Panelists Celebrate Women’s Leadership in Environmental Movement

Four female leaders in the environmental movement shared their respective stories in combatting climate change on Tuesday at the Kennedy School.

The event, organized by the Belfer Center and the the Center for Public Leadership, featured environmental advocacy leaders from the academia, the non-profit sector and the government.

Neenah Estrella-Luna, an assistant teaching professor at Northeastern University pointed out that many prominent environmental groups in the United States have female leaders.

“Historically women have led most social movements, certainly in the United States and definitely around the world,” Estrella-Luna said.

She mentioned the Green Schools Alliance, a network of schools, as an example of an environmental institution that is led mainly by women.

“It's an extension of women’s historic perceived goal of protecting the family and of protecting the community,” Estrella-Luna said.

Errin Douglas, an organizer of the event, said the choice of the female panelists was inspired by women’s history month. The panelists expanded the event’s topic to a general discussion of current environmental issues due to the diverse audience.

Amy Luers, the assistant director of Climate Resilience and Information at the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy, argued that adapting to consequences of climate change is equally, if not more important, than preventing climate change.

“Most people who think of climate adaptation think it’s giving up,” she said. “When I engage people on the climate and tell them what I do, if they’re interested in the issue, they spark up. Then when I tell them I work in adaptation their face lulls.”

While many climate activists focus on preventative measures, Luers noted the importance of creating more resilient communities.

“The reality is that even with aggressive reductions in greenhouse gases, we will still see climate disruptions for decades to come,” Luers said.

Reflecting on the outcome of the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, all of the panelists agreed the creation of the Paris Agreement was an important first step in addressing climate change globally.

Amy Larkin, Vice-Chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Climate Change said it was “a miracle” for 195 nations to agree on the importance of addressing climate change, but noted that much more work has to be done. She added that even though local actions are important in order to slow the pace of environmental degradation, a global framework is essential.

“It was only a signal. The hard work begins now,” she said.