Chief Scientist of the World Wildlife Fund will lecture on the effects of global warming later this month at the First Presbyterian Church in Palo Alto.
Lara Hansen will discuss the significant signs of global warming which she has found in her studies in ecosystems around the world.
Hansen spoke at a Senate Committee hearing in 2004 on the measure of climate change and its effects on the world, requesting that the United States and other countries enact laws that will significantly reduce CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions, according to US Senate Committee testimony records.
Hansen will discuss the effects on polar bears, ice caps, and coral reefs, as well as discuss ways for how Californians can contribute in slowing down the effects of global warming.
Acterra, a pro-environment organization in Palo Alto, is a main organizer of this event. After seeing the preview for Al Gore’s film, Inconvenient Truth, the event coordinator at Acterra, Ellen Wilkinson, talked with her director about what contributions Acterra could make to this effort. They soon learned that Hansen would be in the area in June and they quickly made a proposal to the World Wildlife Fund.
According to Wilkinson, the lecture is cosponsored by Acterra, Loma Prieta Chapter of the Sierra Club, and the World Wild Life Fund.
"I would like people to see the urgency on a personal level to reduce it [global warming]," Wilkinson said.
According to Wilkinson, Hansen would like to concentrate on the conservation side of the issue and make sure people can learn to adapt as best they can to environmental solutions to buy time for the earth.
Associate Acterra Director Debbie Mytels said Hansen will be able to point out specific areas of interest that have been affected by global warming.
"People don’t really notice when native species disappear in a region, but learning that polar bears who drown in the ocean because they cannot find ice to rest on can really affect people," Mytels said.
Both Wilkinson and Mytels hope this lecture will be another step to create awareness about global warming and hopefully provoke change.
"I don’t want people panicking about this problem," said Wilkinson, explaining that there are still ways to protect our environment through conservation of energy resources. "I hope people acknowledge that there are organizations like Acterra that can be an ally in helping them find solutions to this problem."
The lecture will be from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on June 26th.
For more information on ways to preserve energy, go to 511.org or www.acterra.org.