Climate HQ

Bestselling science fiction author brings message of hope for the future to campus

Kanaga Rajan — Tue, 05 Nov 2024 20:00:00 +0000

Bestselling science fiction author brings message of hope for the future to campus

Author: Kanaga Rajan

November 6, 2024

Photo Credit: Juan Montes

‘Red Mars’ author Kim Stanley Robinson talked to the University community about how different sectors can come together to tackle the climate crisis

Members of the San Francisco State University community packed the Seven Hills Conference Center Monday, Nov. 4, to hear climate thought leader and bestselling author Kim Stanley Robinson talk about climate change solutions, hope and storytelling. The free event, titled “Visioning Climate Change Solutions: The Power of Hope Through Storytelling,” was sponsored by the San Francisco State Foundation and Climate HQ, the University collaborative dedicated to nurturing tomorrow’s climate justice leaders.

“I think it’s important to remember hope is a team sport. You need to share it and then they will lift you,” Robinson told nearly 200 students, faculty, alumni and staff members in attendance. He first heard the idea from Hungarian economist Annette Mikes, who started the Oxford Ministry for the Future, named after Robinson’s book.

Robinson was joined by a faculty panel of climate, policy and fiction experts: Professor of Management and Social Innovation Geoff Desa, Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy Charli Sakari, Professor of Race and Resistance Studies Gopal Dayaneni and Professor of Creative Writing Andrew Joron. Before the panel discussion, a group of 12 Creative Writing students also had a brownbag session with Robinson to talk about the writing process.

In addition to being a bestselling author, Robinson’s numerous accolades include being Time magazine’s “Hero of the Environment.” On the topic of climate solutions, he’s collaborated with leaders across various sectors, including scientists and the United Nations. His 2020 novel “The Ministry for the Future” was one of President Barack Obama’s favorite books of 2020 and one of Bill Gates’ summer books in 2022.

“I wanted to tell a story of things going well without a master plan, with everybody throwing their weight into their part of the project,” he said of the novel. “It’s a science fiction story. We have to make it come true or else it’s just a fantasy that I told to kind of comfort us as we fall into chaos. But what I’ve found is that in the four years since the book came out is that people are hungry for that story.”

Other topics included climate justice, trusting science, advice for budding journalists and scientists, how students can minimize the effects of climate change and how to teach storytelling as activism to grade-school students.

“What I deeply appreciate about this conversation is grappling with the moral implications of both action and inaction and who gets to speak, whose voices are heard,” said Desa, who served as panel moderator.

Learn more about Climate HQ events and get involved in climate solutions.

SF State’s Earth Week festivities start April 22

Kanaga Rajan — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 16:00:00 +0000

SF State’s Earth Week festivities start April 22

Author: Kanaga Rajan

April 17, 2024

It’s the second year the University’s Climate HQ centralizes campus-wide Earth Week activities

San Francisco State University is ramping up for its annual Earth Week 2024 festivities April 22 – 25. After its successful 2023 inaugural event, San Francisco State’s Climate HQ — a campus hub for climate-related activities — teamed up with partners across campus to organize some of the University’s Earth Week events onto one calendar. Climate HQ worked with groups from different colleges and departments and tailored events to students’ interests.

For the second annual Climate HQ Earth Week, the hub is continuing to work with students —several student interns are dedicated to Earth Week — and organizations like Associated Students’ Environmental Resource Center (ERC). Climate HQ is once again inviting students, faculty and staff from across campus to share art, make presentations and perform music during the week. New events this year include a climate justice jobs mixer with external organizations and an alumni panel, a panel on Indigenous land stewards and land rights hosted by the Race and Resistance Studies Department and an art and activism celebration. Earth Week will close on April 25 with the second annual Climate HQ Earth Week Film Festival, showcasing select work from the SF State community and external supporters.

“Everyone should participate in Earth Week because there is something for everyone,” said Alcides Fuentes, Climate HQ’s program and communication specialist. “We want people to feel empowered, to get creative and to realize that we all have a role to play in shaping a better world for current and future generations. Even though the world might seem like a hopeless and depressing place, there is still joy and hope. We can still take action no matter how bad the situation may seem.”

Various SF State organizations celebrated Earth Week in the past, but 2023 marked the first time Earth Week activities were formally supported by Climate HQ via the new Climate Justice Leaders Initiative (CJLI). CJLI aims to equip the University’s diverse student body to become equity-minded leaders through courses, community activities and campus events like Earth Week.

“Our goal in Climate HQ and CJLI is to connect and support the climate justice-related research, education and activism being done by students, faculty and staff, and build connections with alumni, community members and organizations,” said SF State Lecturer Erica Pulley, Climate HQ’s annual events chair. “Earth Week is an opportunity to highlight and celebrate these efforts and build hope, resilience and action.”

Among the Climate HQ events planned for Earth Week 2024:

Monday, April 22

Guided Planetarium Shows: Earth, Climate Change and The Cosmos
11 a.m. and noon, Thornton Hall 422
There will be two shows. Seating is limited and doors close promptly at start times.

Earth Week Tabling, Presentations and Performances
11 a.m. – 2 p.m., Malcolm X Plaza

Earth Week Launch Party
5 – 8 p.m., The Depot, Cesar Chavez Student Center

Tuesday, April 23

Climate Justice Jobs Mixer
11 a.m. – 3 p.m., Jack Adams Hall, Cesar Chavez Student Center

Alumni Panel: Life After Graduation in Environmental and Climate Engaged Careers
Noon – 1:30 p.m., Jack Adams Hall, Cesar Chavez Student Center

Wednesday, April 24

ERC’s Student Flea Market
11 a.m. – 2 p.m., Jack Adams Hall, Cesar Chavez Student Center

Panel: Asserting Indigenous Sovereignty: Defending Indigenous Land Rights
3:30 – 5:30 p.m., Knuth Hall, Creative Arts building

Thursday, April 25

Honoring the Relationship between Activism and The Arts
11 a.m. – 2 p.m., Malcolm X Plaza
The Poster Syndicate will be on site screen-printing original artwork designed just for this event; free screen-printed posters will be available.

Climate HQ’s Second Annual Earth Week Film Fest
4 – 7 p.m., Knuth Hall, Creative Arts building
Enjoy select student works, the award-winning documentary “Water Warriors” by filmmaker and activist Michael Premo and a preview of the upcoming series “Climate California” by NorCal Public Media. Local filmmaker and founder of Docuvist will moderate a guest panel and Q&A. Locally and sustainably sourced food by Alicia’s Tamales Los Mayas will be available.

Visit the Climate HQ website to learn more about Earth Week festivities.

SF State’s Climate HQ organizes Earth Week festivities for April 17 – 21

Kanaga Rajan — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 20:00:00 +0000

SF State’s Climate HQ organizes Earth Week festivities for April 17 – 21

Author: Strategic Marketing and Communications

April 14, 2023

Photo Credit: NASA

The University will celebrate its work on climate change and climate justice through media, art, yoga, food and more

Earth Week 2023 runs from April 17 to 21, and members of the San Francisco State University community are gearing up to celebrate. Among the festivities planned for this year are a film festival, research conferences, free sustainably sourced food and more — all centered around celebrating, supporting and saving our planet.

Though various San Francisco State organizations have celebrated Earth Week in the past, this is the first year that many of these activities will fall under the new Climate Justice Leaders Initiative (CJLI) that is part of the University’s Climate HQ, a hub that promotes and supports climate-related activities at SF State. Launched last year, CJLI’s goal is to equip the University’s diverse student body to become leaders who center their work around equity through courses, community activities and campus events. Earth Week 2023 is the initiative’s inaugural event and the first large event under Climate HQ.

“There’s a cohesion now that there never was before, and we hope to keep growing it because I’m sure there are faculty who still don’t know this is happening and who are doing stuff independently in their classrooms,” said Climate HQ Annual Events Committee Chair Erica Pulley, a lecturer in the Department of Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts. “Going forward, they can start to tap into Climate HQ’s resources.”

Pulley emphasizes that these events are largely driven by students. Many of her Climate HQ partners organizing Earth Week are students. They are also collaborating with the Associated Students Environmental Resource Center and the University’s Office of Sustainability.

“What we’re trying to do is bring a little more joy to this and celebrate all of SF State’s accomplishments and efforts [in climate change and climate justice] and really focus on the students’ efforts as well,” said Astrophysics master’s student Jessica Agnos, one of the student organizers working with Pulley.

The organizers emphasize that there are more events happening on campus beyond those being organized by Climate HQ. The group plans on helping promote other events happening across campus.

Among the Climate HQ events planned for Earth Week 2023:

Monday, April 17

Flea Market hosted by Environmental Resource Center (ERC)
Noon – 4 p.m., Jack Adams Hall

Earth Week Launch Party
6 – 9 p.m., The Depot
Free food from Alicia’s Tamales and discounts from the Pub

Tuesday, April 18

Student performances and music
Noon – 3 p.m., Malcolm X Plaza
Kabob Trolley food truck on Centennial Walkway

Student-led yoga hosted by ERC
11 a.m. – noon, Mashouf Wellness Center

Navigating our Environmental Anxiety
3:30 – 5 p.m., Richard Oakes Multicultural Center (ROMC) conference room in the Cesar Chavez Student Center

Wednesday, April 19

Love to Breathe, Save the Trees
11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Malcolm X Plaza

Musical performance by Audiopharmacy
Noon – 1 p.m., Malcolm X Plaza

Climate Symposium hosted by University’s Office of Sustainability
1 – 4:30 p.m., Library 121
Topics will include local action, art and activism, food sustainability and more

Thursday, April 20

STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics) Day
11 a.m. – 3 p.m., Malcolm X Plaza
Tables and exhibits from Search from Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), California Academy of Sciences, Astronomical Society of the Pacific, American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) and more

Earth Week Inaugural Film Festival
4 – 7 p.m., Coppola Theatre
Student films and a screening of season one of “The North Pole” followed by a Q&A with the show’s writer and executive producer Josh Healey and actor Donte Clark

Friday, April 21

From Polarization to Integration: A new vision of health, activism & cultural evolution
9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Library 121

Learn more about Earth Week festivities organized by Climate HQ and others on the Climate HQ website.