LITERATURE + LECTURES

The Weather Research Center and Environemental Science and Studies at the University of St. Thomas present Global Climate Change: In Search of the Science, in The University of St. Thomas, Jerabeck Center Scanlan Room.

Whether or not humans contribute to climate change, it is happening and there is nothing we can do to stop it. We can adapt. We can prepare. We can be safe. Curious as to what the effects of climate change are? What is the science really telling us? What can we do to mitigate the effects of change?

In recognition of Earth Day 2009, the University of St. Thomas, in collaboration with the Weather Research Center, will host a day-long symposium entitled, “Global Climate Change: In Search of the Science.” from 1 – 9 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21. The symposium will examine the science of climate change – what we know and don’t know. Climate experts will consider what we, as a Houston community, can do to adapt, and how citizens can work together to plan effectively for the forthcoming climatic changes.

Keynote speaker:
Meteorologist Tom Wysmuller’s 7 p.m. talk is entitled “Global Warming (dis)believers – Are they both two sides of the same coin?” After earning a bachelor’s degree with a dual major in sociology and political science and a concentration in meteorology at NYU, Wysmuller worked as a meteorologist for the Royal Dutch Weather Bureau in Amsterdam. He also worked for NASA before, during, and after the Moon Landings. He frequently lectures on science and history and is producing a video on global warming.

In his talk, Wysmuller explains that global warming is real. A distinction should be made between the manmade acceleration of global warming and the natural process that actually began about 100,000 years ago. Wysmuller contends that in the last 18,000 years temperatures have risen 16 degrees Fahrenheit, about 1 degree per thousand years. Yet in the last 200 years, we've almost added two more degrees Fahrenheit - a stunning rise.

Featured speakers include:
John Hofmeister, former president of Shell Oil and now Founder and CEO of Citizens for Affordable Energy; Karl Pepple, City of Houston Environmental Programming Director; and scientists from University of Houston, Rice University, Texas A&M, and Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC).

The event is free and open to the public and will be held in Scanlan Room, Jerabeck Center, 4000 Mt. Vernon. For more information, contact Sr. Damien Marie Savino, FSE, at 713-525-3894.

SCHEDULE:
Opening Remarks: 1:00 – 1:10

Sister Damien Marie Savino Session 1: 1:10 - 1:35

John Hofmeister: CEO of Citizens for Affordable Energy 1:35 - 2:00
Barry Lefer: University of Houston – “The Science behind Global Warming” 2:00 - 2:25
Bruce McCarl – Texas A&M – “Impacts to Agriculture” 2:25 - 2:50
John Neilson-Gammon: Texas A&M – “The changing climate of Texas”

Break: 2:50 - 3:00

Session 2: 3:05 - 3:30

Jill Hasling: Weather Research Center - 3:30 - 3:55
Robert Harriss: HARC – “Adaptation Issues” 3:55 - 4:20
Dr. Peter Bishop: Univ of Houston –“Sociological impacts of Global Warming” 4:20 - 4:45
John Anderson: Rice University – “Impact of Global Change on the Texas Coast” 4:45 – 5:10
Karl Pepple: City of Houston Environmental Programming Director – “How Houston is Adapting for Climate Change”

Session 3: 5:10 – 6:00  Student Posters

Dinner Break: 6:00 – 7:00

Session 4: 7:00 – 7:40

Tom Wysmuller – Climate Change Lecturer 7:40 – 8:00 Q&A

Space is limited so register soon.

For more information or to make a reservation contact Benjamin Maloney, wrc@wxresearch.org, (713) 529-3076,  or Elizabeth Rinaldi rinalde@stthom.edu, or Sister Damien Marie Savino, savinod@stthom.edu.