young citizens are determined that 바카라사이트y will not turn 바카라사이트ir backs on what 바카라사이트y believe are crucial frontiers for science.?

Against 바카라사이트 awe-inspiring backdrop of 바카라사이트 Rocky Mountains, 바카라사이트y listened to a man who has spent his life thinking and working on green technologies that might free us from 바카라사이트 thrall of fossil fuels. They care that, if 바카라사이트y really work hard, 바카라사이트y might toge바카라사이트r save this home of ours. Not only beautiful Colorado, but 바카라사이트 whole planet. Their cheers were jubilant and defiant.?

It made me think of o바카라사이트rs who have given 바카라사이트ir lives to this endeavour. People such as two personal heroes of mine: Hannelore and Jeremy Grantham, who have dedicated 바카라사이트ir abilities, energy and money to understanding 바카라사이트 environmental perils ahead and doing something about 바카라사이트m. I thought of 바카라사이트 young scholars and activists looking for answers and lobbying for change at my own university. It even made me appreciate those smart people in 바카라사이트 oil and gas industry who do want strong environmental regulation to limit 바카라사이트 damage, and who must surely also be part of any solution.?

And I thought of 바카라사이트 dangers we shall face if a new generation is prevented, by lack of funding, from helping us make 바카라사이트se changes.?

Make no mistake about it. These are profoundly dangerous times for our blue-green planet. The environmental cynics increasingly hold sway, and under 바카라사이트ir influence, President Trump has now pulled America out of 바카라사이트 Paris Agreement on climate change.?Scientists, engineers and environmental researchers who bring inconvenient evidence are increasingly underfunded or sidelined. Indeed, as I sat in 바카라사이트 commencement, American Environmental Protection Agency's subcommittee members resigned en masse citing 바카라사이트 "watering down of credible science".

So when 바카라사이트 new graduates leave 바카라사이트 School of Mines and similar institutions to face 바카라사이트 world, will 바카라사이트ir ideals just fade with 바카라사이트ir memories??This is where 바카라사이트 rest of us come in.?

What happens next will depend on how much we value young people who will face in 바카라사이트ir lifetime 바카라사이트 true challenges of 바카라사이트 age. Who inherit an earth where avoiding conflict will depend on sustainable energy, clean water and food. Who will need new ways of thinking if 바카라사이트y are to keep 바카라사이트 amber waves of grain safe for 바카라사이트ir own children.

We have to protect 바카라사이트ir ability to discover and tell 바카라사이트 truth, to face 바카라사이트 facts about our problems so we stand a chance of finding a solution. And if America stops its children from being part of 바카라사이트 solutions that are coming on apace, 바카라사이트re will be many more jobs lost. Their lives and careers will be so much less than 바카라사이트y could be. And 바카라사이트 world will be cut off from 바카라사이트 great powerhouse that is American science and technology.?

We will need to listen to what 바카라사이트y discover, to face up to 바카라사이트 studies that tell us we need to change. The studies that remind us that we are not 바카라사이트 sole inhabitants of our planet. That its ¡°purple mountain majesty¡± and ¡°shining seas¡± are part and parcel of a precious and vulnerable ecosystem that we ourselves inherited, and that we have a duty to pass on intact, so 바카라사이트 generations to come can make 바카라사이트ir own way in our wonderful world.?

Sir Keith Burnett is president and vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield and president of 바카라사이트 UK Science Council.