Newswise — American University experts are available to comment on climate change and related topics discussed during the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, held in Copenhagen, Denmark, Monday, December 7 through Friday, December 18.
Matthew C. Nisbet, an expert on the intersection between media, politics, and science and environmental issues, can discuss numerous communication and political implications of the Copenhagen convention, including public opinion on climate change in America and abroad, the effect of “Climate Gate” (the controversy over emails stolen from East Anglia University's Climatic Research Unit) on political debate, and what communication strategies should be employed to break climate change talk gridlock. On Sunday, December 13, at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in San Francisco—one of the largest scientific meetings in the world—Nisbet will present a half day session focused on research related to climate change communication and public engagement. Nisbet is the author of the blog, Framing Science http://scienceblogs.com/framing-science/.
David Hunter, director of the Program on International and Comparative Environmental Lawat American University’s Washington College of Law, can discuss climate change law and policy, legal aspects and financial arrangements of the climate regime, and overall climate governance. Hunter will be at the Copenhagen convention beginning Sunday, December 13, with a group of Washington College of Law students. The students are assisting the Center for International Environmental Law, the Climate Law and Policy Project, and other environmental organizations actively monitoring negotiations in Copenhagen.
Evan Berry, an expert on the interplay between religion and nature in modern western culture, can discuss the moral and ethical ramifications of climate change. He teaches Religion and Environmental Ethics, a course that explores religious contributions to environmental movements, both in the United States and globally.
James Lee, a professor of international development, can talk about climate change and international conflict. Lee’s new book, Climate Change and Armed Conflict: Hot and Cold Wars (Routledge, 2009), identifies the plausible impact of climate change on areas of international security such as sovereignty, migration, and land rights.
Daniel Fiorino, an expert on environmental policy and politics, can comment on the political and general economic aspects of climate change. Before coming to AU, he held a range of management and analytical positions at the Environmental Protection Agency, including director of the national environmental performance track, associate director of the Office of Policy Analysis, and senior advisor to the assistant administrator for policy and evaluation.
William Snape, an environmental law expert, can address climate change law. At AU’s Washington College of Law, he teaches Climate Change Litigation, a course that offers a cutting-edge examination of numerous litigation strategies to address global warming. Snape is also senior counsel with the Center for Biological Diversity and before that, was vice president and chief counsel at Defenders of Wildlife for almost a decade.
Robert Durant, a professor of public administration and policy, can discuss environmental and natural resources policy. He has been recognized by the American Society for Public Administration for lifetime contributions to research literature on environmental and natural resource policy. Durant is the author of numerous books, including The Greening of the U.S. Military: Environmental Policy, National Security, and Organizational Change (Georgetown University Press, 2007).
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