Press Releases


Former mayor to speak on climate change

By BECKY W. EVANS
Standard-Times staff writer

Released: April 10, 2007

Taking Al Gore's lead, former New Bedford Mayor John K. Bullard will give a presentation on climate change at the New Bedford Whaling Museum.

Southeastern Environmental Education Alliance is sponsoring a climate change forum at the museum from 6 to 9 p.m. tomorrow. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the museum, Baker Books in Dartmouth or Lee's Supermarket in Westport.

Mr. Bullard will deliver the keynote address, using training he received from a Tennessee initiative created by Al Gore, who recently appeared in the Oscar-winning documentary on climate change, "An Inconvenient Truth."

During his presentation, Mr. Bullard will discuss what individuals, businesses and organizations can do at the local level to reduce climate change, according to an event release. Mr. Bullard is the president of Sea Education Association and past president of the Coalition for Buzzards Bay.

Local environmental leaders and members of the alliance will discuss their work with climate change and the environment.

"The Southcoast region is uniquely positioned with leadership, resources and ability to tackle" climate change, according to the release. "We can achieve a higher level of stewardship and become a leader in a movement that will ultimately decrease its dependency on nonrenewable fossil fuels, cut carbon emissions, create less waste and have less impact."

The event will begin with a social hour, including beverages and light fare. The museum's gallery will feature exhibits from the alliance's partners, whose missions all include environmental education.

Climate change, also called global warming, refers to changes in global climate patterns that are caused by carbon dioxide and other gases from human activity that collect in the atmosphere and trap heat. The gradual heating of the Earth is predicted to bring floods, drought, food and water shortages, habitat loss, sea level rise, and changes in rainfall patterns.

For more information, contact Jen Marshall at jmarshall@seeal.org or call (607) 351-1268.

Contact Becky W. Evans, revans@s-t.com.