Last modified: Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Media advisory: Teleconference to highlight role of farms, forests in reducing global warming
IU SPEA's Ken Richards will discuss U.S. carbon policy in Pew Center report
EDITORS: On Thursday (Sept. 21), the Pew Center on Global Climate Change will release two new reports examining the role of farms and forestlands in reducing the threat of climate change. The authors will be available via teleconference, which will take place at 11 a.m. EDT. Call in to 800-247-5110 USA, 888-259-2914 CANADA. Passcode: PEWAG; confirmation number: 15582148. R.S.V.P. to Katie Mandes at the Pew Center at 703-516-0606.
Ken Richards, an associate professor at the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs, is participating in the teleconference. Richards is the co-author of a new report on the role of U.S. agricultural lands and forestlands in national climate mitigation plans. The report, Agricultural and Forestlands: U.S. Carbon Policy Strategies, describes a range of policy approaches that would ensure a prominent role for agriculture in alleviating climate change.
Other participants in the teleconference include Eileen Claussen, president of the Pew Center, Keith Paustian, professor of Soil Ecology at Colorado State University and John Sheehan, senior strategic analyst at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The second report to be released during the teleconference, Agriculture's Role in Greenhouse Gas Mitigation, examines the opportunities for farmers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reviews the potential for bio-fuels to contribute to greenhouse gas reduction efforts. The report notes that climate mitigation could potentially become a source of new income and cost reductions for farmers.
The IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs is a global leader in public administration and environmental science, with the top-ranked graduate program in the country in environmental policy and non-profit management. SPEA has earned national distinction for its unique interdisciplinary programs in public and non-profit management, public policy, environmental science, arts administration and health administration.
The Pew Center was established in May 1998 by The Pew Charitable Trusts, one of the United States' largest philanthropies and an influential voice in efforts to improve the quality of the environment. The Pew Center is an independent, nonprofit and non-partisan organization dedicated to providing credible information, straight answers and innovative solutions in the effort to address global climate change.
