Future of water will be topic of ‘Changing Planet’ town hall at Arizona State University
NBC Learn, National Science Foundation and Discover magazine to host dynamic discussion Aug. 25 on ‘Adapting to Our Water Future’
Newswise — TEMPE, Ariz. – The future of water in the American Southwest and around the world will be the topic of a town hall discussion at Arizona State University hosted by NBC Learn, the National Science Foundation and Discover magazine. On tap for the Aug. 25 event will be a panel of nationally-recognized scientists and public policymakers who will address the changing patterns of freshwater resources, as well as questions on how to develop more efficient and sustainable water practices.
This event is the third in a series of “Changing Planet” town halls that are videotaped at U.S. universities and televised on The Weather Channel. The event at ASU is free and open to the public, though seating is limited. The discussion will begin at 6 p.m. in Galvin Playhouse on ASU’s Tempe campus. Doors will open at 5 p.m. and close at 5:45 p.m. No entrance or exit will be permitted during the videotaping and RSVPs are requested. To RSVP or for more information: http://sustainability.asu.edu/nbc-changing-planet or 480-965-2975.
Town hall panelists will include: Bill Richardson, former governor of New Mexico; Grady Gammage Jr., senior sustainability scholar with the ASU Global Institute of Sustainability and senior research fellow with the ASU Morrison Institute for Public Policy; Pat Mulroy, general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority; and Heidi Cullen, host of “Forecast Earth” and research scientist and correspondent with “Climate Central.” The conversation will be moderated by Anne Thompson, NBC News chief environmental affairs correspondent.
The “Changing Planet” town hall series was developed to encourage student learning and to open a dialogue between the public and scientists, thought leaders, business people, educators and students around the issues and facts of climate science. The goal of these discussions is to promote the understanding of the implications of climate change, brainstorm solutions and provide avenues to get involved in climate research through citizen science projects on ScienceForCitizens.net.
The first “Changing Planet” town hall was hosted by Yale University in January and examined the impact of climate change on human health, economic opportunity, religious values and today’s youth. The second town hall was hosted by George Washington University in April and examined the intersection of clean energy and green jobs.
As a national leader in sustainability science, Arizona State University will host the third “Changing Planet” town hall. Advancing public access to and participation in this kind of solution-building, in partnership with some of the top scientists and innovators in the world, is a central part of the mission of ASU and its Global Institute of Sustainability, School of Life Sciences, and School of Sustainability. The ASU School of Sustainability is the first of its kind in the country.
Access to the ASU Tempe campus is available by METRO Light Rail service. There is a fee for parking on campus. Parking information is online at http://asu.edu/parking/pdf/asu_map_tempe_2011_parking.pdf. Galvin Playhouse is located in the southwest corner of the campus near the music buildings. A map of the campus is online at http://www.asu.edu/tour/tempe/fac.html. Persons arriving early will have the opportunity to view a display of Hohokam water vessels provided by ASU’s Archaeological Research Institute.
About Arizona State UniversityArizona State University is a New American University – a major public educational institution, a premier research center and a leader in innovation. Our vision is described by our three core principles: excellence in scholarship, access to education, and impact in our global community. As a New American University, ASU is intellectually vibrant, socially conscious and globally engaged. More at www.asu.edu.
About NBC LearnNBC Learn is the educational arm of NBC News dedicated to providing resources for students, teachers, and lifelong learners. The online resources NBC Learn has created for the education community leverages nearly 80 years of historic news coverage, documentary materials, and current news broadcasts. The NBC News Archives on Demand feature gives students and teachers access to thousands of video clips from the NBC News archives, including great historic moments – from the Great Depression to the Space Race to the latest political coverage. NBC Learn also offers primary source materials, lesson plans and classroom planning resources, and additional text and image resources from our content partners. More at www.nbclearn.com/changingplanet.
About the National Science FoundationThe National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. In fiscal year 2010, its budget was about $6.9 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 45,000 competitive requests for funding, and makes more than 11,500 new funding awards. NSF also awards more than $400 million in professional and service contracts yearly. More at http://www.nsf.gov.
About DiscoverNow in its 31st year of publication, Discover magazine covers a wide range of topics related to science and technology. Key subjects include physics; astronomy and space exploration; the brain; medicine; biology and evolution; and energy and the environment. Both in print and online, the magazine’s award-winning staff brings these topics to life with the help of the leading science writers and photographers. Discover is the largest general science interest magazine in the world, with over six million readers every month. More at http://discovermagazine.com.
About The Weather Channel CompaniesThe Weather Channel Companies (TWCC) are made up of The Weather Channel television network, The Weather Channel digital properties, and WSI. The Weather Channel is based in Atlanta and is seen in more than 100 million U.S. households. TWCC also operates Weatherscan, a 24-hour all-local weather network; The Weather Channel Radio Network; and The Weather Channel HD. The digital properties of TWCC, which include the weather.com site, The Weather Channel Desktop and The Weather Channel Mobile, reach more than 40 million monthly unique users, are the most popular source of online weather news and information, and offer the second most popular mobile application on all smart phones. WSI, headquartered in Andover, Mass., primarily provides business-to-business weather services, particularly for the media, aviation, marine and energy sectors. TWCC is owned by a consortium made up of NBC Universal and the private equity firms The Blackstone Group and Bain Capital. More at www.weather.com/press.
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