Ithaca, New York, USA
November 22, 2013
Farmers, gardeners and students have a new place to learn about climate change and how to be part of the solution.
The website, climatechange.cornell.edu, is a one-stop shop for everything climate change says David Wolfe, faculty fellow at Cornell University’s Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future and chair of the center’s Climate Change Task Force.
“The Northeast is already feeling the effects of climate change,” notes Wolfe. “There are so many people at Cornell working on practical solutions to these challenges – from research in agriculture to economics, engineering to social sciences, and Cooperative Extension’s work with farmers and communities. Our website will help the public engage with the expertise at Cornell to put these solutions into practice.”
At the core of the site is a searchable directory of climate change research and outreach programs at Cornell with summaries, contact information, and links to more information. In addition, issue-specific pages to help farmers, local government officials, youth educators, and others connect with Cornell’s research-based resources and tools for reliable information.
“Our ultimate goal is to explain the science of climate change so that everyone can understand how it affects their lives, and can start to make changes,” commented Allison Chatrchyan, director of Cornell’s new Institute for Climate Change and Agriculture.
One of Chatrchyan’s favorite features of the site is the frequently updated “What’s with the Weather?”
“We relay information from the Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell that helps explain recent weather events within the context of climate change,” she says. “It’s the kind of timely research-based information that you can share around the water cooler when the conversation inevitably turns to weird weather.”
Additional features include:
- A Climate Forum column, where Cornell experts explain their research for the public or a current issue in the news.
- Climate Change Q&A, where visitors can ask a Cornell expert to answer a burning question.
- Climate change videos
- News updates focusing on how the Cornell community is addressing climate change issues
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