Scientists, White House Officials, Industry Groups Gather For National Forum On Climate Change At Colorado State University
Wednesday, May 21, 1997
FORT COLLINS--Top scientists, national policy makers and
environmental groups will gather at Colorado State May 27 to
discuss how climate changes affect the Great Plains environment
and suggest ways to deal with those changes.
The forum, hosted by Colorado State's Natural Resource
Ecology Laboratory in conjunction with the University of
Nebraska, is the first of seven regional conferences nationwide
sponsored by the U.S. Global Change Research Program and Office
of Scientific and Technology Policy. The program, under the
auspices of President Clinton, aims to provide a scientific basis
for national and international policies surrounding global
climate change issues.
The forum will include more than 50 scientists as well as
representatives from farming, ranching and conservation groups
from Colorado, Montana, Nebraska and Washington, D.C. The forum
will feature a keynote address by Timothy Wirth, U.S.
undersecretary of state for global affairs, a position appointed
by President Clinton. Other speakers include Mark Drabenstott of
the Federal Reserve Bank in Kansas City, Mo., who will discuss
the economic implications of climate change in the Great Plains;
and David Schimel of the National Center for Atmospheric Research
in Boulder and member of NREL's research team.
Also scheduled are panel discussions led by regional and
national industry leaders on the potential effects of climate
change on agriculture, livestock production and conservation
efforts. Top scientists from Colorado State's NREL and other
agencies will present the latest scientific research on how
climate change already affects food production, the economy and
environment in the Great Plains.
Colorado State was chosen to host the first conference based
on NREL's reputation as one of the world's premier ecosystem
research centers and because Colorado is home to many other
climate scientists, said Dennis Ojima, forum co-chairman and an
NREL researcher.
Scientists have documented the effects of climate change on
ecosystems for many years, but Ojima said there have been few
opportunities to discuss this research with other stakeholders,
such as farmers, ranchers and concerned members of the public.
"The potential impact of climate changes affects all aspects
of the environment--winter snowfall, the frequency and intensity
of rainfall, and average temperatures in the summer," Ojima said.
"The combined effects of these changes in weather patterns and
seasonal climate will affect the economic, social and ecological
welfare of this region.
"The evidence for climate change is becoming more
compelling, yet most regions of the United States do not have a
strategy to deal with them. This conference sets out to gather
top scientists studying these changes along with farmers,
environmental groups and members of the public to develop ways to
cope with these changes."
The forum will take place in the Lory Student Center Theatre
on campus. The complete schedule follows.
* 1 p.m., opening remarks by Dennis Ojima, co-chairman of Great
Plains workshop; Diana Freckman, director of NREL; and Jud
Harper, vice president for research at Colorado State.
* 1:20 p.m., speaker Mark Drabenstott, Federal Reserve Bank in
Kansas City, Mo.; "Economic Factors Affecting Agronomic Systems
in the Great Plains."
* 1:40 p.m., speaker Ken Hubbard, High Plains Climate Center in
Lincoln, Neb.; "Characteristics of the Climate System in the
Great Plains."
* 2 p.m., panel discussion: "Limitations to Sustainable Land Use
Among Critical Conservation, Ranching, and Farming Sectors in the
Great Plains and Mountain Regions." Panelists are George Blum of
the U.S. Department of Agriculture and a farmer; Jim Geist,
member of the Colorado Corn Administrative Committee; David
Sands, member of Audubon Nebraska; and Phil Sanders, a rancher
and farmer from Dalton, Neb. Panel moderator is Bill Easterling,
director of the Great Plains Regional Center for Global
Environmental Change.
* 3 p.m., keynote speaker Timothy Wirth, U.S. undersecretary of
state for global affairs; "A Framework of Regional Climate Change
Impacts on National and International Policy: What Does This All
Mean to You, the Citizen?"
* 3:40 p.m., speaker David Schimel, National Center for
Atmospheric Research in Boulder; "Climate Change in the
Industrial Era: Past and Future Considerations."
* 4 p.m., speaker Bill Riebsame, geographer at the University of
Colorado; "Links Between Climate Change, Vulnerability, and
Coping Strategies to Environmental and Socio-Economic Changes."
* 4:20 p.m., panelists respond to climate change implications.
* 4:50 p.m., closing remarks.
A private workshop will follow the public forum on May 28
and 29 at the Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch, where invited guests will
further discuss issues and research priorities related to climate
change.
Research done at Colorado State's NREL since its
establishment 30 years ago has shown that even subtle changes in
climate have profound effects on the environment, from the
atmosphere to microbes that process nutrients in the soil.
Intense periods of drought draws saline to the top soil,
affecting plant development and growth. More extreme periods of
rainfall triggers soil erosion, making it more difficult to
sustain food crops. Subtle climate changes can also exacerbate
air and water pollution, affecting the quality of life and health
of residents.
Under the direction of researcher George Van Dyne in the
1960s, the NREL established a team of scientists that studied all
aspects of ecosystems, a model now used by scientists
internationally.
Some of the laboratory's early findings explain the
important role of soil microbes and animals in cycling water,
carbon and nutrients through all types of ecosystems, from polar
deserts to cornfields to tropical rain forests. The NREL's
studies also have analyzed how humans affect these natural cycles
through a variety of activities.
Other long-term studies under way at NREL are analyzing the
effects of greenhouse gases on the environment, changes in
biodiversity, levels of organic matter in the soil and the
relationships between plants and animals in ecosystems.
For more information about the forum or research at NREL,
contact Diana Freckman at (970) 491-1982 or Dennis Ojima at (970)
491-1976.
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