The Challenge of the Oceans

Time: Wed, February 19, 3pm – 5pm
Location: 6th Floor, Woodrow Wilson Center 

  Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center 

  One Woodrow Wilson Plaza 

  1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW 

  Washington, DC 20004-3027

  (directions)

Link: http://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/the-challenge-the-oceans

The world’s oceans are under direct threat. The 5th Assessment Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has noted that as a direct result of increased carbon intake, acidification has increased, which has a direct correlation to the overall health and balance of oceanic ecosystems. Furthermore, sea levels are predicted to rise in 95 percent of ocean area. How then can societies and governments work together to bring clear and lasting policies to shift these trends? On February 19th, a panel will convene to discuss recent oceanic challenges.

The “Managing Our Planet” seminar series is developed jointly by George Mason University, the Brazil Institute and the Environmental Change and Security Program. It is based on the premise that the impacts of humanity on the environment (including natural resources) are at a planetary scale, requiring planetary-scale solutions.

Event Speakers:

Thomas Lovejoy
Biodiversity Chair, H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment

Chris Parsons
Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University

Andreas Merkl
President and CEO, The Ocean Conservancy