Combating Climate Change

A recent survey of 26 nations found that climate change ranks as the world’s top security threat, even ahead of terrorism and cyber attacks, while a NASA report shows that the last five years have been the warmest on Earth in 140 years of record keeping – a clear sign that human activity has caused major shifts in global climate and weather patterns. The fight to find an effective solution has now come to Congress, where Democrats and Republicans are clashing over the Green New Deal, a proposal that lays out a broad vision to address climate change and economic inequality.

Hofstra experts who can address environmental and political issues related to climate change include:

Professors Jase Bernhardt and Bob Brinkmann, experts in sustainability, environment, and climate change, can discuss how warmer air and water increase the likelihood of more intense hurricanes,  wildfires and droughts, melting glaciers, and rising sea levels – all of which can displace communities and habitats, affect food and water supplies, and cripple important ecosystems.

Public health professor Anthony Santella can explain how climate change poses a global health concern, with potentially higher rates of asthma, cardiovascular disease, injuries, heat-related illness and death, and forced migration – particularly for at-risk communities such as ethnic minorities, older adults, children and adolescents, low-income persons, and persons with chronic diseases.

Biology professor Lisa Filippi can discuss how the extinction of insect species can affect the earth’s ecosystems. A new study published by the journal Biological Conservation warns that over 40% of insect species are facing extinction due to factors such as habitat loss, pollutants and climate change. Some species, however – such as cockroaches and houseflies – will thrive under these conditions.

Political science professor Rosanna Perotti can discuss how government and politics play a role in how climate change is addressed, while economics and labor studies professor Gregory DeFreitas can discuss the potential economic impact of the Green New Deal.