American Museum of Natural History
For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Karen de Seve
212-496-3411; kdeseve@amnh.org
Biodiversity and Climate Change Conference at American Museum
of Natural History
Focuses on Conservation in the Face of Uncertainty
Friday, April 30 - Saturday, May 1, 1999
On April 30 and May 1, the American Museum of Natural History will convene
conservation leaders, government policy-makers, and climate experts to discuss
the dynamic history of Earth's climate, and describe how efforts to protect
biodiversity, both locally and world-wide, must adapt to uncertain future conditions.
The two-day conference, called Biodiversity and Climate Change: Conservation
in the Face of Uncertainty, will take place in the Museum's Kaufmann Theater,
and is open to the public.
Much is unknown of the exact nature of climate change. Yet many scientists
contend that rising global temperatures could be one of the most serious environmental
threats of our time. According to studies, the Northern Hemisphere has been
warmer this century than for the past 1,000 years, and overall Earth's temperature
has risen one degree Fahrenheit during the 20th Century. Because the implications
of these changes are not clear, the American Geophysical Union warns that the
current lack of knowledge should promote public concern for the future.
In many areas of the world, Earth's biodiversity is now under siege from human
pressures, and global warming may exacerbate the current extinction crisis and
present unprecedented conservation challenges. "Climate change is a significant
threat to biodiversity," said Francesca Grifo, the director of the Center
for Biodiversity and Conservation at the Museum. "A large body of scientific
evidence is emerging which demonstrates the negative consequences of climate
change on biodiversity in a world already so extensively transformed by humans."
The Biodiversity and Climate Change symposium will include presentations by
U.S. Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere D. James Baker, and U.S Under
Secretary of State for Global Affairs Frank E. Loy. In addition to panels moderated
by Museum scientists, on Saturday, May 1, Ira Flatow of National Public Radio
will moderate a program called "A Local Perspective: Climate Change and the
Big Apple." This program will include discussions of biodiversity in the Big
Apple, and the impact of climate change on urban life.
The entire conference will also be broadcast live on the Internet via the
Museum's web site (http://www.amnh.org/biodiversity/Climate/Symposium99.html)
to accommodate members of the general public and the scientific community who
are unable to attend in person. Remote attendees can watch and hear the talks.
In addition, participants will be able to ask questions via e-mail, and receive
live answers as part of the webcast.
The American Museum of Natural History hosts this forum as a prelude to the
opening of the Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth, which will feature exhibits on
climate and climate change, including an ice-core sample from Greenland that
displays a detailed climatic history dating back 115,000 years.
Tickets for the Biodiversity and Climate Change conference, which include
lunch, are as follows: For both days: $55 for the general public, $50 for Museum
members, and $25 for students. For one day only: $35 for the general public,
$30 for Museum members, and $20 for students. For reservations, call 212-769-5200,
Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 6:00pm, EST; Saturdays 10:00am - 6:00pm, EST. Please
use program code CBC99SS as a reference.
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