The White House has recognized Kim Morrow, climate change resource specialist in UNL's School of Natural Resources, and 11 others as "Champions of Change" for their efforts in protecting the environment and communities from the effects of climate change. The Champions of Change program was created as an opportunity for the White House to feature individuals doing extraordinary things to empower and inspire members of their communities.
"I am very humbled to receive this recognition," said Morrow, who will be formally honored at the White House on July 20.
She will participate in a panel discussion, and remarks will be presented by Gina McCarthy, Environmental Protection Agency administrator, and Brian Deese, senior adviser to the president. The event can be streamed live at http://www.whitehouse.gov/live at 1 p.m. CST.
"I became convinced of the urgency of climate change nine years ago, and at that time asked myself why I wasn't devoting every minute of my professional energy to working on this crisis," Morrow said.
She has since become a religious environmental leader, serving as executive director of Nebraska Interfaith Power & Light, a non-profit whose mission is to facilitate the faith community's response to climate change. She has also served as minister of sustainability at First-Plymouth Church in Lincoln and is ordained in the United Church of Christ.
"As a minister, I recognized that faith communities had tremendous resources for responding to this crisis with community-based solutions, moral visions for the care of creation and hope in the face of seemingly overwhelming circumstances," Morrow said.
At UNL, Morrow is assisting in the organization of a series of sector-based roundtable discussions on adaptation and mitigation actions in response to a changing climate, slated to take place in September and October.
Along with Don Wilhite, climatologist and professor, and Martha Shulski, assistant professor and director of the High Plains Regional Climate Center, Morrow is organizing an Arctic workshop scheduled for November at Nebraska Innovation Campus.
"(Morrow's) expertise, passion for addressing the issue of climate change and experience working with various stakeholder groups in this endeavor is a tremendous asset as these initiatives move forward," Wilhite said.
Morrow said that the work occurring at SNR is "at the nexus" of climate change work in the state of Nebraska.
"With the combination of cutting-edge climate information, relationships with key stakeholder groups and policy work, we have the opportunity to make a real difference in preparing Nebraska for the changes that lie ahead," she said. "With great people, excellent research and a wonderful institution, I remain hopeful that we can transform and thrive in the face of a changing world."
— Mekita Rivas, Natural Resources