Free and open to the public

Wayne State University is hosting "Assessing the Implications of Climate Change for Southeastern Michigan," a one-day conference on Tuesday, October 21st at WSU's Bernath Auditorium in the David Adamany Undergraduate Library.

Seven scientists and experts will address climate change as it affects southeastern Michigan ecosystems, agriculture, auto industry, and social issues through individual presentations, panel discussion, and audience participation.

"Climate change is a real issue for the Southeastern Michigan community," said David Pitts, associate professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, WSU Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and one of the organizers for the conference.

"We often think of climate change on global scales or in ways too abstract to comprehend how it might affect regions or local communities, but the potential effects are real, tangible, and somewhat unique for southeastern Michigan. Climate change will affect things right here where we live," said another conference organizer Dan Kashian, assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

The conference begins at 8:45 a.m. and continues to 4 p.m. It is designed as an educational event and allows interested faculty, students, staff, and others to attend based on their time availability or interest in the topics.

There is no charge for the conference, but those interested in attending all or any of the presentations are requested to RSVP at the following link: https://events.wayne.edu/rsvp/climatechange/ .

Faculty organizers for "Assessing the Implications of Climate Change for Southeastern Michigan" are Dan Kashian, Department of Biological Sciences, David Pitts, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Jodi Nachtwey, Department of Political Science.  The event is sponsored by Wayne State's Office of the Vice President for Research, the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, the Department of Biological Sciences, and Student Environmental Action League (SEAL).

Beginning at 9 a.m., Dr. Kathryn Savoie, presenter for The Climate Project, will present a broad overview of climate change; at 10 a.m. Dr. Brent Lofgren, Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, National Oceanography and Atmosphere Administration will discuss the atmospheric basis for climate change, and at 10:30 a.m. Dr. Tom Bridgeman of the University of Toledo, will examine the ecology of climate change in the Great Lakes region.  The morning session will conclude with an interactive panel discussion between the speakers and the audience from 11 to 11:30 a.m.

The afternoon session begins at 1 p.m. with Dr. Jeff Andresen of Michigan State University, describing the potential impacts of climate change on agriculture in the Great Lakes region; at 1:40 p.m. John Viera, Director of Sustainable Business Strategies for Ford Motor Company will discuss impacts on the auto industry; at 2:20 p.m. Dr. Mike Shriberg, Policy Director for The Ecology Center in Ann Arbor will discuss climate change policy as it affects Michigan, and at 3 p.m. Rhonda Anderson, Environmental Justice Program, Sierra Club, will talk about social and environmental justice issues relating to climate change in Detroit and southeastern Michigan.

Editor's Note: The full agenda is available at: http://research.wayne.edu/internaldocs/Climate_Change_SE_MI.pdf

Wayne State University is one of the nation's pre-eminent public research universities in an urban setting. Through its multidisciplinary approach to research and education, and its ongoing collaboration with government, industry and other institutions, the university seeks to enhance economic growth and improve the quality of life in the city of Detroit, state of Michigan and throughout the world.