CMM Teacher Receives Environmental Award
On Monday March 18 the five day program Green days was launched at the University of Iceland. On this occasion Dr. Guðni Elísson, a Professor at the School of Humanities at UI and instructor at our Coastal and Marine Management program was awarded the Green Days Award. The award is granted to an individual, group or department within the university who has in some way promoted and increased environmental awareness within the university and the Icelandic community at large.
This summer Dr. Elísson will teach the course Communicating Climate Change at the Coastal and Marine Management master's program for the second time.
The Green Days program is organized this year for the fifth time by Gaia, the student organization for the Environment and Natural Resource master's program at UI. In a press release from Gaia it says that "Guðni Elísson has written extensively about environmental issues and in particular climate change. He has criticized the political discourse in the country for ignoring and neglecting those imminent changes expected due to climate change not only in our ecosystems but also in our human society and the broader international sphere. Guðni has also pointed out how the political section has repeatedly derogated scientific research results in the field of environmental studies and disregarded the warning signs of scientists about the negative environmental impacts of human actions."
The committee which decides on the award‘s recipient each year, states that "Guðni‘s writings are important in the endeavor to increase environmental awareness and those goals which nations have set themselves to seek sustainable development and secure equal rights for future generations. Climate-induced changes will have a wide impact both in our country but also everywhere else in the world, so it is imperative for political parties from all persuasions to recognize these impacts and respond to them with concrete actions and not merely words. According to the committee, environmental issues concern us all and Guðni‘s contribution to environmental awareness is an integral part of public education and information. Finally, his vigilant guard towards these authorities which are involved in the decision making on environmental issues is of outmost importance."
The staff of the University Centre of the Westfjords congratulates Guðni with the award and we look forward to his class this summer.
This summer Dr. Elísson will teach the course Communicating Climate Change at the Coastal and Marine Management master's program for the second time.
The Green Days program is organized this year for the fifth time by Gaia, the student organization for the Environment and Natural Resource master's program at UI. In a press release from Gaia it says that "Guðni Elísson has written extensively about environmental issues and in particular climate change. He has criticized the political discourse in the country for ignoring and neglecting those imminent changes expected due to climate change not only in our ecosystems but also in our human society and the broader international sphere. Guðni has also pointed out how the political section has repeatedly derogated scientific research results in the field of environmental studies and disregarded the warning signs of scientists about the negative environmental impacts of human actions."
The committee which decides on the award‘s recipient each year, states that "Guðni‘s writings are important in the endeavor to increase environmental awareness and those goals which nations have set themselves to seek sustainable development and secure equal rights for future generations. Climate-induced changes will have a wide impact both in our country but also everywhere else in the world, so it is imperative for political parties from all persuasions to recognize these impacts and respond to them with concrete actions and not merely words. According to the committee, environmental issues concern us all and Guðni‘s contribution to environmental awareness is an integral part of public education and information. Finally, his vigilant guard towards these authorities which are involved in the decision making on environmental issues is of outmost importance."
The staff of the University Centre of the Westfjords congratulates Guðni with the award and we look forward to his class this summer.