ACLS19 Climate Leader Q&A: Christine McEntee
The American Climate Leadership Summit 2019 (ACLS19) on May 1-2 will feature conversations with prominent climate experts and advocates. This year’s theme is “Breakthrough,” and we’re looking for just that — breakthrough strategies and ideas to help transform the climate action into a true national priority. ecoAmerica offered some of this year’s guest speakers the opportunity to answer climate-related questions, including how they think we can make a breakthrough on climate change in the U.S.
Christine McEntee is Executive Director and CEO of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), a worldwide scientific community that advances the understanding of Earth and space through cooperation in research. She is the second Executive Director in AGU’s 100-year history. Over 25 years, she has made her mark as an association leader and innovator, building a steady record of achievement in leading large organizations through changes in governance, membership and the fluid public policies that confront them. McEntee’s previous leadership experience has spanned the fields of aging, healthcare and architecture.
What was your climate breakthrough moment?
There wasn’t just one moment. Rather, it was a series of events beginning with the work that I did prior to joining AGU with the American Institute of Architects, to then facilitating a sustainability program at AGU that helps encourage construction and renovation of buildings to reach achieve a carbon neutral footprint by 2030. More personally, experiencing severe weather that damaged my home and learning more intimately about the linkage between climate change and human health were particularly compelling.
What do you wish more Americans knew about climate change?
The consensus around anthropogenic sources as the driver of current climate change is nearly unanimous. It is a real and serious threat to our world and survival. And, it is occurring now and we can do something about it.
What current climate breakthroughs or initiatives inspire you and give you hope that we will effectively address climate change?
The various initiatives underway at all scales – local, regional, national, and global – as well as the growing numbers of individual, nonprofit, and private actors working with their diverse constituencies to address our changing climate.
What do you believe the ACLS19 will accomplish in moving the needle on climate action?
Greater acceleration of connections between networks to broadening and catalyzing action and advocacy so that collective, faster action can occur.
Why should others join you at ACLS19?
We can’t solve this problem alone. We need stakeholders from all sectors and backgrounds of society to address climate change and come up with a suite of creative, scientifically sound solutions that can be employed on a large scale with speed and efficacy.
Hear more from Christine McEntee at the American Climate Leadership Summit 2019 in Washington, D.C. on May 1 and 2. Click Here to Register