As part of the UConn Foundation’s Impact Series, four researchers, including two from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, discussed their research on climate change in Connecticut on Feb. 8. The professors discussed its local impacts and what the state can do about them. 

The talk, titled “Climate Change in Connecticut: Threats and Responses” was moderated by Professor-in-Residence Joe MacDougald, executive director of UConn Law’s Center for Energy and Environmental Law.

The panel included Professor and Head of Geography, Sustainability, Community and Urban Studies Anji Seth, who studies how regional climates are likely to evolve under global warming, and Professor of Marine Sciences James O’Donnell, executive director of the Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation, who studies ocean circulation.

Also on the panel were Paschaline Nsiah-Asare, a teaching fellow at the UConn School of Law and an attorney with a special interest in comparative energy and environmental policy, and Emmanouil Anagnostou, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering in UConn’s College of Engineering.

The event gave attendees the opportunity to learn about the multifaceted challenges posed by climate change in Connecticut and the proactive responses led by UConn.

Panelists spoke about the interdisciplinary perspectives of climate science, energy and resilience policy, and environmental justice. Seth emphasized that though we are already adapting to the impacts of climate change, it is still “never, ever” too late to mitigate.

“Everything that we can do will help,” she said. “There’s no point at which we give up, because the more [carbon dioxide] we put into the atmosphere, the worse things are going to get.”  

The next UConn Foundation Impact Series event will take place on May 22 at the UConn Health Center. Check back with the Impact Series web page for updates.