Global warming: Should U.S. ratify Kyoto accord?

The issue of global warming and the proposed Kyoto accord will be debated from scientific, legal, environmental and industrial perspectives by University and outside experts on Feb. 17 in a forum, sponsored by various University organizations, titled "Green vs. Green: The Kyoto Protocol and Global Warming."

The debate, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17, in the Law School Courtroom.

"The basic question is, should America ratify the Kyoto Protocol?" said Kelly Humphry, coordinator of the Environmental Center and an organizer of the event. Negotiators from around the world met in Kyoto, Japan, in December to draft a treaty to reduce the worldwide threat of global warming. Each nation, including the United States, must individually ratify the treaty.

Alan Sykes, Professor in the Law School, will discuss the legal implications of the accord and how a global agreement could work. Raymond Pierrehumbert, Professor in the Geophysical Sciences, will address the science of global warming and what scientists anticipate in the future. Seth Dunn, research associate at the Worldwatch Institute, and William O'Keefe, executive vice president of the American Petroleum Institute, will present their organizations' perspectives on the issue.

"It promises to be a very interesting event -- taking stock of what happened in Kyoto and helping students become aware that environmental issues raise a broad range of concerns," said Margaret Scully-Granzeier, Program Administrator for the Environmental Studies Program. "The debate will show that there are no clear and simple solutions, and the experts will share their positions."

The event is organized by the Environmental Studies Program, the Environmental Law Society and the Environmental Center Club. Co-sponsors include the Harris School of Public Policy Studies, the Center for Latin American Studies, the Department of Economics, the Environmental Policy Group, the Geophysical Sciences Department, Habeus Corpus, PIPES Workshop, the Political Science Department, the Political Union, Students for Responsible Business and Sustain. For more information, contact the University of Chicago Environmental Center at 702-0405.