It's always a good time to think about water ethics but it seems especially apropos this time of year when thoughts turn to goodwill towards all our sisters and brothers. Time for good cheer, too.
And environmental civics?
Check out this email from friend and journalist extraordinaire Cynthia Barnett (who is working on her seashell book):
I realized I should write you about one thing I'm doing at UF that I'm very excited about, which is joining a team of water scientists to inspire and train their incoming PhD cohort in the art of what we're calling Environmental Civics -- ie the kinds of things you're good at: telling the story of water, how to reach out to lawmakers and policy-makers, giving TED talks, writing op-eds and the like. There has been a lot of talk at UF about making this part of science PhD training, but this cohort will be the first time it's truly written into the mission. I thought you'd be particularly interested in this and if you want to know more about the cohort, which is devoted to high-latitude hydrology, the announcement is here.Of course if you have any students you think would like to work with someone like me as they study water science, send them my way and I can introduce them to any of the scientists they're interested in. deadline is 16 January.
From the website:
Environmental civics: Communications skills and civic engagement and outreach will be a key element of each student’s program and figure prominently in the experience. Each student will:
- Take two courses among several in these areas offered at UF, one in science/environmental communication for general audiences and another in leadership training, to develop core competencies in translating science to the general public, stakeholders and decision-makers;
- Complete a civic engagement activity such as service to Greenlandic communities, provide testimony at public hearings, take a policy maker to the field, or another activity of the students’ design that will help build students' capacity for public engagement and thought leadership;
- Complete an environmental civics product as part of their portfolio that could include traditional or innovative approaches such as a science-policy white paper; an article for general readers; a TED talk; or a short documentary film on the student’s area of research.
Get in touch with Cynthia: [email protected].
We need to expand this beyond just the PhD level.
Enjoy!
“I’m just trying to do my part to save the world.” - J. Cornell MIchel
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