Future of water will be topic of 'Changing Planet' town hall at ASU
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. No flash photography, audio or video recording will be permitted.
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.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Margaret “Peggy” Coulombe, Margaret.Coulombe@asu.edu
480-727-8934
Arizona State University
Meghan Pianta, Meghan.Pianta@nbcuni.com
212-664-2364
NBC News/NBC Learn