Climate Conversations graphic

Climate Conversations

UC San Diego is actively planning for climate action and resiliency. Engaging in dialogue with the campus community is an integral part of the planning process to assess and determine needs, priorities and areas of opportunity. Join us at Climate Conversations to share your climate story, gain insight and inspiration from your peers, learn about available resources and help guide the goals and actions for a climate-ready UC San Diego.

Lunch provided. No RSVP needed unless noted.

Event Format

Audience

This event is designed for staff, students and faculty with all levels of climate change understanding – beginners, intermediate and advanced.

Spring Quarter 2024 Schedule

Meetings take place from noon to 1 p.m.

Noon to 12:20 p.m.: Activity Stations – Table Talk Walk
12:20 to 1 p.m.: Group Discussion – Conversation Theme of the Day

Date	Location	Theme of the Day
Week 2 – April 10	Bear Room, Price Center, 2^nd Floor	Decarbonization + Adaptation = Climate Resilience Presenters: Michelle Perez, Energy and Sustainability Manager Carrie Metzgar, Campus Sustainability Officer
WEEK 4 – April 24 Earth Week Special Edition noon to 1:30 p.m.	Hybrid Event: Join via Zoom or in person Register to receive Zoom link. Red Shoe Room, Price Center, 2^nd Floor	Campus Sustainability Panel Panelists: Mike Ferry, Program Director of Energy Storage Systems, Center for Energy Research Walt Kanzler, Senior Director, Project Quality Management Elizabeth Lin, Waste Management, Recycling & Sustainability Manager, Facilities Management Amanda Loeper, EH&S Specialist, Environment, Health & Safety Ingrid Stromberg, Associate Campus Planner, Campus Planning Kayla Tracy, Green Programs Student Intern, Utilities & Sustainability
WEEK 6 – May 8	Bear Room, Price Center, 2^nd Floor	Coping with Climate Anxiety Presenters: Carrie Metzgar, Campus Sustainability Officer Robert Marzio, PhD, Counselor, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

Date

Location

Theme of the Day

Week 2 – April 10

Bear Room, Price Center, 2^nd Floor

Decarbonization + Adaptation = Climate Resilience

Presenters:

Michelle Perez, Energy and Sustainability Manager
Carrie Metzgar, Campus Sustainability Officer

WEEK 4 – April 24

Earth Week Special Edition noon to 1:30 p.m.

Hybrid Event: Join via Zoom or in person

Red Shoe Room, Price Center, 2^nd Floor

Campus Sustainability Panel

Panelists:

Mike Ferry, Program Director of Energy Storage Systems, Center for Energy Research
Walt Kanzler, Senior Director, Project Quality Management
Elizabeth Lin, Waste Management, Recycling & Sustainability Manager, Facilities Management
Amanda Loeper, EH&S Specialist, Environment, Health & Safety
Ingrid Stromberg, Associate Campus Planner, Campus Planning
Kayla Tracy, Green Programs Student Intern, Utilities & Sustainability

WEEK 6 – May 8

Bear Room, Price Center, 2^nd Floor

Coping with Climate Anxiety

Presenters:

Carrie Metzgar, Campus Sustainability Officer
Robert Marzio, PhD, Counselor, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

Activity Station Descriptions

Climate Action Fellows host all activities. Complete all three activity stations and earn a prize!

Decarbonization Activity

The decarbonization activity station is an interactive choose-your-own-adventure story immersing readers in the world of UC San Diego's Central Utility Plant, offering branching paths that delve into sustainability topics crucial to the UC system, such as scope-level emissions and the important distinction between carbon free and carbon neutral. From understanding the intricate inner-workings of the plant’s steam turbines to learning about carbon initiatives students can engage with, readers can navigate through unique branching paths each time they play. Accompanied by fun custom sustainability-focused Wordle puzzles, this activity allows participants to explore their climate change impact while navigating a captivating narrative journey.

Climate Resilience Activity

The climate resilience activity station involves a survey conducted with the goal of understanding student, staff and faculty interaction with climate change on campus and beyond. In the wake of ongoing climate events, such as the extreme weather events Southern California experienced this past winter, acknowledging how climate change affects different people is important. Survey data will be used to determine student concerns and to provide a foundation for further policy surrounding climate resilience on campus.

Engagement and Equity

The engagement and equity activity station is a mood meter, recognizing the varying degree to which climate change affects our daily moods and feelings. This mood meter consists of three questions, with the option to provide additional comments. The questions will be aligned to the chosen discussion topic each week. The results are anonymous and will help Climate Conversations facilitators to understand where people’s emotions and understanding stand on all levels of campus affiliation (student, faculty, staff, etc.).

Past Events

Winter Quarter 2024

January 24, 2024: Introduction to the UC San Diego Decarbonization Study
February 21, 2024: Climate Hope vs. Doom and Gloom
March 6, 2024: Decarbonization Download