1.

Climate change is a crisis that we as a global community will face - some through career,
some through personal choices. Building on what you heard in the interdisciplinary
discussion, how might you choose to address this challenge in your own life?
As I write this, I am sitting in the Renaissance hotel at a Model UN conference. I am
representing Panama in the World Health Organization, and the topic is climate changes impact
on health. Before the Global Challenges Talk and this Model UN conference, I had thought so
little about the direct impact that climate change has on human health, especially in developing
nations, but most of all, the politics involved with solving these issues.
Climate change has always been something I have pushed to the back of my mind, as it
appears like a long-term and impersonal issue. In my career and life, I wish to directly impact
humans so I never gave much thought to combatting environmental issues. Possibly the greatest
lesson I learned from the panel discussion and the Model UN conference is that environmental
issues are inherently human issues. The impacts of climate change are real and present;
increased natural disasters, the spread of vector-borne illnesses, the existential crisis of low-lying
states threatened, and many more disastrous situations. I assumed before recently that the only
way to combat climate change was either to A. be a climate scientist or B. be a politician in
charge of regulations. However, with all of the extraneous issues associated with climate change,
I am realizing the vast number of roles I could play in mitigating it; I could be a public health
expert advisor to the UN, work with indigenous peoples to give them power over their land, try
to mitigate the health risks associated with climate change, urge political leaders, education,
outreach, etc. While being here, I have reflected on the multi-faceted nature of climate change.
Because I am representing Panama, I have studied how deforestation has many more
implications than just contributing to climate change. Not only does it release carbon dioxide,
and destroy carbon sequestration, but there are direct public health risks associated with it.
Indigenous tribe are losing their homes and biodiversity that they rely on, clean water is
threatened, and vector-diseases are increasing all due to deforestation.
I am realizing that there are many ways I can combat climate issues just in my education. I
have always been interested in Latin American studies and international studies, and this
knowledge is still very important if I wish to work in areas disproportionately affected by
environmental degradation. But the Global Challenges talk on climate change has had a
surprising impact on my academic plan. I appreciated David Battistis ability to integrate his love
of pure science with effective legal and political work. Hearing him speak, and working through
the bureaucratic process of model UN I am realizing that change is often better made starting on
the local level and by understanding the science. I plan to shift my educational plan away from
solely international studies and politics, to science as well. Looking at next quarter, I am taking
the Honors climate change class, and switching from an international studies course to a
chemistry course in case I want to do a public health or environmental health major. I also hope
to do an exploration seminar about the environment or public health to expose myself to the
areas being affected most. I do not know exactly what I want to do for my career yet, but I think
the greatest about the past week is that my frame about climate change has been shifted and it is
now at the forefront of my mind.