Global Warming Forum Set at UPJ

Johnstown, Pa. – Brad Clemenson of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council will make a presentation on global warming at 9 a.m. Thursday at the Student Union building of the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown.

The presentation is part of Global Warming Day 2009 on campus.  Clemenson, who is PEC’s communications director, will speak about unavoidable and potential impacts of global warming in Pennsylvania and the state’s Climate Change Action Plan.

The other presenters on the program are Ed Perry of National Wildlife Federation on the impacts on wildlife and Alexandra Hakala of the National Energy Technology Lab on Energy Generation, Carbon Capture and Storage.

“Despite some heavy snow here in Western Pennsylvania, there is no doubt that the planet is getting warming,” Clemenson said.  “Some of the impacts are no longer avoidable, but if we act responsibly, we can reduce the carbon and other global-warming gases in the atmosphere and avoid some of the worst potential impacts.”

Much of Clemenson’s presentation will be based on a report developed by the Union of Concerned Scientists, whose Climate Change in Pennsylvania report drew from the Climate Change Roadmap for Pennsylvania, which PEC published in 2007.  PEC also was a strong advocate for the legislation that requires the state to develop an action plan to deal with global warming.