It’s been more than 50 years since the first Earth Day, and polling data shows an increasing understanding that humans play a significant role in the earth’s changing environment. An overwhelming majority of scientists – 97 percent – agree on anthropogenic global warming. Still, the remaining three percent play an impactful role in keeping the debate about the reality of climate change alive.
Young
Dr. Laura Young, associate professor of political science at Georgia Gwinnett College, wanted to know more about that disparity. “Who are these three percent of people who are so impactful in the debate among the scientific community?” Young decided to approach the question pragmatically, using her expertise as a researcher. She enlisted student assistants to set about collecting data.
Young says: “We looked at items like the Montreal Protocol and the Manhattan Declaration, and those documents that experts had signed and were used as evidence to stop climate change mitigation policies.”
Young and her student assistants methodically researched the signers for several years. She says the project really kicked into gear when Erin Fitz, a political science major from Jackson, Miss., came aboard in 2019. Fitz graduated from GGC in 2020 and is now pursuing a doctorate at Colorado State University.
“She was a workhorse,” says Young. “It was quite an undertaking because you find all the info but then you have to verify it. You can’t just rely on a website. There was a lot of contradictory information about individuals.”
Young and Fitz compiled their findings into a paper published in the British Journal of Political Science in 2021. They discovered that the people who make up the “three-percent” have a lot of things in common. That includes both in terms of connections to certain industries and organizations, and in age, education, and even non-educational backgrounds and interests.
Young offered two solutions to mitigate the damaging effects the “three percent” has on the worldwide effort against global warming. First, she said, is doing just what she and Fitz did with their paper: talk about who exactly makes up that three percent.
Second, she is reframing conversations so that addressing climate change isn’t viewed as a zero-sum game.
“We need to talk about it in economic terms,” says Young, “and focus on what can be gained by addressing climate change. Important issues including more jobs, greater energy independence, and a better economy – ideas that are always big talking points but are even more so right now considering current events – are really important.”
Trenton Systems opens new headquarters in Duluth
Trenton Systems, an American-made computer hardware manufacturer, celebrated their headquarters expansion with a grand opening at their new office, located in a 50,000 square former IBM building at 3100 Breckinridge Boulevard in Duluth, on April 19.
Trenton Systems designs, manufactures, assembles, tests and supports secure computing solutions, ensuring tamper-free hardware and cybersecure firmware and software within a vetted supply chain. Their clients include national military and defense organizations and information industry partners, such as Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, SAIC, Disney, Google, IBM and NASA.
Trenton Systems will use the modern facility for their new headquarters and business support and expand their manufacturing infrastructure at their current facility, located at 1725 MacLeod Drive in Lawrenceville, to better support customer needs.
Trenton Systems Chief Executive Officer Michael Bowling said the expansion will lead to more than 50 new positions, allowing them to broaden their product and service offerings and continue innovating computing solutions that drive some of the world’s most complex applications across all environments. He adds: “Trenton Systems is excited to be growing its footprint in Gwinnett County. Our people truly do make all the difference and the additional space will enable us to keep adding to the talent pool across all departments.”
Duluth Fourth of July will be different for 2022
The “Duluth Celebrates America” event traditionally held on July third is no more. Instead, the City of Duluth has a new event, hosting a kickoff of the Fourth of July on Friday, July 1. This event will include musical performances by A-Town A-List, a patriotic stage show (similar to that of Howl on the Green), inflatables and other activities. Patriotic decor and flying the nation’s flags honoring deceased veterans will remain on display through the holiday time.
Gwinnett County employees getting 8% pay raise
Gwinnett County employees are getting an eight percent pay raise, and first responders are getting more, 10 per cent!
That’s the result of a primary objective for the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners—to be the public sector employer of choice. The Board recently approved measures to meet that objective and to stay competitive in a challenging environment impacted by the national labor shortage.
Chairwoman Nicole Hendrickson says: “We take pride in Gwinnett being a preferred public sector employer. We also know a generous compensation and benefits package is essential to keeping this status and shows our current employees we appreciate their hard work and dedication to the Gwinnett community. At the same time, we hope these incentives will attract prospective employees to consider a career in public service.”
The market adjustment will raise the minimum hourly rate for all positions in Gwinnett County Government to $15.
Norcross grants $480,000 to local nonprofits
Seven local nonprofit groups are getting grants totaling $480,000 from the City of Norcross to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 as part of the American Rescue Plan Act Nonprofit Grant Program.
Getting the grants are Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries, $170,182; St. Vincent de Paul Society $99,000; Ser Familia Inc., $88,000; Next Generation Focus, $38,000; Helping Mamas, Inc., $34,818; Corners Outreach, $25,000; and Good Samaritan Health Center, $25,000.
Mayor Craig Newton says: “These organizations are doing amazing work in Norcross, and we are grateful for the opportunity to play a small part in their life-changing work.”
With the success of the ARPA nonprofit grant, the City of Norcross, in partnership with Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs has decided to extend the opportunity to the small businesses of the community as well. Applications for the ARPA Small Business Grant Program will open on May 2, 2022. More information can be found at https://www.norcrossga.net/2214/ARPA-Small-Business-Grant-Program.
The Water Tower lands major new sustaining partner
Carollo Engineers has committed to being a Sustaining Partner at The Water Tower Innovation Center, a 55,000-square-foot research collective on The Water Tower Global Innovation Hub Campus located in Gwinnett County.
The campus will serve as an accelerator for water innovation by bringing together utilities, technology providers, educational institutions, and other industry partners to conduct applied research, technology innovation, workforce development, and community engagement.
Ranked by Engineering News Record as the country’s largest water-focused engineering firm, Carollo brings a full range of planning, design, and construction management services to clients nationwide. As a Sustaining Partner and The Water Tower’s first official tenant, Carollo will facilitate knowledge and technology transfer at The Water Tower gleaned from nearly 90 years in the water sector.
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