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EmailFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 26, 2010
Editors Note:
Journalists interested in covering the Center for Ocean Solutions events on Friday should contact Ashley Huffman in advance or pick up a media pass at the Portola Plaza.
Center for Ocean Solutions to spotlight climate change at BLUE Ocean Film Festival on Aug. 27
Monterey, California. The Center for Ocean Solutions (COS) will host a trio of events on climate change on Friday, Aug. 27, at BLUE, a week-long global ocean film festival and conservation summit presented by Make a Difference Media Foundation.
From 9:00 A.M. to 10:30 A.M., COS will host the Stephen Schneider Panel on Climate Change at the Portola Plaza Conference Center’s Steinbeck Forum, located at Two Portola Plaza, Monterey. Climate scientists and ocean professionals will discuss the impact of climate change on the ocean – from warming waters to increasing acidity – and what the future may hold. A BLUE festival pass is required for public attendance.
COS Executive Director Meg Caldwell will moderate the panel, which includes Rob Dunbar of Stanford University, James Barry of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), Lisa Suatoni of the Natural Resources Defense Council, and Bruce Steele, a commercial diver and fisherman. The panel commemorates the life and work of Stanford Professor Stephen Schneider who died on July 19. Schneider was a world-renowned climate scientist and member of the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore.
Immediately following the panel will be a screening of Oceans +2C, a short film (6:24 minutes) produced by the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP) in partnership with COS. Set to a backdrop of stunning iLCP photography, leading marine scientists from Stanford and MBARI discuss the role of climate change on the ocean and the potential impacts of a 2o C rise in global temperature. Produced for the 2009 U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, the film is a finalist in the BLUE Ocean Film Festival’s “shorts” category.
The final COS event of the day, “Stories of Hope in a Changing Sea,” will take place from 5:30 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, located at 886 Cannery Row in Monterey. A BLUE festival Whale, Patron or Founders pass is required for public attendance. Open access passes for media are available at the Portola Plaza. Hosted by Meg Caldwell and Aquarium Executive Director Julie Packard, the event kicks off with a keynote by Packard followed by a screening of the film 180 Degrees South in the Aquarium's auditorium. A reception will follow at the Aquarium’s Hot Pink Flamingos exhibit dedicated to understanding the impacts of climate change on the ocean and actions people can take to reduce their carbon footprint.
For information about obtaining BLUE festival passes, visit: http://www.blueoceanfilmfestival.org/ticketspasses.html
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Based in Monterey, Calif., the Center for Ocean Solutions focuses on finding practical and enduring solutions to the greatest challenges facing the oceans. COS is a partnership of Stanford University, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, MBARI and Stanford’s Hopkins Marine Station and Woods Institute for the Environment.
More Information:
Center for Ocean Solutions: http://centerforoceansolutions.org/
BLUE Ocean Film Festival: http://www.blueoceanfilmfestival.org
Oceans +2C video: http://www.centerforoceansolutions.org/videos-podcasts/videos/oceans-2c-warmer-world
