It has long been recognized that climate degradation in the form of air pollution, fire, and flooding poses serious threats to cultural monuments central to ASOR’s mission. The accelerating climate emergency calls for ASOR to uphold this mission by addressing the contribution of its own activities to this global problem, and the ASOR Board has engaged in conversations about this issue over the past two years. During its meeting in December 2020, the Board received a proposal from President Sharon Herbert and Executive Director Andy Vaughn that ASOR investigate the feasibility of achieving carbon neutrality for the Annual Meeting by 2025. Prior to the Board discussion, this proposal had been strongly endorsed by the Annual Meeting Program Committee. The Board did not take a vote last December, but the general sentiment was that the formation of an ad hoc committee would be the appropriate next step.

Thus, ASOR is now seeking volunteers for an Ad Hoc Climate Impact Committee to study the impact of its activities on climate change and to make recommendations to the Board of Trustees on how to mitigate these, particularly as regards our Annual Meeting. This ad hoc committee will be comprised of 6-8 ASOR members. Virginia Herrmann, who presented with Lucas Stephens a poster on “Mitigating the Climate Impact of the ASOR Annual Meeting: A First Appraisal” at our 2019 meeting in San Diego, has agreed to chair the committee along with our Executive Director, Andy Vaughn. We will ask the committee to present a report on directions to take at the Fall 2022 Board of Trustees’ meeting.

Those interested in serving on Ad Hoc Climate Impact Committee should contact the Chairs, Virginia Herrmann and Andy Vaughn. Early career members are particularly encouraged to apply. We hope to have the membership determined by Nov 10, 2021.