Events to discuss climate change

Worried about climate change? You share the concern with 61 percent of the adults in Linn County, according to the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication. Two hundred Iowa climate scientists in their annual Iowa Climate Statement have shown that the warming of the planet jeopardizes the health, economy, and security of Iowans. We just have to recall the devastation of the flood of 2008 to know its meaning, or witness the haze of early September over our skies caused by forest fires in western states, Canada and Alaska this summer.

There are many ways to take positive action. We can do something in our own lives, by buying more fuel-efficient cars, insulating our homes or investing in solar energy.

Businesses and governments can do something by investing in more fuel-efficient buildings and vehicles. The Obama administration has announced a Clean Power Plan to cut emissions from existing power plants by 32 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. The United States has made a bilateral climate change with China, in which China has pledged to increase its use of renewable sources by 20 percent by 2030. And just last week China announced a Cap and Trade policy. With changes from two of the major players, optimism is growing for a far-reaching agreement later this year.

The United Nations has held several conferences over the past few decades to address climate change. As the need becomes ever more apparent, the nations of the world have another chance to take decisive action at a major climate summit in Paris in December. The official title of the conference is: the 21st Conference of Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The goal of the conference is to complete negotiation of a global treaty to curb the emission of carbon dioxide and other so-called 'greenhouse gases” that contribute to the warming of the planet.

Three students from the University of Iowa will be attending the Paris conference. The Iowa United Nations Association has worked with Jerry Schnoor and Joe Bolkcom of the UI Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research to select one of the students. Andrea Cohen, a doctoral student and a member of the board of directors of Iowa UNA, has been chosen to represent Iowa UNA at the conference.

Last month the Linn County Chapter of UNA hosted a community forum on Climate Change during their monthly meeting, one of several forums throughout Iowa. The first forum sponsored by Iowa UNA was held in Iowa City in April. Others were in Pella in April, in Cedar Falls in May and in Dubuque in September. On Oct. 15 Ryan Hobert, UN Foundation Senior Program Officer for Climate and Energy was the featured speaker at a forum in Ames.

This week the Executive Director of UNA-USA, Chris Whatley, will address the issue at Maharishi University in Fairfield on Oct. 22 and in Des Moines on Oct. 23.

All forums are open to the public. Additional panelists in Des Moines include Mary Christina Wood, the Philip H. Knight Professor of Law, University of Oregon, author of Nature's Trust, Environmental Law for a New Ecological Age; Todd Edwards, Program Officer for Climate Change, The Stanley Foundation; and Bishop Richard Pates, Archdiocese of Des Moines.

' Jeremy Brigham, is program chair and Christopher Dahle is president of the Linn County Chapter UNA-USA. Comments: chris-dahle@fastermac.net