Harvard Business School Rally/Strike for Climate Education, Research and Teaching

Start: Friday, September 20, 2019 4:00 PM

Help make human-induced climate change history by taking a fraction of an hour to join with climate-concerned HBS administrators, reunion-attending alumni, faculty, students and staff, in solidarity with millions of others around the world, in this global "Climate Strike" rally that has been inspired by the bold and ongoing leadership of young Swedish student-activist Greta Thunberg. HBS educates leaders who make a difference in the world, and such world-changing leaders are needed now, as it becomes clearer to us all that climate change will bring not only unsavory consequences, but also new opportunities. (However, most of those opportunities will disappear, along with a human-friendly climate, unless we turn the current situation around by circa 2029.) We concerned members of the ~ 400,000-strong Harvard "family" have not been asked to intervene, but there are those among us who believe that it's time for Harvard University to rally family members to contribute their skills. Therefore, we are asking Harvard to immediately form a University Climate Initiative (UCI) to help coordinate, expand, and integrate the climate related teaching, research, and convening activities of Harvard's many school. As soon as possible, and eventually under the auspices of the UCI, we are asking Harvard to: a) Initiate a program to inform all of the Harvard family that human-induced climate change is real, serious, and worthy of their immediate attention; b) Initiate a biennial survey of the Harvard family to ascertain levels of climate comprehension and involvement; and c) Initiate an annual "Global Climate Leadership Summit" to spread awareness of climate-related problems and opportunities, and to encourage actions to solve the greatest problems.