Each April 22, Earth Day celebrates the wonder of nature and our responsibility to care for the Earth, our common home. Founded in 1970 by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, Earth Day began with colleges and universities speaking in public about the environment.
Dr. Patrick Gonzalez, climate change scientist and Executive Director of the University of California, Berkeley, Institute for Parks, People, and Biodiversity, was honored at the invitation to give the first presentation for Earth Day 2023 at the institute named for the founder, the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Patrick spoke on “Human-Caused Climate Change, Global Biodiversity, and Solutions.” He says “The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has assessed the different carbon options and concluded that it is possible to meet limiting heating to 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius through concerted global action at all levels – governments, corporations, and individuals – using existing technologies and behaviors.”
“Science shows we can halt climate change, recent progress shows that it is possible, and national and international policies have set conditions for progress. If each of us takes meaningful action, we will have an Earth Day in our future where we’ve halted climate change and protected people and nature.”
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1GfaXoFNBA&t=422s
California cut greenhouse gas emissions 11% from 2000 to 2019, photo and graphic Patrick Gonzalez
