New Federal Climate Strategy & Role of the Midwest: Monday, July 19, 2021
Sonia Aggarwal
The White House
Senior Advisor for Climate Policy and Innovation
Carla Frisch
U.S. Department of Energy Office of Policy, Principal Deputy Director
Janet McCabe
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Deputy Administrator
Andrew Wishnia
U.S. Department of Transportation, Deputy Assistant Secretary
- 11:00am-11:05pm CT – Welcome Remarks
- 11:05am-11:25am CT – Andrew Wishnia – US Department of Transportation (DOT), Deputy Assistant Secretary
- 11:25am-11:45am CT – Janet McCabe – US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Deputy Administrator
- 11:45am-12:05pm CT – Carla Frisch – US Department of Energy (DOE) Acting Executive Director and Principal Deputy Director, Office of Policy
- 12:05pm-12:15pm CT – Sonia Aggarwal – The White House, Senior Adviser for Climate Policy and Innovation
- 12:25pm-12:30pm CT – Closing Remarks
Past Sessions
Think Tank Speakers and Schedule
The Fall 2020 Think Tank program is organized around topic areas: Science & Research; Teaching & Education; Climate Action; and Outreach & Engagement. The Think Tank did:
- Engage leaders and decision-makers from multiple sectors
- Provide content focused on advancing understanding of climate impacts in the Midwest and promoting existing and emerging best practices
- Cultivate ideas and partnerships that will help organizations accelerate climate action
Student-Focused Content
In addition to attending and participating in the sessions below, students are invited to participate in three student-led and student-focused elements of the fall series – the Climate Stories Contest, the Student System Conference, and the Virtual Job & Networking Fair.
Kick-Off Session: Friday, October 2, 2020
Robert Bullard
Father of Environmental Justice
Chris Caldwell
President of College of Menominee Nation and Director of Sustainable Development Institute
Katharine Wilkinson
Author, strategist, teacher, and editor-in-chief at Project Drawdown
Heather
McTeer Toney
National Field Director for Moms Clean Air Force
Isra Hirsi
Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of the US Youth Climate Strike
Session Moderator: Shara Mohtadi, Bloomberg Philanthropies
- 10:00-10:55 am, CT – “Building a Just, Fair and Equitable Society in the Era of Climate Change” – Robert Bullard
- 11:00-11:15 am, CT – “Situational Awareness: Addressing Climate Solutions in the Midwest” – Chris Caldwell
- 11:15-11:30 am, CT – “Transformational Leadership for the Climate Crisis” – Katharine Wilkinson
- 11:30-11:45 am, CT – “Lord Willing and the Creek Don’t Rise: Collaborative solutions for facing the climate crisis” – Heather McTeer Toney
- 11:45-12:00 pm, CT – “Creating a People’s Movement” – Isra Hirsi
- 12:00-12:30 pm, CT – Panel Discussion and Closing Remarks
Session 2: Friday, October 9, 2020
Heidi Roop
Climate scientist, educator, communicator
Gabe Filippelli
Chancellor’s Professor of Earth Sciences and Director of the Center for Urban Health at IUPUI
Jessica Hellmann
Director of the Institute on Environment at the University of Minnesota
Daniel Vimont
Director of the Nelson Institute Center for Climatic Research
- 10:00-10:40 am, CT – Welcome and Keynote Speakers
“The Future of Extreme Climate Events in the Midwest“- Heidi Roop – University of Minnesota
- Gabe Filippelli – Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
- Jessica Hellman – University of Minnesota
- Daniel Vimont – University of Wisconsin-Madison
- 10:45-12:00 pm, CT – (4) Concurrent Workshops for:
- Science & Research Workshop – “The Future of Extreme Climate Events in the Midwest“
- Teaching & Education Workshop – “Being Sustainability“
- Outreach and Engagement Workshop – “Climate Change Coverage in a Changing Media Environment“
- Climate Action Workshop – “Rising to the Challenge: Setting Ambitious Climate Commitments“
Session 3: Friday, October 23, 2020
Carla Frisch
Principal at Rocky
Mountain Institute
Delmar Gillus
Chief Operating Officer
of Elevate Energy
Neil Hawkins
Sustainable business thought leader and Erb Foundation President
- 10:00-10:40 am, CT – Welcome and Keynote Speakers
“Ambition, Economics, and a Just Transition in the Midwest“- Carla Frisch – Rocky Mountain Institute
- Delmar Gillus – Elevate Energy
- Neil Hawkins – Erb Foundation
- 10:45-12:00 pm, CT – (4) Concurrent Workshops for:
- Science & Research Workshop – “Climate Solutions in Public Health and Communities“
- Teaching & Education Workshop – “Teaching Climate Across the Curriculum“
- Outreach and Engagement Workshop – “Building New Partnerships: Finding Common Ground for Successful Climate Action“
- Climate Action Workshop – “Building Cross-Sector Partnerships to Accelerate Action“
Session 4: Friday, November 6, 2020
Daniel Wildcat
Professor of Indigenous and American Indian Studies at Haskell Indian Nations University
- 10:00-10:40 am, CT – Keynote Speaker
“Education for Resilience: Letting Mother Earth Teach Us“- Daniel Wildcat – Indigenous Peoples Climate Change Working Group
This keynote address is held in conjunction with Global Health Week, a university-wide event that brings together Washington University and the St. Louis community to engage around global health topics.
- Daniel Wildcat – Indigenous Peoples Climate Change Working Group
- 10:45-12:00 pm, CT – (4) Concurrent Workshops for:
- Science & Research Workshop – “Agriculture as a Climate Solution“
- Teaching & Education Workshop – “From Campus to Community: Educating Today’s Climate Experts“
- Outreach and Engagement Workshop – “Actions Speak Louder than Words – Moving Discussions Towards Solutions“
- Climate Action Workshop – “Planning for a Resilient Future“
Session 5: Friday, November 20, 2020
Justin Gillis
Former New York Times Climate Reporter
- 10:00-11:15 am, CT – (4) Concurrent Workshops for:
- Science & Research Workshop – “Challenges and solutions in renewable energy for the Midwest“
- Teaching & Education Workshop – “A Rising Tide Must Lift All Boats: Redefining Workforce Development in a Green Economy to Ensure Just Transition“
- Outreach and Engagement Workshop – “The Science of Climate Communication: How to Reach Conservatives and Moderates“
- Climate Action Workshop – “Advancing Energy Efficiency and Decarbonization“
- 11:20 am-12:15 pm, CT – Keynote Speaker and Closing Remarks
“Communicating the Crisis: Should We Just Change the Subject“- Justin Gillis – Former NY Times Climate Reporter