Climate reality sets in

When 24 Hours of Reality and Live Earth: The World is Watching airs Nov. 13 and 14, FIU will be watching.

Miami has been chosen as one of eight global host cities for the event, and FIU has partnered with the Climate Reality Project to host the Miami segment of the live broadcast. Planned events include an FIU student club fair and watch party of the webcast in the Graham Center and a public viewing party at FIU’s Miami Beach Urban Studios.

As part of the global effort to raise awareness about the threat of climate change and the importance of the Paris climate negotiations later this month, the worldwide webcast event is designed to remind global leaders that the world is watching. The event has been developed by the Climate Reality Project and Live Earth. Now in its fifth year, 24 Hours of Reality will be broadcast live from the iconic Champ de Mars in Paris with video footage from around the world. Each hour of broadcast will focus on the local and global impacts of climate change in the United States, Australia, Brazil, India, Canada, China, the Philippines and South Africa.

“We are delighted that FIU was able to partner with Climate Reality Project to showcase the severity of projected impacts of climate change and sea level rise on the Miami area, as well as highlight the breadth of work being done to find both local and global solutions,” said Rita Teutonico, executive associate director of FIU’s School of Environment, Arts and Society in the College of Arts & Sciences. “We hope the day of events will encourage students and the community to become part of the global climate conversation.”

At FIU’s Modesto A. Maidique Campus, student groups and clubs will gather at 11 a.m. Nov. 13 to highlight the efforts students are taking to raise awareness about climate change.

In the evening, a public watch party of the live broadcast will be hosted at FIU’s Miami Beach Urban Studios from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. This event will feature FIU professors and scientists, as well as local community leaders and the concerned public.

Also in the evening, FIU will host Miami’s segment of the 24 Hours of Reality live broadcast at an invitation-only event on Miami Beach.

A banner of 4,000 petitions gathered by students demanding climate action will be unveiled at FIU’s Modesto A. Maidique Campus next week.