Ithaca College

In late June, Department Chair Susan Allen-Gil and rising senior Becky Webster travelled to the west coast to discuss their experiences at last December's COP-15 climate change conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, as part of a panel at AESS’s annual meeting.

Every year, Ithaca College students attend the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change as conference delegates through the department’s International Environmental Policy class. This year they organized a daily public opinion poll, querying both conference delegates and – via internet – individuals around the world in order to assess international viewpoints. Additional Copenhagen experiences included attending plenary and informational sessions, and one-on-one discussions with delegates from participating countries that ranged from global super-powers contributing significantly to global warming to developing-country island nations most in jeopardy from the accelerated rise in sea levels that is one consequence.