Transcript 08 David Blockstein

CONNECTING SCIENCE TO DECISIONMAKING ON
CLIMATE CHANGE
David Blockstein, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, NCSE
Executive Secretary
Council of Environmental Deans and Directors
Council of Energy Research and Education Leaders
www.NCSEonline.org
I. Introduction to NCSE
Mission:
to improve the scientific basis of environmental
decisionmaking.
Focus:
programs that bring together diverse
institutions, communities and individuals
to collaborate
Education and Careers
Goal: increase the number and quality of trained
individuals to address complex environmental
challenges.
Partners
– Universities and colleges
– High schools
– Employers
– Government agencies (EPA STAR)
University Affiliates Benefits
www.ncseonline.org/Affiliates
•
National Conference: 5 Complimentary registrations
•
Council of Environmental Deans and Directors (CEDD)
•
Campus-wide Electronic Subscriptions: Greenwire, Environment and Energy Daily, Land
Letter
•
Internship Opportunities
•
Handbook of Federal Funding for Environmental R & D
•
University Federal Dialogue on Energy and Environmental Research and Education
•
Advocacy for Federal Funding on Energy and Environmental Research and Education
•
Collaboration with more than 170 colleges and universities across the U.S.
Council of Environmental Deans
and Directors (CEDD)
• Top Environmental Leaders at Affiliate Universities
• Curriculum, including Climate Solutions Curriculum
• Careers, including Environmental Alumni Career Study and Campus to
Careers Program
• Program Administration
• Interdisciplinary Hiring, Tenure and Promotion
Council of Energy Research and
Education Leaders (CEREL)
• Mission: to advance university energy research
and education through collaboration
• Top Academic Energy Leaders
• Research Funding Advocacy
• Curriculum and Careers
• Program Administration
• Communications and Outreach
CEDD Climate Solutions Curriculum
Goal: Establish appropriate education materials and support systems regarding
climate change causes, consequences and solutions
1. Creation and dissemination of an interdisciplinary undergraduate General
Education Course on Climate Change - NASA grant ~$180,000
2. Climate Adaptation and Mitigation E-Learning Community– NSF grant $1.66
million for 3 years
3. Creation of a Masters Degree in Climate Science and Solutions – in progress
CAMEL
• Climate, Adaptation, and Mitigation eLearning Community
• Nationwide (and beyond) community
– Educators, researchers, students
• Undergraduate materials—all levels and
fields
• Climate change causes, consequences
and solutions
4. National Conference on Science, Policy
and the Environment
Conference Themes:
1st - Improving the Scientific Basis for Decisionmaking
2nd - Sustainable Communities: Science and Solutions
3rd - Education for a Sustainable and Secure Future
4th - Water for a Sustainable and Secure Future
5th - Forecasting Environmental Changes
6th - Energy for a Sustainable and Secure Future
7th - Integrating Environment and Human Health
8th - Climate Change: Science and Solutions
9th - Biodiversity in a Rapidly Changing World
10th – The New Green Economy
•
3 days, 1200+ participants
• 35 breakout sessions,
• 10 symposia,
• 24 workshops
• Presidential Candidate Forum
• A Blueprint for a Low Carbon Society
National Conference on Science, Policy and the
Environment - Climate Change: Science and Solutions
• Meeting the Climate Change Challenge by John Holdren, Science
Advisor to President Obama
The Climate Solutions Consensus: What We Know and What We Need
to Do will be published by Island Press, in November 2009.
Main messages
• “Global warming” is a misnomer; we should be calling it
“global climatic disruption”.
• The disruption & its impacts are now growing more rapidly
than was expected just a few years ago.
• The world is already experiencing “dangerous anthropogenic interference in the climate system”. The question
now is whether we can avoid catastrophic interference.
• Our options are mitigation, adaptation, & suffering. If we
do less mitigation & adaptation, we’ll do more suffering.
• In mitigation and adaptation, there is a lot of “low-hanging
fruit”.
• The United States must switch from laggard to leader –
and sooner rather than later – if the world is to act in time.
• Everyone has a part to play. We all make a difference!
January 20-22, 2010
Washington, DC
www.ncseonline.org/conference/greeneconomy
David Blockstein, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist
1101 17th Street NW, Suite 250
Washington, DC 20036
www.NCSEonline.org
202-207-0004
[email protected]
Thank you!