Please route this to interested parties, member libraries, or others you
may feel would be interested in attending this conference. Thank you. Fred
Stoss, Science and Engineering Library, SUNY Buffalo
CLIMATE CHANGE
AND NEW YORK STATE: Gaining the Competitive Edge
November 19-20,
1998
Omni Albany Hotel
Albany, New York
14th Annual Conference
of the Center for Environmental Information, Inc.
PURPOSE:
In 1992
the President of the United States signed, and the U.S. Senate ratified, the
Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) sponsored by the United Nations
General Assembly. Over 160 countries have become parties to the agreement. The
ultimate aim of the FCCC is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the
atmosphere "at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic
interference with the climate system." The mobilization should be achieved
within a time frame that allows ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change,
ensures that food production is not
threatened, and enables sustainable
economic development to proceed.
Drawing on the work of 2500 scientists
from around the world, the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
concluded in December, 1995, "the balance of evidence suggests that there
is a discernable human influence on global climate." Sponsored by the World
Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme, this
scientific assessment has served as the basis for intensive policy analysis and
international negotiations on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Climate
Change and New York State: Gaining the Competitive Edge will bring together
representatives of all interests concerned with the impacts of climate change on
New York State. The goals for the conference are:
- to create awareness
of the environmental and economic impacts of climate change on New York
State;
- to assess options for mitigation and adaptation to a changing
climate;
- to describe existing and emerging strategies for addressing
climate
change in New York State, and
- to establish an ongoing
mechanism for communication and dialogue about climate change and New York
State.
PROGRAM:
Thursday, November 19
7:45 a.m.
Registration desk open; Continental Breakfast
8:30 Welcome
William
Wagner, Center for Environmental Information
8:35 Greetings
Kathleen
Callahan, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 2
8:45 Introductory
Remarks
John Cahill, Commissioner, New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation
9:00 Keynote Address: Governor George Pataki
(invited)
Session I. Climate Change Essentials
Chair: Theodore Hullar,
Director, Center for the Environment, Cornell
University
9:30 State of
the Science
Michael MacCracken, United States Global Change Research
Program
10:15 Break
10:45 Economic Impacts
To Be
Announced
11:30 The Policy and Political Process
Eileen Claussen, Pew
Center on Global Climate Change
12:15 p.m. Lunch
Session II.
Climate Change and New York State
Chair: Ross Whaley, President, SUNY College
of Environmental Science and Forestry
1:30 Environmental Impacts of a
Changing Climate on New York State Resources: Coastal Zones, Agriculture,
Ecosystems, Water and Urban Issues
Cynthia Rosenzweig, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies
2:15
Costs to New York State of Reducing Emissions of Greenhouse Gases
Douglas
Hill and Samuel Morris, Consultants, Regional Plan Association
3:00
Break
3:30 New York State Options for Mitigation and Adaptation -
Recommendations from the N.Y.S. Symposium on Economic Development and
Climate Change
Kevin Healy, Environmental Law Section, New York State
Bar
Association
Respondents:
Representatives of Business, Environmental,
Government and Insurance Associations
Discussion
5:00
Adjourn
Friday, November 20
8:00 a.m. Registration desk open;
Continental Breakfast
Session III. Leadership Strategies
8:30
Introductory Remarks
Senator James Seward, Chair, New York State Senate
Energy and
Telecommunications Committee
Assemblyman Paul Tonko, Chair, New
York State Assembly Energy Committee
9:00 Strategies and Partnerships for
Mitigation and Adaptation
William Valentino, New York State Energy Research
and Development Authority
Martin Smith, Niagara Mohawk Power
Corporation
Paul Finnegan, New York Power Authority
Deb Ashley, Xerox
Corporation
Roy Wood, Eastman Kodak Company
Robert Stegemann,
International Paper Company
10:30 Break
11:00 Emerging Strategies
- Agriculture, Transportation, Local Land Use and Development
Planning
David Wolfe, Cornell University
John Zamurs, New York State
Department of Transportation
Robert Brower, Cayuga County Planning
Department
12:00 p.m. Climate Change: The View from the Hill
To Be
Announced
12:30 Adjourn
REGISTRATION FEES
Early: $125
(postmarked by October 30)
Regular: $160
Government Rate - $65
early, $85 regular
Fees include admittance to all sessions,
registration materials, two
continental breakfasts, one lunch, and
refreshment breaks.
Scholarships are available to a limited number of
individuals affiliated
with 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organizations and
educational institutions.
Those requesting a scholarship should submit a
letter explaining their
affiliation, along with the registration form and
scholarship fee of $30
(students, $10) Scholarships do not include lunch.
Applications must be postmarked by October 30. Notification of scholarship award
will
be made by November 9.
Accommodations:
CEI has
reserved a block of hotel rooms at the Omni Albany Hotel, located on the corner
of State and Lodge Streets in Albany, New York, for the nights of November 18
and 19. Special room rate in effect for the conference is $99 per night, single
or double occupancy. Room reservations should be made directly by calling the
Omni Albany Hotel, (518) 462-6611, by October 28, 1998. To receive the special
rate, be sure to mention the Center for Environmental Information
conference.
Continuing Education Units:
1.1 CEUs will be awarded
for satisfactory completion of the
program. A $15 fee for CEU application,
processing and award
should be added to the registration fee. The CEU is a
nationally
recognized unit of achievement which may be used as evidence
of
increased performance capabilities and for job
advancement.
Cancellations:
Refunds for cancellations received at
the Center by October 30
will be made in full. Cancellations received by
November 9 will
be charged a 20 percent administrative fee. No
refunds
thereafter. Registrants who fail to attend and do not cancel
by
the given deadlines are liable for registration fee.
Substitutions are
allowed.
Confirmation:
Registrations received by October 30 will
be confirmed by return
mail.
Payment:
Check or voucher must
accompany registration, or charge to
Mastercard/Visa. A $15 invoicing fee
should be added to the
registration fee for voucher use. Make checks payable
to
Center for Environmental Information
Please mail the
registration form with your payment to: Center for
Environmental Information,
55 (F) St. Paul Street, Rochester, New York 14604 (Mastercard/Visa and voucher
registrations may be faxed to CEI at 716-262-4156)
FOR INFORMATION
CALL (716) 262-2870
COSPONSORS:
United States Department of
Energy
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Empire State
Development
New York State Adirondack Park Agency
New York State
Department of Environmental Conservation
New York State Department of
State
New York State Department of Transportation
New York State Energy
Research and Development Authority
New York State Assembly Energy
Committee
New York State Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee
New
York State Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee
New York State
Senate Environmental Conservation Committee
New York State Conference of
Mayors and Municipal Officials
New York State Association of Counties
New
York State Association of Environmental Management Councils, Inc.
New York
State Association of Towns
Central Hudson Gas and Electric
Corporation
Consolidated Edison Company
Electric Power Research
Institute
Empire State Electric Energy Research Corporation
Independent
Power Producers of New York
Keyspan Energy
New York Power Authority
New
York Power Pool
New York State Electric and Gas Corporation
Niagara Mohawk
Power Corporation
Orange and Rockland Utilities
Rochester Gas and Electric
Corporation
Environmental Advocates
Environmental Defense
Fund
Environmental and Energy Study Institute
INFORM, Inc.
League of
Women Voters of New York State
National Audubon Society of New York
State
Natural Resources Defense Council
Nature Conservancy of New York
State
New York League of Conservation Voters
Sierra Club - Atlantic
Chapter
Center for the Environment/Cornell University
Columbia Earth
Institute/Columbia University
Pace University Energy Project
SUNY College
of Environmental Science and Forestry
Global Climate Change Digest
New
York Planning Federation
Regional Plan Association
Environmental Law
Section/New York State Bar Association
Empire State Forest Products
Association
Environmental Business Association of New York State
Eastman
Kodak Company
International Paper Company
Xerox
Corporation
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bill
Wagner
Phone: (716) 262-2870
Center for Environmental Information
Fax: (716) 262-4156
Rochester, New
York
http://www.awa.com/nature/cei