Panel to explore how climate change will affect Rhode Island
How will climate change affect Rhode Island – particularly its coastlines – and how should the state be preparing for these changes? A panel of speakers will explore these questions during a 90-minute discussion scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30.
“Adapting to a Changing Climate: Policy Choices Facing Rhode Island” will be held in the Bazarsky Lecture Hall. Sponsored by the Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy, the discussion will be moderated by senior fellow Joseph Grady.
A recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change indicates that climate change will have significant impact worldwide and creates the opportunity for a timely discussion of this critical issue and its implications for Rhode Island.
The public forum is not intended to debate basic scientific questions such as whether global warming is occurring or whether it is caused by human actions. The scientific consensus around these issues is robust.
Rather, the focus of this forum will be on the policy responses the state should consider. Should we incentivize lower-carbon fuels? Protect vulnerable coastal areas and structures? Create insurance programs that protect property owners from weather damage? When should such policies take effect and what would they cost?
Panel members include:
- Wenley Ferguson, director of habitat restoration, Save the Bay
- Grover Fugate, executive director, Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council
- Pam Rubinoff, leader of the Climate Change and the Coast program, University of Rhode Island’s Coastal Resources Center
