Hospitable climate: PFW's Conservation Conversation will focus on adapting to change

What’s hiding under that plume of soot?

While a vast majority of Americans accept as fact that climate change is happening and is caused by us, we also now have executive initiatives forbidding monitoring of the phenomenon, including defunding operation of a perfectly functional satellite, cessation of monitoring air pollution from point sources such as factories, and vacating the endangerment finding underpinning policies regarding carbon dioxide.

This may be a business-friendly approach to environmental “protection” in the short term, but is not human friendly in the long run.

So, what to do? Let’s talk about it. And then maybe do something.

Climate change is the topic of this year’s Conservation Conversation. The conversation is hosted annually by the Environmental Resources Center at Purdue University Fort Wayne.

This year’s is happening Thursday in the International Ballroom on the Purdue University Fort Wayne campus. The ongoing event is a meeting of members of the public; representatives of a variety of organizations and agencies; and faculty, students and staff of Purdue University Fort Wayne.

We seek to educate, inform and facilitate dialogue among local and regional organizations and other stakeholders about the opportunities and challenges for conservation efforts in our growing community. By coming together to share research, experience and perspectives, participants foster collaboration to promote the best outcomes for the quality of life in our region.

Climate change is certainly a worthy topic for this event. Although we have known climate change has been happening for some time, impacts have become more apparent over our children’s lifetimes.

In Indiana, we witness it in the form of less snow, new pests and disease, harsher rain events and droughts. Beyond the Hoosier State, we observe rising sea levels, more extreme hurricanes and the decay of once-reliable ocean currents.

Glaciers, not just the backdrop for pretty pictures, store massive amounts of reliable water for communities downstream. Melting of snow and ice is also the cause of coastal flooding.

And climate change is costing us. For example, we must expend more of our tax dollars on fighting flooding, and pay higher out-of-pocket prices for food with effects on the farm.

The Conservation Conversation is a great learning opportunity for those who want to learn more, as well as for naysayers with an open mind who still think climate change is a hoax or is not caused by human activities.

We will have expert speakers, passionate community leaders, engaged students and concerned citizens to share their research, address challenges and explore local effects of climate change on the lives of Hoosiers.

Speakers this year come from academia, the city of Fort Wayne, NIPSCO and the Hoosier Environmental Council. Topics will include the science of climate change, mitigating climate change, technical solutions and dilemmas, responding to policy setbacks and coping with the challenges imposed upon us by the changing climate.

Along with the speaker series, in adjacent space students will be present to discuss their research, and representatives from local organizations involved with sustainability and the environment will also be on hand to chat.

Lunch is included in all ticket purchases with gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan choices among the default options available, but please reach out directly if you have any additional allergy concerns.

We strive to make all of our events as close to zero waste as possible so flatware and compostable dishes and cups will be available and composted by Dirt Wain. Feel free to bring any reusables you might want for the day.

After the speakers wrap up, the conversation will continue at a reception, also included in the registration. Finger food and a cash bar will be available, and entertainment will be provided by the PFW’s student Jazz Combo.

Registration is $10 for adults and $5 for students, thanks to our sponsors at NIPSCO and additional significant support from our support network. That’s less than the actual cost of the lunch. I hope to see you there.

Bruce Kingsbury is director of the Environmental Resources Center at Purdue University Fort Wayne.