Jaclynne Polcino is the Regional Fellow for the Mid-Atlantic Region. She is a hydrologist currently living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
What sparked your interest in climate work?
Growing up, I was always fascinated by Earth Science. The way that life works and forms on Earth has always interested me as well. I have been a dancer my whole life and I think about how the flow of energy through our bodies when dancing is like the flow of energy and life throughout our planet. I began studying oceanography which combined my interests in physics, science, and dance. A lot of times in STEM fields, we are told that our work should be factual and objective, and this was not satisfying enough for me. I wanted to do more with the information I was learning about the rising sea levels and how climate change affects our environment.
How did you get involved with CCL?
I first became involved with Citizens’ Climate Lobby while studying oceanography. A senior friend of mine who was also studying marine science started a CCL club on campus which interested me since a lot of what we were learning revolved around how climate change has changed our oceans. My friend ended up graduating and after having helped her out a bit with CCL, I decided to take over and then attended the June conference. From there, I became a co-sponsor for my local South Jersey chapter, which led to me becoming the mid-atlantic regional fellow!
What do you like about being a Regional Fellow?
I love a lot of the people I have been able to meet and work with through CCL and becoming a Regional Fellow. At the June conference during the lobby meeting, I was able to meet and talk to one of the original co-sponsors of the EICDA bill about climate change and policies. This experience showed me how important what CCL and its volunteers do is so important. That I as an individual can make a change and be in conversation with important people that can help us make a difference in climate policy.
I like being able to share my own experiences and thoughts with others. It’s very rewarding seeing how spreading my own knowledge can be impactful and bigger than just me. It’s also so rewarding seeing students and clubs on various campus blossom!
What do you want to do in the future? What are your goals?
Whenever anyone asks me what I want to do, I always tell them that my end goal is to save the world! I would like to continue my career in oceanography to continue to learn about what the carbon emissions are doing to our atmosphere. I’d like to focus on how our earth changes in terms of temperature and weather patterns. For example, this past summer we in the Philadelphia area got more tornado warnings than usual, with data and hydrological surveys we can measure what’s going on with water and flooding patterns also. Through working with CCL, I feel like I am now better prepared to share the data and information from my work to others in a more impactful way.