FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | August 03, 2010

American Chemical Society to hold forum on climate change on Aug. 23

BOSTON, Aug. 3, 2010 — The American Chemical Society (ACS) will hold a special forum on climate here on Aug. 23 during its 240th National Meeting & Exposition, featuring international authorities speaking on the current status of climate change science. Entitled “Forum on Climate Change Science and Consequences,” it is scheduled for 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Seaport Hotel, Plaza Ballroom B/C, and will include time for audience participation.

The presentations are among 8,000 reports scheduled for presentation during the ACS National Meeting, which runs from Aug. 22-26. The central theme is “Chemistry for Preventing & Combating Disease.” In addition to the climate change forum and theme symposia, the conference will offer print, broadcast, and online journalists a rich assortment of spot news and feature possibilities with that span science’s horizons — from astronomy to zoology.

The ACS Office of Public Affairs will operate a Press Center in Room 152 of the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. It will host daily press conferences and a news media workroom fully staffed to assist in arranging interviews. The Press Center will have wireless Internet access, telephones, computers, photocopy and fax services, and refreshments. Complimentary news media registration for the meeting is still open.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE PRESENTATIONS ARE EMBARGOED UNTIL MONDAY, AUG. 23, 5 p.m., EASTERN TIME

Scheduled presenters in the Forum on Climate Change Science and Consequences and their topics:

Michael McElroy, Ph.D., of Harvard University, who will discuss the science of climate change. His research covers natural and human-induced changes in the chemical composition of the atmosphere and how these changes impact climate. McElroy’s research also addresses the environmental consequences of rapid industrialization in developing countries such as China and India and explores alternative strategies for more sustainable development in the United States and others developed countries.

James McCarthy, Ph.D., of Harvard University, who will discuss the observed global impact of climate changes, the context in which these changes are occurring, and projections for the future. He'll also discuss the socioeconomic impact of these changes — including regional impacts on agriculture, fisheries, human health, etc. — and will describe how current research might help decisions aimed at preventing and/or adapting to climate change. McCarthy, one of the leading experts on global climate change, has focused his oceanographic studies on regions that are strongly affected by seasonal and inter-annual variation in climate.

John Christy, Ph.D., of the University of Alabama in Huntsville, who will describe evidence from the climate record indicating that the “greenhouse effect” — the warming due to gases emitted by human activity — is overestimated. He will also discuss evidence that regulations designed to impact human climate change are ineffective. Christy currently builds climate data sets, using information from satellites and other monitoring sources, to study how climate has changed and why.

Robert Socolow, Ph.D., Princeton University, who will provide a summary of a new study underway that examines major issues related to global climate change, with a focus on how climate change affects the United States and actions the nation can take to respond to this problem. The new study, America’s Climate Choices, is being conducted by the National Research Council of the National Academies. Socolow’s current research focuses on global carbon management, including the capture of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels and its storage.

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Media Contact:

Michael Bernstein

617-954-3522 (Meeting, Aug. 22-26)

202-872-6042 (Before Aug. 21)

Michael Woods

617-954-3522 (Meeting, March 22-26)

202-872-6293 (Before Aug. 21)