tag:forum2021.nd.edu,2005:/newsForum 2021-22 | News2022-05-11T16:50:00-04:00tag:forum2021.nd.edu,2005:News/1455002022-05-11T16:50:00-04:002022-05-11T16:50:50-04:00Students choose this photo to sum up the theme of Notre Dame Forum<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">You know what they say about a picture’s worth.  </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">In a year when the</span></span>…</p><p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">You know what they say about a picture’s worth. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">In a year when the conversation across campus centered on sustainability — thanks to the 2021-22 Notre Dame Forum’s theme, “</span></span><a href="https://forum2021.nd.edu"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink:none">Care for Our Common Home: Just Transition to a Sustainable Future</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">” — a photograph on display at the </span></span><a href="https://sniteartmuseum.nd.edu"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink:none">Snite Museum of Art</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal"> spoke in a powerful way to what is at stake in the climate crisis debate.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">The photograph is a portrait of a Brazilian woman resting, cigarette in hand, nearly chest-deep in water on what looks to be a porch. The woman looks blasé, like this circumstance is her normal. The photo is by photographer </span></span><a href="https://gideonmendel.com/submerged-portraits/"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink:none">Gideon Mendel</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal"> and is part of his series “Drowning World: Submerged Portraits.”</span></span></p>
<figure class="image-right"><img alt="Hoyt Bridget" height="200" src="https://ndworks.nd.edu/assets/471119/200x/hoyt_bridget.jpeg" width="200">
<figcaption>Hoyt</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">The photograph was selected for acquisition by students in the Snite Museum’s PhotoFutures collaborative collecting group, which is tasked each year with choosing a piece of contemporary photography related to a current issue to add to the museum’s permanent collection. The group’s theme this year, “Water and the Global Environmental Crisis,” was selected to complement the ND Forum theme. </span></span><br>
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<span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">PhotoFutures is open to students in any major. This academic year, eight students, including a graduate student and an </span></span><a href="https://ili.nd.edu/program/fellows/"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink:none">Inspired Leadership Initiative</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal"> fellow, met in the fall to hear from faculty on the water crisis and discuss the merits of the photographs presented as acquisition options by </span></span><a href="https://sniteartmuseum.nd.edu/about-us/staff/bridget-hoyt/"><strong style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:700; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink:none">Bridget Hoyt</span></span></span></strong></a><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">, the museum’s curator of education for academic programs, and </span></span><a href="https://sniteartmuseum.nd.edu/about-us/staff/david-acton/"><strong style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:700; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink:none">David Acton</span></span></span></strong></a><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">, the curator of photographs. </span></span></p>
<figure class="image-right"><img alt="Acton David" height="200" src="https://ndworks.nd.edu/assets/471120/200x/acton_david.jpeg" width="200">
<figcaption>Acton</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">“Our collection is used for teaching, and this is an opportunity for them to determine what students 10 years, 25 years, 50 years from now might look at when they visit the museum,” Hoyt explained.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Senior political science and visual communication design double major </span></span><strong style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:700; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Claire Stein</span></strong><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal"> has been involved in PhotoFutures for two years. She said this opportunity has helped her understand</span></span><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal"> how art can illuminate world events and politics.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">“I so appreciated the chance to build community and participate in lively debates with art lovers of various ages and expertise levels over the course of the semester,” she said. “Most of all, I’m proud to be associated with such an important piece, now a permanent part of the Snite Museum’s already fantastic collection.”</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">As someone deeply concerned about climate issues, Stein hopes campus conversations about what can often become a politicized topic can acknowledge scientific facts and the urgency of the issue </span></span><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">—</span></span><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal"> an urgency highlighted in images like this year’s PhotoFutures selection.<br>
“At the same time, I would encourage participants in such conversations not to despair,” she said. “Humanity has persevered through many challenges we once believed to be insurmountable. Even if climate change forces humanity to adapt, I believe that we will somehow overcome the Armageddon of our era.”</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">The students are charged with selecting an image that meets three criteria: It must address the theme in a meaningful way, add aesthetic value to the Snite Museum’s collection and the story the collection can already tell, and support the mission of the University. These questions challenge students to interpret documentary photography like Mendel’s as a work of art and articulate why the piece belongs at Notre Dame’s art museum versus another museum.</span></span></p>
<figure class="image-right"><img alt="Claire" height="283" src="https://ndworks.nd.edu/assets/471121/200x/claire.jpeg" width="200">
<figcaption>Stein</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">“We have over 11,000 photographs in our collection,” Hoyt said. “Why do we need this one more?”</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">In their recommendation to the museum, the students wrote: “Within our group, [Francisca’s] direct confrontation of the camera inspired multiple interpretations: Is she resigned to surviving within the destruction of her home? Is she asserting her individuality in the face of catastrophic loss? Or is she representative of the global community, sitting idly by as climate change destroys our planet — our common home? Her gaze is steady but leaves us unsure. It forces us to turn a similar gaze upon ourselves, to think about how we participate in and react to climate change. Regardless of our differing interpretations, we agree that Francisca maintains a sort of nonchalance, reflecting the normalcy that the realities of climate change have acquired in our daily lives. We, too, sit still as we watch the waters rise.”</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Hoyt says the piece pairs well with another newly acquired piece at the museum, </span></span><a href="https://sniteartmuseum.nd.edu/exhibitions/past-exhibitions/2021-exhibitions/yinka-shonibare-and-notre-dame-forum-2021-22/"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink:none">Yinka Shonibare’s</span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal"> </span></span></a><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">2020 sculpture “Earth Kid (Boy),” which was on display in fall 2021. “We probably had 50 classes visit it last year,” she said, noting that the museum had faculty ask about exhibits related to sustainability that they could use for discussion in courses ranging from graduate-level classes on water policy to first-year writing and rhetoric classes. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">“It was really exciting for the museum.” </span></span></p>
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<p style="margin-bottom:9px; margin-top:24px"><strong style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:700; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Teaching and course development opportunities through the Snite</span></strong></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:16px"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Whether you need to research an object in more depth or are looking for visual connections, the Snite supports faculty whose own research interests connect to works of art in the museum’s collection. </span></span><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">The museum offers Notre Dame faculty from any discipline financial support to develop new courses or to augment or revise existing courses to place the museum’s collection, exhibitions and practices at the center of teaching and research. </span></span><a href="https://sniteartmuseum.nd.edu/learn/university/faculty/"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink:none">For information, go here</span></span></span></span></a></p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Melissa Jackson, for NDWorks</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://ndworks.nd.edu/news/students-choose-this-photo-to-sum-up-the-theme-of-notre-dame-forum/">ndworks.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">May 10, 2022</span>.</p>Melissa Jackson, for NDWorkstag:forum2021.nd.edu,2005:News/1450342022-04-25T08:00:00-04:002022-04-25T08:48:24-04:00Notre Dame joins EPA Green Power Partnership program<p>The EPA established the Green Power Partnership program in 2001 as a way to encourage organizations to use green energy, including wind, solar, hydro and geothermal, and to protect human health and the environment.</p><p style="margin-bottom:13px">The University of Notre Dame has joined the Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership program for organizations whose actions help to advance the use and development of new and existing sources of green energy.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:13px">The EPA established the Green Power Partnership program in 2001 as a way to encourage organizations to use green energy, including wind, solar, hydro and geothermal, and to protect human health and the environment.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:13px">The program has five goals:</p>
<ul>
<li style="margin-bottom: 13px;">Advance the American market for green power.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 13px;">Encourage the development of new U.S.-based renewable electricity sources.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 13px;">Reduce air emissions and pollution.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 13px;">Recognize leadership and impact in green power use.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 13px;">Support basic market principles and practices that serve all U.S. electricity customers.</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-bottom:13px"><span style="background:white">“We are proud to be recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a Green Power partner,” said Paul Kempf, assistant vice president for utilities and maintenance at Notre Dame. “Using green power is a key contributor to carbon reductions for the University as it continues working towards the goal of becoming a net-neutral campus by 2050.”</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:13px">Consistent with its Catholic values and mission, as well as the pope’s encyclical on climate change, Notre Dame has made a series of investments in clean energy over the past several decades, with the aim of meeting specific climate goals.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:13px">Notably, the University partnered with Indiana Michigan Power to develop a 210-acre solar farm in St. Joseph County in 2021, and will activate a new hydro facility on the St. Joseph River in downtown South Bend later this year.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:13px">The solar facility meets about 10 percent of the University’s overall electricity needs in the form of clean energy credits. The hydro facility will account for another 7 percent. Combined, the two projects will offset more than 10,000 pounds of carbon dioxide annually.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:13px">The University also maintains one solar array each atop Fitzpatrick and Stinson-Remick halls and next to a University-owned storage facility in South Bend, as well as a geothermal heating and cooling plant on the east side of campus for Dunne, Flaherty and McCourtney halls. And it partners with a local dairy to convert food waste from catering and dining operations to clean, renewable energy.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:13px">The University stopped burning coal in 2019, a year ahead of schedule.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:13px">The University’s green power use is equivalent to the electricity use of more than 1,000 average American homes annually, according to the EPA, not accounting for the soon-to-be-completed hydro facility.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:13px">And that’s just on the generation side.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:13px">The University also works to conserve energy through ongoing investments in green infrastructure, with a commitment to LEED certification of all new buildings on campus, and by encouraging and incentivizing the campus community to be more mindful of electricity use.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:13px">Caitlin Jacobs is the s<span style="background:white">ustainability program manager in the <a href="https://green.nd.edu/">Office of Sustainability</a> at Notre Dame, where, among other things, she is responsible for efforts to measure and reduce the University’s greenhouse gas inventory and contribute to progress on key regional climate concerns.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:13px"><span style="background:white">“We are grateful to join this community of practice as we work together to build a more just and sustainable future,” Jacobs said of the Green Power Partnership. “The EPA provides a wellspring of educational and community-oriented resources, which strengthen our ability to care for our common home.”</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:13px">As of 2020, more than 700 organizations were part of the Green Power Program, accounting for some 70 billion kilowatt-hours of green power annually. These include a variety of leading Fortune 500 companies, as well as small- and medium-sized businesses; local, state and federal governments; and colleges for universities.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:13px">For more on Notre Dame’s overall sustainability strategy, visit <a href="https://green.nd.edu/">green.nd.edu</a>.</p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Erin Blasko</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/notre-dame-joins-epa-green-power-partnership-program/">news.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">April 22, 2022</span>.</p>Erin Blaskotag:forum2021.nd.edu,2005:News/1448862022-04-19T08:00:00-04:002022-04-19T08:10:42-04:00Conversations sparked by 2021-22 Notre Dame Forum will last far longer than a year<p>Global warming, climate change, just transition and sustainability are hardly new topics on campus. For years, various groups of academics, administrators, students and staff at the University of Notre Dame have faithfully tackled questions related to these subject matters through campus events and…</p><p>Global warming, climate change, just transition and sustainability are hardly new topics on campus. For years, various groups of academics, administrators, students and staff at the University of Notre Dame have faithfully tackled questions related to these subject matters through campus events and initiatives, coursework, clubs, strategic plans, research pursuits and working groups. <br>
<br>
This academic year, these conversation threads and pockets of activity across campus — and around the world — were drawn together in an unprecedented way through the <a href="https://forum2021.nd.edu/">2021-22 Notre Dame Forum</a>’s theme, “Care for Our Common Home: Just Transition to a Sustainable Future.” <br>
<br>
“This year’s Notre Dame Forum theme resonated so strongly, building bridges across campus,” said <a href="https://biology.nd.edu/people/jennifer-tank/"><strong>Jennifer Tank</strong></a>, director of the Notre Dame Environmental Change Initiative and the Ludmilla F., Stephen J. and Robert T. Galla Professor of Biological Sciences, who was among the forum’s planners. “I was amazed at the diversity of activities — everyone found a thread of inspiration which made for a tapestry of events that enriched our Notre Dame community in ways we never could have predicted.”<br>
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More than 40 events filled the calendar for Notre Dame Forum — which drew on Pope Francis’ call to action in his encyclical Laudato Si’ — illuminating efforts already underway on campus, amplifying and expanding ongoing conversations and serving as a <a href="https://ndworks.nd.edu/news/encyclical-inspires-faculty-to-work-together-to-save-our-common-home/">catalyst for promising new partnerships and initiatives</a>.<br>
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One such forum-inspired initiative concerns the newly formed <a href="https://forum2021.nd.edu/events/2022/06/17/the-catholic-university-environmental-justice-and-research-for-a-sustainable-future/">Consortium of Catholic Universities (CCU)</a>. The CCU, initiated by Notre Dame International, is made up of 10 Catholic universities around the world and will launch June 16-18 at Notre Dame’s Rome Global Gateway with a conference focused on “The Catholic University, Environmental Justice, and Research for a Sustainable Future.” Co-sponsored by Notre Dame International, the Office of Research, the Tantur Ecumenical Institute and the Nanovic Institute for European Studies, the conference will focus on promoting sustainability through research, student learning and sharing best practices. “The CCU’s inaugural conference is very much a forum-inspired event,” noted<strong> </strong><a href="https://www.nd.edu/about/leadership/council/rev-robert-a-dowd-c-s-c/"><strong>Rev. Robert Dowd</strong>, <strong>C.S.C.</strong></a>, vice president and associate provost for interdisciplinary initiatives. <br>
<br>
“My hope is that the CCU’s collaborative efforts on sustainability issues will continue well into the future,” Father Dowd said. <br>
<br>
Notre Dame Forum provided a platform for the University to announce its commitment to become a <a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/notre-dame-commits-to-carbon-neutrality-by-2050/">carbon neutral campus by 2050</a> through an aggressive decarbonization plan that includes continued investment in geothermal, solar and hydroelectric fuel sources; emerging technologies; and conservation efforts. <br>
<br>
Through the 2021-22 Forum, the University also:</p>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Welcomed <a href="https://forum2021.nd.edu/events/2021/10/28/academic-convocation-and-honorary-degree-conferral-on-his-all-holiness-ecumenical-patriarch-bartholomew-i/#livestream">His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch, to campus</a>. His All-Holiness received an honorary degree from the University and offered an address on environmental sustainability and the COVID-19 pandemic.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Invited an audience of alumni and friends into the campus conversation through an interactive virtual series, <a href="https://think.nd.edu/registration-gd/">“Global Dialogues: The Worsening Water Crisis,”</a> from locations around the world. The series was presented by Notre Dame International and ThinkND. </li>
<li aria-level="1">Brought together <a href="https://forum2021.nd.edu/news/faculty-mobilize-to-meet-popes-call-to-care-for-our-common-home/">faculty from 17 departments and all seven colleges and schools</a> to discuss the encyclical and opportunities for teaching and research collaborations on sustainability initiatives. </li>
<li aria-level="1">Inspired units on campus to find new ways to engage in sustainability efforts. For instance, Notre Dame International formed a working group to identify ways to increase the sustainability of international operations, programs and facilities. </li>
<li aria-level="1">Convened an international panel of scholars for a <a href="https://nanovic.nd.edu/events/2021/09/08/flash-panel-fires-and-floods-climate-change-in-europe/">flash panel to discuss the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report </a>released in August. This landmark report captured international attention by painting a bleak picture of the planet’s future, warning that hotter global temperatures are now unavoidable.</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p>“Throughout this academic year we have deepened our understanding of the global climate crisis and renewed our commitment to be more caring of our common home and of one another,” Father Dowd said. “We have become increasingly aware that all too often the poorest and most vulnerable people in our midst, whether near or far, are affected disproportionately by short-sighted policies and practices that pillage and pollute our planet. <br>
<br>
“We have learned about the important work that our students, faculty, staff and alumni do to promote greater respect for human dignity and the integrity of all creation. We have also come to recognize we have much more work to do in order to appropriately care for all of God’s people and the planet that is our common home.”<br>
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One thing made clear during this year’s Notre Dame Forum is that caring for the planet and its people takes action on the part of each of us, whether that be through research, scholarship or sustainability efforts. Help where and how you are best able. There are several places to get involved. Here are just some of the offices, laboratories and initiatives at Notre Dame with work directed to care of our common home:</p>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://civicinnovation.nd.edu/">Center for Civic Innovation</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="http://cest.nd.edu/">Center for Environmental Science and Technology</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://socialconcerns.nd.edu/">Center for Social Concerns</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://ceees.nd.edu/">Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://environmentalchange.nd.edu/">Environmental Change Initiative</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://sites.nd.edu/ehum/">Environmental Humanities Initiative</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://underc.nd.edu/">Environmental Research Center</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://gain.nd.edu/">Global Adaptation Initiative</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://reilly.nd.edu/graduate-programs/globes-certificate/">GLOBES Certificate Program</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://ndias.nd.edu/">Institute for Advanced Study</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://environmentalchange.nd.edu/resources/nd-leef/">Linked Experimental Ecosystem Facility</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://energy.nd.edu/minor/">Minor in Energy Studies</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/departments-programs/undergraduate-programs/minor-in-environmental-earth-sciences/">Minor in Environmental Earth Sciences</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://sustainabilitystudies.nd.edu/">Minor in Sustainability</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://energy.nd.edu/">ND Energy</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://green.nd.edu/">Office of Sustainability</a></li>
</ul>Melissa Jackson for NDWorkstag:forum2021.nd.edu,2005:News/1443662022-03-28T08:00:00-04:002022-03-28T08:13:49-04:00Environmental activist Sharon Lavigne to receive Notre Dame’s 2022 Laetare Medal<p>Sharon Lavigne, an environmental justice activist, will receive the University of Notre Dame’s 2022 <a href="https://laetare.nd.edu/">Laetare Medal</a> — the oldest and most prestigious honor given to American Catholics — at Notre Dame’s 177th <a href="https://commencement.nd.edu/">University Commencement Ceremony</a> on May 15 (Sunday).</p><p>Sharon Lavigne, an environmental justice activist, will receive the University of Notre Dame’s 2022 <a href="https://laetare.nd.edu/">Laetare Medal</a> — the oldest and most prestigious honor given to American Catholics — at Notre Dame’s 177th <a href="https://commencement.nd.edu/">University Commencement Ceremony</a> on May 15 (Sunday).</p>
<p>Lavigne is the founder and director of Rise St. James — a faith-based grassroots organization fighting for environmental justice in St. James Parish, Louisiana. A retired special education teacher, she has lived her entire life in St. James Parish and has watched the region transform from idyllic farmland into an embattled community living in the shadow of the petrochemical industry and plagued by industrial pollution.</p>
<p>“Through her tireless activism, Sharon Lavigne has heeded God’s call to advocate for the health of her community and the planet — and to help put an end to environmental degradation which so often disproportionately victimizes communities of color,” said Notre Dame President <a href="https://president.nd.edu/about/">Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.</a> “In awarding her the Laetare Medal, Notre Dame recognizes her leadership and her courage as a champion of the environment, a voice for the marginalized and a steadfast servant of our creator.”</p>
<p>Located between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, St. James Parish is in the midst of an area nicknamed Cancer Alley, an 85-mile stretch of land along the Mississippi River that has more than 150 petrochemical plants and refineries. Thirty-two of those plants are in St. James Parish alone and are highly concentrated in districts in which the majority of residents are both Black and lower income.</p>
<p>Even though cancer rates in the region are already up to 700 times that of the rest of the United States, corporations continue to seek to build and expand facilities there.</p>
<p>“The Civil Rights Act and the Louisiana Constitution are supposed to protect Black communities from this type of environmental racism. They have not in Cancer Alley,” Lavigne said. “Our agencies are rubber stamping every permit that comes across their desks.”</p>
<p>Although Lavigne never envisioned herself as an activist, she was inspired to create Rise St. James in 2018 when a plastics corporation received the greenlight to build another plant in St. James Parish — two miles from her home. At the time, many in her community believed that fighting against the proposed multibillion-dollar manufacturing facility was a lost cause. </p>
<p>“Why would they put the plant over here? Because they knew that people weren’t going to speak up,” Lavigne said. “And they were right. The people weren’t going to speak up. That’s when God touched me and told me to fight — and that’s what I did.”</p>
<p>Lavigne and the members of Rise St. James successfully campaigned against the construction of a plant proposed by Wanhua Chemical, organizing marches, speaking out at town hall and parish council meetings, partnering with other environmental justice organizations and producing signs, ads and reports on the negative health and environmental impact of the industry’s pollutants. In September 2019, Wanhua withdrew its land use application.</p>
<p>The group is currently working to stop construction of a $9.4 billion chemical plant, proposed by Formosa Plastics. </p>
<p>While Lavigne is attentive to the economic realities at play — and remembers the first plants being celebrated as an economic boon for the area — she asserts that her community should not have to sacrifice lives for their livelihood.</p>
<p>“When the first plant came in in the late 1960s, everybody welcomed it. We thought it was something nice coming to our little town,” she said. “Then more and more started to come. But we didn’t know those plants were going to poison us.</p>
<p>“What good are jobs if they spread cancer all over St. James Parish?”</p>
<p>For her efforts, Lavigne received the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2021 and has been named to the Forbes “50 over 50” impact list. She spoke at the Congressional Convening on Environmental Justice in Washington, D.C., in 2019 and welcomed Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan to St. James Parish last year. </p>
<p>A lifelong member of St. James Catholic Church, Lavigne said that her faith has buoyed her throughout her journey — and that her advocacy work has brought her closer to God.</p>
<p>“I know he has me here for a reason, so I want to do his will,” Lavigne said. “I want to do the work that he wants me to do. He put a fight in me that I can’t even explain. I’ve gotten closer to him. And I’m so glad I’m closer to him because now we can fight anything.”</p>
<p>The Laetare (pronounced lay-TAH-ray) Medal is so named because its recipient is announced each year in celebration of Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday in Lent on the Church calendar. “Laetare,” the Latin word for “rejoice,” is the first word in the entrance antiphon of the Mass that Sunday, which ritually anticipates the celebration of Easter. The medal bears the Latin inscription, “Magna est veritas et praevalebit” (“Truth is mighty, and it shall prevail”).</p>
<p>Established at Notre Dame in 1883, the Laetare Medal was conceived as an American counterpart of the Golden Rose, a papal honor that antedates the 11th century. The medal has been awarded annually at Notre Dame to a Catholic “whose genius has ennobled the arts and sciences, illustrated the ideals of the Church and enriched the heritage of humanity.”</p>
<p>Previous recipients of the Laetare Medal include Civil War Gen. William Rosecrans, operatic tenor John McCormack, President John F. Kennedy, Catholic Worker founder Dorothy Day, novelist Walker Percy, Vice President Joe Biden, Speaker of the House John Boehner, Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, labor activist Monsignor George G. Higgins, jazz composer Dave Brubeck, singer Aaron Neville and actor Martin Sheen.</p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Carrie Gates</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/environmental-activist-sharon-lavigne-to-receive-notre-dames-2022-laetare-medal/">news.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">March 27, 2022</span>.</p>Carrie Gatestag:forum2021.nd.edu,2005:News/1441872022-03-22T08:00:00-04:002022-03-22T08:05:33-04:00Notre Dame receives STARS Gold rating for sustainability achievements<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">The 2022 gold rating places Notre Dame, which had earned a silver rating with the previous report in 2017, among the top 23 percent of more than 680 reporting institutions across the world.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">The University of Notre Dame received a gold rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) in recognition of its sustainability achievements. Notre Dame improved its sustainability score through the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS).</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:16px; margin-top:16px"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">The 2022 gold rating places Notre Dame, which had earned a silver rating with the previous report in 2017, among the top 23 percent of more than 680 reporting institutions across the world.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:19px; margin-top:19px"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">With more than 900 participants in 40 countries, the STARS program is the most widely recognized framework in the world for publicly reporting comprehensive information related to a college or university’s sustainability performance. Participants report achievements in five overall areas: academics, engagement, operations, planning and administration, and innovation and leadership. </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:16px; margin-top:16px"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Using data from areas across the University including colleges, schools, Utilities, Notre Dame Research and Human Resources, the rating represents a campus-wide commitment to the goals set out in </span></span><a href="https://green.nd.edu/mission/strategy/"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink:none">Notre Dame’s Comprehensive Sustainability Strategy</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">. </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:16px; margin-top:16px"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">The gold rating is due to several areas of improvement, including an increase in the number of students graduating from sustainability-oriented programs, expanded peer-to-peer sustainability outreach programs, overall reduction of water consumption, an increase in the quality and quantity of sustainable building design and construction, a reduction in the total volume of greenhouse gas emissions compared to the previous reporting cycle, and multiple innovative projects unique to the campus community.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:16px; margin-top:16px"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">The report is compiled every three years by Notre Dame’s Office of Sustainability, although an extension was granted in 2020 due to pandemic-related factors. The University will go through the application process again in 2024 with the goal of improving our rating. The Office of Sustainability has worked alongside University partners to reduce emissions, conserve resources and increase awareness of sustainability. The University has seen a reduction in the University’s overall carbon footprint of 39 percent during that time period. Further reductions are expected as the University benefits from such projects as the new St. Joseph Solar Farm and the Notre Dame Hydroelectric Facility at Seitz Park in downtown South Bend. These and other projects continue to move the University on the path toward carbon neutrality by 2050.</span></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Donnetta McClellan</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/notre-dame-receives-stars-gold-rating-for-sustainability-achievements/">news.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">March 21, 2022</span>.</p>Donnetta McClellantag:forum2021.nd.edu,2005:News/1412892021-10-29T14:20:00-04:002021-10-29T14:20:44-04:00University of Notre Dame confers honorary degree on Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew<p>In an academic convocation at the University of Notre Dame’s Basilica of the Sacred Heart on Thursday evening (Oct. 28), His All-Holiness Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch, received an honorary degree from the University and offered an address on environmental sustainability and the COVID-19 pandemic. </p><p>In an academic convocation at the University of Notre Dame’s Basilica of the Sacred Heart on Thursday evening (Oct. 28), His All-Holiness Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch, received an honorary degree from the University and offered an address on environmental sustainability and the COVID-19 pandemic. The ecumenical patriarch was unable to give the commencement address to the University of Notre Dame class of 2020 as originally scheduled due to the pandemic.</p>
<p>Notre Dame President <a href="https://president.nd.edu/about/">Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C</a>., welcomed the ecumenical patriarch, saying it was a “historic moment in the life of Our Lady’s University” and an extraordinary honor for the Notre Dame family.</p>
<p>“The ecumenical patriarch is celebrated around the world for his commitment to interfaith dialogue, for his dedication to peace, for his defense of religious liberty, and for his support of migrants and all who are marginalized and for his witness that a crime in the name of religion is a crime against religion,” Father Jenkins said. “Patriarch Bartholomew is especially revered for his prophetic voice on the environment which equates love of the creator with devotion to his creation.”</p>
<p><span style="background:white">Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide, was elected the 270th archbishop of Constantinople and ecumenical patriarch in October 1991. His tenure has been highlighted by ecumenical and interreligious dialogue — including formal visits with Roman Catholic, Orthodox, other Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders — as well as efforts to promote religious freedom, human rights and protection of the environment.</span></p>
<p><span style="background:white">The convocation was convened by <a href="https://www.nd.edu/about/leadership/council/marie-lynn-miranda/">Marie Lynn Miranda</a>, the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost at the University of Notre Dame, and featured a concert in honor of the ecumenical patriarch, “Creation: From Adam to Salvation,” performed in Greek and English by the Archdiocesan Byzantine Choir.</span></p>
<p>In conferring the degree of doctor of laws honoris causa, Father Jenkins recognized His All-Holiness Bartholomew’s “steadfast Christian witness through three decades as the ecumenical patriarch.”</p>
<p>“For 30 years you have served on the ecumenical throne and have been a steadfast and inspired leader of Orthodox Christians worldwide and a remarkable light to all nations and peoples,” Father Jenkins said. “You have been courageous in your call for unity among Christians, for eternal respect among all women and men and a shared commitment to the common good. You have been profoundly and particularly prophetic in your call for protection of the environment, leading the world’s institutions and religious communities to greater sensitivity in action on behalf of our common home, and we cannot fail to acclaim your leadership on behalf of the fundamental right of religious freedom.”</p>
<p>The ecumenical patriarch addressed an audience of Notre Dame students, faculty and staff, as well as hierarchs of the Orthodox Church and members of the delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, on the global challenges of climate change and the coronavirus pandemic. </p>
<p>Both crises, he said, present not only an unprecedented problem, but an unparalleled opportunity — and that the role of the Church is paramount.</p>
<p>“It is an important but humbling lesson that the Church has learned during this time: Namely, that religion must function and serve in connection with — and never in isolation from — science,” the ecumenical patriarch said. “Faith alone will not overcome the problems of our time, but the challenges of our time will certainly not be overcome without faith. Research and medicine are gifts from God; they supply answers to the question ‘how?’ Faith and theology are also gifts from God; they provide responses to the question ‘why?’” </p>
<p>Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew also spoke of the “ecumenical imperative” of the Church’s response, stating that faith leaders are called to cooperate with leaders in the scientific and academic worlds, as well as the corporate and political domains.</p>
<p>“This interconnectedness reminds us that the earth unites us beyond any doctrinal, social or cultural differences,” he said. “The power of ecumenical dialogue lies in opening up beyond ourselves and our own interests, beyond our confessions or religions. It means learning to speak the language of care and compassion. And creation care brings us divided, insulated believers before a common task that we must face together.”</p>
<p>The convocation concluded with a benediction from the ecumenical patriarch and the singing of “Notre Dame, Our Mother” by the Notre Dame Liturgical Choir. Before the benediction, the ecumenical patriarch offered a charge to Notre Dame students.</p>
<p>“And on this journey, it is you — college students — that offer us the optimism that we so yearn for: the readiness to accept change and sacrifice, the capacity to overcome polarization and partisanship, the conviction to be catalysts of social and ecological justice, as well as — quite frankly — the opportunity to save democracy and our planet. May God grant your generation the necessary wisdom and courage to continue leading this charge and mandate.”</p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Carrie Gates</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/university-of-notre-dame-confers-honorary-degree-on-ecumenical-patriarch-bartholomew/">news.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">October 29, 2021</span>.</p>Carrie Gatestag:forum2021.nd.edu,2005:News/1407512021-10-07T14:00:00-04:002021-10-07T14:04:42-04:00Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to speak at Notre Dame, receive honorary degree<p><span style="background:white">His All-Holiness Bartholomew I, Orthodox Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch, who was not able to offer the commencement address to the University of Notre Dame Class of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will travel to the campus Oct. 28 to receive an honorary degree from the University at an academic convocation and deliver an address on environmental stewardship.</span></p><p><span style="background:white">His All-Holiness Bartholomew I, Orthodox Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch, who was not able to offer the commencement address to the University of Notre Dame Class of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will travel to the campus Oct. 28 to receive an honorary degree from the University at an academic convocation and deliver an address on environmental stewardship. </span></p>
<p><span style="background:white">“Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is one of the world’s most eminent and courageous religious leaders, and we are deeply honored that he will visit Notre Dame and receive an honorary degree,” Notre Dame President <a href="https://president.nd.edu/about/">Rev.</a></span><a href="https://president.nd.edu/about/"> John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.</a>, said. “The spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox Christians worldwide, he has been an inspiration for all humankind, especially on the themes of environmental care, support for migrants and religious liberty. The University of Notre Dame warmly welcomes His All-Holiness as a brother in Christ.”</p>
<p><span style="background:white">The convocation will be held in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at 5:15 p.m., and in addition to the Ecumenical Patriarch’s address, will feature the Archdiocesan Byzantine Choir performing “Creation: From Adam to Salvation,” composed and led by Georgios Theodoridis, Archon Music Instructor of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, in honor of His All-Holiness. </span></p>
<p><span style="background:white">The Ecumenical Patriarch is the spiritual leader of 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide, with a church history that dates to the Day of Pentecost and the early Christian communities. The apostle Andrew founded the church in A.D. 36 in the city then known as Byzantium, later Constantinople and today Istanbul.</span></p>
<p><span style="background:white">Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was elected the 270th archbishop of Constantinople and ecumenical patriarch in October 1991. His tenure has been highlighted by ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue — including formal visits with Roman Catholic, Orthodox, other Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders — as well as efforts to promote religious freedom, human rights and protection of the environment. </span></p>
<p><span style="background:white">Known as the “Green Patriarch,” he has said: “For human beings to destroy God’s creation, degrade the integrity of the earth and contaminate the planet’s waters, land and air — all of these are sins.”</span></p>
<p><span style="background:white">The recipient of 35 honorary degrees, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was honored in 1997 with the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award bestowed by the U.S. Congress.</span></p>
<p><span style="background:white">Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s visit to the United States this fall, his first in 12 years, marks the 30th anniversary of his election as Ecumenical Patriarch. The Apostolic Visit will inaugurate the Centennial Celebration of the founding of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America which will be observed next year across the country. In addition to his visit to Notre Dame, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will meet with President Joe Biden and other senior government leaders in Washington, D.C., and raise a cross on the rebuilt St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in New York, destroyed in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. He also will preside at a service at St. Andrews Greek Orthodox Church in South Bend.</span></p>
<p><span style="background:white">Born Demetrios Arhondonis in 1940 on the island of Imvros (today, Gökçeada, Turkey), Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew completed his undergraduate studies at the Theological School of Halki and graduate studies at the Pontifical Oriental Institute of the Gregorian University in Rome, the Ecumenical Institute in Bossey, Switzerland, and the University of Munich.</span></p>
<p><span style="background:white">Ordained to the diaconate in 1961 and to the priesthood in 1969, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew served as an assistant dean at the Theological School of Halki for four years, then was appointed personal secretary to the late Ecumenical Patriarch Demetrios. He also served as metropolitan (the leader of a diocese or archdiocese) of Philadelphia and the metropolitan of Chalcedon.</span></p>
<p><span style="background:white">The convocation is free and open to members of the University community but ticketed, and seating in the Basilica is limited. The convocation will be live-streamed. More information is available at </span><a href="http://go.nd.edu/ecumenical-patriarch" target="_blank"><span style="background:white">go.nd.edu/ecumenical-patriarch</span></a></p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Dennis Brown</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/ecumenical-patriarch-bartholomew-to-speak-at-notre-dame-receive-honorary-degree/">news.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">October 07, 2021</span>.</p>Dennis Browntag:forum2021.nd.edu,2005:News/1406382021-10-04T10:25:00-04:002021-10-04T10:29:09-04:00Pope Francis joins world faith leaders in urgent climate appeal ahead of COP26<p>In response to the "grave threat" of climate change, heads of the world's major religions united at the Vatican to issue an unprecedented joint appeal to government leaders at next month's United Nations climate summit, calling for "urgent, radical and responsible action" to drastically curb greenhouse…</p><p>In response to the "grave threat" of climate change, heads of the world's major religions united at the Vatican to issue an unprecedented joint appeal to government leaders at next month's United Nations climate summit, calling for "urgent, radical and responsible action" to drastically curb greenhouse gas emissions and for the world's wealthiest countries to lead in healing the planet.</p>
<p>The nearly 40 religious figures, among them Pope Francis, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Islamic, Jewish, Buddhist and Hindu leaders, also pledged to increase awareness of the climate crisis and actions to address it within their own congregations.</p>
<p>"We are currently at a moment of opportunity and truth. We pray that our human family may unite to save our common home before it is too late," the declaration read. "Future generations will never forgive us if we squander this precious opportunity."</p>
<p>"We have inherited a garden: we must not leave a desert to our children," the faith leaders wrote.</p>
<p>The joint statement, issued Oct. 4, the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, the <a href="https://www.ncronline.org/node/193098" target="_blank">patron saint of ecology</a>, outlined the expectations of the world's major religions — representing about half the global population — for the COP26 U.N. climate conference, set for Nov. 1-12 in Glasgow, Scotland.</p>
<p>"We plead with the international community, gathered at COP26, to take speedy, responsible and shared action to safeguard, restore and heal our wounded humanity and the home entrusted to our stewardship," the faith declaration said.</p>
<p>"We appeal to everyone on this planet to join us on this common journey, knowing well that what we can achieve depends not only on opportunities and resources, but also on hope, courage, solidarity and good will."</p>
<p>A portion of the statement was read at a "Faith and Science Toward COP26" ceremony at the Vatican, where faith leaders, all wearing masks, signed the document. Francis, who signed last, handed the appeal over to Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio and Alok Sharma of Britain, president of COP26. Officials from embassies to the Holy See from both nations, which are co-hosting the climate conference, worked with the Vatican <a href="https://www.ncronline.org/node/201381" target="_blank">to organize the statement</a>.</p>
<p>Sharma described the appeal as "a powerful call to action for the world." He called for an alliance of faith leaders, scientists and youth to "turn the tide" on climate change.</p>
<p>"Doing so requires us all to play our part, every country in every part of society mounting a global effort led by those most human qualities, reason and morality, the head and the heart," he said.</p>
<p>Each religious leader present spoke briefly about the need to protect the environment. Those unable to attend because of the coronavirus pandemic sent video messages. At the conclusion, each poured soil into a potted olive tree to be planted in the Vatican gardens. They met again in the afternoon to discuss how faith and science can work together to raise awareness and cooperate further.</p>
<p>In prepared remarks for the event, Francis said that the world's religious and spiritual traditions and science both stress the interconnectedness of our world. Recognizing the interrelations among species, he said, reveals not only the harmful effects of human activity on ecosystems, but also possible solutions.</p>
<p>"COP26 in Glasgow represents an urgent summons to provide effective responses to the unprecedented ecological crisis and the crisis of values that we are presently experiencing, and in this way to offer concrete hope to future generations. We want to accompany it with our commitment and our spiritual closeness," the pope said.</p>
<p>COP26 will be the first U.N. climate conference in two years. An <a href="https://www.ncronline.org/news/earthbeat/new-climate-pledges-fall-short-urgent-need-faith-leaders-say" target="_blank">abbreviated, virtual meeting</a> was held in December 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. This year's event is viewed as the most consequential climate summit since the 2015 COP21, which produced the landmark Paris Agreement in which the world's nations committed for the first time to cut emissions in an effort to limit global warming to 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels.</p>
<p>The faith leaders, who conferred throughout the year in multiple meetings with leading scientists, including Hoesung Lee, chair of the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said that "time is running out" and that this decade may be the last chance left "to restore the planet." </p>
<p>Average temperatures already have risen by more than 1 C and are on track to reach 2.7 C by the end of the century, based on countries' current greenhouse gas emission reduction commitments, according to a <a href="https://www.ncronline.org/news/earthbeat/climate-change-evidence-unequivocal-some-impacts-irreversible-report-says" target="_blank">recent IPCC report</a>. </p>
<p>"The degradation of our common home due to climate change is a symptom of deeper social ills," Joachim von Braun, president of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences told the gathering. "For this reason, it is essential that in addressing these challenges, science and faith combine forces."</p>
<p>Climate change solutions must include changes in consumption, technological breakthroughs and policies that recognize that human and ecosystem health are inextricably connected, the scientist said.</p>
<p>The religious leaders urged governments to "achieve net zero carbon emissions as soon as possible." Wealthier nations, which are the major emitters, must lead that effort, they said, as well as follow through on long-promised financing— $100 billion annually through the Green Climate Fund — to help less-industrialized nations curb emissions and adapt to climate change.</p>
<p>They also urged developed nations to commit to "loss and damage" payments to less-industrialized countries for climate-related destruction that has already occurred.</p>
<p>They advocated a new economic model that prioritizes human dignity, inclusivity, ecologically friendly practices over exploitation and excess, and "one based not on endless growth and proliferating desires, but on supporting life."</p>
<p>The statement also called for special attention to the rights of Indigenous peoples, an end to biodiversity loss, responsible financing by banks and investors, and a just transition to a clean energy economy, with particular attention to employment for people working in the fossil fuel industry.</p>
<p>Calling climate change a moral issue, they stressed the importance of education and the "crucial" role of religious traditions in bringing about an "ecological conversion" among all people.</p>
<p>The faith leaders also pledged to more active political participation on environmental issues, and to take actions within their own communities to reduce emissions, pursue sustainability in their buildings and properties, encourage simpler lifestyles, seek out ethically produced goods and services, and apply environmentally and socially responsible standards to investments, including shifting from fossil fuels to renewable energy.</p>
<p>An interfaith program called "Faith Plans for People and the Planet," aimed at leveraging religious groups' assets and investments, was also launched Oct. 4.</p>
<p>To involve Catholics, the Vatican is creating the <a href="https://www.ncronline.org/news/earthbeat/laudato-si-action-platform-launch-pushed-back-mid-november" target="_blank">Laudato Si' Action Platform</a>, a seven-year roadmap to sustainability for all types of Catholic institutions, from families and dioceses to hospitals and schools. </p>
<p>Religious leaders and institutions have increasingly <a href="https://www.ncronline.org/node/197798" target="_blank">turned attention to climate change</a> in recent years.</p>
<p>Climate negotiators have said Francis' encyclical "<em>Laudato Si'</em>, on Care for Our Common Home," along with statements from other faith leaders <a href="https://www.ncronline.org/node/112971" target="_blank">and the world's bishops</a>, had a positive influence on COP21 in 2015. The hope is that this new interreligious appeal will yield similar results in Glasgow.</p>
<p>More and more, the Vatican has emphasized the importance of a united religious voice on climate change. In November, the Vatican's council on interreligious dialogue<a href="https://www.ncronline.org/node/193788" target="_blank"> hosted a multi-day interfaith event</a> to mark the five-year anniversary of <em>Laudato Si'</em>. And in September, Francis joined Bartholomew and Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury in a<a href="https://www.ncronline.org/node/200771" target="_blank"> first-ever joint message on environmental sustainability</a> by the three Christian leaders.</p>
<p>Plans for the Oct. 4 faith appeal began in January. Since then, faith leaders have met eight times with scientists, including Lee of the IPCC and the heads of the Pontifical Academies of Sciences and Social Sciences.</p>
<p>Before the event, von Braun told EarthBeat he was "pleasantly surprised" with the faith leaders' openness to scientific advice and is optimistic the statement will deliver "a powerful message" to political leaders at COP26.</p>
<p>"This summit comes at a point in time when the world knows more, is concerned more and wants to see more action. And the people are moving together. That's why this new alliance between science and faith will matter at the COP," he said. </p>
<p><em>Published by National Catholic Reporter on October 4, 2021.</em></p>Brian Roewetag:forum2021.nd.edu,2005:News/1406852021-10-01T13:00:00-04:002021-10-05T13:36:05-04:00Taking care of our common home: St. Francis of Assisi's call to learn, pray, and act<p>Each year, the University of Notre Dame comes together to celebrate St. Francis of Assisi - patron saint of animals and ecology - and his lasting influence on the environmental objectives of both the global church and our campus. To commemorate his life and work, Notre Dame will host a series of events…</p><p>Each year, the University of Notre Dame comes together to celebrate St. Francis of Assisi - patron saint of animals and ecology - and his lasting influence on the environmental objectives of both the global church and our campus. To commemorate his life and work, Notre Dame will host a series of events in his name during the week of October 3, 2021. Some of the highlights include Mass in honor of St. Francis at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on Monday, October 4 and the Global Day of Action on Wednesday, October 6 in which students, faculty, staff and alumni are encouraged to perform an act of service - big or small. In his mind, environmental issues are inextricably linked to poverty, and the two cannot be separated. Several events will center on this intersection. </p>
<p>Since St. Francis of Assisi was declared the patron saint of animals and ecology on November 29, 1979, he has become an increasingly important inspiration for the evolving environmental movement in the Church and beyond. Francis grew up wealthy, but later gave up his worldly possessions to pursue a life of simplicity and solidarity with the poor. St. Francis also had a deep love for animals, the Earth, and was a promoter of peace. He is said to have preached to the birds, which you will see referenced in the Feast of St. Francis logo across campus throughout St. Francis week. His appreciation for nature was the foundation of his most widely known prayer, the Canticle of the Sun, and comes from his inner belief that the world is a divine gift from God to all of humanity. This Canticle was referenced in the opening line of Laudato Si’ by Pope Francis, and throughout the text:</p>
<p>“LAUDATO SI’, mi’ Signore” – “Praise be to you, my Lord”. In the words of this beautiful canticle, Saint Francis of Assisi reminds us that our common home is like a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us. “Praise be to you, my Lord, through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, and who produces various fruit with coloured flowers and herbs”. (Francis, Laudato Si’, 1)</p>
<p>Please join us in this call to learn, pray, and act for the Care of Creation. By celebrating St. Francis of Assisi next week, may we live like St. Francis did and emulate his love for our neighbor and the planet. </p>Caitlin Jacobs, Emma Hamiltontag:forum2021.nd.edu,2005:News/1401162021-09-14T11:00:00-04:002021-09-14T12:20:57-04:00‘Open your aperture’: Notre Dame Forum focuses on climate change, its moral impact and potential solutions<p>The event, titled “Call to Action: Crossing the Political Divide to Address Climate Challenges,” featured Anne Thompson and U.S. Sen. Chris Coons exploring the global climate crisis broadly while also focusing on changes big and small that could help turn the tide.</p><p>The University of Notre Dame opened the 2021 Notre Dame Forum on Friday (Sept. 10) with an announcement from President <a href="https://president.nd.edu/about/">Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.</a>, that the University has committed to reaching carbon neutrality by 2050 and by 2030 will reach a 65 percent reduction in carbon output based on 2005 levels.</p>
<p>NBC News’ chief environmental affairs correspondent, Anne Thompson, and U.S. Sen. Chris Coons, co-chair of the bipartisan Senate Climate Solutions Caucus, followed the announcement with a conversation about the many impacts of the global climate crisis along with potential political and social solutions.</p>
<p>The event, titled “Call to Action: Crossing the Political Divide to Address Climate Challenges,” featured Thompson and Coons exploring the global climate crisis broadly while also focusing on changes big and small that could help turn the tide.</p>
<p>Thompson, a Notre Dame alumna and Trustee, opened the conversation by recapping many of the recent environmental disasters and saying, “This forum could not be more timely after the week that climate change hit home in America.”</p>
<p>When asked if the political will to do something about the climate crisis has changed, Coons indicated that he thought it has, “but the challenge is that it has not been changing fast enough,” he said. Citing significant technology breakthroughs on various sustainability fronts, such as solar, wind and other renewable energies, the senator broadened the conversation to focus on the moral and human toll. </p>
<p>“I want to celebrate the wins we’ve had while recognizing that the urgency of this moment demands we do more. The world is on fire,” he said. “Climate change impacts people in uneven ways.</p>
<p>“Is there a moral imperative to address climate change? I think there is absolutely. You can’t possibly ignore the crises that are ravaging our world right now. We are living through the middle of three crises at the same moment, a global public health pandemic, a global refugee crisis and climate change.”</p>
<p>Thompson and Coons discussed the interconnectedness of these crises.</p>
<p>“Climate change, frankly, is a reminder of how inequality is exacerbating the other two,” Coons said, “and how our global interconnectedness is driving and fueling the other two, and is at the root of so much suffering around the world. I’ve recently been to countries in the developing world and seeing how climate is driving migration, poverty, loss of life, loss of opportunity. And we have to see how all of this is connected, and we have to hear a call toward a just transition.”</p>
<p>Coons offered insight into what some view as potential solutions to the climate crisis — instituting a “carbon tax” on businesses and industry or pursuing carbon capture and sequestration. He covered some of the political, logistical and global economic impacts surrounding the two options. </p>
<p>“If taken to scale effectively,” he said, “carbon capture and sequestration would allow for some fossil fuel — in particular, natural gas — to continue for decades. Some argue that that’s a terrible idea, that we should instead just abandon fossil energy altogether and keep it in the ground. I honestly don’t think that is practical, at scale for the world. I think the infrastructure that we already have built out for fossil fuels is so massive and so expensive and so central to most of the economies of the world that we have to have carbon capture and sequestration as part of the transition. And direct air capture, which is currently insanely expensive, will ultimately be a part of the solution at scale, but in a few decades.”</p>
<p>Both Coons and Thompson encouraged the audience to challenge themselves, family members and friends to do their part for a sustainable future. “Push your parents and your grandparents hard,” Coons said. “How can students have an impact? Research, serve and engage (in sustainable practices), but push your organizations and your parents.”</p>
<p>“We must regain the conviction that we need one another, that we have a shared responsibility for others and the world,” Thompson said. “And that being good and decent are worth it. So go out and talk to your parents and convince them. Remember to care for each other and be sure you care for the planet.”</p>
<p>The senator answered questions submitted digitally by the audience and concluded by saying, “You’ve got to open your aperture and look at the next generation and the generation after that, not just the next quarter, not just the next dividend.”</p>
<p>Referring back to the carbon neutrality announcement from Father Jenkins, Coons said: “For this institution, to declare it will be carbon neutral by 2050, and it will make massive reductions in its carbon footprint, at the same time that it is a growing campus, is a remarkable and important thing. So let me just simply say thank you to Notre Dame.”</p>
<p>This year’s Notre Dame Forum, “Care for Our Common Home: Just Transition to a Sustainable Future,” focuses on not only the environmental threats posed by climate change, but also the costly economic, social and political disruption that it brings. Additional events related to the Notre Dame Forum will take place throughout the semester. For more information, visit <a href="https://forum2021.nd.edu/?utm_campaign=redirect&utm_medium=web&utm_source=forum.nd.edu">forum.nd.edu</a>.</p>
<p>Originally published by Sue Ryan at <a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/open-your-aperture-notre-dame-forum-focuses-on-climate-change-its-moral-impact-and-potential-solutions/">news.nd.edu</a> on September 14, 2021.</p>Sue Ryantag:forum2021.nd.edu,2005:News/1400712021-09-10T15:00:00-04:002021-09-10T15:29:48-04:00Notre Dame commits to carbon neutrality by 2050<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">The University of Notre Dame committed to becoming a carbon neutral campus by 2050 and to a reduction in carbon dioxide of at least 65 percent from 2005 levels within the next nine years, University President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., announced during opening remarks at the first keynote event for this year’s Notre Dame Forum, which has as its theme “Care for Our Common Home: Just Transition to a Sustainable Future.”</span></span></p>
<p> </p><p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">The University of Notre Dame committed to becoming a carbon neutral campus by 2050 and to a reduction in carbon dioxide of at least 65 percent from 2005 levels within the next nine years, University President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., announced today during opening remarks at the first keynote event for this year’s Notre Dame Forum, which has as its theme “Care for Our Common Home: Just Transition to a Sustainable Future.”</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">“Through the conscientious work of Executive Vice President Shannon Cullinan and many others, I am pleased to announce that Notre Dame is committing to a goal of carbon neutrality by 2050 — less than 30 years from now,” Father Jenkins said. “The use of more geothermal, large-scale solar arrays, hydroelectricity, recovered energy, conservation and other emerging technologies and fuel sources will hopefully get us to a 65 percent reduction in CO2 by 2030, and to zero net neutral carbon emissions 20 years later.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">“Since 2008, the need for additional space at the University, particularly in the area of research, has increased the square-footage of our buildings by one-third, requiring more heating, lighting and cooling. Despite the increase in space, however, energy consumption dropped by 11 percent. I thank the dedicated and imaginative people responsible for these remarkable achievements.”</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Father Jenkins made the announcement at a fireside chat this afternoon at Washington Hall featuring NBC News’ chief environmental affairs correspondent and Notre Dame alumna and Trustee Anne Thompson and U.S. Sen. Chris Coons, co-chair of the bipartisan Senate Climate Solutions Caucus. Their conversation focused on the theme </span></span><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">“Call to Action: Crossing the Political Divide to Address Climate Challenges.”</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Achieving the energy goals articulated by Father Jenkins will required a multifaceted approach, likely including:</span></span></p>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1" style="list-style-type:disc"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Expanding the use of geothermal wells on campus.</span></span></li>
<li aria-level="1" style="list-style-type:disc">
<span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Adding various </span></span><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">photovoltaic</span></span><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal"> solar projects.</span></span>
</li>
<li aria-level="1" style="list-style-type:disc"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Using green fuels in existing or new boilers.</span></span></li>
<li aria-level="1" style="list-style-type:disc"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Evaluating battery storage technology. </span></span></li>
<li aria-level="1" style="list-style-type:disc"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Improving energy efficiency.</span></span></li>
<li aria-level="1" style="list-style-type:disc"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Capitalizing on emerging technologies.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="list-style-type:disc"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Spurred by Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical, Laudato Si’, Father Jenkins announced that fall that the University would stop using coal by the end of 2020. That goal was reached more than a year ahead of time when the last piece of coal was used on Oct. 14, 2019.</span></span></p>
<p style="list-style-type:disc"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">From a baseline year of 2005, the University already has exceeded its goal set in 2010 to achieve a 50 percent reduction in carbon emissions per gross square foot by 2030. Major projects have included:</span></span></p>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1" style="list-style-type:disc"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Two new combined-cycle, natural-gas-fired combustion gas turbines with heat-recovery steam generators.</span></span></li>
<li aria-level="1" style="list-style-type:disc"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Three geothermal well fields located under the East Quad, Ricci Fields and the parking lot south of Notre Dame Stadium, which provide hot water for the Walsh Family Hall of Architecture, Ricci Band Rehearsal Hall, Pasquerilla Center, the forthcoming Raclin Murphy Museum of Art, and Dunne, Flaherty, Johnson and McCourtney Halls. The new geothermal systems at the East Plant and south of Notre Dame Stadium also provide chilled water that is piped to the campus-wide chilled water distribution system.</span></span></li>
<li aria-level="1" style="list-style-type:disc"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Solar energy arrays at Fitzpatrick Hall, Stinson-Remick Hall and the Kenmore Warehouse in South Bend reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 680,000 pounds annually, the equivalent of removing more than 240 automobiles from the road, reducing over 2.5 million vehicle miles driven or planting more than 1,331 acres of trees.</span></span></li>
<li aria-level="1" style="list-style-type:disc"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">A 2.5-megawatt hydroelectric generation facility located at Seitz Park on the St. Joseph River in downtown South Bend will soon supply about 7 percent of the University’s electrical needs beginning next year and offset nearly 9,700 tons of carbon dioxide annually.</span></span></li>
<li aria-level="1" style="list-style-type:disc"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Through a partnership with Indiana Michigan Power, Notre Dame now receives carbon offsets from the output of the 20-megawatt St. Joseph Solar Farm in eastern St. Joseph County.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="list-style-type:disc"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">A robust set of conservation measures on campus have included: </span></span></p>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1" style="list-style-type:disc"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Installing energy-efficient lighting.</span></span></li>
<li aria-level="1" style="list-style-type:disc"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Establishing temperature set points.</span></span></li>
<li aria-level="1" style="list-style-type:disc"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Tightening building operating schedules.</span></span></li>
<li aria-level="1" style="list-style-type:disc"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Optimizing lighting and HVAC controls.</span></span></li>
<li aria-level="1" style="list-style-type:disc"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Using low-flow water devices.</span></span></li>
<li aria-level="1" style="list-style-type:disc"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Installing a computer-based irrigation system.</span></span></li>
<li aria-level="1" style="list-style-type:disc"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Applying energy analytics.</span></span></li>
<li aria-level="1" style="list-style-type:disc"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Applying variable-frequency drives on pumps and fans.</span></span></li>
<li aria-level="1" style="list-style-type:disc"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Installing the state’s largest collection of green roofs.</span></span></li>
<li aria-level="1" style="list-style-type:disc"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Drastically reducing food waste through robust donations of consumable food to local agencies and capturing non-consumable food waste for conversion to energy via anaerobic digestion.</span></span></li>
<li aria-level="1" style="list-style-type:disc"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Constructing 21 LEED-certified buildings that comprise 23 percent of campus building area.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="list-style-type:disc"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">The decarbonization plan was led by Paul Kempf, assistant vice president for utilities and maintenance, and his team.</span></span></p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Dennis Brown</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/notre-dame-commits-to-carbon-neutrality-by-2050/">news.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">September 10, 2021</span>.</p>Dennis Browntag:forum2021.nd.edu,2005:News/1398912021-09-01T07:00:00-04:002021-09-02T07:25:54-04:00'Fireside chat' between US Sen. Chris Coons and NBC's Anne Thompson to kick off Notre Dame Forum on Sept. 10<p>To launch the 2021 Notre Dame Forum, NBC News’ chief environmental affairs correspondent Anne Thompson will host a “fireside chat” with U.S. Sen. Chris Coons, co-chair of the bipartisan Senate Climate Solutions Caucus, in a keynote event, “Call to Action: Crossing the Political Divide to Address Climate…</p><p>To launch the 2021 Notre Dame Forum, NBC News’ chief environmental affairs correspondent Anne Thompson will host a “fireside chat” with U.S. Sen. Chris Coons, co-chair of the bipartisan Senate Climate Solutions Caucus, in a keynote event, “Call to Action: Crossing the Political Divide to Address Climate Challenges,” from 3 to 4 p.m. Sept. 10 in the Jordan Auditorium of the Mendoza College of Business.</p>
<p>This year’s ND Forum, “Care for Our Common Home: Just Transition to a Sustainable Future,” focuses on not only the environmental threats posed by climate change, but also the costly economic, social and political disruption that it brings. As Pope Francis wrote in his 2015 encyclical Laudato Siˊ: “We are faced not with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather with one complex crisis which is both social and environmental.”</p>
<p>“As we launch this year’s ND Forum, we are fortunate to hear from Sen. Coons, a leader who has reached across the aisle to address the urgent issues of climate change and just transition,” Notre Dame President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., said. “I am deeply grateful to both Sen. Coons and Anne Thompson for providing us with this opportunity to reflect deeply on the next steps we might take, as individuals and as a nation.”</p>
<p>University faculty and guest speakers will set the stage for the first Notre Dame Forum keynote with three events Sept. 7 to 9, offering an overview of the encyclical, examining teaching and research on campus connected to the problems outlined by Pope Francis, discussing common work and opportunities, and exploring the role of international cooperation and security. Details are available <a href="https://forum2021.nd.edu/">here</a>.</p>
<p>First elected to the Senate in 2010, Coons has made climate challenges one of his legislative priorities. In addition to founding and chairing the bipartisan Senate Climate Solutions Caucus with Sen. Mike Braun, Coons has led several pieces of bipartisan legislation, including the Energy Savings Through Public-Private Partnerships Act, Partnerships for Energy Security and Innovation Act and the Financing Our Energy Future Act, which would take important steps to support energy efficiency and clean energy research, development and deployment. </p>
<p>Coons earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry and political science from Amherst College, his Juris Doctor from Yale Law School and a master’s degree in ethics from Yale Divinity School. He serves on the Senate’s Appropriations, Foreign Relations, Judiciary, Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and Ethics committees.</p>
<p>The environmental affairs correspondent for NBC News since 2007, Thompson covered all aspects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and has traveled the globe reporting on alternative fuels, global warming, land usage, new technologies and other topics related to the environment and climate change. She previously served as chief financial correspondent for NBC News and is the recipient of the Gerald Loeb Award for distinguished business and financial journalism.</p>
<p>A Notre Dame graduate and a member of the University’s Board of Trustees since 2010, Thompson was a reporter for four years at WNDU-TV in South Bend, as well as with the NBC affiliates in St. Louis and Detroit.</p>
<p>Among many sustainability initiatives underway at Notre Dame, the University has co-sponsored with the Vatican a series of conversations on energy transition with executives from many of the world’s leading energy producers and investors, resulting in 2019 with participants signing statements of <a href="https://www.nd.edu/stories/vatican-climate-conference/images/2019-vatican_carbon_pricing_statement.pdf">support for carbon pricing</a> and <a href="https://www.nd.edu/stories/vatican-climate-conference/images/2019-vatican_disclosures_statement.pdf">disclosures</a> on climate change risk.</p>
<p>Through programs such as Notre Dame’s <a href="https://environmentalchange.nd.edu/">Environmental Change Initiative</a> and <a href="https://energy.nd.edu/">ND Energy</a>, University scholars and researchers work to find solutions to society’s complex environmental challenges that acknowledge and address the importance of both human welfare and environmental health and help the world move toward a more sustainable future.</p>
<p>On campus and in the local community, the University has in recent years dramatically expanded its sustainability measures, including ending the use of coal at its power plant and making substantial investments in geothermal energy, hydroelectric power, solar projects, green roofs and more, all of which have resulted in a more than 50 percent reduction in its carbon footprint. The <a href="https://green.nd.edu/">Office of Sustainability</a> works with a wide array of student groups and partners across campus to ensure that the University is a leader in sustainable operations, education and research.</p>
<p>Since its establishment in 2005, the Notre Dame Forum has invited a campus-wide dialogue about issues of importance to the University, the nation and the larger world, including <a href="https://forum2017.nd.edu/" target="_blank">the challenges and opportunities of globalization,</a> <a href="https://forum2016.nd.edu/" target="_blank">the role of presidential debates,</a> <a href="https://forum2007.nd.edu/" target="_blank">immigration</a> <a href="https://forum2015.nd.edu/" target="_blank">and the place of faith in a pluralistic society.</a></p>
<p>More information is available <a href="https://forum2021.nd.edu/">here</a>.</p>Dennis Browntag:forum2021.nd.edu,2005:News/1398082021-08-30T17:00:00-04:002021-08-31T13:51:22-04:00Notre Dame's Sakimoto: Church has 'profound' role in addressing climate crisis<p>Phil Sakimoto, an astrophysicist at Notre Dame and former head of NASA's space science education and public outreach program, was recently named director of the University's sustainability studies minor. So why did Sakimoto shift his gaze from the stars to the Earth and its needs? <span style="font-style:normal;"></span>…</p><p>Phil Sakimoto, an astrophysicist at Notre Dame and former head of NASA's space science education and public outreach program, was recently named director of the University's sustainability studies minor. So why did Sakimoto shift his gaze from the stars to the Earth and its needs? <span style="font-style:normal; text-align:start"><span style="font-variant-ligatures:normal"><span style="font-weight:400"><span style="white-space:normal"><span style="text-decoration-thickness:initial"><span style="text-decoration-style:initial"><span style="text-decoration-color:initial">The full article at </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.ncronline.org/news/earthbeat/notre-dames-sakimoto-church-has-profound-role-addressing-climate-crisis&source=gmail&ust=1630516125206000&usg=AFQjCNGin0NTXiPIjF2aFi6icbmoA2bWJQ" href="https://www.ncronline.org/news/earthbeat/notre-dames-sakimoto-church-has-profound-role-addressing-climate-crisis" style="font-style:normal; font-variant-ligatures:normal; font-weight:400; text-align:start; white-space:normal; box-sizing:border-box" target="_blank">EarthBeat can be found here</a><span style="font-style:normal; text-align:start"><span style="font-variant-ligatures:normal"><span style="font-weight:400"><span style="white-space:normal"><span style="text-decoration-thickness:initial"><span style="text-decoration-style:initial"><span style="text-decoration-color:initial">. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>Catherine M. Odelltag:forum2021.nd.edu,2005:News/1394362021-08-04T09:00:00-04:002021-08-10T09:38:32-04:00University Energy Insititute Collaborative to Address Critical Infrastructure Issues<p>The Center for Sustainable Energy at Notre Dame (ND Energy) proudly shares the following announcement of the University Energy Institute Collaborative (UEIC) of which it is a part. For more information about ND Energy and its UEIC affiliation, contact <a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&fs=1&tf=1&to=pburns@nd.edu"></a>…</p><p>The Center for Sustainable Energy at Notre Dame (ND Energy) proudly shares the following announcement of the University Energy Institute Collaborative (UEIC) of which it is a part. For more information about ND Energy and its UEIC affiliation, contact <a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&fs=1&tf=1&to=pburns@nd.edu" target="_blank">Peter C. Burns</a>, director, and <a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&fs=1&tf=1&to=gsigmon@nd.edu" target="_blank">Ginger E. Sigmon</a>, managing director. ND Energy is a University Center whose mission is to build a better world by creating new energy technologies and systems and educating individuals to help solve the most critical energy challenges facing the world today.</p>
<h5>Announcement</h5>
<p>More than 150 university-based energy institutes around the country have formed a first-of-its-kind partnership to address the critical challenges facing America’s energy systems. The <a href="https://www.ueic.org/" target="_blank">University Energy Institute Collaborative</a> (UEIC) creates a national network of energy researchers and experts who will provide both localized and global experience in energy infrastructure, policy and climate research. The Collaborative is also working together to align training and educational objectives to support students as they prepare to manage future energy systems.</p>
<p>In a joint leadership statement signed by 67 energy institutes and released on May 19, 2021, the group underscores that energy systems are intertwined with complex issues — including climate change and access to affordable energy — but ill-designed for effective operation in a world facing these pressures. The statement also recognizes the responsibility that American universities have in finding solutions to these problems, preparing students to be the future energy workforce, and creating a sustainable energy future.</p>
<p>“We have seen significant ground swell around this initiative, with many new scholarly and practical opportunities coming to light,” said Collaborative co-founder Jay Whitacre, director of the Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation at Carnegie Mellon University. “With the growing urgency of climate change and the critical importance of energy infrastructure, now is the time for researchers to come together in this way.”</p>
<p>A two-year Sloan Foundation grant is supporting the facilitation, operation, and convening of the Collaborative, and includes funding to spark and seed university-level projects within the group.</p>
<p>“Our hope over the next two years is to continue to gain momentum around the effort, connecting decision-makers within the Biden Administration, DOE, and industry directly with universities at a deeper level. We have yet to fully leverage the collective strength this network now holds,” according to Anna J. Siefken, Collaborative co-founder, who serves as executive director for the Collaborative as well as at Carnegie Mellon’s Scott Institute. “The partnership opportunities are infinite.”</p>
<p>The collaborative traces its origin to the September 2019 <a href="https://www.cmu.edu/energy/events/2019/summit.html" target="_blank">University Energy Institute Leadership Summit</a>, which drew 101 leaders representing more than 67 academic energy institutes and centers from across the U.S. to Pittsburgh, PA. Co-hosted by CMU’s Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation and the Colorado School of Mines' Payne Institute for Public Policy, the summit was part of a research study to explore opportunities for collaboration among U.S. university energy institutes. The full report from that research effort is available at www.ueic.org.</p>
<p>“With the domestic and global focus on addressing climate change and just and equitable energy transitions, the time is ripe to make big changes in these socio-technical systems,” commented Morgan Bazilian, Collaborative co-founder and director of the Payne Institute for Public Policy at the Colorado School of Mines. “This university group is ideally placed to help support and guide such a generational set of changes.”</p>
<p>For more information about the University Energy Institute Collaborative, please visit the University Energy Institute Collaborative website at www.ueic.org or contact Anna Siefken at <a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&fs=1&tf=1&to=asiefken@andrew.cmu.edu" target="_blank">asiefken@andrew.cmu.edu</a>.</p>
<p>View the full joint leadership statement below or visit <a href="https://www.ueic.org/" target="_blank">www.ueic.org</a>.</p>
<h5>Joint Leadership Statement</h5>
<p><em>This article was co-authored by a dedicated committee including Elizabeth Wilson, Morgan Bazilian, Jay Whitacre, Ginger Sigmon, Valentini Pappa, Anna Goldstein, Daniel Kammen, Jeff Bielicki, Brian Murray, David Cole, Demetria Giannisis, Jeff Sammons, Steve Kalland, Ugar Pasaogullari, and other energy institute leaders. I thank them for their partnership.</em></p>
<p>Even before the COVID-19 crisis, the centrality and reliability of our nation’s energy systems have been underscored as critical to health care systems, food, goods and services as well as our interaction and work with colleagues, friends, and family.<br>
But, this network of critical energy infrastructure is at risk.</p>
<p>From the fires that burned in 2020 in the West, to a record number of hurricanes brewing in the Gulf of Mexico, to the near permanent “flood levels” in many parts of the Upper Mississippi watershed, to the droughts in other parts of the nation—it is clear that our energy systems were not designed for effective operation in this emerging world. Responding to climate change will require a simultaneous reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and adaptation to an increasingly unpredictable climate. Reliability issues, and questions of energy access, also underscore the extreme societal inequalities that must be integrated into future energy systems. Reliable, clean, and affordable energy is a technical, social, and economic need—our energy systems must be re-tooled to create equity and access for all, not just the affluent or geographically advantaged.</p>
<p>Adapting our energy systems to these concurrent challenges requires more than merely changing energy technologies or relying on private sector innovation and goodwill.</p>
<p>Addressing these interlinked challenges requires fundamental shifts in how we plan, build, and operate our energy infrastructure. It requires changes in our laws, policies, and institutions. And it necessitates that we equip and broaden the existing and future energy workforce to be diverse, inclusive, flexible and ready for an increasingly uncertain world.</p>
<p>This is what American colleges and universities do best—help society face new challenges, adapt to new situations, and create new opportunities.</p>
<p>In September 2019, more than 100 leaders from U.S.-based colleges and universities began formation of The University Energy Institute Collaborative at a Summit in Pittsburgh, PA. The network has grown to encompass over 150 energy institutes. As a collaborating energy and climate research community, we appreciate that the scale of any solution needs to match the scale of the problem—at the global, national, and local levels—and we are committed to ensuring our country has the energy system that we all need.</p>
<p>Our different geographies allow us to fully appreciate regional differences and complexities across the country’s energy systems, and the need for local implementation.</p>
<p>We are working together to support training, education, and research for the future energy systems. By engaging our network of energy experts around the world, and leveraging our collective strengths, we are working to provide both localized expertise and global experience.<br>
Energy underpins our economy, our communities, and our collective futures. The world is changing and planning for that future is essential. As a collective body, we agree that we must act now and, therefore, commit ourselves and our respective institutions to work together toward creating a more sustainable energy future for all.</p>
<h5>Energy Institute Signatories:</h5>
<p>Appalachian State University, Appalachian Energy Center<br>
Ball State University, Center for Energy Research/Education/Service (CERES)<br>
Boise State University, CAES Energy Policy Institute<br>
Boston University, Institute for Sustainable Energy<br>
California Institute of Technology, Resnick Sustainability Institute<br>
Carnegie Mellon University, Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation<br>
Case Western Reserve University, Great Lakes Energy Institute<br>
Colorado School of Mines, Payne Institute for Public Policy<br>
Colorado State University, CSU Energy Institute<br>
Columbia University, The Center on Global Energy Policy<br>
Cornell University, Cornell Energy Systems Institute<br>
Dartmouth University, The Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy & Society<br>
Drexel University, former A.J. Drexel Institute for Energy and the Environment (IExE)<br>
Duke University, Duke U Energy Initiative<br>
East Carolina University, Center for sustainable energy and Environmental Engineering<br>
George Mason University, George Mason Center for Energy Science and Policy (CESP)<br>
George Washington University, GWU Environmental and Energy Management Institute<br>
Georgia Institute of Technology, Strategic Energy Institute<br>
Idaho State University, Energy Systems Technology and Education Center<br>
Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), Wanger Institute for Sustainable Energy Research (WISER)<br>
Johns Hopkins University, Initiative for Sustainable Energy Policy (ISEP)<br>
Lehigh University, Institute for Cyber Physical Infrastructure and Energy<br>
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT Energy Initiative<br>
Missouri University of Science and Technology, Center for Research in Energy and the Environment<br>
New York University, Institute for Policy Integrity at New York University School of Law<br>
North Carolina A&T State University, Center for Energy Research and Technology (CERT)<br>
North Carolina State University, NC Clean Energy Technology Center<br>
North Carolina State University, FREEDM<br>
Northeastern University, Center for Renewable Energy Technology (NUCRET)<br>
Northwestern University, Institute for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern (ISEN)<br>
Ohio State University, Sustainability Institute<br>
Ohio University, Institute for Sustainable Energy and the Environment<br>
Pennsylvania State University, Center for Energy Law and Policy<br>
Pennsylvania State University, Institutes of Energy and Environment<br>
Southern Methodist University, Maguire Energy Institute<br>
Stanford University, Precourt Institute for Energy<br>
State University of New York at Buffalo, The RENEW (Research and Education in eNergy, Environment & Water) Institute<br>
Texas A&M University, Texas A&M Energy Institute<br>
Texas Christian University, TCU Energy Institute<br>
Texas Tech University, Texas Tech University Energy Institute<br>
Tufts University, Climate Policy Lab<br>
Tulane University, Tulane Energy Institute<br>
Tulane University, Tulane Center for Energy Law<br>
University of California Santa Barbara, Institute for Energy Efficiency<br>
University of California, Berkeley, Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory (RAEL) Institute<br>
University of California, San Diego, Center for Energy Research<br>
University of Colorado Law School, Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy, and the Environment<br>
University of Connecticut, Center for Clean Energy Engineering<br>
University of Delaware, Delaware Energy Institute (DEI)<br>
University of Houston, Environment, Energy, and Natural Resources (EENR) Center, University of Houston Law Center<br>
University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Energy Institute of Louisiana<br>
University of Maine, Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions<br>
University of Maryland, Maryland Energy Innovation Institute<br>
University of Massachusetts Amherst, Energy Transition Institute<br>
University of Minnesota, Institute on the Environment<br>
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Nebraska Center for Energy Sciences Research<br>
University of Notre Dame, Center for Sustainable Energy (ND Energy)<br>
University of Pennsylvania, Kleinman Center for Energy Policy<br>
University of Pennsylvania, Vagelos Institute for Energy Science and Technology<br>
University of Pittsburgh, Grid Institute<br>
University of Pittsburgh, Center for Energy<br>
University of Washington, Clean Energy Institute<br>
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin Energy Institute<br>
Vermont Law School, Institute for Energy and the Environment<br>
Western Washington University, Institute for Energy Studies<br>
Yale University, Yale Energy Sciences Institute</p>Barbara Villarosatag:forum2021.nd.edu,2005:News/1391882021-07-26T17:35:00-04:002021-07-26T17:36:32-04:00Faculty mobilize to meet pope's call to care for our common home<p>An interdisciplinary group of 20 faculty gathered at Fernwood Botanical Garden in Niles, Michigan, for three days of conversation and action-planning oriented around Pope Francis’ <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html">Laudato</a>…</p><p>An interdisciplinary group of 20 faculty gathered at Fernwood Botanical Garden in Niles, Michigan, for three days of conversation and action-planning oriented around Pope Francis’ <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html">Laudato Si’</a> encyclical on climate change and inequality. The faculty represented 17 different departments and all seven colleges and schools at Notre Dame.</p>
<p>The event, held June 2-4, was the first installment of the <a href="https://ndias.nd.edu/">Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study’s</a> Zahm Retreat, a new summer program that brings together a diverse group of faculty to confront an issue of ethical importance, seek inspiration from the Catholic intellectual tradition, build lasting research connections and make plans for continued action. The retreat is named after Rev. John A. Zahm, C.S.C. (1851-1921), the influential faculty member and administrator who bolstered the research reputation of the University and worked to bridge the divide between disciplines, particularly between the sciences and religion.</p>
<p>This year’s retreat was co-hosted by the <a href="https://environmentalchange.nd.edu/">Notre Dame Environmental Change Initiative</a> and focused on Pope Francis’ charge, articulated in Laudato Si’, to care for our common home and fight for the just treatment of all its inhabitants. In the encyclical, the pope makes an appeal for “a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet. We need a conversation which includes everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all.”</p>
<p>The retreat anticipates the upcoming <a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/notre-dame-forum-2021-will-explore-care-for-our-common-home-just-transition-to-a-sustainable-future/">Notre Dame Forum</a> and its theme “Care for Our Common Home: Just Transition to a Sustainable Future.” The 2021-22 forum will include a year-long roster of events, discussions, seminars and keynote addresses to inspire conversation and action on sustainability issues.</p>
<p>“The faculty of Catholic research universities face a unique challenge: How do we concretely demonstrate — in our research, in our teaching and in our day-to-day intellectual life — the common good that underlies all of our increasingly specialized work?” said <a href="http://ndias.nd.edu/people/staff/meghan-sullivan/"><strong>Meghan Sullivan</strong></a>, director of the NDIAS and the Wilsey Family College Professor of Philosophy.<br>
<br>
“To tackle the world’s hardest problems, we need creative solutions of the sort that can happen only when scholars from across the disciplines come together and help each other look at issues in new ways. Our Zahm Retreat provides an ideal platform for Notre Dame faculty from every corner of campus to do just that. And given the theme of this year’s Notre Dame Forum, Laudato Si’ was the perfect topic for our inaugural meeting,” Sullivan said.</p>
<p>The first day of the retreat included a focused discussion of the text of Laudato Si’ and a sustained conversation about the role universities can and should have in finding a solution to the climate crisis. On the second day, faculty explored how the themes of the encyclical apply to their individual fields of research and how they might collaborate to make progress on unanswered questions. During the final day, participants workshopped new ideas and initiatives to be implemented around campus and across the wider community.</p>
<p>“Having the first Zahm Retreat in the inspired natural setting of Fernwood Botanical Garden provided the ideal platform for the group to generate exciting plans for the coming year and beyond,” said <a href="http://environmentalchange.nd.edu/about/eci-leadership/jennifer-tank/"><strong>Jennifer Tank</strong></a>, director of the ND-ECI and the Ludmilla F., Stephen J. and Robert T. Galla Professor of Biological Sciences.<br>
<br>
“I was amazed by the combined breadth and passion of the ideas, as our faculty colleagues planned new, interdisciplinary courses on sustainability; organized Laudato Si’ reading groups for students, faculty and staff; and discussed areas of synergy around research and scholarship. As we continue to meet and organize after the conclusion of the retreat, I am confident that continued engagement and interaction will make a real impact on the Notre Dame community and beyond,” Tank said.</p>
<p>In addition to the concrete proposals the retreat generated, a primary aim of the event was to build relationships between faculty from disparate departments and to foster research collaborations. </p>
<p>“One of the greatest joys of working at a university, particularly one like Notre Dame, is that I am surrounded by amazing people who work on some of the most fascinating and diverse topics one can imagine,” said <strong><a href="http://engineering.nd.edu/faculty/diogo-bolster/">Diogo Bolster</a></strong>, professor of engineering and the Henry Massman Department Chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences.<br>
<br>
“While I am an engineer by training, I relish the opportunity to interact with experts in other disciplines, and the Zahm Retreat gave me the privilege to meet colleagues from departments across campus with whom I don’t often have the opportunity to engage. As we embark on a year at Notre Dame that will be framed by issues of sustainability, I look forward to continuing to meet and work with collaborators, including students and faculty, who have a serious commitment to caring for our climate and all of us who live in it,” Bolster said.</p>
<p>Those interested in taking part in further conversation and planning inspired by Laudato Si’ can <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScMaojk9aGHdQpIzc6NA3K95s25RO5XBQajlsSb36ib1PQRUA/viewform?usp=sf_link">sign up for the Laudato Si’ email list</a>. A full list of those who participated in the Zahm Retreat and the photo gallery can be found <a href="https://ndworks.nd.edu/news/faculty-mobilize-to-meet-popes-call-to-care-for-our-common-home-photo-gallery/">here</a>.</p>Kristian Olsentag:forum2021.nd.edu,2005:News/1374732021-05-06T18:00:00-04:002021-05-06T18:05:41-04:00Notre Dame, Indiana Michigan Power 'flip the switch' on new solar facility<p>Indiana Michigan Power and the University of Notre Dame held a ribbon cutting Thursday (May 6) for St. Joseph Solar Farm, a new 210-acre solar facility adjacent to the Indiana Toll Road in Granger, about seven miles east of Notre Dame.</p> <p>A division of American Electric Power, I&M broke ground…</p><p>Indiana Michigan Power and the University of Notre Dame held a ribbon cutting Thursday (May 6) for St. Joseph Solar Farm, a new 210-acre solar facility adjacent to the Indiana Toll Road in Granger, about seven miles east of Notre Dame.</p>
<p>A division of American Electric Power, I&M broke ground on the facility in July of last year. Construction concluded in January, followed by start-up and performance testing in February. It opened in late March.</p>
<p>Consisting of nearly 60,000 photovoltaic solar panels, the facility is I&M’s largest solar installation, able to generate 20 megawatts of clean, renewable energy annually, or enough to power an average of 2,700 homes.</p>
<p>As a partner in the project, Notre Dame has agreed to purchase 40 percent of that energy — equal to about 10 percent of the University’s annual need for electricity — in the form of clean energy credits, which it will use to offset carbon emissions and improve air quality in South Bend and the surrounding community.</p>
<p>It has also agreed to work with I&M to capitalize on the educational and research benefits of the facility, which sits at the northeast corner of Bittersweet and Cleveland roads on <a href="https://www.nd.edu/stories/before-the-sunrise/">converted farmland that once belonged to Notre Dame</a>.</p>
<p>The agreement is for 30 years.</p>
<p>“Few challenges in our world, in our nation, in our community are as vast and complex as the challenge of climate change and changing the patterns of energy emissions to address that problem,” said Notre Dame President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C. “So it is great to see us here today working toward that.”</p>
<p>“I really want to thank Father Jenkins and the Notre Dame Team for partnering with us,” Toby Thomas, president and chief operating officer for I&M, said. “It’s been a very collaborative effort. I want to thank them for their commitment to environmental stewardship and for being a great partner and being easy to work with.”</p>
<p>In addition to Thomas and Father Jenkins, others present for the ribbon cutting were Katie Davis, vice president of external affairs and customer service at I&M; Josh Scheibelhut, safety and health coordinator at I&M; Lisa Barton, executive vice president and chief operating officer at American Electric Power; Indiana Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch; South Bend Mayor James Mueller; and Andy Kostielney, president of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners, among others.</p>
<p>For their parts, Mueller and Kostielney presented proclamations to Notre Dame and I&M declaring Thursday (May 6) to be “Solar Energy Day” in the city and county, respectively.</p>
<p>The event concluded with the flip of a giant light switch to “activate” the new facility.</p>
<p>Covering the equivalent of 30 football fields, the facility adds to I&M’s growing portfolio of solar projects, which number five now in Indiana and Michigan. The company also operates six hydro facilities and purchases wind power from three sources. The company generated 85 percent of its energy from clean sources in 2020.</p>
<p>For Notre Dame, it is the latest in a series of investments aimed at slashing campus carbon emissions by 83 percent from 2005 levels over the next 30 years.</p>
<p>In the past three years alone, the University has activated a new geothermal heating and cooling plant, partnered with outside organizations to convert food waste to energy, installed the state’s largest green roof atop the Joyce Center and ceased burning coal. It will soon activate a new hydro facility on the St. Joseph River in downtown South Bend. The facility will generate about 7 percent of the University’s electrical needs and offset nearly 9,700 tons of carbon dioxide annually.</p>
<p>For more information on these and other projects, visit green.nd.edu.</p>Erin Blaskotag:forum2021.nd.edu,2005:News/1374082021-04-29T08:00:00-04:002021-05-04T08:12:28-04:00Notre Dame clean energy projects earn Partners for Clean Air Award<p>The University of Notre Dame has been recognized with a Partners for Clean Air Award from the Michiana Area Council of Governments (MACOG) for its commitment to clean energy, including recent long-term investments in solar and hydroelectric power and geothermal heating and cooling.</p> <p>The award…</p><p>The University of Notre Dame has been recognized with a Partners for Clean Air Award from the Michiana Area Council of Governments (MACOG) for its commitment to clean energy, including recent long-term investments in solar and hydroelectric power and geothermal heating and cooling.</p>
<p>The award is for significant investment in clean energy projects, including the new hydro facility in downtown South Bend, the new geothermal plant on the north side of campus and an agreement with Indiana Michigan Power to purchase clean energy credits from the utility’s new solar farm in Granger.</p>
<p>Also in recent years, the University has switched from coal to cleaner-burning natural gas as a primary source of energy, partnered with Grind2Energy and Homestead Dairy to convert food waste to energy, installed the largest green roof in the state atop the Joyce Center and invested in several small-scale solar projects on and around campus.</p>
<p>Combined, these and other projects either conserve energy or generate clean, renewable energy in support of a broader goal: a cleaner, more sustainable campus.</p>
<p>Partners for Clean Air is a coalition of businesses, industries, local governments and community groups committed to improving overall public health and air quality through voluntary actions, particularly during Air Quality Action Season, May 1 to Sept. 30.</p>
<p>In addition to Notre Dame, other Partners for Clean Air Award winners this year are the city of Goshen, John Glenn School Corp. and Recycling Works Inc. of Waste-Away Group.</p>
<p>“This year’s award winners have implemented significant clean energy and clean transportation projects that will have an impact for years to come,” said James Turnwald, executive director of MACOG, a metropolitan planning organization for Elkhart, Kosciusko, Marshall and St. Joseph counties. “These awardees serve as exemplary examples for how organizations can take voluntary steps to transform how our region powers our economy and how we move.”</p>
<p>“Recognizing the link between air quality and public health, Notre Dame has invested significant resources in clean air projects over the past few years, both in an effort to reduce our carbon footprint and out of genuine concern for the health and beauty of the natural environment,” said <a href="https://green.nd.edu/mission/team/staff/">Carol Mullaney</a>, senior director of sustainability at Notre Dame. “We are grateful to MACOG for recognizing these efforts, and look forward to working with it and other organizations to promote and improve local air quality even further moving forward.”</p>
<p>Notre Dame’s commitment to sustainability is grounded in its Catholic mission and values. It acknowledges the link between sustainability and the University’s future and equates stewardship of the planet with care for God’s creation. It also recognizes the need to conserve the environment in a way that promotes economic and social justice and emphasizes the link between sustainability and the common good.</p>
<p>For more information, visit <a href="https://green.nd.edu/">green.nd.edu</a>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em><strong>Contact</strong>: Erin Blasko, assistant director of media relations, 574-631-4127, <a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&fs=1&tf=1&to=eblasko@nd.edu" target="_blank">eblasko@nd.edu</a></em></p>Erin Blaskotag:forum2021.nd.edu,2005:News/1373292021-04-22T11:00:00-04:002021-04-30T11:05:38-04:00Statement from Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C. regarding Notre Dame Forum 2021-22<p>Changes to the global climate, due in recent years primarily to greenhouse gases released largely as a result of human activity, have led to devastating wildfires, intensified storms, severe drought and other consequences around the world. As catastrophic as these phenomena are, the transition to…</p><p>Changes to the global climate, due in recent years primarily to greenhouse gases released largely as a result of human activity, have led to devastating wildfires, intensified storms, severe drought and other consequences around the world. As catastrophic as these phenomena are, the transition to a more sustainable future through behavioral adaptations and cleaner forms of energy, as well as the response to climate crises that will arise in the near future, will bring about vast and costly economic, social and political disruption.</p>
<p>As Pope Francis wrote in his 2015 encyclical, Laudato Si’, “We are faced not with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather with one complex crisis which is both social and environmental.”</p>
<p>The University of Notre Dame seeks to contribute to a transition to a cleaner future where the burdens of change are equitably borne and not simply sloughed off to the poor and powerless. During the 2021-22 academic year, the University, through its annual Notre Dame Forum, will engage in a series of conversations devoted to the theme “Care for Our Common Home: Just Transition to a Sustainable Future.” Inspired by Laudato Si’ and the Holy Father’s continued emphasis on these issues, the forum will feature a wide range of discussions and events over the coming year.</p>
<p>“The question is not whether to transition to a cleaner, more sustainable future, but how and how quickly,” Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., president of Notre Dame, said. “As a university community whose work is the education of the next generation who will inherit these challenges, and as one with a Catholic mission calling us to seek justice and serve the common good around the globe, we turn to these urgent and complex questions.”</p>
<p>Among many initiatives already underway at Notre Dame, the University has co-sponsored with the Vatican a series of conversations on energy transition with executives from among the world’s leading energy producers and investors, resulting in 2019 with participants signing statements of <a href="https://www.nd.edu/stories/vatican-climate-conference/images/2019-vatican_carbon_pricing_statement.pdf">support for carbon pricing</a> and <a href="https://www.nd.edu/stories/vatican-climate-conference/images/2019-vatican_disclosures_statement.pdf">disclosures</a> on climate change risk. Through programs such as Notre Dame’s <a href="https://environmentalchange.nd.edu/">Environmental Change Initiative</a> and <a href="https://energy.nd.edu/">ND Energy</a>, University scholars and researchers work to find solutions to society’s complex environmental challenges that acknowledge and address the importance of both human welfare and environmental health and help the world move toward a more sustainable future.</p>
<p>On campus and in the local community, the University has in recent years dramatically expanded its sustainability measures, including ending the use of coal at its power plant and making substantial investments in geothermal energy, hydroelectric power, solar projects, green roofs and more, all of which have resulted in a more than 50 percent reduction in its carbon footprint. The <a href="https://green.nd.edu/">Office of Sustainability</a> works with a wide array of student groups and partners across campus to ensure that the University is a leader in sustainable operations, education and research.</p>
<p>Since its establishment in 2005, the Notre Dame Forum has featured major talks by leading authorities on issues of importance to the University, the nation and the larger world, including <a href="https://forum2017.nd.edu/" target="_blank">the challenges and opportunities of globalization,</a> <a href="https://forum2016.nd.edu/" target="_blank">the role of presidential debates,</a> <a href="https://forum2007.nd.edu/" target="_blank">immigration</a> <a href="https://forum2015.nd.edu/" target="_blank">and the place of faith in a pluralistic society.</a></p>
<p>More information about upcoming forum events will follow.</p>Emily Hildebrandt