Abstract: Climate change poses many risks. Research on these risks—and on what to do about them—unavoidably goes beyond purely scientific matters to touch on questions of values and ethics. Whose risks are most worthy of attention from researchers? Which stakeholder perspectives are acknowledged when assessing potential responses to risk? In this seminar, I will provide an overview of important concepts for thinking and communicating clearly about the interplay of social values and STEM research. I will discuss best practices for navigating this interplay and show examples of their implementation in the area of climate-risk research.

Bio: Casey Helgeson is an assistant research professor at Penn State’s Earth and Environmental Systems Institute. His work addresses the place of human values within research design practices. He focuses on climate-risk research with the goal of ensuring such research can support inclusive and values-based decision-making about climate adaptation. Before Penn State, he held postdoc positions at the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and London School of Economics. He holds a PhD in Philosophy and BS in Mathematics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

This event is presented as part of the 2024 Perspectives on the Climate Change Challenge Seminar Series:

• Most Mondays, Spring Semester 2024, 2:55-4:10pm
• Via Zoom

This university-wide seminar series is open to the public (via Zoom), and provides important views on the critical issue of climate change, drawing from many perspectives and disciplines. Experts from Cornell University and beyond present an overview of the science of climate change and climate change models, the implications for agriculture, ecosystems, and food systems, and provide important economic, ethical, and policy insights on the issue. The seminar is being organized and sponsored by the Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering and Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability.