REDONDO BEACH, Calif., April 27, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Top scientists, including 2007 Nobel Peace Prize recipients from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), will share insights on how climate change is projected to affect southern California during a Climate Adaptation Symposium and Workshop co-hosted by Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC), the City of Hermosa Beach, the South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG) and others on May 2, 2011, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Northrop Grumman Presentation Center at Space Park, Redondo Beach.
The symposium, Keeping Our Heads Above Water - Adapting to Climate Change in Southern California, will also explore strategies for adapting and creating more resilient communities in adapting to climate change and its impacts and effects.
"With the recent tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes and other natural disasters, southern California looks to broaden the dialogue with community, government and industry leaders to discuss southern California's climate environment," said Judy Mitchell, SBCCOG Chair. "Coastal cities and counties are focused not only on sea level rise and inundation, but on severe storms, rising temperatures, reduction in the quantity and quality of water supply, damage to marine and other ecosystems, decline in air quality and health challenges – all critical issues for discussion and strategic decisions."
"In terms of a changing climate, we need to understand our possible futures; those that we can choose to avoid, and those that we must prepare for," said Michael Prather, Director for Institute for the Environment and Professor of Earth System Science at University of California, Irvine, and a member of the IPCC.
Additional sponsors for the May 2 conference include the Southern California Association of Governments, the University of Southern California-Sea Grant program, the Environmental Institute of the University of California, Irvine, and Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI).
"Even as people around the world and locally work on reducing greenhouse gases that are drivers of climate change, we have the added challenge of adapting to the inevitable effects of climate change and building capacity," said Dr. Aaron Swanson, climate scientist at Northrop Grumman.
"Attendees at the workshop will include many accomplished scientists and academicians who speak on critical aspects of climate change relating to southern California," added Swanson. "Through their presentations and discussions, participants will help identify ways the scientific community, public sector and industry can support each other in facilitating effective climate adaptation and vulnerability assessments."
"All South Bay cities have a role to play," said Mitchell. "Impacts to coastal cities will affect those inland since we are an inter-connected region, so it is important that the entire South Bay understand what strategies cities need to take collectively and separately."
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CONTACT: Larry Whitley Northrop Grumman (310) 813-4897 Larry.Whitley@ngc.com Pamela Townsend City of Hermosa Beach (310) 318-0242 ptownsend@hermosabch.org
