Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

2020 Climate Forum Brings a Dozen Presidential Candidates to Campus

Twelve presidential candidates spoke on the urgency of the climate crisis and how best to address it over the course of the  two-day Climate Forum 2020, hosted by Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service, Our Daily Planet, MSNBC and New York Magazine, which took place in Gaston Hall on Sept. 19 and 20.

7 Candidates Kick Off Day 1 of 2020 Climate Forum

By The Hoya Staff

The two-day Climate Forum 2020, hosted by Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service, Our Daily Planet, MSNBC and New York Magazine, kicked off in Gaston Hall on Sept. 19. Thursday’s schedule for the forum included Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), currently polling second for the Democratic nomination, and entrepreneur Andrew Yang, who interacted with students at Yates Field House the night before the forum.

While candidates throughout the day agreed climate change is one of the most pressing issues for young voters and frequently highlighted the shortcomings of the President Donald Trump administration, their views split on topics such as nuclear energy and carbon capture technologies.

College Republicans’ Climate Forum Rebuttal Met With Protests

By Riley Rogerson

RILEY ROGERSON/THE HOYA

Dozens of students chanted, raised posters and interrupted speakers in organized protest of the Georgetown University College Republicans event Thursday night, leading the Georgetown University Police Department to stop and restart the event.

GUCR invited five climate policymakers and climate scientists, criticized by some as climate change skeptics and deniers, to deliver a conservative perspective on climate change at an event in the Reiss Science Building. The event, titled “Climate Forum: A Rebuttal,” was in response to the two-day MSNBC Climate Forum 2020, at which 11 presidential candidates are addressing environmental policy in Gaston Hall on Sept. 19 and 20, according to the GUCR Facebook page.

Day 2 of Climate Forum 2020 Spotlights Booker, Buttigieg

By The Hoya Staff

The second and final day of the Climate Forum 2020, hosted by Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service, Our Daily Planet, MSNBC and New York Magazine in Gaston Hall, featured five more candidates speaking on the topic of climate change.

NATALIE ISÉ/THE HOYA | Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.)

Friday’s schedule included Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Montana Gov. Steve Bullock (D) and philanthropist Tom Steyer. The event concluded with a session with former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld (R), the only Republican presidential candidate to accept an invitation to the forum.

Common themes throughout the day included discussion of the intersection of racial justice and climate change, the effect of climate change policies on jobs in the fossil fuel industry and proposals for a carbon tax as an environmental solution.

Forum Spurs Student Engagement on Climate Change Conversation

By Myroslav Dobroshynskyi and Amy Li

Crowds of enthusiastic students excited to catch a glimpse of seven 2020 Democratic presidential candidates waited in line outside Gaston Hall for the first day of the Climate Forum 2020 on Sept. 19.

On Thursday morning, the queue of students waiting outside the auditorium grew, especially as Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) time slot approached.

Nareg Kuyumjian (SFS ’21), a board member of the Georgetown Renewable Energy and Environmental Network, went to wait in line early in the morning to secure a coveted spot to see Sanders.

“I was super looking forward to the event,” Kuyumjian said. “I lined up from four o’clock in the morning.”

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