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8:15- 8:45 AM

 

Registration / Refreshments:
Law School Auditorium

8:45- 9:00 AM

 

Keynote Address:

Cynthia Danaher, General Manager, Hewlett Packard/ Medical Products Group (April 14)

Amy Mullin, Professor, B.U. Dept. of Chemistry (April 15)

 

9:00- 9:45 AM

 

Two Research Presentations

April 14

Dr. Una Ryan, President and CEO, T-Cell Sciences; "How to Beat Heart Disease Without Diet and Exercise"

Sheryl Grace, Assistant Professor, BU Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Department;
"Flow-induced Sound: Aeroacoustics as Friend, Foe, and Fun"

April 15

Leigh Royden; Professor of Earth, Atmospheric& Planetary Science;Massachusetts Institute of Technology;" A Short History of the Earth and How It Works"

Ann Ascehngrau; Associate Professor of Epidemiology; BU College of Public Health
"Environmental Links to Cancer on Cape Cod"

 

9:45-11:45 AM

 

Labs Visits and Informal Poster/Demo Session

 

11:45-12:20 PM

 

Lunch provided for all participants

12:20-1:00 PM

 

Career Presentation

Dr. Kalpana Chawla, NASA Astronaut

 

1:00- 1:20 PM

 

Hot Topics Presentation

"Potential Effects of Global Climate Change"

Prof. Elizabeth Drake, Associate Director, M.I.T. Energy Laboratory (April 14)

Prof. Lisa Sorenson, BU Dept. of Biology (April 15)

1:20-1:50 P.M.

Hot Topics Roundtable Discussions

1:50-2:00 P.M.

Recap and End of Program

 


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1. Wildlife

One concern that's been raised about global warming is the possible effect on wildlife and natural ecosystems. Which arguments do you find most convincing?

Life survived the ice ages, it will survive a slightly warmed climate. As the world warms, species will simply migrate to more suitable locations. Even if a few species don't survive the change, extinction is a part of the natural order; the most fit species are those that can adapt to new conditions. Trying to reduce pollution drastically is just too expensive; lifting people out of poverty is more important than saving a few species of fish. Besides, if we try to cool the planet down, we might go too far and send the world into another ice age.

If the climate changes too quickly, plants and animals may not have time to adapt and may simply die off. Species can't necessarily migrate if the routes are cut off by cities, highways and farmland. If a few key species go extinct, a whole ecosystem can fall apart leading to disaster. We can't afford to stop global warming: we rely on our natural ecosystems to provide us with clean water, air, and food.

 

2. Role Play

How do ideas like conserving energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions look from the viewpoint of people from different parts of the world? Try having some of your group pretend to be the board of directors of an American company; have the others take on the role of farmers of a small village in Malaysia. Here are some ideas to get you started:

AMERICAN BUSINESS EXECUTIVES MIGHT SAY: Countries that are just starting to industrialize should use clean, nonpolluting technology from the start. The rare ecosystems like rain forests are in the non-industrialized countries. If the ocean rises due to global warming, poor coastal countries like Malaysia will have the most to lose. The USA can't just stop polluting all at once, or our economy will fall apart.

FARMERS IN MALAYSIA MIGHT SAY: Countries like the USA are responsible for most of the pollution and they should clean up their own mess. We deserve the chance to modernize our countries and give our people a better life. Nonpolluting technology is much more expensive: if we have to use this, our country will stay poor, without good schools or medical facilities. If the rich countries want us to use nonpolluting technology, they must pay for it themselves.

 

3. Gasoline Tax

Emissions from burning gasoline in automobiles are a major contributor to global warming, with potentially harmful effects on human help and the environment. Yet in the United States, gasoline is sold for far less than in many other countries ($1/gallon in US: $5/gallon in Europe), perhaps not reflecting the 'true cost' of using gasoline.

Recently a high tax was levied on cigarettes, in part because cigarette smoke has been shown to harm the health of smokers and those who breathe secondhand smoke. The tax money is to be used for paying the medical bills of smokers and to educate people about the dangers of smoking.

What do you think - would it make sense to put a similar high tax on the price of gasoline? In deciding, you might want to consider how the tax could affect consumers, industry, and research.

 

4. The Nuclear Alternative

Using fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) as an energy source produces large amounts of greenhouse gases that, in turn, lead to unnatural warming of our planet and potential damage to ecosystems, agriculture, and water systems. Perhaps finding an alternative energy source would be wise. Some people have suggested that using nuclear power would make sense.

The following information may help you think about the issues: Nuclear plants produce no greenhouse gases. They do produce radioactive waste, which is dangerous (e.g. it may case mutations in DNA), long-lived, and difficult to store. Nuclear power has been used on a large scale already; it is not a small-scale experimental technology like solar or wind power. Nuclear power plants must be very carefully designed and maintained to prevent radioactive material from leaking out; some plants have been operated safely for years, while a few have had minor accidents. We already have over 100 operating nuclear plants in the United States, but are not building any new ones at present; the existing plants will be closed by the year 2020 if they are re-licensed. A number of countries in Europe and Asia also have nuclear power plants; some of these countries (Japan, Korea, China) are building or designing new ones.

What do you think - should the United States pursue nuclear power to help stop global warming?

 

5. What can you do?

We've been talking about global issues. Recall the sayings "Think globally, act locally" and "A journey of one thousand miles begins with a single step." What are the most effective things YOU can do to prevent global climate change? Remember the idea of "a thousand points of light": many efforts can add up to make a big difference. (to check your answers see http://www.epa.gov)

 



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