As the issue of climate change becomes more prevalent in the definition of environmental protection, it is important for people to know how climate change affects them and their surrounding environment.
The staff of Freshwater Future, a citizen action group helping people protect the Great Lakes by providing resources, are working to provide information on climate change to those living in the Great Lakes region through a Climate Symposium in downtown Detroit.
The Fall 2010 Climate Symposium on Friday, October 22nd and Saturday, October 23rd at the Inn on Ferry Street is the first symposium in a series Freshwater Future will hold to explore and assist groups interested in finding out how climate change plays a role in their river, lake and wetland protection and restoration work.
Representatives from EcoAdapt, a national leader in assisting communities to prepare for climate change, will be presenting information and assisting groups in taking climate change realities into consideration in community projects and decision-making. The Nature Conservancy and National Wildlife Federation will also be in attendance talking about existing climate adaptation efforts.
There has been so much interest in a symposium concentrating on the issue of climate change in the Detroit area, the meeting space at the Inn is filled to capacity. Freshwater Future even had to turn some people away, unfortunately.
Being that this is the first of a series of symposia for Freshwater Future, they will be keeping a list of folks interested in receiving information about future symposia, and perhaps looking for a bigger venue in the future.
The groups and individuals attending this weekend’s event come from a variety of backgrounds focusing on the environmental and sustainability issues. Some examples are watershed councils, river and lake protection groups, religious associations, action councils, waterkeeper associations, green info-structure and planning groups and many more.
Freshwater Future is interested in helping communities make their water resources more resilient to change due to unpredictable climate in the future. It is important for communities to have healthy water systems in order to support jobs and families in the Great Lakes region.
Source: Kara Scheerhorn, Freshwater Future