KYOTO REDOUX AT CUA

Adventures in Science, a program of several interdisciplinary courses for non-science majors at Catholic University of America, is designed with a primary goal of presenting science in a format that will allow students to grasp an understanding of and to gain an appreciation for science in terms of everyday life and in the context that science is important in their own fields of interest. It is with these assumptions that the major project for ENV 102, Global Change, was chosen to be a simulation of the Conference of the Parties-3 (COP-3), sponsored by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Kyoto, Japan, in December 1997. The culmination of the project was a presentation of this “reenactment” at the University on April 29, 1998. Invited guests from the University and other distinguished organizations and government were observers for the presentation.
The actual Kyoto conference was a global gathering of representatives from the governments of over 160 nations and individuals representing many public interest groups. They met from December 1 - 11, 1997, and discussed and adopted a protocol to reduce the emissions of heat-trapping gases that contribute to global warming. The science of global warming provided the foundation for these individuals to debate the effects of climate change in such areas as national and global economies, political factions, demographics, standards of living, and ethics.
Based on the diversity of disciplines necessary to design, implement, produce, and facilitate a conference of such proportions and multiples interests, the staff of Adventures in Science designed Kyoto Redoux at CUA as a multi-faceted exercise involving the students of ENV 102. The students were asked to provide preliminary information regarding their majors and areas of interest and/or knowledge, so that they could be involved in activities that would utilize their skills and talents to their best advantage. After analysis and study of the provided information, students were assigned to one of six working groups for design, preparation and achievement of the conference. These six areas were:

Representatives of Countries and Coalition
Representatives of Special Interest Groups or
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)
Design and Facilities Task Group
Production and Protocol Task Group
Public Relations and Press Task Group
Science Background and Policy Task Group

Each of the groups had specific responsibilities for the success of the conference, and they were assigned a faculty or staff representative to whom they reported and whom they used as a reference individual. Creativity was encouraged, within the framework of the assigned tasks. Although evaluations were done individually for each student, the interaction of group dynamics and responsibilities was also an important evaluation factor.

Kyoto Redoux at CUA was an opportunity for students to use their own particular strengths, skills and talents. It was a lot of work, but also a lot of fun. The event of April 29 was one which we can (hopefully) remember as a highlight of the program, and show us that.....

EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED!

Embassies of many of the participating countries
provided a variety of brochures about their homelands
for the conference attendees.

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