If you're interested in learning more about A4E's work combating global climate change and want to get involved, join them here at: https://astronomersforplanet.earth/join-us-1. And be sure to check out A4E's white paper on what astronomers (like you!) can do to address the climate crisis: Astronomers for Planet Earth: Engaging with the Public to Forge a Sustainable Future.
 |
| Jessica Merritt Agnos, mother, science communicator, and co-founder of Astronomers for Planet Earth, is pictured here holding one of her children who is already enthusiastic about space. What is your current career and how did you end up there? |
What is your role in Astronomers for Planet Earth (A4E)?
I'm a cofounder and tend to have some level of involvement in most things that happen on a large scale. Because of my previous work experience, I’m involved in video production, and I try to get everyone on board with the ideas of marketing and branding so we can be effective in getting our message out. My husband and I spearheaded the logo design. He edits most of the videos and wrote several of the ones that have been produced so far. It’s a family affair in my household! I also have a good amount of public speaking experience, so I participate in conferences and (pre-Covid) hosted/mc'd events at SFSU for A4E.
What goals do you have for your role in A4E?
Right now, many of us are busy with operations and planning, trying to set up a long-term structure. This organization is very grassroots and has grown far more quickly than we ever imagined, all on a volunteer basis. As a student and mother of three, I have very limited bandwidth, so my hope is once a structure is in place, my focus can be back on video production. I want to do more video portraits of our members (like this) and really hear from our wider community. One thing that is off-putting about academia in general is the circular back scratching that occurs, which eliminates a lot of voices that should be heard. I want to tell the stories of our student members, our members in parts of the world that don't get showcased the way they should, our members who are out in their communities doing the work - maybe not the head of an institution, but a volunteer or community organizer. Climate change is already affecting people, mostly communities who have been traditionally exploited and are on the front lines. Those voices need to be elevated; their actions highlighted. I've been kicking around the idea of a podcast with a similar theme which could allow for branching out beyond the astronomical community and having interdisciplinary discussions. I keep my eye on a lot of amazing activists with whom I would LOVE to speak. Climate work requires all hands on deck and people working with one another from all backgrounds and locations. I want to do my part in making connections. We need to do a better job at showcasing the intersectionality of the climate crisis, so whatever I do in the future will be focused on that.
Describe the first time you made a personal connection between your passion for astronomy and the urgency of fighting climate change.
I worked as a presenter in the Morrison Planetarium at the California Academy of Sciences, where the institution made sustainability their top priority. All of the planetarium shows had a sustainability aspect to them, and it was an obvious connection. They made a planetarium movie about coral reefs and ocean acidification that won many awards globally. It opened discussions about plastic pollution and food choices. Another interactive we did was "Living Beyond Earth" where we talked about the resources needed for the International Space Station, for a moon base, and for the trip to Mars. We really got the audience thinking about how carefully resources need to be managed to sustain life. Then we put the focus on "Spaceship Earth", and you could see the light bulbs going off in the minds of the audience members! It was so powerful. In my "Tour of the Universe" script, in which we traveled through the observable universe, I read Carl Sagan's "Pale Blue Dot" at the end as we were coming back home to Earth. I added that after the Charlottesville riots, being so heartbroken and disturbed by those events. As a woman of Central American heritage and a mother of a biracial young woman, I felt a need to give my audiences a message of unity and show how much we depend on one another for survival. In my opinion, it's not been said better than "Pale Blue Dot", so it became a staple.
These experiences were my inspiration in helping found A4E. The Cal Academy was already doing it, and it seemed to me that more astronomers should be doing the same. All the credit goes to the Morrison team for having such amazing shows.
How does your career in astronomy intersect with the fight against climate change?
Going back to the Morrison Planetarium - I watched kids' and adults' minds expand while giving them messages of sustainability through the lens of the astronomical perspective. When you have the tools of a planetarium to show these obvious connections, it's very powerful. It was easy to show (as I would state in my shows) " we are not separate from 'out there', we are actually 'out there' !" Observing how impactful that was to an audience made me want to bring that message to as many people as I could.
This inspired the sustainability panel at the ASP conference that launched A4E. Dr. Adrienne Cool (associate physics chair at SFSU) and I met with ASP over the summer of 2019 because they were holding their annual conference on our campus that fall. We had a conversation about this topic being of utmost importance. Over the course of planning and bringing more voices in, A4E was born. This organization is in the fabric of the department I'm in. It's in the mindset of our students and faculty. It's not just an intersection, it's woven into who we are. Even the dean of our college has invited me to talk about A4E. I feel very lucky to be in such a mindful academic environment.
How can the astronomical community engage with the climate crisis movement?
We should be making large-scale connections every chance we get. Carl Sagan did this so masterfully, and we need to carry his torch. We are life birthed from the stars. We are all interconnected. We are all in this together. Astronomers have a beautiful perspective; we need to share it and showcase the uniqueness of our home.
It's worrisome to me when I hear others get pushback for their sustainability efforts at their institutions. It blows my mind that anyone in the astronomical community would not be putting the sustainability of our planet at the forefront considering no one knows better than astronomers how special this planet is.
Working in the planetarium really impacted me, because I saw from our museum guests almost everyone loves astronomy. It's who we are as humans - literally and figuratively. We owe civilization to the fact that we were able to discern patterns from the sky. How special is that? Astronomers are such incredible ambassadors. We need to be talking about this and sharing the awe and wonder of what we do and what we know.
(I'd like to shout-out Wendy Crumrine, another A4E founding member from SFSU who is on her way to USC for a PhD in cosmology. She has an undergrad in psychology and has developed curriculum for children that uses astronomy to develop empathy. It's amazing. My son participated in her "Wonder Hour" workshop, and he loved it. She's a treasure and a wonderful example of an astronomer doing engaging climate work.)
If you weren’t in the field of astronomy, what would you be doing?
I've done a lot of different things, enough to know astronomy really makes me happy. If I wasn't doing this specifically, I'd probably be in renewable energy. I'm also very interested in nutritional science, so maybe that, too. Many of my professors joke with me that I've never met a subject I didn't like, so who knows. I'm fascinated with existence. Physics and astronomy are the building blocks of that, so that's why it captivates me. But I love seeing how it all came together to make us. We're literally sun scraps, and yet we have the ability to know that about ourselves and communicate it. That's amazing.
Do you have any advice for future astronomers who might also be interested in addressing the climate crisis?
Climate change is already affecting everyone in various ways and will only get worse if action isn't taken now. No profession will be able to avoid talking about it in the future. It's something everyone, including astronomers, need to be thinking and talking about, and actively playing a role in the solutions. The most important thing for anyone to do is to talk about it so it becomes obvious to the powers that be that they MUST incorporate climate action into their policies and business plans. The field of astronomy will be affected by changes in the atmosphere and severe weather. We can't insulate ourselves. With the long preamble, my advice is be mindful, be vocal, live your values, and speak up every chance you get. You won't be alone. Join us, and let's elevate each other's voices so that changes happen!
Working in the planetarium really impacted me, because I saw from our museum guests almost everyone loves astronomy. It's who we are as humans - literally and figuratively. We owe civilization to the fact that we were able to discern patterns from the sky. How special is that? Astronomers are such incredible ambassadors. We need to be talking about this and sharing the awe and wonder of what we do and what we know.
(I'd like to shout-out Wendy Crumrine, another A4E founding member from SFSU who is on her way to USC for a PhD in cosmology. She has an undergrad in psychology and has developed curriculum for children that uses astronomy to develop empathy. It's amazing. My son participated in her "Wonder Hour" workshop, and he loved it. She's a treasure and a wonderful example of an astronomer doing engaging climate work.)
If you weren’t in the field of astronomy, what would you be doing?
I've done a lot of different things, enough to know astronomy really makes me happy. If I wasn't doing this specifically, I'd probably be in renewable energy. I'm also very interested in nutritional science, so maybe that, too. Many of my professors joke with me that I've never met a subject I didn't like, so who knows. I'm fascinated with existence. Physics and astronomy are the building blocks of that, so that's why it captivates me. But I love seeing how it all came together to make us. We're literally sun scraps, and yet we have the ability to know that about ourselves and communicate it. That's amazing.
Do you have any advice for future astronomers who might also be interested in addressing the climate crisis?
Climate change is already affecting everyone in various ways and will only get worse if action isn't taken now. No profession will be able to avoid talking about it in the future. It's something everyone, including astronomers, need to be thinking and talking about, and actively playing a role in the solutions. The most important thing for anyone to do is to talk about it so it becomes obvious to the powers that be that they MUST incorporate climate action into their policies and business plans. The field of astronomy will be affected by changes in the atmosphere and severe weather. We can't insulate ourselves. With the long preamble, my advice is be mindful, be vocal, live your values, and speak up every chance you get. You won't be alone. Join us, and let's elevate each other's voices so that changes happen!
No comments:
Post a Comment