UC Berkeley Global Climate Strike

September 18, 2019

Dean David Ackerly sent the following message to CNR students today:

Dear CNR Students,

As many of you know, on Friday (September 20) there will be a UC Berkeley Global Climate Strike at 11:00 am in Sproul Plaza. Our community applauds those who are uniting to speak out about global climate change. President Napolitano yesterday announced that she and the ten Chancellors have all signed on to a declaration of climate emergency, along with hundreds of other educational institutions and networks. As Dean of CNR, I fully support the commitments outlined in the declaration, and the role of UC as a global leader in addressing the challenges of climate change.

CNR, in keeping with long-standing Berkeley traditions, encourages students to speak out on issues that matter to them in a safe and respectful manner, and we entirely support your right to assemble this Friday if you so choose. Barring exceptional and pressing circumstances, the right to adjust or cancel classes at Berkeley is one held by our faculty (following guidelines of the Committee on Courses of Instruction). Professors in CNR and the rest of campus may support the Climate Strike, but those decisions are made by individual instructors. 

We encourage everyone in the CNR community to take the time to learn more about what we can do about climate change and recommit ourselves to solving one of the greatest existential threats of our time.

Sincerely,

David Ackerly