Freeport Speech will host a discussion on climate change from the Arctic tundra to the ocean depths at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29. Susana Hancock, an internationally recognized climate scientist who runs a program working directly with global leaders to understand the direct risks of a changing climate around the world, is one of two guest speakers.
“The Arctic is warming four times faster than the global average — with parts warming more than seven times and where changes are visible to the naked eye on a daily basis,” Hancock said in a news release. “The implications of this rapid warming are not isolated to the polar region, however. Around the world, cyclones become powerful, heatwaves are hotter and more persistent, and rising seas change entire ecosystems and swamp low-lying states. Whether one cares about food security and access to fresh water, or about supply chain disruptions and civil war, the Arctic is central to global discussions on climate.”
Hancock will be joined by Iain Kerr, who leads the Ocean Alliance organization in Massachusetts. Ocean Alliance’s mission is to protect whales and their ocean environment through research, scientific collaboration, public education and the arts. The alliance works with its scientific partners to advise educators and policymakers on wise ocean stewardship.
“As charismatic megafauna, whales are deeply embedded in human culture, from ancient Greek coins to Moby Dick,” Hancock said in a release. “In the early 1800s, whale oil was an incredibly valuable product that was used around the world to bring light to the industrial revolution. Recent discoveries tell us that whales have played a far more important role in ocean ecosystems than we ever realized, by fertilizing our oceans and supporting carbon capture. If we can better understand how whales live their lives and then better protect them, they will support a healthier planet. I believe with new technologies that are easily adapted by a broader range of people (from scientists to non-scientists) that there has never been a more exciting time to be involved in wildlife conservation and climate change mitigation.”
The discussion will be held at Meetinghouse Arts Center, 40 Main St., in Freeport. Tickets are free, but any proceeds collected will benefit the Gulf of Maine Research Institute.
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