Xavier Cortada's art serves as a bridge between science and community, transforming public spaces into platforms for climate storytelling and experiential learning. His interdisciplinary practice demonstrates how socially engaged art can cultivate a broad base of people who champion environmental justice and help build the political will necessary for systemic change. A Miami-based artist, Cortada will discuss his innovative approach to stimulating public discourse and ultimately galvanizing action around sea level rise.

Locked in a Hotbox: The Impact of Climate Change on the Incarcerated will be a critical examination of how climate change impacts people who are incarcerated. Many jails and prisons are inadequately equipped to handle extreme weather, exposing people who are confined within them to unique health vulnerabilities.

Plants have long been deemed passive organisms with “hardwired” or “inflexible” behavior. However, a growing body of empirical research reveals that plants exhibit cognitive capabilities traditionally attributed to animals. And yet, controversies over these scientific findings have recently intensified.
In this talk, Paco Calvo will reflect on the current challenges faced by the field of plant signaling and behavior, including risks of underdelivering and strategies to avoid biases that may lead to overinterpreting results. This talk aims to spark multidisciplinary dialogue around the question of plant cognition and event sentience, and to foster renewed scientific curiosity into the rich cognitive landscape of green companions.
About Paco: Paco Calvo is a renowned cognitive scientist and philosopher of biology, known for his groundbreaking research in the field of plant cognition and intelligence. He is a professor at the University of Murcia in Spain, where he leads the Minimal Intelligence Lab (MINT Lab), focusing on the study of minimal cognition in plants. Calvo’s interdisciplinary work combines insights from biology, philosophy, and cognitive science to explore the fascinating world of plant behavior, decision-making, and problem-solving.

Join the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability to hear from Bloomberg's senior climate reporter Akshat Rathi. He will discuss his new book, Climate Capitalism: Winning the Race to Zero Emissions and Solving the Crisis of Our Age. In a journey across five continents, Rathi brings people, policy, and technology together and tracks the unlikely heroes driving the fight against climate change. The discussion will be moderated by Peter Tufano, Baker Foundation Professor at Harvard Business School and Senior Advisor to the Harvard Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability.

🌟 Save the Date! You're invited to the 9th Salata Scholar Seminar Series! 📚 📅 Date: April 11, Thursday 🕕 Time: 6:00 PM 📍 Location: Harvard University Center for the Environment (HUCE) 🎙️ Featured Presenters: 1. Emil Lassen: "Can Doughnut Economics Guide Urban Development in Balance with People and Planet?" - Summary: Emil will introduce how the Doughnut Economics model can guide urban development toward sustainability. Learn about setting absolute targets for sustainability using planetary boundaries science. - Bio: Emil Bender Lassen is a Master in Public Policy student at HKS. Co-founder of the sustainable urban development company Home.Earth. Co-author of “The Doughnut for Urban Development: A Manual” published in 2023 alongside Kate Raworth (Oxford University) and researchers from Stockholm Resilience Centre. 2. Anastassia Nefedova: "Regenerative Agrivoltaics as a path to net zero- the case for widespread implementation" - Summary: Discover the potential of agrivoltaics in addressing renewable energy transition and food security, looking at the recent advances and challenges in implementing this dual-use approach. - Bio: Anastassia Nefedova is Graduate Student (ALM) in Sustainability at the Harvard Extension School conducting research on the role of regenerative agriculture and agrivoltaics as mechanisms for decarbonization. She's the founder of a climate tech venture - Regenerate, working on on-shore regenerative agrivoltaics implementations which is currently incubated at the Harvard Innovation Lab. 🍃 Refreshments will be provided.

Real Colegio Complutense at Harvard University and the University of Valencia present a session on mental health and well-being at work. Participation is free and light food and beverages will be served.

In this workshop, you will use museum specimens to inspire your own avian creation. Over five half days, artist Gail Boyajian will guide you from start to finish as you build and paint a papier mâché bird from scratch, using everyday materials.

We will complement the art-making process with visits to the museum galleries as well as the ornithology research collections.