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Connections

Coming up on Connections: Wednesday, September 2

Shamseer Sureach Kumar
/
freeimages.com

First hour: Discussing the RCSD's decision to begin the school year fully remote

Second hour: Understanding the impact of climate change migration (*This discussion will be rescheduled due to breaking news.)

The Rochester Teachers Association advocated for a full remote learning schedule to open the school year. That's exactly what the district decided to do. It makes Rochester the only district in Monroe County without any in-person learning this fall. There have been mixed reactions, with some parents saying that this puts predominantly Black and brown children at a disadvantage. Our guests will discuss the decision and the plans for the fall:

  • Adam Urbanski, president of the Rochester Teachers Association
  • Pablo Sierra, parent of two students in the Rochester City School District

(*This discussion will be rescheduled due to breaking news.) Then in our second hour, we discuss climate change migration. According to the New York Times, one percent of the world today is a barely livable hot zone; by 2070 that percentage could increase to 19 percent. Millions of people around the world have left their homelands to escape extreme weather conditions that have destroyed crops and ways of life. Researchers say that number will only increase due to the effects of climate change. Last February, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown declared his city a climate refuge. Rochester has become home to thousands of people from Puerto Rico fleeing the damage of Hurricane Maria. This hour, we discuss climate migration from a number of angles. Our guests:

  • Brady Fergusson, member of the Rochester chapter for Citizen's Climate Lobby
  • Dennis Olmedo, native of Puerto Rico who moved to Rochester
  • Congressman Joe Morelle, co-sponsor of the Climate Displaced Person's Act
Connections
Evan Dawson is the host of "Connections with Evan Dawson." He joined WXXI in January 2014 after working at 13WHAM-TV, where he served as morning news anchor. He was hired as a reporter for 13WHAM-TV in 2003 before being promoted to anchor in 2007.
Megan Mack is the executive producer of "Connections with Evan Dawson" and live/televised engagement programming.