--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future (PennFuture) and the Franklin Institute are sponsoring a conference on global warming, “Climate, changed: Extreme weather and the need to take action,” on Wednesday, November 9, 2011 at 7 p.m. at the Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th Street in Philadelphia. The conference will feature world-renowned experts on climate change discussing the extent of already ongoing climate change, how to adapt to it, and what we must do to prevent it from getting worse.
Speakers at the conference include:
- Dr. Heidi M. Cullen, vice president for external communications, Climate Central, where she reports on climate and energy issues for programs like PBS NewsHour. Previously, she served as The Weather Channel’s first on-air climate expert and helped create Forecast Earth, a weekly television series focused on issues related to climate change and the environment. Cullen is the author of The Weather of the Future: Heat Waves, Extreme Storms, and Other Scenes from a Climate-Changed Planet.
- Dr. Howard Kunreuther, James G. Dinan professor of Decision Sciences & Public Policy and co-director of the Risk Management and Decision Processes Center at Wharton School. Kunreuther is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and a Distinguished Fellow of the Society for Risk Analysis, receiving the Society’s Distinguished Achievement Award in 2001. He recently served as a member of the National Academy of Sciences Panel on Adaptation Strategies for Climate Change, and co-chaired the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Innovation and Leadership in Reducing Risks from Natural Disasters. His most recent books are At War with the Weather and Learning from Catastrophes: Strategies for Reaction and Response.
- Katherine Gajewski, City of Philadelphia director of sustainability. Gajewski is responsible for the implementation of Greenworks Philadelphia, the City’s sustainability framework unveiled by Mayor Nutter in April 2009. The framework sets goals in five areas — energy, environment, equity, economy and engagement — and encompasses more than 150 achievable, measurable initiatives. Implementation of these initiatives will reduce the city’s vulnerability to rising energy prices, limit its environmental footprint, and reposition its workforce and job development strategies to build upon Philadelphia’s competitive advantages in the emerging green economy.
- Jan Jarrett, president and CEO, PennFuture.
This conference is open to the public, but space is limited and pre-registration is required. The admission fee is $10 for the general public; $5 for seniors and students; free for PennFuture and Franklin Institute members. Register at www.pennfuture.org or by calling 1-800-321-7775.