By Stu Bobcat - St. Thomas University
Photographer: L'Osservatore Romano
Cardinal Peter Turkson, right, introduces Pope Francis' encyclical "Laudato Si at a press conference in June in Vatican City. Behind him is Orthodox Metropolitan of Pergamo John Zizioulas. Cardinal Turkson will be speaking at St. Thomas University Feb. 18 and 19.
MIAMI GARDENS | Business leaders, innovators, leading experts, and academics will gather at St. Thomas University Feb. 18-19 for the first international conference on climate, nature and society. Spearheaded by STU’s Institute for Bioethics, the conference will tackle the science and social impact of global climate change with talks from leading experts in the field.
Cardinal Peter Turkson, Pope Francis' right-hand man on climate change and the president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, will attend the conference and speak about our social responsibility to mobilize and curb climate change. Cardinal Turkson, who helped draft the eco-encyclical “Laudato Si’: On Care For Our Common Home,” will also be participating in panel discussions and Q&A sessions during the two days.
Laudato Si’ is the first papal encyclical in the 2,000 year history of the Catholic Church devoted solely to environmental issues. It highlights the crisis posed by climate change, and our collective responsibility to pass along a clean and safe planet to future generations.
Father Alfred Cioffi, the Florida Blue endowed chair in bioethics and director of STU’s Institute for Bioethics, said he hopes this conference educates, but more importantly, unleashes actions and ideas to curb global climate change.
“Because we now have the capacity to destroy the environment – a capacity we’ve only begun to see on a global scale in the past three to four decades – we also have a new responsibility to care for it and prevent its destruction,” said Father Cioffi.
On Thursday, Feb. 18, speakers will be addressing what is scientifically known regarding global climate change. Speakers and their lecture topics include:
- Dr. Richard Muller, astrophysicist from the University of
California, Berkeley, and director of the Berkeley Earth Institute. Muller will
be discussing the big picture on climate change.
- Dr. John Van Leer, physical oceanographer at University
of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. Van Leer will
be addressing the physical, chemical and geological aspects of climate change
regarding the world’s oceans.
- Dr. Chris Langdon, marine biologist at University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. Langdon will be addressing oceanic biological and ecological effects of climate change.
On Friday, Feb. 19, speakers will be delivering keynote talks examining the potential social impact of global climate change. Speakers include:
- Dr. Claudio Cioffi-Revilla, computational social scientist at
George Mason University. Cioffi-Revilla will talk about the dynamic interaction
between natural and social complexities.
- Greg Hamra, South Florida entrepreneur and environmental
activist. Hamra will be discussing the socio-political and economic impacts of
climate change.
- Cardinal Peter Turkson, who will be addressing the role of human social conscience in our time.
While general admission costs $60 for both days and includes lunch, admission is free for full-time students presenting a photo ID.
For more information and details on the schedule of events, please visit: www.stu.edu/climateconference.
