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T H E I N D E P E N D E N T D A I LY AT D U K E U N I V E R S I T Y
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2018 DUKECHRONICLE.COM
Prof. discusses U.N. climate change report he co-authored
BRIDGING THE GAP The transition to Duke for graduate students can be difficult because of the pay schedule.
By Matthew Griffin Staff Reporter
The world has just more than a decade to prevent catastrophic climate change, according to a recent United Nations report. President Donald Trump said in a 60 Minutes interview last week that he no longer believes climate change is a hoax, but has resisted largescale changes to combat climate change—not wanting to give up “trillions and trillions of dollars” and “millions and millions of jobs.” Trump also doubted that climate change was manmade and permanent. One of the report’s co-authors, Drew Shindell—also the Nicholas Professor of Earth Sciences—said addressing the potential impending crisis of climate change could boon the economy. These actions include increasing renewable energy to at least half of the world’s power supply by 2030 and to phase out coal entirely by 2050. “It is true that if you get rid of 80 percent of the world’s coal power by 2030 there will be fewer jobs in coal, but they will be more than replaced by job gains in renewables,” Shindell said. He also noted that climate change will increase the economic damage done by freak weather events, and that pollution increases healthcare costs as well as leading to warming. “It’s like we’re taxing the entire rest of the country with higher health insurance, disaster insurance and public taxes to pay for the fossil fuel companies,” he said. Shindell said that California is on the track to meet the goals established in the report The state gets roughly 30 percent of its energy from renewable sources and is set to increase to 50 percent by 2030. “Consumers in California save money by having more energy efficiency, more energy See REPORT on Page 16
Special to the Chronicle A Duke professor was one of the authors of the United Nations report.
ONE HUNDRED AND FOURTEENTH YEAR, ISSUE 20
Duke is looking for ways to fix that. Story by Likhitha Butchireddygari Investigations Editor
Graphic by Selena Qian Staff Graphic Designer
Graduate School was not transparent about these pay gaps and the impact the gaps may have before students come to Duke. However, some were given notice by their department. “It basically set a tone for the rest of the year and for the rest of my time at Duke where I kind of understood that the University wouldn’t be communicating with me in full transparency and full honesty,” Ravenscroft said.
In early August of 2015, Claire Ravenscroft arrived in Durham for her Ph.D. program in English. Coming from Ohio, she found herself paying a lot of bills. The University’s response Rent. Transportation. Shipping. Utility. Food. Furniture. John Zhu, senior public affairs officer and communications What made it worse was that she wouldn’t get paid for almost strategist for the Graduate School, listed ways in which the Graduate two months. School tries to support students. “I was moving from Ohio, where I had been working for a “We provide a competitive stipend and a number of other couple years,” Ravenscroft said. “But I didn’t have any savings built financial resources for Ph.D. students, such as coverage of tuition up really to bridge the gap between late August and late September. and mandatory fees for five years, full coverage of health insurance So, when I found out that I wouldn’t be paid for about two months premiums for six years, childcare subsidies for students with after I arrived in Durham, it was incredibly stressful.” children, an emergency fund for unexpected expenses that create a Duke employees who are paid during the academic year hardship and short-term loans for temporary needs,” he wrote in an have their first payday at the end of September. For graduate email to The Chronicle. students, especially first-year graduate students, making ends The Graduate School offers the Helen and Gordon McKinney meet without pay for the first month can be very difficult. Emergency Loan, which is a $1,000 loan with a 3.5 percent fixed Jessica Covil, also a Ph.D. student in English, described a similar interest rate. According to the Graduate School’s website, students experience to Ravenscroft’s. may only request three loans during their time pursuing a Ph.D. “I was just turning 23 when I came and I had never rented my at Duke. own apartment before,” she said. “I was getting all that set up for “We kind of see [the loan] as the Graduate School’s the first time and it’s hard to do that without your pay, but the acknowledgment that this is a problem,” Covil said, adding that the problem doesn’t go away after your first interest may be acting as a deterrent. We provide a competitive year either.” However, she added that the interest may have Some graduate students get a summer stipend and a number of a point. stipend, but there is still a gap between “People are nervous to take out loans in the the last payment of the summer stipend other financial resources for first place. I know I was. That was the first loan to the first payment of the academic-year Ph.D. students... that I had ever taken out actually,” Covil said. “I stipend, as well as a gap in between the last think having interest there is a way to ‘ensure’ that payment of the academic-year stipend and john zhu people aren’t abusing the system when actually we the first payment of the summer stipend. SENIOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER AND probably all could use that money up front.” COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGIST FOR THE Hannah Borenstein, a cultural Zhu confirmed that the loan is tailored to GRADUATE SCHOOL short-term needs, such as moving, but that there anthropology Ph.D. student involved in the Duke Graduate Student Union, added hasn’t been much demand for it. that these gaps initially set students behind. Until recently, graduate students did not have She explained that the gaps can be especially difficult for students the option to pay the loan in full, Covil added. But after pressure who have to travel to do field work over the summer because they from the Graduate and Professional Student Council and the Duke have to pay for travel and housing in other countries—as well as Graduate Student Union, the administration now allows students to sometimes rent in Durham—with money they don’t have yet. pay the loan in full without interest in the first two months. Interest “I have to still buy my plane ticket and all my other travel begins accruing in the third month. Although Covil considered this expenses basically before I go. That quickly racks up to over $2,000, to be progress, it does not adequately solve the pay gap issue for most but I don’t have any money coming in to my bank account during people. May,” she said. “It’s not even like I can work somewhere else cause The Graduate School is looking to address this pay gap I’m expected to be doing research somewhere in May.” The three graduate students The Chronicle spoke with said the See SCHEDULE on Page 16
Spotlight on the Fruit
Freshman connection
Column: It’s wrong to take student healthcare
New downtown Durham venue creates performing arts space for local artists. PAGE 9
Freshmen Tre Jones and Cam Reddish lead team with nine assists each in exhibition victory. PAGE 11
Columnist Tim Kowalczyk says a moral failure by administrators.
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