Focusing the Nation on Global Warming

Focus the Nation, a massive Jan. 31 national teach-in on global warming solutions, marshaled the support and participation of more than 1,500 colleges and universities across America. Headquartered at Lewis & Clark College, it was the brainchild of Lewis & Clark College economics professor Eban Goodstein.

Global Warming and Coral Migration

Global warming may cause coral species along Australia’s western coast to migrate to cooler waters, says Cornell College geology professor Ben Greenstein. His research on previous coral migrations suggests that such movement could provide a safe haven for temperature-sensitive species as the oceans warm.

Global Warming Changes the Northern Landscape

The hot breath of global warming has now touched some of the coldest northern regions of world, turning the frozen landscape into mush as temperatures soar 15 degrees C. above normal. Entire hillsides, sometimes more than a kilometre long, simply let go and slid like a vast green carpet into valleys and rivers on Melville Island in Canada's northwest Arctic region of Nunavut this summer. Reporters looking for experts to interview on this topic can find them online at the collegenews.org database of news sources and subject matter experts from America's leading liberal arts colleges, including (click on names for contact information):

Stephanie Pfirman - Associate Professor and Chair of Environmental Science, Barnard College - Pfirman has served as an oceanographer with the U.S. Geological Survey, a staff scientist with the U.S. House of Representatives, and a senior scientist with the Environmental Defense Fund. She coordinated the exhibition "Global Warming," developed by the American Museum of Natural History and the EDF.

Kevin Harrison - Assistant Professor of Environmental Policy, McDaniel College - Dr. Harrison is an expert in global warming, climate change, environmental policy, air quality, water quality, and pollution.

Richard Wallace - Associate Professor of Environmental Sciences, Ursinus College - Wallace's research interests include federal policies and programs for the protection of biological diversity in the U.S. and the behavior of governmental and nongovernmental organizations under conservation mandates. Currently, he serves as vice president of the Social Science Working Group of the international Society for Conservation Biology, on the executive council of the Society for the Policy Sciences and on the editorial board of the journal Policy Sciences.

Kennedy Blasts Administration, Media

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. accuses the Bush administration of overseeing more than 400 major environmental rollbacks "as part of a deliberate, concerted effort to eviscerate 30 years of environmental law." In a recent speech at DePauw University, Kennedy - who is senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, chief prosecuting attorney for the Hudson Riverkeeper and president of Waterkeeper Alliance - also lambasted the media for giving the public more information about Anna Nicole Smith, Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan than about global warming.

News Sources: Bush's Global Warming Initiative

President Bush told a global climate change conference Friday that the United States will do its part to improve the environment by taking on greenhouse gas emissions. He proposed the creation of an “international clean technology fund,” to be supported by contributions from governments around the world, that would help finance clean-energy projects in developing countries. Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. will lead discussions with other countries on starting that fund. Reporters looking for experts to interview on this topic can find them online a the collegenews.org database of news sources and subject matter experts from America's leading liberal arts colleges, including: (click on names for contact information):

Karin Warren - Chair of Environmental Studies, Randolph College - Warren is a specialist in climate and global change, energy and environmental policy, and mathematical modeling/quantitative methods. She has researched ecosystem response to climate manipulation, and worked with developing and testing mathematical models. Her courses include environmental studies, energy and society, environmental policy, global change and earth interactions.

Gary Yohe - Professor of Economics, Wesleyan University - Yohe is a prominent consultant on the social and economic impact of global warming. His work includes a mathematically-based model making it possible to assess the impact of climatic change under different scenarios and to evaluate possible countermeasures. He was a participant at the Second World Climate Conference.

Adam Wade Burnett - Associate Professor of Geography, Colgate University - Burnett is an expert in global change, environmental issues and synoptic climatology. He is the author of articles on Northern Hemisphere climate change and its causes. He teaches weather and climate, geographic information systems, environmental studies and cartography.

Sounding the Alarm for Leaf-Peepers

Tree species are being affected by global warming, and that in turn is hurting the fall foliage in the Northeast, says Hamilton College Professor of Biology Ernest H. Williams, Jr. Warmer climates are causing a decline in the sugar maples and red maples that are responsible for most of the magnificent oranges and reds, says Williams, who is the author of The Nature Handbook: A Guide to Observing the Great Outdoors.