MEDIA ADVISORY: MU to Host Climate Change Conference

Story Contact(s):
Christian Basi, BasiC@missouri.edu, 573-882-4430

WHAT: The University of Missouri will host a conference for students, governmental agency representatives and other individuals who are interested in gaining knowledge and tools to adapt to global climate change. The conference, “Adapting to Climate Change: Gaining the Advantage,” will feature speakers and panels with experts in global climate change from across the country.

The global climate is constantly changing and directly impacts growing seasons, diseases, energy consumption and water availability. Conference organizers hope to raise awareness to what individuals, businesses and corporations can do to help the environment and adapt to the changing climate on global, national and regional levels.

“We encourage our colleagues across campus to participate in order to learn about climate adaptation research at MU and to form interdisciplinary teams in the search for innovative solutions to societal problems caused by climate change,” said Thomas Johnson, member of the organizing committee for the conference and professor of agricultural economics at MU. “We need a wide spectrum of discussion from all fields.”

The conference, funded by the Mizzou Advantage, also will review the projects in the four Mizzou Advantage initiatives – Food for the Future, Media for the Future, One Health/One Medicine and Sustainable Energy – that relate to global climate change.

The Mizzou Advantage is a program that focuses on four areas of strength at MU: Food for the Future, Media of the Future, One Health/One Medicine, and Sustainable Energy. The goals of Mizzou Advantage are to strengthen existing faculty networks, create new networks, and propel Mizzou’s research, instruction and other activities to the next level. The Mizzou Advantage was created to increase MU’s visibility, impact and stature in higher education, locally, statewide, nationally and around the world.

WHO: Keynote speakers include:
James Buizer, deputy director for climate adaption and international development at the University of Arizona
Paul Siegel, consultant to the World Bank
Adam Parris, consultant for the National Oceanography and Atmospheric Administration

WHEN &
WHERE: June 6 – 8
MU campus
For more information and a full schedule of activities visit: www.muconf.missouri.edu/adaptation/schedule.html

NOTE: Registration fees for the conference are $25 prior to the conference, $35 the day of the conference.