Forging Connections
Leveraging the U.S. Agriculture Land-Grant University Extension System for Climate Science Outreach Education: The Case of Program for Local Adaptation to Climate Effects View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session James Henderson, Alison Rellinger
The U.S. Land-Grant University Cooperative Extension Service (CES) funded jointly by the U.S. Federal Government in cooperation with each U.S. State and each state’s county governments began in 1914 and focused on outreach education for agricultural production. University CES programs have adapted to address other disciplines including climate change. This is a necessity given the need for individual and community responses to climate change, but also a challenge given the political polarization of the subject, which can be a concern as CES systems require funding support from state and county governments decided by elected officials. The political polarization also creates a challenge for the approach and delivery of outreach education. An outreach education program focusing on coastal climate resilience called P.L.A.C.E. (Program for Local Adaptation to Climate Effects) is hosted by the Mississippi State University CES. This program works to increase access to relevant research, enhance application of research, stimulate dialogue around vulnerabilities, and provide resources to facilitate resilience and mitigation actions. The scholarly aspect of P.L.A.C.E. is the method of approach and delivery of the often politically polarized subject of climate change with the objective of maximizing understanding and acceptance resulting in responses with impacts. All Extension faculty have academic home departments within an agricultural or natural resource college. The extension faculty member that leads the P.L.A.C.E. program has an academic home in the School of Human Sciences to better support and develop novel methods of teaching and information delivery to increase acceptance and reduce refusal to accept.
Boundary Organizations: A Link between Research and Society View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Rochard Eric
Boundary organizations are structures that act as an interface between the researcher and actors from the society to co-create scientific responses to face the socio-environmental issues raised by the territories’ actors. In light of climate change, Ouranos, CCCA and Futurs ACT are working together with an objective of mobilising and accompanying a science-society project around the science of anticipation. Having observed the existing gap between the research world and society, it has become much more evident that there is a lack of linkages between researchers and society. Current socio-environmental challenges, which are shared by science, society and boundary organizations, could be faced by co-constructed projects and by mobilizing research tools. This dynamic at the interface between society and science is increasingly important as shown through the rise of participatory research projects. Hence, for 3 years now, the collaboration between Ouranos, FA, and CCCA has permitted the emergence of common questions. We focus on them through international webinars and participation in two international symposia. For example, as a part of the «European Climate Change Adaptation» in Dublin, we facilitated an exchange between boundaries organizations. Also, during the ‘‘Adaptation Future’’ symposium in Montreal, a large number of boundary organizations met around their mobilization’s strategies for anticipating climate change. By undoubtedly continuing the use of this same approach, we want to promote ostensibly our inclusive approach to science-society co-construction, which we reasonably believe is essential to address the anticipation of environmental and social challenges by strengthening the link between research and the society.
Climate Change Adaptation and Rights of Nature in Colombia: Case Study of Atrato River, Amazon Rainforest and Suriki State View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Violeta Velásquez
There is a failure of the governments to address the impacts of climate change. Therefore, it is urgent to develop an adaptive capacity for the present and future effects of climate change caused by anthropogenic factors. There is a fertile ground for adaptation strategies based on climate litigation and measures of responsibility. Litigants can enhace their access to justice mechanisms looking for effective remedies related to human rights and the environment. Colombia is one of the most mega biodiverse countries in the world and it has a constitutional duty to protect the environment. Colombian national courts have developed a tendency in their judicial decisions to declare a legal personality of nature and its elements to shape remedies to develop adaptation climate measures to conserve ecosystems and their biodiversity to increase their resilience and adaptive capacity. The recognition of the legal personhood and rights of nature in Colombia has produced an advance in environmental policies and human rights. The cases of the Atrato River and the Amazon Rainforest are a clear example of how climate justice contributes to the implementation of adaptation measures based on the conservation of ecosystems. Nevertheless, other modalities of environmental protection are emerging through the implementation of the figures of protected areas, which do not involve a judicial decision but rather are driven by private initiatives. The implementation of protected areas is a highly effective measure to conserve nature, since it increases resilience, strengthens adaptive capacity, and reduces vulnerability to the impacts of climate change.
