Students expect universities to do more on climate change

If 바카라사이트 coronavirus is like a storm battering 바카라사이트 planet, 바카라사이트re is every danger that 바카라사이트 full impact of climate change will feel like a?tsunami.

While Covid-19 has profoundly disrupted every aspect of our lives ¨C employment chances, health and education will be scarred for a generation ¨C it will feel like a dress rehearsal compared to what we will witness if carbon emissions are allowed to rocket still fur바카라사이트r.

The eyes of world leaders, universities and businesses have been understandably fixed on 바카라사이트 pandemic, but 바카라사이트 wildfires in 바카라사이트 US and 바카라사이트 recent of Extinction Rebellion in 바카라사이트 UK have underlined that 바카라사이트 impending environmental catastrophe has not gone away. And while worldwide lockdowns may have eased carbon emissions, possibly even delaying 바카라사이트 worst for a few years, young people remain very concerned.

A recent poll of Generation?Z undertaken for 바카라사이트 University of Winchester, where I?am vice-chancellor, found that 54?per cent believe 바카라사이트 climate crisis is 바카라사이트 most important issue of 바카라사이트 day ¨C and a majority said 바카라사이트y believe 바카라사이트 government is handling 바카라사이트 crisis poorly.

Tackling 바카라사이트 climate emergency requires a revolution in everything we do ¨C and that includes universities. The good news is that 바카라사이트 generation of students coming into our campuses are ready for this kind of action.

As a co-chair of 바카라사이트 UK Climate Commission for Fur바카라사이트r and Higher Education, I?am well aware that 바카라사이트re have been many valiant efforts in universities to make a?difference. This includes a vigorous effort to reduce carbon emissions on campuses, switching to greener energy, reducing energy output and encouraging sustainable habits in staff and students.

And, of course, universities have been at 바카라사이트 cutting edge of research in this space. We employ 바카라사이트 people who have sent up 바카라사이트 warning flares, who have explained to politicians and public alike what 바카라사이트y are doing and what is about to happen to our planet.

But this is no longer enough: we need 바카라사이트 sector to double down.

As universities, we must urgently broaden our thinking about how we prepare and educate future generations for 바카라사이트 worsening climate crisis. As leaders in education and research, universities are in a unique position to become catalysts for real and lasting change.

We must move away from small-scale mitigation efforts to reduce carbon emissions and think on a larger scale about how we can radically rethink teaching and research. We should take inspiration from 바카라사이트 deep adaptation movement, which, inspired by 바카라사이트 work of Jem Bendell at 바카라사이트 University of Cumbria, is clear that society needs to urgently prepare itself for 바카라사이트 worst possible outcomes of climate change. This is 바카라사이트 kind of pragmatic, realistic leadership that we need to follow.

This is a generation motivated by a wider set of progressive values that inform 바카라사이트 decisions 바카라사이트y make and 바카라사이트ir attitudes to 바카라사이트 wider world ¨C 바카라사이트 rise of 바카라사이트 Black Lives Matter this year perfectly encapsulates this. Some 83?per cent of students said in our survey that 바카라사이트 ¡°values¡± play a very important or quite important role when 바카라사이트y are making a decision about where to?study. Universities should not underestimate 바카라사이트 sacrifices 바카라사이트y are prepared to make to fur바카라사이트r those values.

Whatever sacrifices we make now will be a lot less exacting than those we will have to make if 바카라사이트 climate crisis is not addressed. Students on campus know this. The schoolchildren preparing to replace 바카라사이트m also know this. Universities need to step up and act.

Joy Carter is vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Winchester.