"Climate Control: How We Broke the Earth's Thermostat and What to Do Next"
with Dr. Kevin Uno, Associate Professor of Paleoecology at Harvard University
Friday, November 8, 2024, from 3:30-5 p.m.
I.G. Greer Hall Auditorium, 401 Academy St, Boone, NC 28608
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BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University's Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences—with support from the University Forum Lecture Series—is pleased to welcome paleoecologist Dr. Kevin Uno. He will present "Climate Control: How We Broke the Earth's Thermostat and What to Do Next" on Friday, November 8, 2024, from 3:30-5 p.m. in the I.G. Greer Hall Auditorium located at 401 Academy Street in Boone.
Dr. Uno is an associate professor in the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. He is a paleoecologist whose primary research focus is on exploring the role of climate and environmental change on mammalian and human evolution. To do this, he uses stable isotope and organic geochemical methods to reconstruct climate, vegetation and mammalian diets from the Neogene (~24 Ma) to present. He has led or co-authored a series of papers that linked dietary changes in mammals and hominins to late Neogene vegetation change. Since 2013, he has focused on development and application of molecular biomarker analyses on terrestrial and marine sediments to reconstruct ecosystem structure, hydroclimate and fire in ancient environments. Learn more about Uno at kevinuno.com.
In his lecture, Uno will discuss the following: Hominins, including the earliest humans, evolved in a world with little to no control over the Earth's ever-changing climate and their environment. Over time, humans began to find ways to adapt to varying climates by making clothing and shelter, and, eventually, by controlling fire. This allowed the genus Homo to expand into Eurasia and eventually the Americas. Since the Industrial Revolution, our need to control our own climate has led to us changing global climate—the Earth's Thermostat. In this talk, Uno will discuss how humans' need to control the climate has led to the current climate crisis and provide some perspective on what we can do to fix it that draws on the evolutionary history of humans over the last ~3 million years.
The lecture is free and open to the public. For a disability accommodation, visit odr.appstate.edu. Questions can be directed to the Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences via email at earth_env_sci@appstate.edu or via phone at (828) 262-3049.
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About the Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences
Located in Western North Carolina, Appalachian State University provides the perfect setting to study geological and environmental sciences. The Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences provides students with a solid foundation on which to prepare for graduate school or build successful careers as scientists, consultants and secondary education teachers. The department offers six degree options in geology and two degree options in environmental science. Learn more at earth.appstate.edu.
About the University Forum Lecture Series
The University Forum Lecture Series brings nationally prominent speakers to campus. Their views enliven campus dialogue on a variety of issues. Past speakers have included activist Gloria Steinem, conservationist Terry Tempest Williams, presidential historian Harold Holzer, CNN correspondent Peter Bergen and award-winning science journalist Carl Zimmer. Learn more at universityforum.appstate.edu.
Dr. Kevin Uno is an associate professor in the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. Photo submitted
Dr. Kevin Uno is an associate professor in the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. Photo submitted