KENNEBUNK — The Camden Conference presents Dr. Lindsey Rustad at the Kennebunk Free Library at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 5 to discuss China, Climate Change, and Forests.
Global emissions of greenhouse gases have escalated since the beginning of the industrial revolution and are now at higher levels than at any time in the past 800,000 years, at least. Consequences are increases in global temperature, changes in patterns of precipitation, and increases in the frequency and severity of extreme weather events.
China is one of the top four emitters of carbon dioxide, along with the United States, the European Union, and India. This talk will discuss the role of China in the global climate change debate, recent efforts by China to mitigate climate change through carbon sequestration in forests, and a first-hand account of collaborative U.S.-China research climate change and forests, with a focus on human dimensions of these interactions.
Rustad is a Research Ecologist for the USDA Forest Service Center for Research on Ecosystem Change in Durham, New Hampshire, co-Director of the USDA Northeastern Hub for Risk Adaptation and Mitigation to Climate Change, a Team Leader for the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in NH, and a Fellow of the Soil Science Society of America. She received a bachelor of arts degree in Philosophy at Cornell University in 1980, a master of science degree in Forest Science at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Sciences in 1983, and a doctorate in Plant Science in 1988 at the University of Maine.
Her areas of expertise include biogeochemistry, climate change impacts, and advanced environmental sensor systems.
She’s published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters and Her current interests include implementation of cybertechnology in forests across the northeastern United States and integration of Arts and Science at long term ecological field stations.
This presentation is sponsored by the Camden Conference, held Feb. 22 to Feb. 24 in Camden. The topic of this year’s conference is: “Is This China’s Century?”
KFL is a participating library bringing an extension of this conference to our community and this program is free and wheelchair accessible.
The Kennebunk Free Library is at 112 Main St. in Kennebunk.
For more information, call 985-2173 or send an email to kfl@kennebunk.lib.me.us