When I was talking with a family friend, the subject of climate change came up. We exchanged a few words and it was obvious that they did not believe climate change was real. I politely disagreed and explained myself, citing facts I had learned in SGC and my Atmospheric and Oceanic Science classes. I made sure to not be belittling or barrage my friend with information. After I shared my stance on climate change, my friend admitted that climate change is real, but that it is not caused by humans. The one piece of information that they kept referencing was that Earth’s climate varies all of the time and the changes we are seeing now are simply a part of this nature variation. Having learned in SGC that the changes we are seeing now far exceeds any natural changes, I decided to share this with my friend. I said that while Earth’s climate does vary, those changes occur over thousands of years, while the changes we are seeing now have occurred in a little over a century. I also mentioned that these changes coincide with the height of the industrial revolution and the associated increases in atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. Fortunately, I was able to change my friend’s mind after spotting their misapplication of scientific information by using what I learned in SGC.
I think our unit on the impacts of climate change, particularly its effects on extreme weather, was a big reminder of why I want to major in Atmospheric and Oceanic Science. For as long as I can remember, I have loved extreme weather. Whenever a thunderstorm would come along, I would stand at my window and watch it from start to finish. From superstorm Sandy to the record cold in Texas, extreme weather is both beautiful and interesting to me. Although it is a spectacle, extreme weather poses a threat to people all over the world. SGC reminded me of this and my desire to one day make forecasts that can protect people from severe weather as it becomes more extreme and frequent. As a result, my desires feel more connected with my major and I have SGC to thank for that.
One required supporting course for SGC that helped train me to be resilient in the face of global change was English 101S (Academic Writing). By taking this course, I was able to complete projects that pushed me to think outside of the box and present my findings in essay and presentational form. As a result, I was able to improve my writing, speaking, research, and argumentative skills, which are all important in the face of global change, especially as communication evolves and becomes more important in day to day life. A second supporting course I took for both SGC and my major was AOSC 200 (Weather and Climate). This course helped me to be resilient in the face of global change by teaching me the science behind Earth’s basic weather and climate systems, as well as the relationship between humans and weather. Having this knowledge allows me to be knowledgeable in this field to potentially work for NOAA when I graduate and be able to make forecasts that help people prepare for the increasing amount of dangerous weather.
SGC provided a medium by which I was able to meet two people who I may now call my friends. The first person, Will Dixon, is one of my study buddies and fellow AOSC majors. We met during service day and we have since helped each other stay on task, study, and build connections. The second person, my table-mate Logan Bails, has been my go-to group member, project teammate, and class reminder (i.e. he would remind me we had class when I forgot) for all three SGC semesters. If I missed a day, he would catch me up on what I missed and help me with the discussion questions if I needed it. Logan also keeps me sharp during lecture by cracking jokes here and there. I think I can say that my academics would certainly not be the same if I had not met these two guys in SGC.
During my time in SGC, I have always done my best to contribute to the program, mostly in the form of discussion participation. If I knew an answer or wanted to add onto the discussion, I would put my hand up, sometimes when there was dead silence. There were several instances of this, but one such occurrence that comes to mind was during the first semester of SGC. We were discussing the trip to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, which I have been to several times. Before we were about to move on from the topic, I raised my hand and shared some travel recommendations for those who were going, such as seeing Bryant Park and avoiding Time’s Square like the plague. Although I did not go on the trop, I thought I would share some tips since I grew up near New York City. Although my contributions to SGC were small, I hope that I helped in some way.
By being in SGC, I have been able to talk to people and take classes that challenged my previous beliefs. The most notable, however, was English 101S. For that class, we had to do a research project on a topic of our choosing. For my topic, I chose to look into the need to mitigate the conflict between car enthusiasts and environmentalists, particularly in the context of Internal Combustion Engine use in modern cars. Being both a car enthusiast and an environmentalist, I despise electric cars but also want to help the environment. This was a unique topic for my class and many of my classmates see electrification of cars as the best solution, challenging my previously held beliefs. Keeping this in mind during my research, I came to understand that keeping the Internal Combustion Engine around alongside electric was the best way to improve emissions from the transportation sector while keeping car enthusiasts happy. As a result, I have to accept the growing role of electric vehicles in the world of cars as part of a solution to the climate change problem despite me liking of Internal Combustion Engine powered cars.
I think the training I received in scientific and argumentative thought throughout my time in SGC will be the most helpful in my future years as a student and into the professional world. To be more specific, I will need to use these skills, especially the hypothetico-deductive method of science, to make a hypothesis that will guide my senior capstone project and any other research opportunities. Additionally, I will use these skills to make presentations and have meaningful discussions with my peers both in school and in the workforce. Although, it is too soon to tell for sure, I firmly believe that everything I learned in SGC will have a profound effect on my life.