Christopher Field, co-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that shared the Nobel Peace Prize award from 2007, will present \u201cThe Velocity of Climate Change,\u201d a free lecture open to the public at 7 p.m. Oct. 21 at the High Country Conference Center.<\/p>\n
Field\u2019s lecture, sponsored by the NAU Climate Science and Solutions program, is based upon his work with the United Nations’\u00a0Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change<\/a>\u00a0and as director of the Carnegie Institution\u2019s\u00a0Global Ecology Department<\/a>\u00a0at Stanford University.<\/p>\n \u201cNorthern Arizona University looks forward to hearing from such a recognized leader in climate change research to campus,\u201d said NAU President\u00a0John Haeger<\/strong>. \u201cDr. Field is at the forefront of global ecology and the effects of climate change. His work is essential to shaping the future of this planet.\u201d<\/p>\n Using climate data from around the world, Field and a team of scientists at Stanford have calculated temperature \u201cvelocities,\u201d or measurements for how quickly temperatures are changing across the landscape. From that data, projections for the next century are used to predict how fast plants and animals will migrate to keep up with the changes, which the researchers anticipate could guide the development of management strategies that could minimize losses of biodiversity.<\/p>\n \u201cExpressed as velocities, climate change projections connect directly to survival prospects for plants and animals,\u201d Field said. \u201cThese are the conditions that will determine whether species move or have to cope in place.\u201d<\/p>\n Field\u2019s lecture coincides with the launch of the university\u2019s new master\u2019s degree in climate science and solutions, which trains students in science, policy and economics. The program is supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and the president\u2019s Innovation Fund, and is expected to meet the high demand for skilled individuals in private and public organizations working to address the global climate challenge.<\/p>\n \u201cClimate change is a daunting challenge,\u201d said\u00a0Matthew Hurteau<\/strong>, assistant professor in climate science and solutions at NAU. \u201cIn that challenge lies opportunity for a new generation of creative leaders to realize and implement solutions that are sound politically, economically and scientifically.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"