Tag Archives: event

“Extreme Whether” – A Play about Climate Change

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Science and the performing arts have joined forces to expand the public discourse on climate change.   In Extreme Whether, a play written and directed by Karen Malpede, the issue is viewed through the personal lens of a bitter family fight over land stewardship.

Set during the record warm summers of 2004 and 2012, the “eco-drama” unfolds on a private wilderness estate in the northeastern U.S.  Leading one side of the battle is a famous – and frequently criticized – climate scientist. Heading up the other side is his twin sister, a spokesperson for the energy industry. While all the characters in the play are fictional, some of them are inspired by the work of real scientists.  These include,            Dr. James Hansen, who testified before Congress about the dangers of global warming back in the 1980s; Dr. Jennifer Francis, who researches connections between melting ice in the arctic and wavier jet stream patterns in the mid-latitudes; and Dr. Michael Mann, author of “The Hockey Stick and the Climate Wars.”

Extreme Whether is currently playing at the Theatre for the New City in Manhattan’s East Village. It runs through October 26th.  In conjunction with the show, the theatre is also hosting a “Festival of Conscience” where various climate and environmental experts speak with audience members after the play. For the schedule of speakers, visit: http://theaterthreecollaborative.org

LDEO Open House 2014

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The Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory – part of Columbia University’s Earth Institute – will be hosting an Open House on Saturday, October 11th. This public event offers tours, lectures, and panel discussions on a range of earth science topics, including climate change.  The program also includes a talk about the long and short term responses to Superstorm Sandy.

For more information, including directions and the day’s schedule, visit the LDEO website.

Climate Week NYC 2014

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Climate Week NYC is back for its sixth year. This global conference brings together leaders from a variety of sectors, including business, government, and non-profits to discuss ways to lower greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change.

Organizers say this year’s conference will also serve as a “collaborative space for all related events in support of the U.N. Climate Summit”, which convenes in New York City on Tuesday, September 23rd.  Together, the two summits aim to bring “climate change back to the top of the world agenda.”

Climate Week NYC sessions, which run the gamut from high profile invitation-only meetings to free public events and activities, officially begin on Monday.  In addition, a number of events will take place in advance this weekend, including the People’s Climate March. For a complete schedule, visit: http://www.climateweeknyc.org/events/

Upcoming Climate Change Events in NYC

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Climate Change is a pressing global issue.  Below is a list of upcoming events in New York City where you can learn more about the subject, its impacts, and some of the actions being taken to help keep our world habitable.

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory/Columbia University

New School University

All of these events are free and open to the public, but require registration in advance. Click on the individual links for more information.

Balmy Weather at the Winter Olympics

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Frigid temperatures and abundant snowfall have been dominating this winter season across most of the continental U.S.  In Sochi, Russia, however, the XXII Olympic Winter Games have had a more spring-like feel.

Russia, famous for cold and snowy winters, has a few relative warm spots.  Sochi is one of them. Situated between the Black Sea and the Caucasus Mountains, it has a subtropical climate that supports palm trees.  While there is usually snow in the mountains, the city’s average temperature for this time of year is about 50°F.

This week, temperatures in Sochi have been running above average.  Today, the mercury hit 59°F and highs are forecast to be in the 60°s for the rest of the week.  Even in the higher elevations of the so called “mountain cluster” venue – site of all the skiing, snowboarding, and sledding events – temperatures have been well above freezing during the day.  This mild weather is turning the hard packed competition snow into slush – creating difficult conditions for many of the athletes.

While the current balmy weather has caused some delays, it has not hindered the Games. With hundreds of snowmaking machines and a stockpile of natural snow stored from previous years, officials say they are prepared to supply as much snow as necessary.  That said, these Winter Olympics are on track to be the warmest in history.

Average minimum temperatures for January and February from 1911-2011 for all the locations that have hosted the Olympic Winter Games. Image Credit: NOAA

Average minimum temperatures for January and February from 1911-2011 for all the locations that have hosted the Olympic Winter Games.    Image Credit: NOAA.

South Florida’s Rising Seas – A Documentary

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Sea level rise is one of the most pressing aspects of climate change for coastal communities around the globe.  One of the most vulnerable regions in the United States is southern Florida, which is the subject of the documentary, “South Florida’s Rising Seas”

Produced by Florida International University professors, Kate MacMillin and Dr. Juliet Pinto (a longtime friend), the half-hour production explains the science of sea level rise and explores the potential threats to the region.  It also addresses the actions being taken to help keep South Florida habitable.

The documentary is scheduled to air for the first time on WPBT2 – the public television station for South Florida – at 8PM on January 15th.  It will be followed by a half-hour panel discussion moderated by Helen Ferré, host of WPBT2’s public affairs program Issues, and featuring: John Englander, author of “High Tide on Main Street”; Dr. Hal Wanless, chair of the University of Miami’s Dept. of Geological Sciences; Richard Grosso, Director of the Environmental & Land Use Law Clinic and professor of law at Nova Southeastern University; and Dr. Juliet Pinto, co-producer of the documentary.

To watch the trailer, visit http://journalism.fiu.edu/#!/Spotlight

For those outside the viewing area, the program is available online at http://video.wpbt2.org/video/2365148517/

Looking at Climate Change through the Arts

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Art and science are joining forces to expand the public conversation on climate change. In New York City, throughout October and November, the science and impacts of our changing climate will be explored through various artistic lenses as part of Marfa Dialogues/NY.

This festival of events will include art exhibitions, installations, musical performances, and panel discussions throughout the city – all of which will be open to the public. Organizers say by bringing the creative community together with scientists and other experts, “the result is a more accessible public exploration of a complex but critical issue.”

This multi-venue event is presented by Ballroom Marfa – a cultural arts center in West Texas – and its partners The Public Concern Foundation and the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation. Growing out of the Marfa Dialogue held in Texas last autumn, these three groups expanded the idea and brought it to NYC.  As we approach the first anniversary of Super-storm Sandy, New York City will no doubt offer a poignant backdrop to these projects and events.

For a list of participants and a calendar of events, visit http://www.marfadialogues.org.

24 Hours of Reality: The Cost of Carbon

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The online event, “24 Hours of Reality” begins tomorrow, October 22nd, at 11am PDT (2pm EDT).  This is the Climate Reality Project’s third annual live-streamed broadcast dedicated to discussing  climate change and encouraging solutions. The theme this year is “The Cost of Carbon”.

Over the course of twenty-four hours, experts from a wide array disciplines will discuss the impacts of carbon pollution – the root cause of climate change – on our planet. Each hour of the broadcast will highlight a different region of the world. The full schedule of topics and speakers can be found on the event’s webpage.

Tune into the broadcast at http://www.24hoursofreality.org

Climate Week NYC

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Climate Week NYC begins today.  This annual global summit brings together leaders from a variety of sectors, including business, government, agriculture and health to discuss ways to lower greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change.  This year’s theme is “Our Low Carbon Future – Leadership. Opportunity. Security.”

Taking place in an environment that includes President Obama’s recent call for action on climate change, the impending release of the IPCC’s fifth assessment report, and the upcoming first anniversary of Super-storm Sandy, this event has attracted some big names. Some of the scheduled speakers include, Tony Blair, former Prime Minister of the UK, Jim Young Kim, President of the World Bank, Richard Branson, CEO of the Virgin Group, and Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of New York City, among others.

Hosted by The Climate Group, this conference is now in its fifth year.  For a list of events across the city and online, visit the Climate Week website.

Climate Reality Leadership Corps

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Someone once said, the only constant in nature is change.  This is very true; Earth’s climate has changed a number of times in its nearly five billion-year history.  The change happening now, however, is occurring faster than it has before.  The overwhelming majority of experts agree that modern climate change is rooted in human activities that emit massive amounts of heat trapping green house gases into the atmosphere.

One group working to address the perception gap that exists between scientists and the general public on this pressing issue is the Climate Reality Project. This non-profit organization educates and trains concerned citizens to be climate leaders – volunteers who share the facts about climate change and its diverse impacts with their local communities. Last week, I was invited to participate in their training conference in Chicago, IL.  Selected through an application process, I was one of 1,500 attendees representing all 50 states and more than 70 countries.

This three-day event was packed with presentations and breakout sessions that ranged from science to best practices for communication.  The headline speaker, however, was Noble Laureate Al Gore.  Knowledgeable and extremely generous with his time, the former vice-president spent the entire second day with us.  He delivered the most recent version of his now famous Inconvenient Truth slideshow and then broke it down slide by slide, explaining the history and science behind each image and chart.  While the subject of climate change has become politically charged in recent years, this event was not about propaganda.  It was about the science – the reality – of our changing climate.  As such, two of the world’s most prominent climate scientists, Dr. Michael McCracken and Dr. Henry Pollack, were on hand to clarify facts and answer questions.

As a self-educated weather and climate blogger, I was excited to learn about the newest developments in climate science from leading experts. In the past, most scientists said climate change only increased the odds for extreme weather events, but could not say it was solely responsible for any one storm. Now, according to the National Center for Atmospheric Research, “Global warming is contributing to an increased incidence of extreme weather because the environment in which all storms form has changed from human activities.”

These extreme weather events have a wide range of impacts.  From mega-storms and floods to heat waves and drought, they each take a toll on our economy and public health. As a human generated issue, only humans can change climate change and the first step is acknowledging the problem.

The Climate Reality Project's Green Ring is a symbol of commitment to spread the reality about climate change.

The Climate Reality Project’s “green ring” is a symbol of commitment to spread the facts about climate change.

Image Credit: CRP