Correction
In our Jan. 23 issue, we said that the Center for a Sustainable Future “has been conducting research to assist farmers in creating new and efficient ways to farm.” In fact, this research should have been attributed to Purdue University as well as the Environmental Resilience Institute at IU Bloomington. The Center continues to work with the community and campus to encourage sustainable practices and to curb the effect of climate change. The Preface regrets the error.
Center for a Sustainable Future combats climate change
By: CARTER DEJONG
Staff Writer
cadejong@iu.edu
The most relevant climate change issue affecting our area is the dramatic shifts in weather patterns.
“Farmers are not prepared. You can’t look back on how your grandpa did it, things are not the same,” said Krista Bailey, director of the Center for a Sustainable Future at IU South Bend.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) global emissions must be reduced by 25% by 2030 to limit warming to 2 degrees Celsius. If this goal is not met, it will result in floods and droughts on a scale never seen before.
The Center for a Sustainable Future is taking action to encourage sustainable living and curb the effect of climate change in our community.
The Center is working in the community with local commissions such as the Health Improvement Alliance of St. Joe County.
The Center has also partnered with a non-profit called The Natural Step which provides a framework that can be used to create sustainable plans from individuals to large businesses.
“We bring our campus interest, knowledge and skills to the community and we bring back the community needs and skills to campus,” said Bailey.
Every spring semester the Center organizes a lecture series that brings in expert speakers from different areas of sustainability.
The first speaker of the spring 2019 semester will be Kieran Fahey, the Long-term Control Plan Director of South Bend. He will present on improving sewer overflow systems using intelligent urban watersheds.
On Mar. 20, there will be a panel discussion on sustainability in practice. The panel will feature speakers from Notre Dame, Lockheed Martin, Indiana Michigan Power, and Inovateus Solar.
There will be a total of seven lectures from Jan. 30 to March 20. They will all be held in Wiekamp Hall room 1001, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
The center was founded in 2009 to address strong interest in sustainability across campus and the community. Over the last decade, the program has grown to include minors, majors, and even a graduate certificate.
“We have had students on both sides graduating and getting jobs in the community;” said Bailey.
