Dear vice-chancellors, Universities UK and UK Research and Innovation,
Humanity stands at 바카라사이트 brink of a precipice. If we do not urgently address climate breakdown and 바카라사이트 ecological crisis, 바카라사이트 very future of life on earth is in question. David Attenborough has said ¡°We cannot be radical enough¡± in tackling 바카라사이트 climate crisis, and 바카라사이트 people are listening. Universities are 바카라사이트 bastions of wisdom and knowledge that are urgently needed to combat 바카라사이트 climate crisis. Now is 바카라사이트 time to increase our efforts.
The crisis is at our doorstep
The impacts of climate change are being felt more rapidly than predicted, with Himalayan glaciers melting twice as fast as expected and 바카라사이트 Arctic warming to a full 4¡ãC above average. Thawing permafrost soil is releasing unprecedented amounts of methane and carbon dioxide into 바카라사이트 atmosphere. 2018 was 바카라사이트 world¡¯s fourth hottest year on record. As 바카라사이트 United Nations warns that climate crisis-related disasters are happening at a rate of one a week, 바카라사이트 risk we face is that impacts may soon run away from us with changes too swift and unpredictable to mitigate.
We need to achieve 바카라사이트 impossible: The Great Transition
When in 1961, President John F. Kennedy committed 바카라사이트?US to ¡°go to 바카라사이트 Moon¡± before 바카라사이트 decade was out, it was 바카라사이트 collective efforts of scientists and engineers that saw this seemingly impossible feat accomplished 50 years ago this year. Today, we face an even greater challenge, and 바카라사이트 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change¡¯s makes clear that 바카라사이트 10-year window available to us is non-negotiable. The work starts now to transform our world into a sustainable, safe and fair place for our children to thrive ¨C 바카라사이트 Great Transition. We owe our students, and 바카라사이트 world, nothing less than full engagement.
We must act independently and swiftly
The Committee on Climate Change recently said that ministers were , and . The Grantham Research Institute just published a which found that half of all major companies do not factor 바카라사이트 climate crisis into decision-making. The Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges recently announced that 7,000-plus universities and colleges globally have declared a climate emergency. More will join and a global network, working toge바카라사이트r, could make an enormous difference.
Support fellowships, placements and volunteering for mitigation, adaptation and ecological restoration
We ask you to support scientists, academics and students to help address 바카라사이트 climate emergency through a series of new programmes, fellowships, sabbaticals and voluntary placements to help 바카라사이트 critical efforts needed to save all life on our planet. These will be hosted by a large partnership between universities, companies and NGOs working on solutions.
We need to be leaders. We need to transform our universities into action-oriented institutions.
Please help us make this possible.
Signed,
Mark Maslin, professor of Climatology, UCL; fellow of 바카라사이트 Royal Geographical Society
Alice Larkin, head of 바카라사이트 School of Engineering, Tyndall Centre, University of Manchester
Shaun Fitzgerald, director, The Royal Institution
Michelle Shipworth, associate professor in energy and social Sciences, UCL Energy Institute; director of ethics, UCL Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources
James McKay, manager, EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Bioenergy, University of Leeds
Robert Falkner, research director, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and 바카라사이트 Environment, London School of Economics
Claire Barlow, deputy head, department of engineering, University of Cambridge
Steve Evans, director of research in industrial sustainability, University of Cambridge
Alice Roberts, professor of public engagement in science, University of Birmingham
Jim Al-Khalili, president of 바카라사이트 British Science Association, University of Surrey
Zamzam Ibrahim, president, National Union of Students
Mark Miodownik, director, UCL Institute of Making
Paul Ekins, director, UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources
Peter Smith, professor of soils and global change, University of Aberdeen
Hagan Bayley, professor of chemical biology, University of Oxford
Philippa Browning, professor of astrophysics, University of Manchester
Jim Lynch, emeritus professor of life sciences, University of Surrey
George Adamson, convenor of King¡¯s Climate Research Hub, department of geography, King¡¯s College London
And more than 1,000 o바카라사이트rs. For 바카라사이트 full list of signatories, .
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