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Category Archives: University of Miami

A Special Report from the University of Miami

April 21, 2016 DReynolds

Dr. Ben Kirtman, Professor and Director of the Cooperative Institute of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science, is one of the world’s leading climate scientists, a co-author of the NOAA Climate Prediction Task Force and the IPPC’s most recent report, as well as someone who has been very kind to help educate me about climate change and sea rise over the last few years. He and many other exceptional educators all over the University such as Dr. Hal Wanless, Professor and Chair of the School’s Department of Geological Sciences, are at the absolute cutting edge of the study of sea level rise science, the social and health impacts that climate change will increasingly have on our world, alternative energy solutions that we must commit to and the policy making issues that will help us solve this growing crisis.

The University of Miami is, in my view, uniquely positioned to both study and help solve this growing crisis and, although I admit being biased (I am a graduate of the school’s Summer Scholars Program in Tropical Marine Biology and plan to study Ecosystem Science & Policy there this coming summer as well as follow my mom, dad and grandfather, all of whom are Miami grads, by applying late this year for undergrad admission), I am deeply proud and excited that the new University President, Julio Frenk, has made climate change a major focus of his administration, of part of what he calls The Relevant University. In his recent Inauguration speech Dr. Frenk made his commitment to helping the world on its climate concerns clear when he said;

For instance, rising sea levels—a major threat to Miami as well as the rest of the world—was discussed repeatedly during my listening exercise. Climate change is an arena where virtually every academic discipline has something to contribute, and where the institution is already showing the way forward. In the coming months, we will announce a new University-wide effort to expand our considerable expertise in sea level rise. This is exactly the kind of transformative, global contribution that Miami can and should be making to the search for sustainable solutions.

So with these thoughts in mind I am pleased to share the news of the University’s campus wide focus on climate change and to share with you their brand new overview that shows the depth of their commitment and ability to help our community and world. As we say around these parts, it really is “All About The U’!

Ben Kirtman, climate, Climate Change, Delaney Reynolds, Eco Warrior, Global Warming, Harold Wanless, Miami, miamiecowarrior, miamisearise, Miamisearise.com, Sea Level Rise, Sea Rise, State of Florida, The Sink or Swim Project, University of Miami

Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue, Seas Are Rising, and So Are You

February 12, 2016 DReynolds

The last two weeks have been a blur for The Sink or Swim Project but the next two weeks are even more exciting and I have a lot of news to share with you about some amazing events.

Breakthrough Miami

Before I share news about February, I must share the incredible experience that I enjoyed on Saturday, January the 30th as I lectured to a Breakthrough Miami class of Middle and High School students at Palmer Trinity.

The 80 children and their questions were absolutely incredible. In fact, following my presentation they had almost an hour worth of engaging questions about what will happen, and when, as well as many on possible solutions and how they can spread the word. As I often say, today’s children ‘Get It’ and the students at Breakthrough Miami are a perfect example of this and give me great hope that we absolutely can solve our planet’s global warming and sea level rise problems.

I must admit that this presentation was unlike any I had ever done before because it was being filmed by a crew from National Geographic’s Years of Living Dangerously (www.yearsoflivingdangerously.com) for inclusion in season two of the Emmy award winning series that will air later this year. A crew flew in from New York, Germany and elsewhere to film The Sink or Swim Project presentation for their upcoming segment on Miami that will have actor/musician Jack Black as its correspondent. The students not only learned about sea level rise that morning but had the opportunity to watch the crew work and even ask all sorts of questions about their process, profession and lives. It was truly a memorable experience and I want to thank National Geographic, the Years Project, Jon, Tomek, and Matt, as well as Gus and Brian from Palmer for their tremendous support.

Coming Attractions of The Sink or Swim Project

Now, onto what will be an incredible month (February) for The Sink or Swim Project’s educational work. Here are the coming attractions:

1. February 15th: Ahead of the Tide

I am so very excited to share with you the launch of a monumental 10 part series on sea level rise entitled Ahead of the Tide that drops its first episode on February 15^th. This landmark movement highlights the effects of sea level rise and climate change through the stories and voices of local people here in Florida.

Each video (5 to 7 minutes) will showcase different issues related to sea level rise from scientists, engineers, politicians, educators, authors, activists and others. David Smith of CAVU (www.cavu.org) has made many breathtaking environmental films and from what I’ve seen, thus far, the Ahead of the Tide series will be both stunningly beautiful, as well as deeply thought provoking.

Please check out the trailer on our website, www.miamisearise.com, or at www.aheadofthetide.org where you can sign up to join the movment and make a difference today!

2. February 26th: TEDx Youth@Miami

I love watching TED Talks and I am so very honored to share that I will be presenting my own TEDx talk at the Adrienne Arsht Center’s Knight Concert Hall here in Miami on February 26th! My talk will be about my work on sea level rise and how ‘kids get it’ and how young people, no matter how young, can have an impact in solving the problem. To learn more and even buy tickets, click here!

3. February 20th & 27th:

On two consecutive Saturdays, the 20^th and 27^th, The University of Miami will host the Cooper Fellow Training Series two day lecture entitled Empowering Capable Climate Communicators 2016. The training will take place at the University of Miami’s Cox Science Center on the Coral Gables campus from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm both days. It is sponsored by The CLEO Institute, the University of Miami’s College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Geological Sciences.

Both days will be filled with presentations, discussions and training by some of the world’s leading climate scientists and communicators who will talk about causes, severity and impacts if humane-induced climate change, as well as what must be done to adapt, stop and reverse trends.

I am deeply proud to say that on the 27th I will be presenting a lecture entitled I Have Found My Voice. You Must Too. I plan to discuss the journey that I have been on over the last two years with The Sink or Swim Project’s educational efforts and will illustrate how anyone, no matter their age, can make a difference. Thanks to Dr. Harold Wanless, Chair of The University of Miami Department of Geological Sciences for inviting me to participate.

To learn more about Empowering Capable Climate Communicators 2016 training please click on the following flyer:

In lieu of flowers and candy for Valentine’s Day I am off to Hawaii for a week long Marine Biology Expedition. I can’t wait to see what treasures I discover during my first visit to the Pacific Ocean. I plan to swim with giant manta rays and dolphins, search for whales, hike volcanos and explore black sand beaches and rain forests.

I will do my best to post a picture or two on The Sink or Swim Project’s social media when possible and when I return will share some more BIG news with you about how children are making a huge difference in the world and why I know that my generation can and will solve the challenges our planet faces from warming and sea rise. Until then, please consider telling your friends about The Sink or Swim Project and following us on social media.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Ahead of the Tide, Breakthrough Miami, CAVU, CLEO Institute, Climate Change, Delaney Reynolds, Eco Warrior, Empowering Capable Climate Communicators 2016, Global Warming, Miami, Miamisearise.com, Palmer Trinity, Palmer Trinity School, Sea Level Rise, Sea Rise, TEDxYouth@Miami, The Sink or Swim Project, University of Miami, Valentine's Day, Years of Living Dangerously

Children Solve Global Warming at COP 21 United Nations Simulated Climate Negotiations

December 7, 2015 DReynolds

While the world’s climate negotiations are taking place in Paris at the Conference of the Parties (COP21) at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change, a simulated negotiation took place here, in Miami, on December 5^th at the Frost Museum of Science that included 60 high school students from the Upward Bound program along with 120 students from StarBot Academy, Breakthrough Miami’s middle school STEM Program. I was proudly asked to act as a Climate Advisor to some of the children and was assigned to the group that represented the world’s developing nations including Pakistan and the Middle East, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, and the Island Nations.

The program, which was sponsored by Breakthrough Miami, the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science, Dream in Green and the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science was a mock-UN climate negotiation that educated the children on climate change including social and economic impacts to the world’s various nations. It was fascinating to see the depth that children as young as middle schoolers undertook in considering how a changing climate will impact jobs, industry, technology, agriculture and, of course, various aspects of the environment. I am not surprised by the children’s understanding of these issues, I see such reactions all the time as I present my Sink or Swim initiative to children, but it sure was encouraging.

Organized by Climate Interactive’s World Climate Project, the children not only learned about many climate related topics but used a policy decision making simulator called C-ROADS (Climate Rapid Overview and Decision Support), which was developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Climate Interactive, the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, and Ventana Systems. The children from each country or group of countries then created an action plan that addressed the concerns of their member nations and then entered into robust, often passionate, debate from the auditorium stage as they argued their position and facts in support of their temperature goals.

It was a wonderful experience being with the children and so many passionate people. I am also happy to report that working together, negotiating with one another, we were able to set climate temperature goals (an increase of no more than 2%) that, if the world’s ‘real’ (current) leaders can accomplish the same result that the children did will lead to tremendous improvement in the future. To the children that participated, as well as the sponsors, thank you for allowing me to be with you. To those who are negotiating the real agreement in Paris, please do your best to set the most aggressive goals possible and know that what you are doing will soon be in the hands of the children that were with us here in Miami and around the world. We, the children of the world, are counting on you and if a bunch of kids can come to a helpful agreement then we expect you can too.