MSU hosts Climate Week in conjunction with Earth Day

MSU hosted its fourth consecutive Climate Week from April 21, partly in celebration of the 55th annual Earth Day on April 22. Events included lectures, a climate concert, a climate carnival and online sessions to involve people across the state, according to the event’s flier published last week on the MSU website.

MSU Climate Week is hosted each semester and is organized by the student-led MSU Campus Climate Coalition (CCC) and the faculty-led Climate Solutions Group (CSG).  

MSU political science professor Paul Lachapelle is a member of the CSG and a Climate Week event organizer, as well as the faculty advisor for the CCC. Both the CCC and the CSG meet regularly to discuss research, grant opportunities, independent study and internships related to climate action, according to Lachapelle.

According to student event organizer and President of CCC Gracie Caldwell, the week included various events such as meeting scientific professionals like professor David Carlson to learn about jobs in the solar industry and discovering volunteer opportunities at the Climate Forum on Earth Day. “This semester's Climate Week aims to bring students together and act on a community-wide scale,” Caldwell said.

Lachapelle said the week is designed to bring students, faculty and the Bozeman community together to share information and connect around the issue of climate change.

“This is an opportunity for students, faculty and the Bozeman community to come together and share information, to network and feel a sense of solidarity around this very complicated — and what we feel is an overwhelming — topic of climate change,” Lachapelle said.

He explained that faculty have a responsibility to talk about climate change. Lachapelle called it “the most consequential issue facing humanity.” 

“Now more than ever, it is important for climate-action and sustainability-oriented entities to connect and enable people to actually act on climate change,” Caldwell said.

According to Lachapelle, Climate Week is a chance to take the issue seriously while also building a stronger sense of community. The events are designed not just for learning, but for action, according to him.

“There are lots of different opportunities to learn and interact, whether you're a student or faculty or a member of our Bozeman community,” Lachapelle said.

One of the main events during the week was the Climate Carnival on Wednesday, which included booths from numerous organizations working on climate and environmental topics. According to Caldwell, it featured food, games and keynote speakers. “These are some of the most important events this week,” she said. 

Climate Week also featured a virtual Climate Forum with guest speakers from all over the state speaking on topics from environmental law to student-led organizations at other Montana colleges, according to the Climate Week webpage.

Additionally, students were invited to attend the 406 Winds Earth Day Concert hosted by the MSU School of Music on April 22, as well as many other guest lectures in auditoriums across campus during Earth Day.

Lachapelle said the goal of Climate Week is to help students find opportunities to get involved beyond the classroom.

“My attitude is always to not let school get in the way of your education,” Lachapelle said, quoting Mark Twain. “I’m a firm believer that there is so much more to learn outside the classroom, and students really need to step up and look for those opportunities for learning and this is one of them.”

He explained that MSU faculty are working to provide more ways for students to engage in climate-related learning and problem-solving.

“We are trying to make every opportunity to learn about and engage in what we consider to be the most important issue facing students both today and as they enter the workforce tomorrow,” Lachapelle said.

He explained that the University as a whole should be more focused on addressing climate change, and praised the work of the student organizers who planned the event.

“We have an amazing group of students who have been on the front lines of organizing and putting together the series of events,” he said. “They are the shining stars and they give me the inspiration to continue on with my climate research and education.”

“We need people to know that this is not just a one-time event,” Lachapelle said. “We need people who are active and engaged and want to talk about climate solutions.” 

To learn more about MSU Climate Week, visit https://www.montana.edu/communitydevelopment/climateweek.html.