Before joining the Climate and Social MA, Lina Maria Vilgas spent several years as a military and contract linguist, learning a whole new language and culture. University of Maryland.
Currently, Vilgas is studying another language of environmental policy and climate science. She is also a vice president of interior affairs for the Columbia Climate Student Government and a member of the Student Leadership Engagement Initiative. She is currently a research assistant at NASA’s Climate Change Research Initiative and works with Cuny to help characterize urban land surface temperatures in NYC. Read more about Villegas’ roundabout climate school trip in the Q&A below.
Could you tell us a little about how you were interested in climate spaces?
In elementary school, I remember talking about electricity and small things in the auditorium. I became a small environmentalist in our home. All light was turned off, all light was turned off. Since then, we have become increasingly aware of the various ways our actions affect the world around us.
I started carrying reusable water bottles around eight years ago. When I see a friend or colleague having a plastic water bottle, I sometimes ask if they would consider switching to a reusable water bottle, but not a judgemental method. By someone makes you feel uncomfortable with your choice. Most of them would say no. And I say, “Well, if you think about it, you use at least one water bottle per day for X years. I’ve been carrying this around for eight years. I’ve done it in a day To hang it in a water bottle, think about how much money you can save if you switch.
Do you think individual climate behavior makes a difference?
A podcast I listened to a while ago talked about small and large-scale behavior, or discussions between personal behavior and corporate entities, but do you actually make a difference as an individual? It insisted on both sides. What stuck most to me was that our actions could turn into droplets of water, but water creates a ripple effect. I carry around a water bottle and have this conversation with friends and colleagues. I know there are a lot of people who have made small changes to that end. This creates this large community of consciousness. You don’t know how far it can reach.
What inspired you to study climate?
For a long time I didn’t know what I wanted to study. I wanted to be a veterinarian, but I didn’t want to lose the scholarship I had and go into debt. So I joined the military. I thought I would get some exposure there to see what I want to pursue in life. Or win-win because you’ll be paid to the school. I worked as a linguist for six years with the military and another year and a half as a contractor.
But I felt unfulfilled with unhappiness. I decided to follow my passion for environmentalism. I originally went to the University of Maryland (UMD) for environmental science, and found out there is far more chemistry and mathematics than I would like to do as a returning student. Meanwhile, geography science did not involve it, and there were maps.
There was a guest lecturer at UMD and I happened to be a graduate of Columbia Climate School. I had heard about all the amazing things school was doing and I wanted to be a part of it.
How did your diverse background and experience shape your path to climate school?
The language I learned was Pashz from Afghanistan. It’s not widely used so I haven’t been able to practice it much since then, but I love the language, people, culture and experiences I had. I was able to learn a whole new language and culture that I have never really broadened my horizons, and my love for learning and curiosity really grew there.
As an undergraduate, I also had the opportunity to study abroad in Copenhagen. The class was climate change and the Arctic ecosystem. We learned how different ecosystems within the Arctic interact with each other, their current state and their impact on climate change. Part of the course was to learn how to generate your own research. We had to go to Greenland for two weeks. I never thought a girl from Miami, Florida would go to Greenland for her whole life. The whole experience was amazing and we got a lot from the fieldwork we did. The same summer, in 2022, I visited a friend in France. It was in the middle of that heatwave without air conditioning, and compared it to Greenland, showing how many changes have been happening worldwide, and how different the areas prepared are.
What do you want to take away from the MA of climate and society?
One of the things I have achieved while at UMD is the strong cutting of science and policy. Scientists are discovering these things here, and politicians are making their decisions there. However, there is not much bridge between the two, or at best it is tenuous. I would like to fill that space to help create more green opportunities in the future. Knowing that urban populations will increase to 70% by 2050 compared to the current 50% will also be the impact of more sustainable policies on those who move to and already exist in these spaces. I’m thinking about it.
In my first class at Climate School, I talked about how “learning the architecture of a system is the best way to influence changes in that system.” I’m excited to learn everything about it. Because that’s not something I’ve been exposed to before. I’m excited to study climate investment and policy Lisa Saxand I’m trying to seeevil“The problems we face today and possible solutions. I would like to learn from other students with amazing backgrounds of the climate. I’ve so far made a little star track that everyone can do in their own life. is.
I think you need to have a positive outlook as you are in the climate field. I call myself a forced optimist. We have already reached our limits and can’t believe we’ve hit a tipping point. I have to move forward and see what I can do and how I can help others do what they need to do.
