Chaired by Representative Rebekah Warren (D-Ann Arbor) and hosted by Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje

Global warming and resulting climate chaos is the biggest environmental, economic and public health threat our planet has ever faced. Can Michigan rise to meet this challenge? Three upcoming events will feature some of the world's top climate scientists from in Michigan who will help answer that question. These scientists, many of whom served on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, will address issues including: the scientific evidence of global warming and why it's happening; the expected impacts on Michigan's economy; and the policies Michigan must pursue to address this global challenge. The first of three events will take place in Ann Arbor and is a formal hearing of the House Great Lakes and Environment Committee. The event is free and open to the public.

Featured scientists:

Henry Pollack, PhD
Professor of Geophysics, Department of Geological Sciences
University of Michigan
Dr. Pollack has been a Professor of Geophysics at University of Michigan (U-M) for more than 40 years. Pollack has earned a reputation as one of the world's leading experts on the temperature of the Earth, both today and in the geological past. An award-winning teacher with a gift for explaining science to non-scientists, Pollack has taken a special interest in helping leaders in government and business and the general public to understand the scientific developments associated with global climate change.

Joyce Penner, PhD
Professor of Atmospheric Sciences
Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Space Sciences
University of Michigan
Dr. Penner is a Ralph J. Cicerone Distinguished University Professor. Penner studies the impacts of "aerosols" or particulate matter on the climate. She was the coordinating lead author for a chapter in the report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to the United Nations in 2001.

Barry Rabe, PhD
Professor of Public Policy, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
University of Michigan
Dr. Rabe holds a joint appointment with the Gerald Ford School of Public Policy at U-M. His teaching interests are in environmental politics and policy, with particular emphasis on evolving state, local, and intergovernmental functions. Rabe's research includes studying the ramifications of regulatory devolution in Canada and the U.S. and capacity for cooperative implementation of environmental policies.

Seating is limited. For more information, contact Rep. Warren or the Sierra Club at 517.484-2372.