Conservative and Concerned About Climate Change? You’re Not Alone.
The Penn Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media (PCSSM) and Kleinman Center for Energy Policy (KCEP) hosted this conversation between Bob Inglis and Michael Mann with Sanya Carley moderating during Energy Week at Penn. This discussion focused on the importance of having good faith conservative voices in the conversation over climate and sustainability. Throughout his career in public service, Bob Inglis has emerged as a leading conservative voice advocating for action on climate change. As the Executive Director of republicEn.org, a community of conservatives focused on free-market solutions to environmental challenges, Inglis champions pragmatic and economically sound approaches to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A six-term U.S. Congressman from South Carolina, Inglis experienced a personal and political evolution on climate change, transforming him into a prominent advocate for bipartisan solutions to the climate crisis. Inglis’s post-Congressional work has earned him numerous accolades, including the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award, for his unwavering commitment to fostering climate action within conservative circles. His efforts emphasize the importance of bridging ideological divides and finding common ground to tackle one of the most pressing issues of our time. During this event, Inglis will share insights from his journey and discuss the role of conservative leadership in advancing climate and energy policy, followed by a moderated Q&A session.
This event was on February 13, 2025. More event information and recording can be found here.
Image credit: Kleinman Center for Energy Policy
Climate Optimism with Michael Mann and Dan Utech
The Penn Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media (PCSSM) hosted a fireside chat between PCSSM Director Michael Mann and EPA Chief of Staff Dan Utech. The two discussed progress that has been made by the Biden-Harris administration over the past few years in addressing the climate threat, including critical climate legislation signed into law by the Biden-Harris administration, the carbon emissions reductions we’re seeing in the U.S. and around the world, and the importance of youth engagement. This event was part of Penn Climate Week.
This event was on October 17, 2024. More event information and recording can be found here.
Image credit: Heather L. Kostick
Getting Scientists into Office
The Penn Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media along with 314 Action Education Fund and the Andrea Mitchell Center for the Study of Democracy hosted an event on scientists in government. Did you know only 4% state legislators nationwide are scientists, engineers or healthcare professionals? Many of our great societal issues require a level of physical scientific knowledge in order to be properly addressed but the majority of the elected officials in the US don’t have science backgrounds. The discussion focused on scientists and science-degree holders in elected positions and the need for increasing data-driven individuals in political offices. Hear from Dr. Monica Taylor – the first African American woman elected to the Delaware County Council, Shaugnessy Naughton – the president of 314 Action, and PCSSM’s Director and climate scientist Dr. Michael Mann on the importance of getting scientists elected to government offices. This panel will be moderated by Dr. Parrish Bergquist – Assistant Professor in the Penn Political Science Department. This event was part of Penn Climate Week.
This event was on October 14, 2024. More information and event recording can be found here.
Image credit: Heather L. Kostick
Global carbon cycle and climate change: where we are, where we need to be
Penn Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media (PCSSM) and the Earth & Environmental Science Department with the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) in welcoming Dr. Pierre Friedlingstein from the University of Exeter who will be giving a talk on his work on the intersection of climate modeling and international climate policy with an introduction and Q& A moderation from Dr. Michael Mann.
This event was on September 24, 2024. More information and event recording can be found here.
Image credit: Heather L. Kostick
To Understand A Tree – A Conversation with Artist Gina Siepel and Dr. Michael Mann
PCSSM and the Museum for Art in Wood for an event during Penn Earth Week. Dr. Michael Mann will be in conversation with interdisciplinary artist and woodworker Gina Siepel whose exhibition “To Understand A Tree” is currently on display at the Museum for Art in Wood as a part of their environmentally-focused exhibitions. More event information and recording can be found here. This event was on April 25, 2024.
Image credit: Heather L. Kostick
A Conversation with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (with introduction by Dr. Michael Mann)
Throughout his tenure in the Senate, Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) has been a vocal advocate for climate action, consistently pushing for policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and addressing the impacts of climate change. On the Senate floor, he has delivered nearly 300 “Time to Wake Up” speeches, which highlight the scientific consensus surrounding climate and the urgency of action needed. Senator Whitehouse has supported measures to invest in renewable energy, improve energy efficiency, and reduce carbon emissions. He has also been a strong supporter of international efforts to combat climate change, including the Paris Agreement, and has called for greater U.S. leadership on the global stage. He has been a vocal critic of climate change denialism, pushing back against misinformation and advocating for evidence-based policymaking.
This event was on March 15, 2024 and a part of Energy Week at Penn hosted by the Kleiman Center for Energy Policy and the Vagelos Institute for Energy and Science Technology.
Link to event information here.
Image credit: Kleinman Center for Energy Policy.
A Conversation with PBS and PCSSM about Solutions-Driven Climate Storytelling
Solutions must be at the center of the stories the media tells: how do you focus on solutions in a way that engages, inspires, and empowers people on a broad scale? PBS, WHYY and the Penn Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media (PCSSM) held an event to to hear directly from industry-leading filmmakers, science communicators, and community leaders about how to make an impact in the ever-changing media landscape. PBS shared exclusive clips of their upcoming shows ahead of fall premieres. Learn about the climate story-telling that PBS is doing all over the country and also local programming from our local PBS station WHYY.
Panelists include:
- Professor Shane Campbell-Staton, Ph.D., Biologist & Host of PBS’s Human Footprint series
- Bill Gardner, Vice President, Multiplatform Programming & Head of Development, PBS
- Maribel Lopez, Head of PBS Digital Studios
- Sarah Glover, Vice President, WHYY News and Civic Dialogue
- Dr. Michael Mann, Presidential Distinguished Professor & Director of Penn Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media
- Susan Phillips, Senior Reporter/Editor for WHYY News Climate Desk
- Dr. Bethany Wiggin, Director of Penn Program in Environmental Humanities
- Fay Yu, Executive Producer of America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston
This event was at the Prince Theater on Penn’s campus at the Annenberg Center for Performing Arts.
Image credit: (above) Heather Kostick and (below) Miguel Martinez.
Undergrad Climate and Energy Policy Seminar: Michael Mann
A selection of photos from the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy’s Undergrad Climate and Enery Policy seminar during Penn Energy Week on March 20, 2023. Each spring, the Kleinman Center hosts its undergraduate student fellows program and climate and energy policy seminar series. This program is designed as a competitive and selective appointment for committed undergraduates. Admitted students are expected to attend a lunchtime seminar every other week at the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy. These energy and climate policy seminar sessions provide students with the opportunity to meet and hear from energy researchers as they discuss the findings and policy implications of their recent research. Photo credit: Mark Hughes.
What is ESG? Why It Matters and Why You Should Pay Attention
A selection of photos from the Penn Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media (PCSSM) event during Penn Energy Week on March 20, 2023. ESG—short for Environmental, Social and Governance—is all the buzz in the business and investment worlds. But what exactly is ESG? And why should you care about it? While business firms are increasingly taking steps to consider how their actions both are affected by and impact these factors, the use of ESG has also elicited strong pushback from investors, politicians, and others. This panel event moderated by Dr. Michael Mann will bring together panelists with expertise in ESG from Wharton and industry to explore the ins and outs of ESG, why it has become so important, as well as to explain the controversies. Panelists will include Vit Henisz, Vice Dean and Faculty Director, ESG Initiative and Deloitte & Touche Professor of Management, Sarah Light, Faculty Co-Director of the Wharton Climate Center and Associate Professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics, Claudine Gartenberg, Assistant Professor of Management, and Lolita Jackson MBE, executive director of sustainable cities at Sustainable Development Capital LLP. Penn Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media (PCSSM) is cohosted this event with Kleinman Center for Energy Policy (KCEP) and the Wharton Climate Center as a part of the Kleinman Center’s Energy Week (running from 3/20-3/24). This was a panel discussion with Dr. Sarah E. Light, Dr. Witold Henisz, Dr. Claudine Gartenberg, and Lolita Jackson MBE with moderation by Dr. Michael Mann. Photo credit: Heather Kostick.
Breaking Down “The Scheme” with Author Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse
A selection of photos from the Penn Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media (PCSSM) event on December 9, 2022. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse is known for his progressive politics and a vocal champion for climate change policy in government. He has been known to reach across the aisle to work with folks like James Inhofe on grants for small manufacturers on workforce training; or Roger Wicker on legislation that clamps down on laundering money through U.S. financial system. Following his book Captured on corporate capture of regulatory and government agencies, and his years of experience as a prosecutor, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse here turns his attention to the right-wing scheme to capture the courts, and how it influenced the Trump administration’s appointment of over 230 “business-friendly” judges, including the last three justices of the United States Supreme Court. This was a panel discussion on dark money in politics with Sen. Whitehouse, Dr. Michael Mann, and Dr. Joseph Francisco with moderation by Dr. Kathleen D. Morrison. Photo credit: Heather Kostick.
Rising to the Global Climate Challenge: Australia’s Leadership
A selection of photos from the Penn Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media (PCSSM) inaugural event on September 13, 2022, part of Perry World House’s 2022 Global Order Colloquium, “A Fracturing World: The Future of Globalization” hosted by Perry World House. University of Pennsylvania President M. Elizabeth Magill provided introductory remarks for the program, and this keynote conversation with Dr. Michael Mann and PM Malcolm Turnbull was moderated by Dr. Kathleen Hall Jamieson. Photo credit: Eddy Marenco.
Michael E. Mann Honored With Stroud Award for Freshwater Excellence
A selection of photos from the Stroud Water Research Center’s 20th Annual The Water’s Edge gala at the Delaware Museum of Nature & Science. Stroud Water Research Center has bestowed the 2022 Stroud Award for Freshwater Excellence upon Dr. Michael Mann. Approximately 200 guests attended the gala, where Mann presented on his research on climate variability and extremes, including 1,000 years of temperature data that produced the hockey stick graph, so named because of its pronounced upward curve. The data, which combined decades of work by paleoclimate scientists, served as a smoking gun in the case proving human-induced climate change. Since its inception in 2003, The Water’s Edge has featured noteworthy contributors to the world of science, fresh water, and conservation. Previous speakers and Stroud Award for Freshwater Excellence recipients have included luminaries such as Jane Goodall; Olivia Newton-John and John Easterling; American Rivers and its president, Bob Irvin; His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco; The Redford Center; Alexandra Cousteau; Melissa D. Ho of World Wildlife Fund; and others. Photo credit: Stroud Water Research Center.
