UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Registration is now open for the Pennsylvania Environmental Resource Consortium (PERC) Climate Choices Deliberation, to be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 9 at Penn State University Park. The event, hosted by PERC, of which Penn State is a member school, aims to bring together faculty, staff and students for a facilitated deliberation on climate change and to provide participants with skills and tools for organizing and facilitating deliberations in their own community.
As noted by the event website, “PERC's Climate Choices Deliberation is based on the Kettering Foundation's Climate Choices. Climate Choices creates a structured way for organizations and communities to discuss the issue of climate change in a meaningful way. It brings ethical issues to the forefront, invites individuals to explore trade-offs between different climate solutions, creates good conditions for dialogue and decision-making, and respects the democratic process.”
The day will be divided into two sessions. In the morning, small groups will take part in a deliberation around three different options for acting on climate change:
- More mitigation investments like renewable energy, green buildings, carbon sequestration, etc.
- Rapid investment in adaptation measures to sea level rise, increased precipitation, higher heat stresses, etc.
- Accelerate research and development to discover options that we might not yet know about and that could create a breakthrough.
In the afternoon, attendees will learn how to organize a successful deliberation in their own community by considering factors such as who you are working with, how to cooperate with media, and how to best facilitate discussions. The event will be facilitated by Cathi Alloway, executive director of the Schlow Memorial Library and Britani Peterson, a second-year Penn State Law student with experience in group facilitation and a passion for social justice, and Peter Buckland, of Penn State’s Sustainability Institute.
Visit the event website to register by Nov. 3. The event is open to PERC Member Schools, including the Penn State community. Those who do not have a PERC profile to log on with for reduced pricing, may send an email to josh.hooper@pagreencolleges.org by Oct. 31.