T H E EN VI RO N M EN TAL EAGL E November 2017
FEATURED STORIES HARVEST
Students Celebrate Autumn FEST Season at Harvest Fest 2017
Al Gore Talks Threat of 2017 Climate Change in Livestream Interview
Spotlight: As Leaves Fall, Prof. Jeffrey DaCosta Watches
OUR TEAM
This newsletter is a monthly publication by EcoPledge of Boston College. EcoPledge gave away pumpkins, wrote letters to Puerto Rico, and provided sustainable tips at Harvest Fest this year. Questions about our content? Contact us at ecopledge@gmail.com. Annual Harvest Fest Draws Hundreds of Students to Celebrate Fall Newsletter Team Christopher Russo, CSOM '19 Dozens of pumpkins lined pathies and well- wishes. Over the EcoPledge?s theme this year is En- O?Neill Plaza on Wednesday, Oct. course of the day, BC community vironmental Health is Human Christopher Joseph, MCAS '19 18 as a part of EcoPledge?s annual members wrote more than 100 Health. Alex Capoziello, MCAS '21 Harvest Fest celebration. The letters for Puerto Rico. There were also several off Beatriz Kauffmann, MCAS '21 event is held to commemorate the Several other groups were also campus organizations represented Eagle graphic courtesy of harvest and bring awareness to featured at Harvest Fest. Members at Harvest Fest, including L.L. Bean Zoe Fanning, MCAS '20 sustainability efforts on campus. of UGBC?s Environmental Caucus and Guayaki. Student reps for At the event, EcoPledge dis- were in attendance to discuss issues Guayaki gave out over 800 cans of tributed free pumpkins to students of sustainability with students, the its sustainably produced Yerba and provided a station for pumpkin representatives from Bike BC en- Mate tea over the course of the day. CONNECT painting. Students took photos in couraged students to get out and ?I would like to thank all or- the pumpkin patch and shared their bike in Boston with their free bike ganizations as well as students who creations with a special EcoPledge rental program, and faculty from attended this year," Kate Wein- Snapchat filter. the Environmental Studies De- gartner, co- president of EcoPledge EcoPledge also worked in col- partment shared information on and CSOM '18, said. "It was cer- /BCEcoPledge laboration with Congressman classes and programs for interested tainly a lot of fun. I would also like Joseph Kennedy?s office to send students. to remind students to continually letters of hope to those affected by An appearance by the Office educate themselves on the impact storm damage in Puerto Rico. Stu- of Health Promotion was especially their food habits make on both the dents wrote to express their sym- relevant this year, considering environment and their health.? @bcecopledge EVENTS THIS MONTH
Nov. 13 Real Food will host its annual Thanksgiving dinner Nov. 16 Rob Nixon, author and professor at Princeton at 6 p.m. in the first floor lounge of 2150. All are University, will discuss the relationship between welcome to enjoy the locally-sourced meal. accelerating rates of environmental change and rising rates of economic disparity at 7 p.m. in the Nov. 14 The Environmental Studies Program will sponsor a Murray Function Room at the Yawkey Athletics talk by Bill Ritter, former governor of Colorado, on Center. Nixon will specifically examine how rich climate change, energy policy, and his new book and poor communities experience the impacts of Powering Forward - What Everyone Should Know climate change differently. About America's Energy Revolution. The event will take place at 6 p.m. at the McMullen Museum. 2
Gore Dubs Climate Change 'Most Serious Crisis Ever Faced' in Livestream Interview
On Thursday, Oct. 26 the lutions is ?political will,? some- that are in the Paris Agreement for achieving reductions in the Environmental Caucus hosted a thing he has personally dealt with will not let Trump?s decision get emissions of pollutants. The cap- screening of The Inconvenient Se- for most of his life, especially in the way of progress, Gore said. and-trade system would be an in- quel: Truth to Power, the follow up during his time in the White He said that the U.S. is unable to direct tax, and it is already imple- documentary to An Inconvenient House. withdraw from the agreement mented in countries such as China Truth. Both films highlight former One of the main concerns before next year?s presidential and Canada where it shows a lot of vice president Al Gore?s efforts to from students was the way in election, since the process takes promise. teach others about the damaging which the U.S. will move forward three years. This gives hope for a Gore?s interview was also fo- effects of climate change. Before with conversations and action change in administration, he said. cused on proposing ways society the screening, the group watched about climate change in an ad- Gore also emphasized the can engage in the issue of climate a livestream interview with Gore. ministration that does not seem importance of both speaking up change and be a solution to this During the interview, Gore interested in addressing these is- for climate change and exercising global crisis, which is exactly what answered several questions posed sues. More specifically, students the right to vote and make choices the documentary is about. by students from universities were concerned with President that support environmental ac- An Inconvenient Sequel revolves across the country. He started off Donald Trump?s intent to pull out tions. He encouraged students to around the idea of climate change by calling the climate crisis ?the of the Paris Agreement, an accord spark conversations about climate as an imminent issue, highlighting most serious crisis ever faced by within the UN to curb carbon change and not let denial go un- the connections between climate humanity,? but said that solutions emissions. challenged. change and different problems the are very attainable. Gore said that he is worried He also discussed the idea of world has faced recently, such as Throughout the interview, about Trump?s decision but is implementing a carbon tax and extreme weather. It is also a exam- Gore discussed the importance of pleased with all the other coun- the cap- and- trade system, which ination of solutions to climate local efforts. He said that our tries that pledged to remain in the would help control pollution by change and how Gore has fought biggest challenge in attaining so- Paris Agreement. Cities and states providing economic incentives to have them implemented.
Photo Courtesy of the Office of University Advancement SPOTLIGHT
Professor Jeffrey DaCosta Encourages Students to 'Leaf Peep' During the Fall Season
Every year, fall foliage brings chlorophyll,? DaCosta said. tourists flocking to the forests of It?s the lack of chlorophyll New England. In Boston, we?re that brings out a tree?s autumn lucky to have these wonderful colors, and that?s what DaCosta?s landscapes in our backyard, but to students are studying, though some, the autumn leaves are more they?re more concerned with the than just a pretty sight. Jeffrey ?when,? rather than the ?how.? DaCosta, an assistant professor of Students in the class are each biology at Boston College, in- assigned two trees on campus. structs his students to record data Every week, they observe their about these natural processes, and trees, take photos, and record an the information they?re collecting estimated percentage of foliage might have great implications change and leaf loss. down the road. ?The idea is to develop a long As a biologist, most of Da- term data set so we can see how Costa?s work and research has these trees are changing this be- centered on evolutionary biology havior from year to year,? DaCosta and genomic sequencing. Now in said. his second year at BC, DaCosta is DaCosta expects to observe Red Maple (left) and Callery Pear (right) showing different stages of autumn coloring. teaching two biology courses: an the leaves changing later each advanced experience lab on evo- year, due to climate change. later this year. This phenomenon, cal shifts were to separate preda- lutionary genomics, and Ecology ?With climate change, we called a phenological shift, has tors from their prey or flowering and Evolution, a core biology expect the length of the growing great implications. plants from pollinating insects. course. season to increase,? he said. ?One particular worry about The theatre of ecological re- Students in DaCosta's Ecol- ?Things are getting warmer, climate change and these shifts is sponse to climate change stretches ogy and Evolution class are not which means in the springtime that not every species in the com- far outside BC, but the phenome- limited to just what they read in things should be happening ear- munity is responding in the same non of phenological shifting is the textbook. For the past two lier, and in the fall the trees should way,? DaCosta said. ?Species in the observable anywhere, and Da- years, DaCosta?s students have be able to hang on longer.? New England forest have a long Costa is working to document it been studying the phenology of Obviously it?s not possible to history of interacting with each right in our backyard. Some day, the trees on campus. detect a pattern yet, being as the other and evolving in the presence the data will serve as an authentic ?Phenology is the study of project is now only in its second of each other, and climate change testament to the effects of climate the timing of biological year, but when asked about the might be kind of throwing a change on the environment. In the events? whether it?s mating or general difference between this fall wrench in that.? meantime, students will continue migrating, or, in this case, trees in and fall 2016, DaCosta said that Entire ecosystems could observing and recording the sys- the fall stopping maintenance of peak foliage times are arriving change, for instance, if phenologi- tems around them.