Dr. Jason West welcomed the New Year with a candid talk on climate change

Dr. Jason West engaging with the audience at January Carolina Science Cafe

On January 4, more than 100 UNC students, faculty, staff, and community members joined Dr. Jason West, Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at UNC Chapel Hill, in a Carolina Science Café conversation about global climate change. Carolina Science Cafés are free, monthly educational programs, offering perspectives on cutting-edge research from scientists who conduct the research. West shared current climate science, including his research on the implications of climate change for current and future generations. He also discussed the political atmosphere regarding climate change and highlighted a few positive trends for the future. Despite the controversial topic, West led a lively discussion shaped by numerous questions from the audience.

West, who is a member of the UNC Center for Environmental Health and Susceptibility (CEHS), conducts interdisciplinary research addressing air pollution and climate change by applying atmospheric chemistry models to quantitative policy analysis. His work includes modeling of ozone and particulate matter on urban, regional and global scales, global atmospheric composition and radiative forcing of climate change, health impact assessment, and integrated planning of air pollution and climate mitigation.

This Carolina Science Café was coordinated by the Community Outreach and Engagement Core in the UNC Center for Environmental Health and Susceptibility and co-sponsored by the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center (MPSC) and the Society of Sigma Xi at UNC Chapel Hill. The Carolina Science Café program is presented by the North Carolina Science Festival, which MPSC founded and produces.